Category Archives: Alderney
Congratulations to June!
The Alderney ringers are delighted to record that June Banister has passed the highest level of the Learning the Ropes pathway to success in ringing & is now a qualified Change Ringer. The training scheme was launched 5 years ago – there are only 79 ‘graduates’ so far reaching Level 5 and two of them are on Alderney:-)
Maurice will be enjoying his 93rd birthday on Weds 13th Dec so at practice on Mon 11th we rang 93 changes of Cambridge Minor before singing ‘Happy Birthday’ and enjoying a slice of birthday cake.
Helen McGregor
Bellringing World Record Set in Alderney
“On Wednesday 25th October, a band of 12 ringers – some of the best 12 ringers in the world – rang 25,056 changes of Bristol Surprise Maximus in a little over 16 hrs…”
To see audio and video clips, and for information about members of the band (including W&P ringer Roy Le Marechal) please
visit alderneybells.com
Wells bells are up and ringing! (Includes Video)
Last night we had our Inaugural ring…
Photo shows L-R
Jeremy Stupart, June Banister, Trevor Blades, Aileen Wilson, Donald Hughes, Jane Robinson (hidden), Maurice Stupart, Helen Blades, Bruce James, Philippa Arditti, Peter Bevis & Helen McGregor. Missing from photo = Mariko Whyte
Inaugural Ring @ Wells Bells – The Channel islands’ Ringing Centre
Thurs 7th Sept 2017
The First Ring – Rounds and call changes were rung:
- Peter J R Bevis
- Aileen Wilson
- George Wyatt (bell hanger)
- Helen M McGregor
- June Banister
- Philippa Arditti
- Maurice Stupart
- Donald Hughes
With the changes called by Trevor Blades from outside the circle
This was followed by plain hunt on 7, a course of bob major and half a course of Yorkshire.
Single bells were rung by Jane Robinson, Bruce James,
Jeremy Stupart and Helen Blades
Finally: 1280 Plain Bob Major in 44 mins
- Helen M McGregor
- Aileen Wilson
- Mariko Whyte
- Julian Ferrar
- George E Wyatt
- Peter J R Bevis
- – 8. Matthew R T Higby (C)
First qtr peal on the bells
Helen McGregor
An Exciting week planned in Alderney – First peal on new bells, long-length and a week of training
We have Reading ringers here for the first peal on Wells Bells (Oct 22nd) and they are staying on to watch/listen to the Long length on (Oct 25th). We will be making it a real Ringing-Fest with a full schedule of quarters and focused practice sessions utilising all the good ringers to stretch us.
Wells Bells is the Channel Islands first purpose built ringing centre – please see http://alderneybells.com/the-bells/wells-bells/ for details
Opening Sept 5th
Helen McGregor
Les Cloches des Iles
The latest edition of the Channel Islands District magazine is now available.
Aaron is Level 5 Change Ringer with ART
Aaron secured his Level 1 in Nov 2015 & now 18 months later he has his Level 5 – the highest Level in the ART scheme & we believe the first Channel Island ringer to achieve this Level.
The Alderney band all share in Aaron’s success – a team effort of chauffeuring, escorting, standing behind, ringing alternate strokes, box carrying, explaining, chocolate buying – has all paid off. Aaron is now a regular member of our advanced practice squad & last week rang plain courses of Stedman Doubles ☺
Aaron secured his Level 5 with an excellent quarter peal inside for Grandsire Doubles , but has already rung inside for quarter peals of St Clement’s , the treble to Cambridge minor and treble to bob major. Now with 18 quarter peals under his belt we are planning Aaron’s first peal over the summer.
What’s next with ART? Learn the Ropes plus offers encouragement to progress through Stedman Triples and surprise major, also to try some conducting and handbell ringing – all geared to produce an excellent all-round great ringer – watch this space☺
HMMcG
Busy Easter Monday Tower Open Day in Alderney
The Alderney band were delighted to welcome over 50 people to the belfry on their Easter Monday Tower Open Day. The band were kept busy offering opportunities to view the 12 bells, explanations of the mechanism of ringing using a model bell, demonstration ringing by individual ringers and then team performances. Coffee and cakes were available downstairs at the back of the church together with a video presentation on bellringing.
Helen McGregor
Success! Every member of the Elizabeth College band has now rung at least one Quarter Peal.
Every year Duncan takes a group of the Elizabeth College ringers to Alderney for a weekend of ringing. This year there were five of them joining the Alderney band for their normal Saturday morning practice and plenty of extra ringing on both Saturday and Sunday which the Alderney ringers gave up much of their weekend to support.
