
Petersfield Rings for England!

Do not tick! This is just a category designed to organise all event categories into one place.
Download a copy of this poster here
In August I posted a picture that had been sent to me by Linda Bulpitt, Froyle’s Tower Captain, which showed an entry written on their tower wall recording the firing of the bells for VJ day.
Above is the addition they made to the wall after ringing to mark the Centenary of the Armistice.
Last Sunday – Remembrance Sunday – we were called to “look to” and take part in a most momentous commemoration. Being so intimately linked in to our local communities, it was no surprise that bellringers everywhere stepped forward to participate, collectively and individually, in such a solemn centenary.
And it is entirely right and fitting that bells gave voice to the deep and lasting emotions felt so widely at this time. So many today owe so much to our forebears for the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy one hundred years on. As bellringers, we are the “external choir” that calls out across time and space, giving tribute on this day for those who have gone before. This is what we do, this is our calling, this is our service.
On behalf of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers, I wish to thank all who participated in this historic event. The Ringing Remembers campaign, promoted by the Central Council, has claimed some inspiring headlines – towers silent for many years have rung out once more; hundreds of bands have been augmented with new learners; tens of thousands of ringers mobilised to ring in thousands of towers – not just in the UK, but across the world; ringing featured strongly in local, national and international media; and the BellBoard website went into meltdown!
Our campaign sought to recruit 1400 new ringers, to symbolically replace those ringers who fell in the First World War. At the most recent count, new ringer registrations for the recruitment campaign totalled 2792 – close to 200% of the original target. The Council’s newly-stated mission is, among other things, “to promote an environment in which ringing can flourish”. Last Sunday we witnessed what “flourish” looks like – more of that please.
Whilst it is impossible to thank all key individuals by name, I would like to pay a special tribute to Vicki Chapman – Ringing Remembers Project Coordinator, Colin Chapman – Coordinator’s “roadie”, Alan Regin – Steward of the CCCBR Rolls of Honour, Andrew Hall – developer and administrator of the Ringing Remembers web platform, and Bruce & Eileen Butler – who linked thousands of enquirers to guilds, districts and towers. And there are so many others…
My thanks go also to all those who have come to ringing through this route – may you continue to develop in skill, and gain many happy years of fulfilment in your ringing. And to that widespread army of ringing teachers who have risen to the challenge of training so many enthusiastic learners – well done!
Last Sunday was a day of reflection, a day of commemoration, a day of participation. Bellringers everywhere were able to say – “I was there – I remembered”.
Christopher O’Mahony
If your tower rang for Armistice 100, why not download this certificate to display in the tower to mark the occasion?
Thanks
Mike Winterbourne
W & P Guild Master
Certificates to record those who ring for the centenary of the Armistice on Sunday 11th November 2018 in your tower are available to download from the links below:
This Sunday – Remembrance Sunday – we are called to “look to” and take part in a most momentous commemoration. Being so intimately linked in to our local communities, it is no surprise that bellringers everywhere have stepped forward to participate, collectively and individually, in this solemn centenary.
And it is entirely right and fitting that bells give voice to the deep and lasting emotions felt so widely at this time. So many today owe so much to our forbears for the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy one hundred years on. As bellringers, we are the “external choir” that calls out across time and space, giving tribute on this day for those who have gone before. This is what we do, this is our calling, this is our service.
This Sunday will be a day of reflection, a day of commemoration, a day of participation. Thank you for your participation in this historic event. Bellringers everywhere will be able to say – “I was there – I remembered”.
———————————–
I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.
———————————-
Lyrics: Sir Cecil Spring Rice
Music: Sir Gustav Holst
This is the latest we have from Tim Daykin at BBC Radio Solent re: Bells this weekend…
Tim Daykin is broadcasting live from Royal Victoria Country Park Chapel.
Hopefully there will be a clip from the ringing of 1918 Plain Bob Triples at New Alresford recently reported here and a talk-up about the national ringing. This will most likely be towards the end of the programme.
Francis Mitchell has kindly supplied information to Tim re: the Chapel and its bells.
“Yes, I opened the Chapel and ran Tower Tours with volunteers from the Friends Group for over 4 years until the Chapel closed for the recent refurbishment.
The Chapel tower holds a clock chime of 3 bells (Whitechapel 1862) which were hung dead and sounded by clock hammers. The largest is the half ton hour bell which also has an internal clapper to which a rope was attached so it could be sounded as a service bell. I eventually persuaded Hants County Council to get a rope reattached so the bell could be “rung” on Tower Tours, as it is now.”
Tim’s show is broadcast from 6-9am on Sunday
Most likely, you will have spoken to David Mattingley or me when you were first introduced to our Guild, or our conversations might have been by email. We look forward to meeting you all in person in a ringing room in the not-too-distant future.
