August has mostly gone. I went on holiday, and the weather was remarkably good. And it even held for a rather atypical sunny bank holiday! September sees a rather fuller diary than August, as branches get back after their summer break.
Summer Festival
The Summer Festival is just around the corner. Peterborough branch have arranged a busy afternoon.
* Open ringing at 2:00 Yarwell and 3:00 Wansford.
* 4:00 Castor for contest and tea
* 6:00 business meeting, followed by evening ringing at Castor.
It is one of the better looking trophies in ringing, so do try and come along to compete, or just for the day out!
See you there.
Guild Newsletter
The end of the month is the deadline for items for the Guild newsletter. Do pass on anything that may be of interest to Jonathan Stuart on newsletter@pdg.org.uk Items welcome form towers and individuals – let us know what you have been up to!
The CCCBR Annual meeting takes place the first weekend in September. The details and meeting papers can be found here: https://cccbr.org.uk/about/annual-meetings/2025-annual-meeting/ If you have any opinions on any of the items, you can comment to our representatives ahead of the meeting via e-mail on cc_reps@pdg.org.uk. Our representatives will be giving an update at the Summer Festival meeting.
Guild 10 Bell Practice Saturday 13th September. 10:30 – 12:00 Kettering
Guild Summer Festival Saturday 13th September. Ringing at Yarwell & Wansford, Contest and evening ringing at Castor.
And Branch events.
Thrapston Branch Practice Thursday 4th September 7:30 Islip
Guilsborough Branch Practice Saturday 6thSeptember 3:00 Sibbertoft, 6:00 Welford
Peterborough 8 bell practice Friday 12th September 7:30 Castor
Kettering Branch Practice Saturday 13th September 10:30 Geddington
Thrapston Branch Practice Thursday 18thSeptember 2:30 Weldon
Daventry Branch Practice Saturday 20th September 3:30 Everdon, 7:00 Aynho
Culworth Branch Practice Saturday 20th September 4:00 Marston St Lawrence, 7:00 Aynho
Seeing its August, several branches are having a summer break, hence the shorter than usual list of events. See you, come rain or shine, at a ringing event soon!
Thanks
Helen
Helen Allton
Secretary: Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers
Our branch is delighted to be hosting the Guild Eight-Bell Striking Contest at St Kyneburgha, Castor, on Saturday 13th September.
During the contest, we’ll be providing tea in the Cedar Centre for our guests and competitors. To make this a success, we’d be very grateful for help with providing some refreshments.
The items we’re looking for are:
Sandwiches
Sausage rolls
Savoury snacks
Cakes
Scones with jam and cream
If you’re able to help by baking/making any of these, it would be greatly appreciated. Please could you get in touch with me via secretary@peterborough.pdg.org.uk
My goodness, we’ve had some very much needed rain in the last week. Hopefully it hasn’t found its way into places it shouldn’t. It making its way into my water butt is most welcome, the tomatoes have been rather thirsty of late.
Young Ringers competition
This week’s Ringing World has devoted half the edition to the RWNYC, including several photos of the Daventry band. Have a look at a copy, if you get the chance. They look both very smart and smiley.
Social Event Saturday
Saturday sees an event at Whilton tower, they are having a day of Bells, BBQ & Beer on 26th July 12.30pm – 4pm. Ringers are welcome to come and ring, as well as partake of the other B’s on offer. There will be a cake stall, which doesn’t begin with B but is a big bonus in my opinion. Bands can book a slot, or just come for the open ringing. Tutors will be on hand to give people a try at ringing and it’s hoped that the village will get involved in the event. There’s a poster available to advertise the event on the Guild website.
The next Guild Second Saturday Session is an open Stedman practice, to be held at Pattishall on 9th August 6:30 pm. This will concentrate on this most majestic of methods (yes, I’m a fan). You can expect doubles and triples to be rung, and both touches and plain courses.
