This eagerly awaited event was held on September 9th, in glorious late summer sunshine on the banks of the Severn at Atcham. The local band provided ample sustenance for the eleven teams and their supporters. The event ran smoothly and at 6.30 the judge, Geoff Burton from Stoke on Trent, was able to announce the following results:

It was good to see a number of the less experienced bands doing well and Cheswardine are already planning to take part next year. The Ernie Willcox Cup will have pride of place in the trophy cabinet at Edgmond and I suspect a facsimile may be on view in Shrewsbury! The Atcham ringers have generously donated £100 from the tea and a further £45.50 was raised by Peter Woollam's  efforts with the draw tickets.

Mark Adams of Edgmond (right) receives the Ernest Willcox Cup from Geoff Burton.                                                       Photo: Nick Green	Members enjoying the tea and sunshine while listening to the unbroken succession of well-struck test pieces.               Photo: Peter Woollam
Atcham	Baschurch
Edgmond	Newport
Oswestry	Shawbury
Shifnal	Shrewsbury 'B'
Shrewsbury 'A'	St Martins
Upton Magna All team photographs by Peter Woollam

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SACBR 80th anniversary quarter peal  2006

On Sunday, 23rd July, being the last day of the eightieth year of the Shropshire Association, a band comprising officers of the Association rang a quarter peal of Grandsire Caters at Shrewsbury, St Chad. In the morning Radio Shropshire broadcast an interview with our President, Bishop Alan, and Paul Lewis, our public relations guru. We were pleased to welcome Bishop Alan to ring the quarter with us for Evensong. Details of the quarter will be found on the appropriate page and below is a picture of the band.

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SACBR 80th anniversary dinner 2006    

Some of the members who scrubbed up nicely for the dinner

Fears about the venue closing down proved unfounded, and the Buckatree Hall Hotel provided a comfortable setting for our Anniversary Dinner on November 11th. Sixty-odd (or sixty odd) people attended, with our full age range and most of our active towers represented. We were entertained by Peter Dean of Newport, who told us more about Bill Saunders of Coalbrookdale, a leading light for many years early in the Association's history. The main speaker was Phil Gay of Keele, whose jokes proved that our members know more about entertainment in Ancient Rome than they do about Holt's 'Original' peal of Grandsire Triples. Further, extended, entertainment was provided in the form of a quiz devised by Paul Lewis of Edgmond. Our Ringing Master, Nick Green, thanked the speakers and particularly Kathryn Greaves for her successful organisation of the event, despite considerable obstacles on the way.

Nick Green (Ringing Master) and Kathryn Greaves (Secretary and Dinner Organiser) flanked by the speakers, Phil Gay and Peter Dean

The Deputy Ringing Master, Peter Woollam, acted as MC and also ran a very successful draw with Phil Brook (Edgmond), Andy Harris (Oswestry), Alan Smith (Upton Magna), Nick Green (Shrewsbury) and Madeline Harris (Independent) being among the prizewinners. The result of the quiz was shrouded in some mystery, but most of the guests left looking forward to the next formal dinner (possibly for the 100th anniversary.)

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Challenge 1 - to ring 80 quarter peals during the 80th anniversary of the Association.  Total achieved - 180

Challenge 2 - for at least 80 current resident members to ring a quarter peal during the year.   Total achieved - 115

Challenge 3 - to ring a quarter peal in all the ringable towers in our area.  This was achieved and a handbell quarter was rung in the ringing room of our only unringable tower, Selattyn.

Additionally, 22 members rang their first quarter peal and 6 members called their first quarter peal

We were joined by 34 ringers who are not current resident members, including David Hird from Newcastle on Tyne and Ron Shepherd from Sydney.

A total of £347.90 was received in quarter peal donations (The Bonker Tax) during the year, which sum will be increased by £78.27 through Gift Aid.

Congratulations to all those who took part, especially those who achieved a 'first' of any sort. We should recognise the efforts put in by all those who organised quarters, especially our Ringing Master, Nick Green, who organised and rang in the vast majority of the quarters and called nearly half of them.