Meanwhile, best wishes once again for Sunday and please consider letting me know of your experiences of your WW1 Centenary Commemoration ringing on Sunday.
Thank you all and your tutors who have worked vey hard consistently to achieve amazing results.
For centuries the bells have called
through countless ringers’ hands
To come to worship, prayer and song
the people of these lands
The bells fell silent one by one
as ringers went to war
They’d heard the call to go to fight
the war to end all wars
Four years on the guns fell still
and most of them returned
Their families embraced them back
they went to join their bands
The broken bones that many had
would mend in time they hoped
But those whose limbs were lost in war
would never hold a rope
And men with shell-shock could not bear
to hear the bells again
The sound brought back the crash of shells
the cries of dying men
Now fourteen hundred ringers lie
beneath a distant sky
Though silent, still we hear their call
their spirits ring on high
They call to us to ring the bells
to learn the ancient art
So England evermore shall hear
the nations beating heart
St. Peter’s, Bournemouth have added their Ringing Remembers contributions to the official Armistice 2018 site. Don’t forget to register your events on the government site.
https://armistice100.org.uk/event/ringing-remembers-at-st-peters-church-bournemouth/
Please add your tower and/or church events for Armistice 100 here:
Link to Winchester Cathedral “Battle’s Over” event
http://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/events/battles-over/
With just over two weeks to go until Armistice 100, you may be wondering where to send your WW1 performances to for inclusion in the archives?
Please send them direct to ww1bells@aol.com
Also, please remember to add them to the event on BellBoard.
Messages are coming in thanking ringers for their support as the nation commemorates the centenary of the end of the WW1.
We will all be very busy, and pleased to be so I’m sure, on 11th November. Thank you to all ringers and local leaders who are working so very hard at this time. Ringers are arranging for as many towers as possible to be ringing out, ringing at more than one tower and helping out at Chiming Towers, too.
Let’s tell the world where we’ll be ringing and when, please, responding to good feedback we’re receiving from our communities. This recently from a
Royal Naval Association Officer –
” I am sure many of my shipmates would like to come and hear the bells and, with publicity in local media, you will get a positive response from descendants of
The Royal Naval personnel who died in WW1, who will wish to know of the ringing”.
Towers spreading the word of our ringing is most effective so using Pew Sheets and
Notice Boards in our churches, advising the local newspapers and so on will be great. This very special occasion gives us a good opportunity to check our existing posters and leaflets. Are they in the best locations? They have a tendency to get out-of-date and rather dog-eared, so not looking inviting….let’s get the smart ones out on display for the many visitors to our churches!
There have been helpful guidelines for us for Armistice Day and many local initiatives, too. These links might be helpful still…
wpbells.org/clarification-of-armistice-ringing/
and the Ringing for Peace poster (can be adapted to suit)
wpbells.org/ringing-for-peace-document-poster/
As well as advising our communities before the Armistice Ringing, they’d like feedback from us and we would, too, please.
We would very much like to use relevant details for our WW1 Centenary Commemoration Archives so, whether tower bells, hand bells, chiming, tolling, rounds, call changes, quarters or peals, we’d love for EVERY tower and EVERY ringer to be included and acknowledged.
Ideally then we need details of the ringing, ringers including Ringing Remembers new or returning ringers, and footnotes including if any bells had been specifically cast as WW1 Memorial Bells. You can submit to us direct – ww1bells@aol.com
and you may well have seen the special Ringing World BellBoard site –bb.ringingworld.co.uk/event.php?id=9128
Please feel free to get in touch if you would like further information and we hope that Armistice Ringing will be truly significant and very meaningful for us all.
Viv Nobbs
Public Relations Officer
Tel: 01983 530920
Email: wpprovcn@gmail.com
Please see the document/poster via the link below. As part of the ringing initiative, Ringing for Peace, please print copies of these out, to display/make accessible to congregation members.
All you need to do is change the email address so it is relevant to your tower.
If anyone needs assistance doing this, please let me know.
The ringing community may be understandably confused regarding alternative requests for ringing on 11th November this year. I hope that the following provides some clarification.
“Ringing Remembers” is the campaign officially endorsed and sponsored by HM Government for (a) recruiting new ringers and (b) ringing open at 12:30pm on Sunday 11th November – aligning with the published agenda for processions and marches in celebration of peace. CCCBR has been working hard with government officials to finalise and announce plans for ringing on the centenary of the Armistice, but we were under strict embargo until Friday 13th July, which is when the media release was published.
“Battle’s Over” is the private initiative of Bruno Peek, MBE. Bruno has demonstrated energy, drive and passion to put together a compelling programme of events on the evening of 11th November, inviting ringing at 7:05pm. Although his initiative gained early support from various military organisations and CCCBR, it is not backed by central government or Buckingham Palace.
