While ‘live’ bell ringing is suspended for a while, you can still enjoy the wonderful sound of the bells at St Michael’s, Southampton, as they will be featured on BBC Radio 4’s Bells on Sunday on March 22nd.
Tune in at 5:43am, or if that’s a bit too early for you, you can listen online afterwards:
Following guidance received today the following towers have ceased all ringing until further notice in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID19:
Alton (All towers), Blackmoor, Bramshott, Buriton, Froxfield, Hawkley, Holybourne, Selborne, Steep, Warnford and West Meon
Other towers will be added once confirmation is received that they are also cancelling their ringing activities
Hope to see you all soon and stay well…
Steve
A&P Communications Officer
Dear all,
In view of the government’s advice that everyone should avoid all non-essential social contact, I have decided that this Wednesday’s (March 18) practice should not go ahead with a view to possibly following the decision of other District towers and cancelling all ringing until further notice.
David Hughes,
Tower Captain
In line with current Government guidelines all practices and service ringing at Rotherwick and Heckfield are suspended until further notice.
It has unfortunately been decided to stop ringing, both for the Sunday service and Wednesday Evening practice, as part of precautions considered under the present worldwide Corona Virus outbreak.
Arrangements are in hand to extend the tenor bell to allow tolling from the ground floor. Normal ringing will be resumed as soon as it is thought sensible to do so.
The UK government has advised against all unnecessary social contact with immediate effect. The Prime Minister advised in a press conference of 16th March that now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others and to stop all unnecessary travel.
The Central Council has released a statement in response to the UK government. They advise that If you haven’t already decided to cancel ringing activities, it seems that now is the time to do so.
The Ringing World agrees with this statement. It is hard to interpret the government’s guidance in any way other than that all planned ringing activities in the UK should now cease.
I have been made aware that ringing has been suspended at the following towers due to COVID-19 concerns:
Alton, St. Laurence, All Saints and Holybourne – all ringing suspended.
Alverstoke – all ringing cancelled until further notice.
Basingstoke, St. Michael’s – all ringing cancelled until further notice.
Blackmoor – all ringing suspended.
Bournemouth, St. John’s, St. Peters and Scared Heart – all ringing suspended.
Bramshott – all service and practice ringing until at least the end of March where the situation will be reviewed.
Brockenhurst – no ringing until further notice.
Buriton – all ringing suspended.
Catherington – ringing cancelled, but may be some limited Sunday ringing if services continue.
Christchurch Priory – all ringing suspended until further notice.
Eling – all ringing suspended.
Froxfield – all ringing suspended.
Havant – all ringing suspended until further notice.
Hawkley – all ringing suspended and the tied practices on 6-8-10th April postponed.
Hursley – all ringing suspended until further notice.
Newport – all ringing cancelled until further notice.
Portsmouth Cathedral – all ringing suspended.
Purbrook – all ringing cancelled until further notice.
Romsey – all ringing suspended until further notice.
Selborne – all ringing cancelled until further notice.
Shanklin – all ringing suspended until further notice.
Shedfield – all ringing suspended until further notice.
Southampton (St. Mary’s, St. Michael’s and Bitterne Park) – all ringing suspended.
Steep – all ringing suspended.
Titchfield – all ringing suspended.
Upham – all ringing suspended until further notice.
Upton Grey – all ringing cancelled until further notice.
Warnford – all ringing suspended.
West Meon – all ringing suspended.
Wickham – all ringing suspended until further notice.
Winchester Cathedral – all ringing suspended until further notice.
Wonston – no practices until further notice.
Portsmouth District – all District events are cancelled including the April QDM.
Winchester District – all District events and the striking competition in May are cancelled until further notice.
Please let me know via wpbells@gmail.com of any other cancellations and I will add them to this list.
Thanks
Andrew Glover
W&P Guild Webmaster
This Tuesday, the 10th March 2020, the 8-bell practice will focus on Grandsire Major.