The challenge for 2007 and beyond is to build on the impetus developed last year. Keep using quarters as extended practice or as an opportunity to try new methods. If you don't have sufficient resources in your own tower, the same suspects are still willing to travel and make up bands, but probably not to the same extent as last year!

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Wedding of John Powell and Karen Griffiths

On Saturday 26th August 2006, two members of the Hodnet band were married at the church. Below is a photo of Karen Griffiths and John Powell after the event. More details will follow when Sue Perry sends them!

                                              Photo by Sue Perry

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Lichfield Diocesan Mobile Belfry at Baschurch  2006     

On Saturday, 15th July, despite the failure of the designated towing vehicle, the mobile belfry eventually reached the village fete in Baschurch. Paul Lewis and James Ward supervised the erection and the attraction was not too late to draw some of the many villagers to have a go.

Andrew Gordon and Mark Adams

The mobile belfry in situ in beautiful weather

Emily Gordon

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Lichfield Diocesan Mobile Belfry at Shawbury  2006

On Saturday, 8th July Andrew Gordon towed the trailer containing the mobile belfry to Shawbury, where it was to feature in the Church Fete. Chris Fraser had arranged a good number of helpers and under the supervision of Andrew and Paul Lewis (wearing his mobile belfry trustee hat) the complex job of erecting frame, bells and covering was smoothly accomplished.

Three views of the mobile belfry. The bells can be seen and heard clearly from outside and there is a lot of well presented and well illustrated information on the display boards. In the centre picture the erectors are Paul Lewis, John Powell and Luke Wilson. On the right is a rear view of Peter Woollam, on his left are Sue Buckingham and Nick Green, Andrew Gordon is largely hidden, the fifth is rung by Keith Buckingham and the Tenor by an unidentified but obviously highly skilled ringer. The main purpose of the belfry is to allow non-ringers, often youngsters, to have a safe and easy introduction to ringing. On the left, Paul Lewis gives a handling lesson to a potential recruit while Andy Gordon demonstrates the correct way to eat a rope. On the right is Luke Wilson of Shawbury. Later in the afternoon he rang his first quarter peal 'inside' on the bell on which he is giving a handling lesson to the small person in an unfortunate shirt. In the centre is the skeleton of the belfry during dismantling. Most photos by Chris Fraser

There was a steady stream of people wanting a go and a number of them expressed an interest in learning to ring on full-size bells. Some of the helpers were rewarded with a quarter peal at the end of the afternoon and then the belfry was packed away ready to reappear at Baschurch next Saturday. As well as its educational function, the belfry is great fun and any members will be made very welcome at Baschurch.

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Vintage photograph  1989

The photo above was sent to me by a ringing friend in Canberra, ACT, having found it on the website of Montegaldella, Italy. It was taken in 1989 during the first trip to the area by Shropshire Association ringers and friends. Members may, with difficulty, recognise the late Fred Mitchell, with Tricia behind him, Brian Kear in the centre, and towards the back Gill Glover with her brother and first husband. If anyone knows how to contact the young men on the right, please let Jacqui Barden know.

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It is with regret that I pass on the news of the death of Dick Morris of Hodnet, on 12th August 2006, in his ninety-second year. He was a former Ringing Master and Honorary Life Member of the Association, for which he rang exactly 100 peals. Our condolences go to his daughter and son-in-law, Mair and Gerald Mothershaw.

Dick's funeral was held at Hodnet on Friday 25th August with a good number of ringers in attendance. The music reflected his Welsh background and included a duet sung by daughter Mair and granddaughter Sarah. The bells were rung open at Mair's request and the committal took place with that old Hodnet favourite, Oxford Bob Triples, in the background.

Andrew Gordon passes on the following sad news:

Jenny McKain, a ringer from the Ryton group, passed away peacefully on 21st August, aged 41, after her long fight with cancer. Jenny learned to ring with her daughter Gemma a few years ago at Ryton and both became members of the Association. Jenny was a renal dialysis nurse at RSH, and leaves a husband, Len, two sons and a daughter.

The funeral is at St Chad's Church, Stockton at 3pm on Friday September 1st. The bells will be rung half-muffled at the Stockton practice at 7.45 on Tuesday and from 2.30 - 3.00 before the funeral.