It is with immense sadness and regret I have to report the death of Winnie Goodwin MBE, a bell ringer at Cheswardine for many years. She will be greatly missed by everyone.
Peter Hall
International Year of Biodiversity
International Bell Ringing initiative for International Year of Biodiversity – Wednesday, 22nd September
The Church of England is a UK supporter of the International Year of Biodiversity. The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity is encouraging the ringing of church bells all over the world on 22nd September as Heads of State assemble at the UN to discuss the biodiversity crisis. The bell ringing will be led by bells in New York and Nairobi as an urgent 'memo' to rouse the world to action and they are hoping bell ringers in the UK will be willing to join in.
Organisers say it would be particularly good if churches with particularly fine examples of biodiversity in their churchyards or historical links to botanists or their science could participate.
If your church could take part in this event could you please send details by e-mail to gavin.drake@lichfield.anglican.org so we can ascertain the likely level of interest. Further information is available from David Shreeve, the environmental advisor to the Archbishops' Council on 020 7591 3111 or e-mail: david.shreeve@c-of-e.org.uk. mobile: 07831 387745.
From the Lichfield diocese bulletin
Following the news about the loose gudgeon on the 4th at Shifnal during the Quarterly Meeting at Moreton Corbet, our Bell Adviser made an inspection of the six at St Chad's, Montford, the following day. Tricia Jones, tower correspondent, requested this after a visiting band had reported difficulties with the tenor. The inspection revealed a number of problems, including the answer to how the clapper had come to break the slider. More significantly though, both gudgeons were found to be loose on the tenor headstock and the bell has been declared unringable, though the front five can remain in use. Shifnal bells are rung frequently and a repair to the 4th is expected in a matter of days. The situation at Montford is somewhat different and it may be some time before remedial work is undertaken.
From Peter Woollam, Association Bell Adviser
This was held on Saturday, 10th July at Moreton Corbet, where Chris Fraser and Karen Compton kindly provided refreshments. Ringing on the fine six was run by Nick Green, Association Ringing Master. At the brief business meeting four new members were elected: Karen and Natasha Compton from Shawbury, and Alison and Rachael Wynes from Shifnal.
Members were reminded of the need to keep Saturday 20th November clear in their diaries for the quiz evening at Upton Magna. Edric Broom invited more applications from potential students at the training morning on September 18th. The next Surprise Major practice will be at Oswestry on Friday, 30th July, where members will again wrestle with Pudsey and Belfast, among other methods. Some discussion was generated on the provision of practice for Surprise Minor ringers. Chris Fraser offered to accommodate such ringers at the Shawbury practice held on the last Monday in each month. The possibility of a Saturday morning devoted to Surprise Minor was also mooted. Any members who would be interested in such a practice, or can suggest a viable alternative, are invited to contact Edric Broom or Peter Woollam.
On the bell restoration front, Peter reported that the faculty for augmenting Beckbury to six has been applied for, and Taylors are currently attending to a loose gudgeon on the fourth at Shifnal, which defect was identified during the annual inspection. All the bellhanging firms offer this service (not, unfortunately, at no cost) and those bands who do not have a competent and active steeple keeper might like to consider it. Details from Peter Woollam.
Prizes in the monthly raffle were won by Ian Baker, Brian Kear and Jacqui Barden. The prizes were unusual this month in that one of them was fresh and healthy and another was part eaten before being won.
Brian Kear announced that the 100 club had 97 members. Are you one of the three potential members who would bring up the magic 100? Winners in the quarterly draw were: Trevor Stevenson (Bicton) - £40; Chris Fraser (Shawbury) - £20; Simon Vernon (Ellesmere) - £15; Wendy Page (Clive) - £10; Martin Tanner (Market Drayton) - £10.
The next Association practice will be held jointly with the Hereford Diocesan Guild at Shrewsbury, St Mary, on Saturday 14th August, from 6.30 - 8.30.
Having set off on June 30th, Edric Broom completed his 300 mile charity bike ride from London to Paris on 3rd July. This effort has so far raised about £2250 (excluding Gift Aid) for Kidney Research UK. He is grateful to all his sponsors and reminds all members that late donations are still possible. I suspect he will be at the Association practice at Moreton Corbet on July 10th and would gladly receive donations, together with suggestions for his next ride - Everest Base Camp? Australia coast to coast?
Photoshop image of Edric before setting off from Edgmond
On the Tuesday after the first Monday of each month, a ten and twelve bell practice is held at Shrewsbury, St Chad. This is not an Association event, but the Shrewsbury ringers would welcome members who are confident ringers of Triples and Major, and who wish to join this practice. The normal fare is up to Yorkshire Royal, Stedman Caters, Little Bob Maximus and Grandsire Cinques, but this is dependent on those attending. The next such practice is on Tuesday, 3rd August, 7.30 - 9.15.
Association Bell Restoration Fund - ins and outs
As well as the generous donation from the Bicton ringers noted below, we have received a donation of £50 from the PCC of St Mary's church, Kinnerley. This is in appreciation of the work the Association has done, mainly through Peter Woollam, our Bell Adviser, in checking the safety of their three bells, advising against 'clocking', and carrying out minor repairs and maintenance.
The BRF has made two grants this year: St Chad's church, Norton in Hales, applied for help funding the repainting of their bell frame. They received £1136.81, which also covered work to pulleys; All Saints' church, Wellington, have had a thorough overhaul of their bell fittings carried out by John Taylor & Co., of Loughborough. They have received the largest grant yet given by our fund - £2727.17, with a further £618.07 to be claimed when work to one of the wheels is satisfactorily concluded. The total grant of £3345.20 represented 10% of the balance in the fund when the grant was made, and is the maximum which could be awarded.
