RINGING NEWS

Our next meeting is on Saturday, September 12 at KISLINGBURY, 5 bells, tenor 12-0-13, ground floor ring. Ringing from 3pm, special method Winchendon Place Doubles, service at 4.30pm followed by tea and meeting. The bells were cast in the 17th and 18th centuries by three founders. Please book your tea with Sandra Blair on 01604 845299 or e-mail sandram.blair@btinternet.com by the Thursday prior. There are at least two weddings late in the afternoon, so the chairman may be late or missing from the meeting, but not the ringing master! It’s also the sponsored walk and ride day, so why not cycle to Kislingbury around the back lanes? Evening ringing from 6.45 – 8.15pm is at Holy Sepulchre, Northampton (8 splendid bells, ground floor ring). The method for those wishing to be stretched is Superlative Surprise Major. We look forward to seing th Kislingbury ringers and hope they can come also to Holy Sepulchre and not to mention putting in a team for our very friendly 5-bell striking competition at Hellidon on October 10!

Any team wanting to practice at Hellidon for October 10 should contact Rosemary Davidson (but Rosemary is away between September 9 and 19) on 01327 261963 (No e-mail contact) and she will do her best to convince the village that yours is a worthy team!! If you are available, you can always slip in to join any Tuesday morning practices there (10 -11.30am). For guidance, this extract of the rules will help you establish your tower team:

• 1. Teams from each tower in the branch are encouraged to enter.
• 2. Each team shall consist of ringers at that tower (practice night or Sunday), but can include one ringer from elsewhere in the branch.
• 3. No ringer shall ring in more than two teams.
• 4. The test piece shall consist of 120 rows of rounds, call changes or method ringing.

Further details later. Keep practising!

Peter Wenham sent me a Braunston Bulletin for the Autumn Guild Newsletter. So that the Daventry Branch did not take over the whole edition (yet again?), I had to edit it a bit severely for that forum, but thought that you would like to see the whole version:

Braunston Bulletin, Summer 09.
Little new to report in the way of general ringing. The change of Glyn Edwards being Tower Captain has gone smoothly and, we ring every Sunday (except the rare occasions when there is not a service). Practice nights continue to be well attended, although punctuality is a problem mainly due to work commitments. Visitors continue to join us from the canal and are a welcome addition to our numbers.

The Monday Group continues to flourish with ringing ranging from call changes to Stedman according to abilities. As with ringing, so with ages; we have some younger members and welcome any ringers with Monday afternoons free to join the Group.

We concluded the summer(?) season with:

MICHAEL’S MYSTERY OUTING, for Braunston and the Monday Group.
Our 5.45 p.m. meeting at the initial rendevous, Gibbet Hill on the A5, started on an ominous note with the presence of an “unmarked” police car. However, it became apparent that they were booking some unfortunate individual herded in off the A5. (Motorists, please note.) Much speculation about the towers was apparent and as Michael led the convoy on the road to Shawell that tower became hot favourite. But, no, straight through Shawell, what about Swinford? But straight through there as well until All Was Revealed as we stopped at Stanford. On being met by the Tower captain we were informed that the five bells “are hung on 20th century self-aligning bearings in an 18th century self-aligning frame”. Despite this daunting introduction [PS Michael adds that they were an anti-clockwise circle] we acquitted ourselves with rounds, plain hunt, Plain Bob, Grandsire and Stedman, the convoy then departing to the mystery restaurant.
A certain amount of hassle ensued at the M1/M6/A14 junction but, that being negotiated, speculation centred on the Catthorpe Farm shop, correctly as it proved, where a substantial meal was dealt with in approved fashion.

Onward again, where to next? After negotiating many twists and turns - - - - -Shawell! So early speculation was not in vain and this light six proved eminently suitable for ringing after our meal. Rounding off the evening, the “White Swan” and Brakspears formed a suitable conclusion to our foray into Leicestershire.

Thanks to Michael and Barbara, to tower captains and incumbents, and to the restaurant staff at Catthorpe.

Next year???? P.D.W.

Stan Ruddlesden is still in Coventry hospital. He has his mobile phone with him which he can use. It may take him a little while to answer but Stan would appreciate a call on 07855 919 071.

Jan Clifton’s thanksgiving service was very well attended on Thursday at Long Buckby and afterwards, the gathering at the Rugby Club was well appreciated by many. A quarter peal of Grandsire Triples was rung in thanksgiving for Jan’s life on Friday at Weedon by Jill Harvey, Geoff Pullin, Jason Carter, Zoë Roberts, Hilary Aslett, Mike Harvey, Colin Lee (c), Brian Foley, that is after a certain person had arrived at the right tower!