Tower Captain, David Lay, with gladness, has informed us that their Tuesday evening ringing practices, are resuming from Tuesday 15th June 2021 from 8:00pm until 9:00pm; followed afterwards, by the usual visit to The Woolpack.
Please support your district’s local tower practices.
Contact: David Lay
Hi Everyone
I propose that we learn/practice Erin this month and the line is attached. Some of us have had a “go” recently and found it quite challenging.
It is a principle that looks a bit like Stedman, but ringing it feels very different as the entire front work is “wrong” and there is no quick work. The start is as plain bob (briefly).
It has also become apparent that we need to polish our act with Bob Minor and we’ll concentrate on touches – especially singles which still seem to spook us! Once we’ve mastered this we can move on to other minor methods.
Looking forward to seeing you there (please let me know you’re coming)
Dear District,
Here is a reminder of the regular monthly district practices. If your tower is running a monthly practice, and would like to be included on the list, and calendar online/printed events calendar, please let us know.
Please do support your local monthly district practices:
Every 1st Monday:
Sacred Heart Bournemouth 6:00pm-7:30pm Method Monday Contact Kim Matthews (focus on a method/touches/calling/splicing chosen by popular consensus) Join the email list to find out next times method.
Every 1st Wednesday:Â
Sopley 7:30pm-9:00pm Beyond Bob Doubles  Contact Tim Kettle taking doubles methods to the next level with variants and splicing. Links between methods such as Winchendon and various St.s’ group of methods!
Every 1st Thursday:
Ringwood 7.15pm-9.00pm Surprise Major Contact Alan Bentley Repertoire usually includes single methods and spliced (subject to available expertise on the night). Best to make contact in advance if unsure about status of local road works.
Every 2nd Tuesday:
St. John’s Bournemouth 8 Bell Practice 7:30pm-9:00pm Contact Penelope Samuel. Anything 8 bells goes on here, come and practice your triples methods, call changes and rounds on 8 bells.
Every 2nd Wednesday:
Lymington 7:30pm-9:00pm Doubles & Minor Practice Contact Colin Butler. Plain courses and touches of doubles and minor methods. Come and practice your calling too.
Every Thursday
St. Peter’s Bournemouth Bell Handling Night 7:30pm-9:00pm Contact Romy Coldman. Any aspects of bell handling on this heavy 8, covered by a unique array of excercises, to really get into the nitty-gritty of the nitty-gritty! Methods are not covered at this practice night.
It is advisable to inform the practice organiser if you plan to attend events, should the rare chance of a last minute cancellation happen, a message can be sent to you directly.
NB. Other monthly district practices in April:
Monday 1st April: Method Monday at Bournemouth Sacred Heart 6:00pm
Wednesday 3rd April: Beyond Bob Doubles at Sopley 7:30pm & Surprise Major at Ringwood 7:30pm
Tuesday 9th April: 8 bell methods practice at Bournemouth St. John’s at 7:30pm
Wednesday 10th April: Doubles methods practice at Lymington at 7:30pm.
There is also the guild education day for Grandsire Doubles and Triples at Goodworth Clatford on Saturday 6th April, and Youth Team Ringing Practice at Brockenhurst at 3:00pm on Sunday 7th April.
Don’t forget right at the end of the month on Saturday 27th April we are at St. Peter’s for our monthly district practice starting at 6:00pm. Â More details about this nearer the time.
Dear Beyond Bob Doublers!
It’s now time to refresh/start on minor methods. We’ll begin with plain courses for anyone who wants them, and move up through basic touches, touches with singles and lots of calls.
We’ll also spend some time on Stedman touches, so put in your requests on the night.
Variable treble bob doubles has been popular and unexpectedly successful, and we could try to take it a step further.
Finally, Ross has come up with a little principal/method he thought we might like to have a go at – see Saturn Doubles attached. Bobs (I think),- bell making thirds going up makes long thirds and goes in, Bell in 4/5 up triple dodges with bell doing 5/4 down dodge, then makes fifths, and bell dodging 5/4 down triple dodges before going in slow (making 3rds going down. Try drawing it – it makes sense then. .
Unfortunately I can’t be there that week (in Spain), but John and Ross will have plenty for you to do!