Branch training
Culworth branch are holding a training seminar for Saturday 26th July from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. It will be held in Lois Weedon village hall. The subject is ‘Starting to learn and ring methods’ and the speaker is Robert Wood who presented a very successful session last year on Plain Hunt and Plain Bob. I hope as many of you as possible will be able to attend – this invitation is extended to other branches of the Guild. There is no charge, but voluntary contributions toward refreshments will be accepted. Please contact Andrew North (secretary@culworth.pdg.org.uk) for further information.
CCCBR news
The youth ringing elements of the Ringing 2030 project are offering 3 student places for 6 to 8 weeks over the summer. This would be to support and create content for the new University Ringing and Young Ringers Hub websites and the school lesson plans project. This is open to young ringers aged between 18 and 30 and there are three summer honorariums, each set at £2000, available across three work packages. Each are envisaged to take 6-8 weeks each, assuming working half time (18 hours per week). Information and guidance will be provided to support the successful candidates.
Advance notice that the Summer Festival is on the 13th September, contest is being held at Castor, in the Peterborough branch. Branches wanting to enter should get their entry to the Master, Jim Bence, by the weekend before. Please remember to include any time restrictions for the team. Rules for the contest can be found on the website: https://pdg.org.uk/forms/8_Bell_competition.pdf
Dates for the Diary
Guild Stedman Practice Saturday 9th August 6:30 Pattishall
Guild 10 Bell Practice Saturday 13th September. 10:30 – 12:00 Kettering
Guild Summer Festival Saturday 13th September. Ringing at Yarwell & Wansford, Contest and evening ringing at Castor.
And Branch events.
Guilsborough Branch Practice Saturday 2nd August 3:00 West Haddon, 6:00 Long Buckby
Thrapston Branch Practice Thursday 7th August 7:30 Twywell
Peterborough 8 bell practice Sunday 10th August 2:00 Peterborough St Mary
Daventry Branch Practice Saturday 16th August 3:30 Hellidon, 6:30 Woodford Halse
Culworth Branch Practice Saturday 16th August 4:00 Sulgrave, 6:30 Woodford Halse
Thrapston Branch Practice Thursday 21st August 2:30 Stanion
Seeing its August, several branches are having a summer break, hence the shorter than usual list of events. See you, come rain or shine, at a ringing event soon!
Thanks
Helen
Helen Allton
Secretary: Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers
Well that made quite a change. We went into Sunday service ringing with overcast skies and came out to find water falling from the sky – how very odd! Goodness, the garden needs it. And it spiced the Grand Prix up nicely, so a win all round. It’s certainly taken the edge of the heat, which I can’t complain about.
Young Ringers competition
Pleased to be able to report that our youth team came 6th of 11 in the method ringing at the Ringing World Youth Striking Contest. They rang at Egbaston St Barnabas, Mosely St Mary, St Martin in the Bullring, St Paul’s Jewellery Quarter & Solihull. Well done to Grace, Matthew, Freya, Kaiden, Flynn, Sahib, Zac and everyone who supported them in their efforts.
While we’re on striking contests, the National 12 bell striking contest was held the previous weekend at Bristol. And Bristol ran out the winners. There is a broadcast of the day available here. All 7 hours of it. https://www.youtube.com/live/TO9ptIFX67c
Bristol rang 4th, starting at 1:00 pm. But as any of the bands will be producing some of the best ringing you’ll hear, it is worth a listen. There’s also plenty of interesting chit chat between the test pieces.
Social Event – date for the diary.
Whilton tower are having a day of Bells, BBQ & Beer on 26th July 12.30pm – 4pm. Ringers are welcome to come and ring, as well as partake of the other B’s on offer. Bands can book a slot, or just come for the open ringing. Tutors will be on hand to give people a try at ringing and it’s hoped that the village will get involved in the event. There’s a poster available to advertise the event on the Guild website.
Greetham bells have been away on holiday to Taylors at Loughborough but are ready to come home. The bells will return in July.
Before being rehung in the tower they will be on display in the church on:
Saturday 12th July 12noon – 5pm Sunday 13th July 12 noon – 5pm Monday 14th July 6pm – 7pm
All welcome.
