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