Each visitor rang in one of three quarter peals of Plain Bob Doubles rung over the weekend. These included two first QPs and two ‘first away from cover’. Aaron Hallett, an Alderney ringer of a similar age to the EC ringers rang in all 3 quarters, which was the first time he had rung two QPs in a day.
On Saturday, 1 April 2017 in 46 mins
Alderney, Channel Islands St Anne
1260 Plain Bob Doubles
- Jake Colton
- Helen M McGregor
- Aaron Hallett
- Aileen Wilson
- Peter J R Bevis (C)
- Jude Buckley
First away from cover, 1
On Sunday, 2 April 2017 in 43 mins
Alderney, Channel Islands St Anne
1260 Plain Bob Doubles
- Josh Colton
- Helen M McGregor
- Aaron Hallett
- Duncan Loweth
- Peter J R Bevis (C)
- Samuel Chambers
First Quarter, 6. First away from cover, 1
On Sunday, 2 April 2017 in 42 mins
Alderney, Channel Islands St Anne
1260 Plain Bob Doubles
- Aaron Hallett
- Peter J R Bevis
- Aileen Wilson
- Helen M McGregor
- Duncan Loweth (C)
- Louis Troalic
First Quarter, 6
Photograph (L-R) Jude Buckley, Jake Colton, Aaron Hallett, Louis Troalic. Samuel Chambers and Josh Colton were not available for the photograph.
Ruby Practice
June Banister let slip to the band that she was celebrating her 40th wedding anniversary & so we hatched a plan to have that theme for our Saturday practice on 18th March
Trevor Blades called 40 changes of plain hunt on 5 – the ringing of which has become something of a speciality for Donald & was a first for Trevor as (c). Helen (Blades) rang 40 changes of rounds on 4 – her best performance to date. We found a method called Ruby Treble Place Minor so June, Aileen, Heather, Maurice, Helen (McG) & Mariko learned a lead of that which came round with some plain bob
With so many of our A team away it was great to see what we could manage without them.
Helen McGregor
Photo shows: L-R
Maurice Stupart, Jane Trought, Aileen Wilson, Trevor Blades, Heather Winder, June Banister, Donald Hughes, Helen Blades & Mariko Whyte (missing from photo = Helen McGregor)
A Handbell Peal for a the Birth of Hayley Anne Bubb, and for the Guild Peal Festival in Alderney
Channel Islands Bellringing Mash-Up (Video)
Deb Baker spotted this gem on YouTube. Superb call changes on the bells of the Channel Islands. The notes on the video itself read:
Featuring the bells of Jersey, Guernsey & Alderney.
Devon Call-Change Bellringers Tour of the Channel Islands, April 2016: 7 towers, 5 days, 5 flights, great scenery, great company and several pints…
Footage includes rising and lowering bells in peal and a selection of call-change touches on 12, 10, 8 and 6 bells.
Our sincere thanks to Christine Ley for organising another truly memorable tour.
Ringers:
Scott Adams, Sue Ashton, Stuart Bennie, Steven Came, Suzanne Driscol, Elaine Grant, James Grant, Stephen Herniman, Tony Jeffery, Christine Ley, Mark Lovell, Sam Massey, Graham Sharland and Nicola Stoneman
Quarter Peal Rung on Handbells in Alderney to celebrate the Queen’s Birthday
On Wednesday, 20 April 2016 in 31mins
Alderney, Channel Islands
Wells House
1272 Spliced Minor (3m)
Plain, Lile and St Clements Bob
1–2 Peter JR Bevis (C)
3–4 Helen M McGregor
5–6 Stephen A Rossiter
Rung in celebration of the 90th birthday of HM Queen
Elizabeth II.
It’s the final countdown for W & P’s Young Ringers.
With just one more practice today at Carisbrooke to go, the countdown to the Inaugural South East Youth Striking Contest on Saturday has begun for our young ringers.
W and P’s team has 8 young people .. four from Guernsey (students at Elizabeth College and also ringers at Town Church) and four from The Isle of Wight (Brading, Brighstone Newport and Shorwell towers).
It is quite interesting to see what they will all be getting up to all day.
Guild Master Viv Knobbs said;
We wish all of them the very best of luck!
Firsts Fortnight News from the Isle of Wight Young Ringers
Kieran Downer reports from the Isle of Wight Young Ringers’ trip to Alderney…..
- Lexi Skeldon, Rosie Morrision, Maddie Burgess, Tristan Allen and Lily Johnson all rang on Alderney for the first time!
- Rosie Morrison rang on 12 and rang in the Kaleidoscope session.