Over the past year CCCBR representatives have been trying to align the varying requests for ringing on 11th November (we have also had approaches from the British Legion and other bodies), but this has not proved possible. Nevertheless, knowing the national mood to acknowledge this centenary, CCCBR encourages all ringers to respond as they see fit, taking into account the wide variety of local circumstances. Ringing open at or around 12:30pm is the ideal and recommended option, but any time that afternoon / evening is also supported. General ringing, quarter peals, peals – let’s do it!
To quote Tennyson – “…
Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Vicki Chapman & Christopher O’Mahony
CCCBR Ringing Remembers Project Co-ordinator & CCCBR President
The Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sports have now announced plans for the International Moment as the Nations says ‘Thank you’. Please see this Press Release that coincided with the announcement made on 12th July on the BBC’s The One Show.
Bells in countries observing GMT and CET are invited to ring at 12.30hrs GMT (13.30hrs CET)
Ringing Remembers: Bells ring out to mark the centenary of the Armistice
The UK Government invites all bell ringers to join the nation in marking the end of the First World War by ringing together on Remembrance Sunday. They would like ringing to take place at 12.30pm on Sunday 11 November to coincide with the nation’s tribute as thousands march past the Cenotaph. Everybody is invited to take part, whether you are a new Ringing Remembers recruit or an experienced ringer. All are welcome. If you haven’t done so already speak with your tower captain to start making plans for ringing during this national moment.
Share your plans with us and we’ll spread the word to inspire other ringers. Contact: bells@big-ideas.org
Or find us on:
Twitter @Big_Ideas_Co #RingingRemembers
Facebook Big Ideas
Instagram @_BigIdeas
Take part in this national moment to mark the centenary of the Armistice.
Ringing Remembers is funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and is a partnership with the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers.
Motion (D)
Tony Smith proposes and Bruce Purvis seconds on behalf of the Executive Committee that in future the Annual General Meeting should normally be held on the third Saturday in June instead of the first Saturday in July although, in accordance with rule 5, the place and date are fixed at the previous Annual General Meeting.
Many congratulations to Erin Ingram (Milford) on scoring her first Quarter Peal. This was the first time that the Ingram Family have rung a quarter peal together. Andy and Sallie are long-standing members of the Guild Education Committee. Isla (who rang the treble) has now scored three quarter peals.
Winchester & Portsmouth Diocesan Guild
On Friday, 17 March 2017 in 38
Awbridge, Hampshire
Clock House Bells
Tenor: 1–1–2
1260 Plain Bob Doubles
1 Isla K A Ingram
2 Andrew J B Ingram (C)
3 Mike Winterbourne
4 John A Dodd
5 Sallie-Louise Ingram
6 Erin M E Ingram
1st Quarter (aged 9): 6
Rung for C&S District Quarter Peal Fortnight
For full details of the AGM please follow the link below.
What a fabulous Inter-District 8 bell competition yesterday at New Alresford! We had 4 districts enter and here are the results:
1st: Portsmouth, 89%, ringing Grandsire Triples and a peal speed of 3hrs 2mins
2nd: Winchester, 84%, ringing Cambridge Surprise Major and a peal speed of 3hrs 8mins
3rd: Christchurch and Southampton, 82%, ringing Grandsire Triples and a peal speed of 3hrs 7mins
4th: Andover, 75%, ringing Grandsire Triples and a peal speed of 3hrs 2m
Well done to all the teams and thank you to our Judges, Paul and Kate Flavell!
The election of new officers for the Guild at the AGM yesterday was very successful overall – the officers led by Viv Nobbs for the past three years were able to hand their responsibilities over to the strong new team led by Mike Winterbourne.
New faces include Mike Winterbourne the new Master, Vice-Master Pete Jordan, and Treasurer Ros Brandwood who will sit on the top table at Exec meetings alongside Tony Smith who remains as Minute Secretary.
The other new officers elected at the AGM are:
The key job of Secretary which has been done by Mo Routh for the past 3 years, was not filled.
Mo said:
I have offered to caretake the role as a volunteer for (hopefully) a matter of weeks while the new officers settle in and they have a chance to find someone to take it on. I have set a limit on this and if there is still no volunteer by the November Executive meeting, I shall step down and the Guild will have no secretary and the things I deal with will have to be taken on by other officers. I hope it won’t come to that, and that someone else becomes secretary very soon.
The Guild’s Action Plan Review will be presented to the Annual General Meeting on Saturday. It’s hoped that many members will be present but not all will be able to join us.
I thank members for supporting Officers with the Action Plan and thereby enabling us to take a more flexible approach. I have appreciated it very much and wish to keep my part of the bargain by presenting this review; I strongly believe in transparency and accountability to members. I do hope this will encourage even more engagement leading to positive outcomes.
The Review is linked here and included in full below for your information; I hope you find it helpful.