Have fun
Tim
PDF below!
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Please see below for updated notifications we have received for District ringing times in December.
Hinton, St. Michael and all Angels.
Sunday 16th December: Dressing of the crib 10:30am for 11:00am followed by wine and mice pies.
Monday 24th December Christmas Eve: Nearly midnight service! 9:30pm for 10:00pm
Sopley, St Michael and all Angels.
Sunday 16th December: Service ringing 10:30am for 11:00am
Sunday 23rd December: Service ringing 10:30am for 11:00am
Monday 24th December Christmas Eve: Dressing of the Crib 3:30pm for 4:00pm, then Midnight Mass 10:45pm for 11:15pm.
Tuesday 25th December Christmas Morning: Service ringing 10:30am for 11:00am.
Sunday 30th December: Service ringing 10:30am for 11:00am.
Bournemouth, St John the Baptist (Surrey Road).
Sunday 16th December: NO MORNING RINGING, then 6:00pm for 6:30pm Carol Service.
Sunday 23rd December: Usual service ringing times. (9:00am for 9:30am)
Monday 24th December Christmas Eve: Dressing of the Crib 2:30pm for 3:00pm
Tuesday 25th December Christmas Morning: Usual Sunday service ringing time. (9:00am for 9:30am)
Bournemouth, St. Peter’s.
Sunday 16th December: 9:15am for 10:00am
Sunday 23rd December: 9:15am for 10:00am
NO RINGING FOR MIDNIGHT MASS
NO RINGING FOR CHRISTMAS MORNING
Sunday 30th December: NO RINGING
NO RINGING FOR NEW YEAR
Thursday night practices start back on 03.01.2019
(due to absence not enough ringers to form a band).
Bournemouth, Sacred Heart.
Sunday 16th December: 10:00am for 10:30am
Sunday 23rd December: 10:00am for 10:30am
Monday 24th December Christmas Eve: 4:30pm for 5:00pm, then Midnight Mass 11:00pm for 11:30pm. There is NO regular Monday night practice 6:00pm to 7:30pm.
Tuesday 25th December Christmas Morning: 10:00am for 10:30am.
Monday 31st December New Year’s Eve: There is NO regular Monday night practice 6:00pm to 7:30pm, but general ringing to see in 01.01.2019 from 11:30pm with booze and nibbles.
Ringwood, St. Peter & St. Paul.
Saturday 22nd December: Service ringing 5:30pm for 6:00pm
Sunday 23rd December: Service ringing 9:45am for 10:30am, then 4:00pm for 4:30pm.
Monday 24th December Christmas Eve: Carols in the market place 5:30pm for 6:00pm, then Midnight Mass 11:00pm for 11:30pm.
Sunday 30th December: Service ringing 9:45am for 10:30am
Milford-on-Sea, All Saints.
Monday 24th December Christmas Eve: NO Monday practice night.
Christchurch Priory.
Monday 17th December: NO Monday practice night.
Monday 24th December Christmas Eve: NO Monday practice night.
Monday 31st December New Year’s Eve: NO Monday practice night.
Dear District,
Here is a reminder of the regular monthly district practices. If your tower is running a monthly practice, and would like to be included on the list, and calendar online/printed events calendar, please let us know.
Please do support your local monthly district practices:
Every 1st Monday:
Sacred Heart Bournemouth 6:00pm-7:30pm Method Monday Contact Kim Matthews (focus on a method/touches/calling/splicing chosen by popular consensus) Join the email list to find out next times method.
Every 1st Wednesday:Â
Sopley 7:30pm-9:00pm Beyond Bob Doubles  Contact Tim Kettle taking doubles methods to the next level with variants and splicing. Links between methods such as Winchendon and various St.s’ group of methods!
Ringwood 7:45pm-9:15pm Suprise Major Contact Elizabeth Davey
Every 2nd Tuesday:
St. John’s Bournemouth 8 Bell Practice 7:30pm-9:00pm Contact Penelope Samuel. Anything 8 bells goes on here, come and practice your triples methods, call changes and rounds on 8 bells.