Two things to say:
1 We will need help!
2 We will also be ringing everything from rounds & called changes upwards, so all abilities welcome as usual.
Penelope Samuel
Regrettably this training session is now cancelled.
Telephone: 07545 667261
Email: Use form
Unfortunately, due to a service in the church at Ringwood, there is no Surprise Major practice on Wednesday 4th March at 7:30pm.
Normality shall resume in April.
Method Monday at Sacred Heart will be on Monday 2nd March 6pm to 7-30 pm. Beer and food at Wetherspoons as usual.
We are looking for someone to carry out routine checking and maintenance of our bells as currently we don’t have anyone physically able to do it.
Please contact me if you may be able to help us. We will happily agree a fee for this work.
Lawrence Clark
Fawley Bell Ringers Secretary & Treasurer
T: 023 8084 3662
M: 07711 577919
There will be no practice at Buriton on Wednesday 26th February it being Ash Wednesday when there will be a Service in Church at 7.30pm.
The following Wednesday, 4th March, there will again be no practice as we will then be holding our AGM.
Thereafter we will be practising normally when all will once again be most welcome.
David Hughes
Tower Captain
Dear All,
This month’s Beyond Bob Doubles will be at East Tytherley on Wednesday 26th February, expect Little Bob, Grandsire, maybe Stedman. All welcome.
Edmund.
Given current Government advice – this month’s Basingstoke District Practice at Yateley is cancelled.
Dear All,
Please find attached poster for our next District practice, which is in Crawley, so nice and central for (nearly) everyone.
Hope to see lots of you there!
Best wishes meanwhile,
Bruce
District Secretary
Hi all
The Guild Education Committee is putting on a course to help people progress beyond Plain Bob. We will use a series of intermediate methods to teach you essential method ringing skills, which will make learning more advanced methods much easier, and also help you keep right in them and ring them well!
The doubles group(s) will explore methods such as Reverse Canterbury, before moving on to St Simon’s and St Martin’s. We will also explore the world of ‘variations’, where different calls are used in a base method to add variety and interest to your doubles ringing.
The minor group(s) will explore Little Bob, St Clement’s, Single Oxford and Double Oxford. We will also show how these methods can easily be spliced together with Plain Bob.
The minimum requirements are that you can ring touches of Plain Bob inside confidently.
These methods are all on the Ringing World 2020 Blue Pathway. This is a challenge for ringers and bands to extend their method ringing repertoire. Anyone can log on to Bellboard and subscribe to a pathway.
We may not be able to teach you to ring all of the methods in your group in one day, but you will get a good start. Afterwards we intend to follow up students in each District with further opportunities to practice these methods and perhaps score quarter peals in them.
Please apply in good time to secure your place. There is an electronic version of the application form at https://forms.gle/GuSEQngXcNNbEJco8
Closing date for receipt of applications: Friday 3rd April.
Download Poster – Beyond Plain Bob Doubles & Minor
Notes for Students and Tower Captains
Telephone: 07797 713862
A reminder about the Eversley Surprise Minor practice that takes place on the last Wednesday of every month (this month 26th February). Cambridge and the other more popular methods from the “41” are all attempted.
All Saints, Odiham bells will be out of action during refurbishment from Monday 10th February 2020 until end of March/early April, unless otherwise stated. Therefore, practices on Wednesday evenings will be held elsewhere. Wednesday 12th February it will be held at St Mary Herriard, venues of future practices will be notified when known.
The dates and towers for the Guild Striking Competitions 2020 are:
Guild Inter-Tower 6 and 8-bell competitions on the Saturday 16th May at Fawley and Eling.
Guild Inter-District 8-bell competition on Saturday 13 June at St. Lawrence, Alton. This is on the morning of the Guild AGM.
Further information available from these downloads:
Guild Inter-Tower 6-bell competition
Guild Inter-Tower 8-bell competition
Guild Inter-District 8-bell competition
Contact Pete Jordan
