- Contact Roger Thomas - Email: Use form
- Contact Helen Thomas - Telephone: 01264 738900 Email: Use Form
Tag Archives: Cambridge Surprise Major
8 Bell Practice at Hurstborne Priors Thurs 24th August
Dear all,
It’s the 4th Thursday of the month this week, on Thursday 24th August 2017, time for our regular 8 bell practice at Hurstbourne Priors from 7:30pm.
This month’s methods, depending on demand and abilities of those present, may include Grandsire Triples, Stedman Triples, Cambridge Surprise Major, Yorkshire Surprise Major and Rutland Surprise Major.
Hope to see you there.
8 Bell Practice at Hurstborne Priors Thurs 22nd June
It’s the 4th Thursday of the month this week, on Thursday 22nd June 2017, time for our regular 8 bell practice at Hurstbourne Priors from 7:30pm.
This month’s methods will include Grandsire Triples and Stedman Triples, and possibly also Double Norwich, Cambridge Major and Bob Major, depending on demand.
A&P District Surprise Major Practice Saturday 8th April 5.30 to 7.00pm at Hawkley
archSaturday 8th April – 5.30 to 7.00pm
at Hawkley
Roger says he’s had lots of interest in this practice, and hopes to be able to ring Yorkshire and Lincolnshire as well as Cambridge.
My Cambridge needs working on, so I look forward to seeing you there.
Thanks, Valerie
A&P District Practices – March and April
Here is a copy of the the latest poster which should be appearing in your towers any day now.
Link to Word version of poster
MARCH
Tuesday 7th March 7.30 – 9.00pm
Monthly 8 bell practice at Holybourne
Saturday 18th March
District General Practice at Selborne
5.30 – 7.00pm
Ringing from rounds upwards – all welcome
APRIL
Tuesday 4th April – 7.30 – 9.00pm
monthly 8 bell practice at Holybourne
Saturday 8th April – 5.30pm – 7.00pm
District Surprise Major Practice at Hawkley
If we cannot muster enough people to ring at least Cambridge, Roger will not organise another one!
Saturday 22nd April
District Spring Meeting at St. Mary’s Liss
Ringing from 3.00pm – Tea from 4.00pm
Meeting from around 4.45pm – then more ringing
Please book your tea by contacting Joy Martin
AP District – Surprise Major Practice – Saturday 8th April – Hawkley 5.30 – 7.00pm **RSVP
Dear all,
- Contact Roger Barber
Telephone: 01730 895887
Address: 24 Rushfield Road, Liss, GU33 6LW
Review of the CS District Quarter Peal Club in 2016 – Tim Martin Reports
The C&S quarter peal club was started in Sept 2015 and after just over a year of activity now seems a good time to review its success. The initiative was the brainchild of Rosalind Martin from Christchurch Priory who wondered whether there were members in the District who were not able to access quarter peal ringing either due to lack of opportunities in their own towers or lack of personal experience and the need to ring with a more experienced band or conductor. Most such activity is either tower band based or invitation only. The concept was to seek to attempt one quarter a month and to allow the method selection to be based on the preferences expressed by the prospective ringers.
The bold step was taken to make the event open invitation in that any members could ask to be included and we would then see how that could be achieved with the available ringers.
The club was also given a flying start with the offer that we could ring every month at Brockenhurst which have the benefit of being a light and easy going 8 but where the back 6 are also very ringable for a doubles or minor quarter.
So in terms of statistics 9 quarters have been scored and almost every one has included some sort of first. 16 different ringers have rung in at least one quarter and although there has been solid support from some ringers no one has rung in all the attempts and there has been a good spread of towers represented ( Brockenhurst, Christchurch, Sacred Heart, Ringwood, Fawley, Minstead, Lyndhurst, Eling, Southampton, plus Hampreston from East Dorset District of the SDGR)
Methods scored include:
- PB Doubles
- Grandsire Doubles
- PB Minor x2
- Kent TB Minor
- Grandsire Triples
- Cambridge S Major
- Yorkshire S Major
- Lincolnshire S MajorAttempts at London Major and Superlative were not successful.
In terms of achievements we have had:
- 1st on a working bell
- 1st inside
- 1st Minor
- 1st Minor as conductor
- 1st TB Minor (x3)
- 1st Triples as conductor
- 1st in method (Yorkshire & Lincolnshire SM)So in conclusion it seems that the initiative has been a worthwhile exercise in both giving people opportunities and increasing people’s skill level. One young ringer who scored their first inside has now gone on to conduct their first quarter elsewhere and everyone has had an opportunity to try something new and challenging.
Special thanks must go to Julie Hodkin for making the bells available to us and to Jimmy Hodkin for either ably conducting the more complex methods or being a reassuring presence for the more novice conductors.
Tim Martin
If you would like to join the club please contact Rosalind Martin
CS December District Surprise Major Practice at Ringwood – Rosalind Martin Reports
This month, twenty ringers from WP Guild, Salisbury Guild and Hereford, attended the monthly Surprise practice.
Ringing ranged from Cambridge and Yorkshire, through London, to a touch of Eight Spliced.
The next Surprise Practice will be at Ringwood on Wednesday January 4th at 7.45-9.15 as usual.
Ringers who attend Ringwood’s weekly Wednesday Night practice are reminded that it is moved to a Thursday on a monthly basis to make way for the Surprise Practice.
Mike Winterbourne Reports from the Monthly Practice at Hurstbourne Priors
The Hurstbourne Priors August practice was well attended in August with plenty of support from the organising tower St Mary Bourne and other district towers supplying competent ringers and those hoping to progress from – Kingsclere, Nether Wallop, Tangley and Woolton Hill.