- Lily Johnson – Plain Hunt Caters, trebled to Grandsire Triples and rang in the Kaleidoscope session
- Lexi Skeldon – Plain Hunt Caters and rang in the Kaleidoscope session
- Maddie Burgess – Did the Mars Bar challenge – up to the balance at hand and back strokes; Rang inside to Plain Bob Minor on her own; Rang and called go and stop for Plain Hunt Caters
ALL WINNERS AT THE EIGHT BELLS, CARISBROOKE
Last night’s Quiz (Saturday, 24th March) to raise funds for the Island and Channel Islands team entering the Youth’s Competition was a huge success with 14 teams of four playing.
Total raised during the evening was a tremendous £312.50, which included a £100 donation from an anonymous source.
Thank you to all who took part in making this such a big success and a very big thanks to all the guys and gals at the Eight Bells, Carisbrooke, for all their support and help on organising the event.
Think Viv Nobbs is laying down in a darkened room at the moment trying to get over the evening!
Sorry if the jokes, stories and puns were a bit corny but, hey, you all laughed and seemed to enjoy the evening, which was the intention.
Lily Johnson Reporting from the IoW Young Ringers Trip to Alderney
Firsts Fortnight Roundup from Alderney
Hold the front page: Viv Nobbs, Guild Master rang her first handbell qtr at Wells Ho, Alderney on Sat March 5th – trebles to bob minor.
bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=996660
Aaron Hallett, (aged 12 & very slight) rang our 13cwt tenor on his own for the first time on Sun 6th march & he rang it in rounds on 10 on Mon 7th March. June Banister – rising star of Alderney band ( now a level 3 ITTS certificate holder), rang the treble to a touch of Grandsire caters on Mon 7th March. Sue Le Feuvre rang her first qtr of Ipswich S Minor on Mon 7th March
Viv and Graham Nobbs Score Firsts on Alderney
Viv Nobbs writes:
My First was yesterday – at Wells House, Alderney – first on Abel Simulator with Moving Ringers. Great stuff!
Graham was chuffed:
Alderney, Channel Islands
Wells House
Friday, 4 March 2016
1260 Plain Bob Minor
1–2 Peter J R Bevis
3–4 Helen M McGregor
5–6 Graham A Nobbs (C)
First in hand, 5-6
First Fortnight News from the Channel Islands
Firsts Fortnight began on 1st of March, and the Channel Islands ringers wasted no time – a Double First for Aileen Wilson (First Quarter of Surprise on Tower Bells, and First Handbell Qaurter Away From Tenors) and a First Treble Bob Quarter for Victoria McAllister.
Winchester & Portsmouth Diocesan Guild
Alderney, Channel Islands
St Anne
Tuesday, 1 March 2016 in 45mins
1320 Cambridge Surprise Minor
1 Victoria McAllister
2 Aileen Wilson
3 Helen M McGregor
4 Heather Winder
5 Peter J R Bevis
6 Stephen A Rossiter (C)
First treble Bob:1 First surprise:2. For St.David’s Day
Winchester & Portsmouth Diocesan Guild
Alderney, Channel Islands
Wells House
Tuesday, 1 March 2016 in 43mins
1264 Plain Bob Major
1–2 Peter J R Bevis
3–4 Helen M McGregor
5–6 Aileen Wilson
7–8 Stephen A Rossiter (C)
1st away from tenors: 5-6
Photo by Sue Le Feuvre
Congratulations Aaron Hallett (Alderney) First Quarter Peal and Happy Birthday!
Congratulations Donald Hughes – First Peal

Helen McGregor reports from Alderney:
In addition to our spectacular peal of Bob Triples last Tuesday the Alderney band are equally proud of Donald Hughes.Athough rung in Scotland for ODG this was set up for Donald to ring a peal in 2015. Donald is a stalwart of the Alderney band, tower sec, liaises with vicar, organises the cleaning rota, masterminded the augmentation – you name it he does it:-)
First Ever Local Band Rings a Peal on Alderney – 3 Firstpeal2015!

Tuesday December the 15th was the 70th anniversary of Homecoming on Alderney. During WWII Alderney was evacuated and was occupied by the Germans. On 15th December 1945 some of the residents returned, and began to rebuild the island. [watch news item about Homecoming]
It has always been a day of celebration on Alderney, and to mark the 70th anniversary with a peal has always my intention. It became even more pleasing to be able to ring the first ever local band peal, together with 3 first pealers and one first tower bell peal, during the year of the first pealers!! It was a well executed peal, a little slow with very few errors.
First Quarter Peal Congratulations – Trevor Blades (Alderney)
Congratulations – a very important milestone
Alderney Ringing Times
Sundays: 9:45am
Practice: Monday 5pm, Saturday 10am
Contact Donald Hughes
Address: 8 Queen Elizabeth II St, St Anne, Alderney GY9 3TB Telephone: 01481 823769 or 07911 718599