Every 2nd Wednesday:
Lymington 7:30pm-9:00pm Doubles & Minor Practice Contact Colin Butler. Plain courses and touches of doubles and minor methods. Come and practice your calling too.
Every Thursday
St. Peter’s Bournemouth Bell Handling Night 7:30pm-9:00pm Contact Romy Coldman. Any aspects of bell handling on this heavy 8, covered by a unique array of excercises, to really get into the nitty-gritty of the nitty-gritty! Methods are not covered at this practice night.
It is advisable to inform the practice organiser if you plan to attend events, should the rare chance of a last minute cancellation happen, a message can be sent to you directly.
On Sunday 9th September, I joined forces with five very kind people who had given up their Sunday afternoon, to form a band to ring a quarter-peal of Reverse Canterbury Pleasure Place Doubles.
Once I had located the correct church!…we could be found in the tower of Sturminster Marshall, on mainly medieval bells, with the tenor dating from 1400, weighing in at a healthy 18cwt. Â Lovely rich bells, and smooth going, steady speed too, due to their moving weights.
This was my second attempt at Reverse Canterbury. Â My first was hampered by inexperience with a long draft, lassoing ropes, and a touch of wheel slip on generally ‘difficult bells’, and in hindsight, was a great lesson in itself, even though we came away without scoring.
One of our younger members, Jack Pease, (only 19), was conducting the quarter-peal. Â The band were very easy going, which leant to a relaxed atmosphere in which to ring, and focus on the 1260 changes ahead.
We started off well, and aside for a minor blunder by yours truly in the middle, when I decided to go for a ‘wander’ off the well trod method pathway, we scored the quarter-peal, and I was able to make my mark in the tower records book. Â All the ringers made a great team, and could sense (probably by my glances of mercy), when I needed a word of encouragement, or affirmation of what piece of work was coming forward next.
This is now my fourth quarter-peal since taking up ringing in November 2016, and each one has been a very individual and tailored experience. Â Some with people I know, and my tutors from Sopley, who are able to foretell mistakes I may not have even begun to career through yet! Â Some with people I have met for the first time, and by the end, have become team players together, thinking as a unit on, musical, mathematical, and physical/technical levels.
As a good friend mentioned to me…it is like giving 88 people a key each from a piano, and going off with an instruction to coordinate a full piece of music. Â We have a motto at St. Peter’s, where I ring on a weekly basis on their bell-handling course…’The strength of the team is in each individual member, the strength of each member is in the team’.
I have received support and guidance from all across our district, and further afield. Â Attended ringing days out, events, education days, ringing holidays, specially tailored district practice evenings, quarter-peal days and fortnights, district practices, meetings, Â plus other tower’s practice nights, bell-handling workshops, all their time given on a voluntary level. Â We are very lucky in our district there is always something going on, with a very busy website, we just have to go ourselves and grab these opportunities. Â I have been bitten by the bell-ringing bug, and ring about five times weekly now!
Finally I must mention briefly alongside my quarter-peal news that the District Quarter Peal Club shall be returning in a slightly revamped form in 2019, managed by Polly Osborne. Â Watch this space for further details VERY SOON…
Photography by Jack Pease
This weeks practice at Hinton 11.09.2018, will now take place at Sopley, 7:30pm start.
We look forward to welcoming you there.
Contact Peter Murdock-Saint
Please see below for links to all the information for the forthcoming district practice and Hinton Trophy for striking. Â This post supersedes any previous version.
Saturday 8th September 2018 at Sopley church.
Method of the month: Little Bob Minor
2:30pm – 3:30pm General Ringing
3:30pm – 4:30pm Striking Competition
4:30pm Business meeting
Please let David Lay know numbers for tea.
To enter a band into the Striking Competition, please contact Andy Ingram.
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Annual District Meeting  2018 Minutes
September Practice and Hinton Trophy
Last night’s BBD (Beyond Bob Doubles) practice led by Tim Kettle, flanked by Ross Bradley, was incredibly successful for all. We had touches of Stedman, followed by touches of Reverse Canterbury, Winchendon Place, St. Martin’s, St. Simon’s, and ending in a variation of South Repps.