Methods attempted and predominantly coming round were Grandsire Triples, Little Bob Major, Spliced Plain & Little Bob Major, Cambridge S Major and Superlative S Major. Now all we need is for the local pub to open again.
Usually on the 4th Thursday but check with Helen Thomas:
C&S District Surprise Major Practice Report August 2016
17 ringers met this evening and rang London, Superlative, Cambridge, Yorkshire, Bristol and a smattering of Spliced.
Some of the usual people were missing but numbers remained strong as we were joined by holidaymakers.
Four Guilds were represented – Salisbury and W&P as usual, plus Guildford and Chester.
Advanced Practice at Hurstbourne Priors June 23rd
Dear all,
Reminder: it is June already!!! Escape from the referendum. Come to the eight-bell practice at Hurstbourne Priors, from 7:30pm, this Thursday evening.
If you are a regular attendee and you are NOT coming – please let me know so I can check we have enough ringers.
We will be ringing:
Double Norwich (maybe)
Superlative (maybe)
Stedman, Grandsire, Cambridge etc.
Hope to see you there this Thursday.
Roger Thomas
01264 738900
A&P District Advanced Practice at Holybourne Saturday 25th June 5.30pm
This is at Holybourne on Saturday 25th June at 5-30 to 7-30. Any methods you want to try to advance, now’s your chance .
If we have enough people we will ring Cambridge Major, Yorkshire Major and possibly Lincolnshire major . It depends on the right ringers turning up
Andover District Practice – RSVP – Hurstbourne Priors Thursday 28th April
C&S District Quarter Peal Club Scores Cambridge Major
Members of the Quarter Peal Club met once more on Friday and were very pleased to score Cambridge Major, which was requested by Julie Hodkin (Brockenhurst) as the “first in method in ages”. Many congratulations to her!
Any member of the C&S District who wishes to ring in Friday Night Quarters at Brockenhurst is welcome to join the club – there is no pressure to ring but the attempts are roughly monthly and some of us do ring every time.
The aim of the club is to provide opportunities for Quarters that people might otherwise not be able to do – if you hanker after more Quarters, or want to support aspiring ringers, do get in contact.
Currently we are planning to alternate between Surprise and Plain Methods, so June’s attempt will be a plain method. Details and date TBC.
Winchester & Portsmouth Diocesan Guild
On Friday, 15 April 2016 in 45
Brockenhurst, Hampshire
St Nicholas
Tenor: 4–1–12 in B
1344 Cambridge Surprise Major
Composed by JAH
1 Rosalind Martin
2 James A Hodkin (C)
3 Sarah Newman
4 Julie A Hodkin
5 Polly Osborne
6 Alan Bentley
7 Tim Martin
8 Jack R Pease
8 bell practice Hurstbourne Priors Thursday 31st March
- March eight-bell practice at Hurstbourne Priors, from 7:30pm, this Thursday evening.If you are a regular attendee and you are NOT coming – please let me know.
We will be ringing:
- Double Oxford Bob Triples (please look this up… the middle work is a bit tricky, places around two hunt bells…)
- Lincolnshire Surprise Major
- Double Norwich
- Stedman, Grandsire, Cambridge etc.Hope to see you there this Thursday.Roger Thomas – Tower Captain St Mary Bourne
Any queries:
First Peal in 15 methods for 3 Catherington Ringers (Firsts Fortnight)
BBC Bells on Sunday Schedule for March 2016

March 2016 schedule.
6th. St. Francis, Cathedral, Adelaide., Sth. Aus. Ringing Cambridge Surprise Maximus
13th. Woodchurch, Wirral. Ringing Cambridge Surprise Major.
20th. Penn, Wolverhampton. Ringing Plain Bob Doubles.
27th. EASTER. Abergavenny, Monmouth. Ringing Grandsire Caters.
The BBC Bells on Sunday archive can be viewed by clicking here
*THIS WEEK* – Thursday evening… 25th Feb 2016 is the SMB eight bell practice at Hurstbourne Priors
Dear all,
Here we are for the first eight-bell practice in 2016 at Hurstbourne Priors, from 7:30pm, Thursday 25th Feb 2016.
If you are a regular attendee and you are NOT coming – please let me know.
We will be ringing:
- Double Oxford Bob Triples
- Lincolnshire Surprise Major
- Double Norwich
- Stedman, Grandsire, Cambridge etc.
Hope to see you there this Thursday.
Roger Thomas
Contact Eve Lind-Smith (Tower Sec)
Surprise Practice at Liss 20th February 5.30pm
Liss St Mary on 20th February methods
- Cambridge Major
- Yorkshire Major
- Lincolnshire Surprise Major
- Superlative Surprise Major and
- splicing
- Treble Bobbing
time 5-30 to 7-30
Everyone welcome see you then
Graham
Ringwood Surprise Major Practice Weds 6th Jan 7.45
The 2016 Special Practices in Christchurch and Southampton District kick off on Wednesday at 7.45 with Surprise Major at Ringwood. Scope is Trebling to Surprise Major, the Standard Eight, and some Splicing.
The Band is drawn from a wide area over Winchester and Portsmouth Guild and Salisbury Guild. New Ringers are welcomed.
Congratulations Charlotte Meader, Rhoda Willson and Jonathan Farrington – Surprise Milestones reached at Romsey
Forthcoming events in Alton and Petersfield
Surprise practice 21november at St Lawrence Alton 6pm to 7-30
Eling Tower (and Friends) outing 24th October 2015 – Video by Steve Hough
Steve Hough writes:
On Saturday 24th October Eling ringers had their first Outing in quite a few years. Organised by yours truly, for the benefit of our newer ringers to give them experience ringing at different towers. A good day out apart from the weather!
The band filmed at Broughton, East Tytherley, Mottisfort, Nether Wallop,Stockbridge and West Tytherley