Branch training
Culworth branch are holding a training seminar for Saturday 26th July from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. It will be held in Lois Weedon village hall. The subject is ‘Starting to learn and ring methods’ and the speaker is Robert Wood who presented a very successful session last year on Plain Hunt and Plain Bob. I hope as many of you as possible will be able to attend – this invitation is extended to other branches of the Guild. There is no charge, but voluntary contributions toward refreshments will be accepted. Please contact Andrew North (secretary@culworth.pdg.org.uk) for further information.
CCCBR news
As you’ll be aware, the CCCBR has been planning to increase fees for affiliated societies, based on their membership. This has increased from 20 per members and is due to be increased to £1 per member at this year’s meeting. This poses a problem for some societies, particularly those that doe not have a subscription model, such as university and themed societies. There has been discussion ongoing about how to manage the subscription for these societies. There is an open meeting to be held on the 14th & 17th of July by Zoom. Details here: https://cccbr.org.uk/2025/07/02/membership-categories-open-meetings/
Summer Festival
Advance notice that the Summer Festival is on the 13th September, contest is being held at Castor, in the Peterborough branch. Branches wanting to enter should get their entry to the Master, Jim Bence, by the weekend before. Please remember to include any time restrictions for the team.
Dates for the Diary
Guild 10 Bell Practice Saturday 12th July. 10:30 – 12:30 Higham Ferrers.
Guild 10 Bell Practice Saturday 12th July. 10:30 – 12:00 Kettering
Guild Summer Festival Saturday 13th September. Ringing at Yarwell & Wansford, Contest and evening ringing at Castor.
And Branch events.
Peterborough 8 bell practice Friday 11th July, 7:30Castor
Kettering Branch Practice Saturday 12th July, Weldon 2:00, Corby 3:15.
Thrapston Branch Practice Thursday 17th July 2:30Woodford
Wellingborough Surprise Practice Saturday 19thJuly 10:30 Ecton
Wellingborough Branch Practice Saturday 19th July 2:30 Grendon
Daventry Branch Practice Saturday 19th July 3:00Norton, 7:30 King’s Sutton
Culworth Branch Practice Saturday 19th July 4:00Middleton Cheney, 7:30 King’s Sutton
Guilsborough Branch Practice Saturday 2nd August 3:00 West Haddon, 6:00 Long Buckby
Thanks
Helen
Helen Allton
Secretary: Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers
As you will have seen from the Guild Secretary’s last Update of 16th June the post of Recruitment and Training Officer remains open for Nominations. Anybody wishing to stand for this post would need to be proposed and seconded in writing (email is fine) to the Secretary prior to the day of the Summer Festival on 13th September.
Following requests for more information I have put together a Note giving the background to the creation of this new post and a bit more about what might be involved. This is also available on the Guild website.
I have attached my Note together with the original Role description.
On behalf of the GMC we hope that you will seriously consider taking on this opportunity to shape the future of ringing across the Guild.
Calling all fun-loving people to support St. Marys Peterborough charity fundraiser evening, 7pmstart, on Saturday 28th June, of hilarious table-top pig-racing with raffle and interval refreshments (please bring your own drinks and glasses unless you wish to wash-up at the end of the evening!). See attached poster. Tickets from Diana are just £6, email:- diana_cherryfields@yahoo.co.uk please, so we know how many to cater for, thank you.
Sadly St. Marys has no car parking of its own but there is a reasonable fairly large one behind (roundabout exit before church from ringroad side) the church which takes card and, on a good day, cash!
I hope to see you all there supporting a good cause and to have fun amongst super company,
I’m going to start with the AGM, which was held on Saturday. Thanks you to the Kettering branch for the arrangements, including the weather, where the sun induced people to spill out of the Church House at Barton Seagrave onto the lawns behind.
Guild AGM
The AGM was held on Saturday. After a service including a pop quiz on bells, a splendid tea was enjoyed in the adjacent Church House. This was followed by the AGM, at which Simon Dixon stepped down as Master & Jim Bence was elected. Jim & Gwynneth White stood down as Report Editors and Nick Watts was elected. Cat Hemmington was elected as Youth Officer. The post of PRO remains vacant.