As a learner, I had a eureka moment, observing how similar, some methods are related to each other, and with a small tweek of a line, I was able to ring in something new to me, fairly successfully, in a jovial and supportive gathering. Â There were also quite a few ‘firsts’ for other members too.
The evening became a hive of activity, members sharing tips, and puzzling over problems together.
We also welcomed Chris for the first time, a new face to some, and a super-great chap. Â In the past Chris rang at Ringwood, Fordingbridge and Hampreston. After a lengthy-ish period of rope-neglect, he is back to join our district.
BBD is held on the first Wednesday of the month at Sopley 7:30pm – 9:00pm. Drinks afterwards in The Woolpack.
Report by Peter Murdock-Saint.
Beyond Bob Doubles are very pleased to confirm an evening practice on Wednesday 1 August 2018 @ 7:30pm and look forward to welcoming you.
Be prepared for St Simon’s and Winchendon Place – amongst others, of course!
I am delighted to announce that (subject to a formal vote at the next meeting), Peter Murdock-Saint has volunteered to look after the C&S news on the Guild Website.
Peter learned to ring at Sopley and attends several practice nights across the District. (click line below)
The retiring webmaster, Graham Hounslow (Fawley), has been an invaluable member of the Guild Communications Committee for a number of years now. In addition to posting the C&S news, first on the District Website and later on the Guild Website, he wrote much of the original CSS programming that drives the “look and feel” of wpbells.org. The District and the Guild owe him grateful thanks!
Hinton practice scheduled for Tuesday, 10th July 2018, will be held at Sopley; usual 7:30pm start.
Robin Wilson
We hope to be able to continue with extending our experience new methods and variations at this practice and it would be very useful as the holiday season approaches to know who is ale to be there. Please let me know so I can confirm we have enough ringers to be able to go ahead.
The programme will include touches of Stedman, mixed plain courses of doubles methods we can already ring, and variations (suggestions are April Day, Southrepps, Kennington, Cliffords Pleasure), and the St Martins/St Simons group of methods.
So study these (all on the info already sent out) and we should have a good practice,
Hope you can come and looking forward to seeing you then,
It’s time to start thinking about what we do next after our success with All Saints. A logical plan is to ring Little Aston, which is Reverse Canterbury with Wallflower singles (aka a plain lead of All Saints. We can also start using other bobs/singles on Bob Doubles and Grandsire to ring more variations.
This will lead on to the St Simons/Winchendon Place group of methods when the possibilities of variations get even more plentiful!
Here is a chart of some variations (in case you haven’t got a copy of John’s sheets) which should make things a bit clearer.
In the meantime we’ll try not to forget Stedman – I know several of you want more practice at singles.
Would you please confirm you will be coming or not?
I look forward to seeing you there
By popular request we will be concentrating solely on All Saints – plain courses and touches. If I have misunderstood this requirement please let me know.
It is important to be prepared by doing the homework. Understand the work at a Bob (plain lead of Reverse Canterbury) and the importance of where you have passed the treble which tells you what lead work you are doing eg places up( 2/3), long 5ths (3/4) , places down (4/5) or seconds (observation).
To make sure we will have enough ringers to make a viable practice would you please confirm you are coming as I already know of one member of the band who is away.
Thanks
After a week deprived of ringing, we’ll all (hopefully) be eager to resume the normal programme.
This week we’ll continue with All Saints and Reverse Canterbury – ringing one with the bobs a plain lead of the other (lookup pink singles on John’s sheets to see that they’re All Saints).
It’s really time to crack singles of Bob Minor and there will be touches of Stedman with a difference!
Hope to see you next week
PS : For the future start thinking about and looking at St Simons (doubles) and St Clements (minor). There are lots of methods that follow on from these.
All being well, and the snow has gone as forecast, there will be a practice next Wednesday.
I will be missing, but John will be giving you plenty to do:- including touches of All Saints and Stedman, splicing plain courses of methods, and touches of Bob Minor.
Just one suggestion from me – as All Saints bobs are a plain course of Reverse Canterbury, and Little Aston is Reverse Canterbury with bobs of a plain lead of All Saints (which is the same as a pink single), how about giving Little Aston a try (BTW it’s classed as a method – not a variation).
Have fun at a good practice,
See you later in the month
Tim
WPBELLS 