With grants of nearly £4500.00 made, this is the first year in which grants have exceeded income. This is in line with the changes to the rules made a couple of years ago at the instigation of the late Keith Buckingham and planned largely by Peter Woollam. It was hoped that the fund would become more active and not continue to grow automatically. The result, however, is that we need to maintain our fundraising efforts in order that we can continue to make worthwhile grants in future years. So please pay your subscriptions with a joyful heart (£4 currently goes to the BRF), don't ignore Peter's raffles or Brian Kear's 100 club, and think about including something for the Association in your will! (See also next item.)
The 2010 Edgmond outing was organised in Herefordshire by Mark Adams. Four ringers had escaped by the time John Williamson produced his camera at St James' church, Cradley.
Right to left:
Paul Lewis and Edric Broom (Edgmond), Peter Hall (Cheswardine), John Williamson
and Kathryn Greaves (Newport),
Peter Everall, Mark Adams (Edgmond), Sandra
Penson, Chris Adams (NRLM), Sue Buckingham and Nick Green (Shrewsbury),
Madeline Harris (Market Drayton), Jacqui Barden and Gill Glover (Shrewsbury)
Chris Yates and Andrew Gordon looking far too healthy to be left in charge of a barbecue Photo by John Williamson
The Association’s summer barbecue was held at The Mill House, High Ercall on Saturday 12th June, hosted by Chris and Judy Yates. As the tide was out and the river not in flood, the banks of the Roden were a perfect setting for a barbecue in the warm evening sunshine.
Before the event, a good number of ringers worked up an appetite on the bells of St Michael and All Angels’ church, High Ercall.
As ever, Secretary Greaves suffered sleepless nights with worry over the number of members who would or would not turn up. In the end the Association came up trumps, and 53 members came!
Thanks go to Kathryn Greaves who masterminded the event and for running the bar (aided by this website’s popular hack, John Williamson). Chris Yates and Andrew Gordon operated the barbecue, and John Gibson broke some of the garden furniture. An array of salads and puddings (something in which this Association excels) was provided by several unnamed, but no less talented individuals. We thank them for their contributions.
Peter Woollam’s raffle yielded six deserving winners: Rose Hurst, Elaine Evans, Andrew Gordon (Maltesers!), Naomi Wilson, Roger Chapman and Judy Yates.
We thank Judy and Chris Yates for an excellent evening with excellent weather. Chris has already volunteered Judy for another similar event in the future, but it is unclear whether or not there has been any discussion over this matter.
Around £300 was raised for the bell restoration fund.
Report by Nick Green
Before you go off on your summer holidays, a reminder that the next Association Training morning will be on Saturday 18 September, 9.30 to 12.30 at Edgmond. If there is demand, and subject to the availability of sufficient helpers, it may be possible to arrange a second tower, but I will need to know the demand in good time to make the arrangements. So please give some thought to what you would like to work on, and let me know as soon as possible. I will also be pleased to hear from that army of willing volunteers who continue to make these training days successful.
Edric Broom (Association Training Officer) - 01952 825851 or training@sacbr.org.uk
Bell Restoration Fund donation
Some time last year the Association Training Officer, Edric Broom, was asked if he could provide help with training the new band at Bicton. As a result, four or five committee members have appeared at Bicton about once a month on a Saturday morning. Two hours of intensive practice have led to an improvement in all the novices, some of whom are now visiting other local practices to increase their rate of progress. At the end of the last Bicton morning, after the traditional giant biscuits provided by Paul Roberts, Edward Swain presented the treasurer with a cheque for £144.00 on behalf of the band. Although all training and help is always offered on a voluntary basis, it was very pleasing to receive this generous donation to the work of the Association.
First quarter peal congratulations
Congratulations to Paul Roberts, tower captain at Bicton, who rang his first quarter peal on June 4th. Paul has been instrumental over the last year in training a new band of ringers at Bicton. How long will it be before one of his trainees also rings his or her first quarter peal?
Among the 204 members attending the annual meeting of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers at Derby on Bank Holiday Monday were the two Shropshire Association delegates, Nick Green and Alan Glover. Nothing was discussed or decided which will affect us in Shropshire in the short term, but thought was given to ways of addressing some of the problems which are just as prevalent in the rest of the country as they are in our area: the advancing average age of ringers; recruitment and retention of new ringers; efficient teaching of new ringers; and the effect on ringing of the perceived decline in the Church of England, whose buildings house most of the bells we use.
The proceedings will be reported in full in The Ringing World, but if any members have queries please contact either of your representatives.
On Saturday, 15th May, John Williamson of Newport extended the celebrations of his 70th birthday by ringing his first peal at Moreton Corbet. Congratulations to John, and it is to be hoped he does not wait another seventy years for his next attempt.
l ro r: Nick Green, Kathryn Greaves, Paul Lewis, John Williamson, Ollie Stokes, Edric Broom
On May 13th, disquiet was expressed to the writer by two members regarding the inclusion over the last three years of their names and pictures on this web site without their explicit permission. Over 100 such mentions were removed within twelve hours. If any other members have similar concerns over their privacy or security, please contact the webmaster.
John Williamson's 70th birthday
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Following on from our successful quarter peal on John's big night, May 6th, just like the rest of the electorate we couldn't make up our minds (which pub to go to). On balance, the Vic was a good choice, not just for its position opposite the tower, but also for the free bottle of bubbly that was lavished on the birthday boy. Saturday saw another birthday party for John, this time in Cheswardine, when John's family and friends, young and old gathered for a slap up meal and excellent entertainment courtesy of the Gnosall hand bell ringers. It may be that John, Edric and Peter had rung hand bells before, or the drink that made them volunteer spontaneously to ring! But it sounded good. Picture and report from John Stokes (Newport) |