Looking forward to the next twelve months, it would be my wish and suggestion to see the following items included in our actions:
Master
The Master has continued to be pro-active in working with the two Dioceses building up some even stronger and very meaningful links. With the Central Council Visit in May, it gave us an amazing opportunity to showcase ringing in the Portsmouth Diocese, in particular. The Diocesan P.R. resource was very much used for our benefit; it took responsibility for the drafting and issue of a Press Release, focusing very much on local ringing and ringers. In this context, Bishop Christopher, at the Central Council reception, made the informal comment to The Master “It’s good we’re on the map!”
It is hoped and anticipated that these two events will encourage even more young ringers and their supporters, from across our wide area, to enjoy more ringing and social events.
Committees are seeing young ringers coming forward to serve, for example Belfry Stewardship and Striking Competitions.
A focus group has been formed, to be chaired by the Guild Report Editor to consider the content, format and production costs of the Annual Report.
Since it was announced that The Ringing World National Youth Contest was to be held on the first Saturday in July, for the foreseeable future, the decision was made to bring forward our Annual General Meeting by two weeks; this was to send out a strong signal of commitment to our younger members and should avoid the National 12-bell contest. The general meeting will fall close to the anniversary date of the formation of our Guild.
A data base of members is considered to be a priority still as is an overall review of how information is circulated to members, including more newsletters, in addition to the website.
No District came forward to apply for the £500 (maximum) “District initiative” element ‘though one District has made its intention known that it will very likely apply in the year 2016-17.
The Education Committee has not applied this year for the financial benefit of £200. It will review in the Autumn as hall hire is increasing generally and the benefit of lower student numbers on some courses is apparent.
Especially, in the light of the above, The Master has used discretion with The Teacher Training element of the £500 approximate budget. 3 out of 8 Districts have applied for this support this year.
£180 has been allocated in the following way: 9 students have claimed and will be paid £20 each.
In addition, a focus group has been established recently; the initial purpose has been to investigate and introduce if necessary, the possibility of teaching schools within our Guild. The group is financially and administratively separate from other Guild committees. It will act harmoniously with them, of course. The group will report to the Executive Committee later in 2016 and might require some funding.
Bishop Christopher attended the formal dinner and wrote to thank The Master and included
“I know that making all the arrangements for the weekend gathering would have involved substantial work. You and your colleagues deserve all the thanks you will have received from giving everyone such a good experience of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight along with many church towers. I add my thanks for all that you have done to enhance the profile and reputation of the Diocese of Portsmouth.
It has been a pleasure for us in the diocese to work alongside you and your team to our mutual benefit.”
The venue has been booked for the two days in Basingstoke. It is anticipated that a small group of volunteers will carry out the necessary local organisation of this event, much less in size than the Central Council’s conference visit.
Two volunteers have taken on this project with much enthusiasm and commitment. An opportunity to include ringing in our towers from 1914, to honour and remember personnel killed during the conflict, has been recognised and grasped. Third parties have recognised with us the potential benefit of this project to portray a positive image of our ringing community. It might well assist with our recruitment efforts.
This project will report to the Executive Committee later in 2016 and is likely to require funding, some from the Guild and it’s anticipated that an application will be made to the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Together with the new focus group looking at the possibility of Ringing Schools and its liaison with local leaders, the use of good publicity and promotional material should dovetail well with a view to a recruitment drive.
THE WINCHESTER AND PORTSMOUTH
DIOCESAN GUILD
OF CHURCH BELL RINGERS
Annual General Meeting
New Alresford and Envions
Saturday, 2nd July 2016
9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Open Ringing, Cheriton,
6 bells, 6 cwt
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Open Ringing, Tichborne,
6 bells, 7¾ cwt
11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Open Ringing, Old Alresford,
6 bells, 10 cwt
10:00 a.m. → Inter-District Striking Competition,
St John’s Church
11.00 a.m. → Association of Ringing Teachers’ Display,
John Pearson Hall (adjoining the Church)
12:30 p.m. → Ploughman’s Lunch, John Pearson Hall
1:30 p.m. → Open & Service Ringing, St John’s
Church
2:00 p.m. → Guild Service, St John’s Church
3:00 p.m. → Guild AGM, John Pearson Hall
(followed by tea/coffee and cake)
5:00 p.m. → Open Ringing, St John’s Church
… for each event are available if you click the location on this page.
The main centre for the day, New Alresford St John’s Church and the adjacent Hall, is HERE, post code is SO24 9AG
Viv Nobbs (Master) Writes:
Tel: 07594 609 366.
I am pleased to advise that:
I am now seeking to spread my wings a little in support of the Guild and would like to offer my services as Vice Master at the upcoming elections. Personally, I look forward to learning a little more about the Guild, meeting and supporting its membership and working with the executive committee and sub committees to carry on the excellent work of the outgoing team.
Pete Jordan