Recruitment & Training Officer.
In my last mail I sent out the role description for the Recruitment & Training Officer, which had been initiated at the GMC meeting in May, with an introduction from Simon Dixon. At the AGM, the President pushed for a deferral of the appointment until September as only very short notice had been given to members. On a vote, this proposal was agreed by the meeting. Unfortunately, the existing nomination was not acknowledged, which was regrettable. Concern was expressed from the floor about how this hand been handled from the Chair. As a result, an apology will be sent to the person concerned, thanking them for their willingness to stand and with the sincere hope that they will carry over their nomination until September.
Nominations for this post are, therefore, still open and can be sent to me before the Summer Festival. The role description is attached.
Social Event – date for the diary.
After the success of the social events for the Centenary, there will be a social event factored into the Guild’s calendar. We’re starting with a Quiz and fish’n’chip supper on 14th February 2026. Location TBC and details to follow nearer the time, but please put the date in your diary. And let’s see if I can remember to bring the Guild’s quiz trophy with me this time!
Teachers and ringing
Part of the Ringing 2030 project has been to produce a set of lesson plans suitable for Keystages 2 & 3. The plans contain lessons with different curriculum focus covering multiple different areas through different aspects of ringing. It aims to familiarise children with ringing, it is not trying to teach them to ring, but that could obviously be an offshoot of this.
There is now a desire to have teachers of these key stages look at the plans and trial them. They need to work for teachers other than the author of the plans. There will be a zoom meeting on the 20th July. If you are interested, please register. If you interested but can’t attend, please contact Andrea Haynes, who is running the project: andrea.haynes@cccbr.org.uk. She’s in Rugby direction, so our area’s in a good position for testing0.
You may have heard of Hawkear, a system that takes a recording of a piece of ringing and can analyse it for striking and present a graphical display of the ringing – helpful for those of us who think visually. It has not been widely applicable, as the system has to be trained to detect the strike for the bells at the specific tower at which it is installed.
Oliver Rice had a bit of spare time and has generated an app that can take a recording of any tower and present a similar visual analysis of the striking. He’s called it Brenda, which stands for Bell REcording with Novel Data Analysis. He apologises to anyone called Brenda!
Oliver posted that “After a month or so of reasonably intense beta testing, I think my striking web app is probably ready for public consumption… I still expect there to be plenty of bugs — please let me know if you find any! I also imagine it’ll crash this evening if lots of people use it, but we’ll see. Many thanks to my beta testers for finding problems and suggesting new things.
Since my last post I’ve added several new features, including a plaintext ‘striking report’ aimed at providing useful feedback, and a ‘touch library’ where you can create and share collections of ringing.
It has been tested successfully at around 50 towers with a wide variety of bell weights and acoustics, and usually works with ringing chamber recordings unless the bells are particularly indistinct or quiet. It also works nicely with most recordings from the 12 bell website if you’d like to try that.”
You obviously need a recording of a piece of ringing that doesn’t contain too much other noise and each bell can be heard. If anyone tries it, we’d be interested to know what you make of it.
Wicken church roof
I’ve rung at Wicken several times, but never realised that the chancel ceiling is significant. It is of papier mache and is now to be restored. I’ll try and remember to have a look next time I ring there.
Guild 10 Bell Practice Saturday 12th July. 10:30 – 12:30 Higham Ferrers.
Guild 10 Bell Practice Saturday 12th July. 10:30 – 12:30 TBC
Guild Summer Festival Saturday 13th September. Ringing at Yarwell & Wansford, Contest and evening ringing at Castor.
And Branch events.
Thrapston Branch Practice Thursday 19th June 2:30 Wadenhoe
Wellingborough Surprise Practice Saturday 21st June 10:30 Woodford
Daventry Branch Practice Saturday 21st June 3:30 Church Stowe, 6:30 Pattishall
Culworth Branch Practice Saturday 21st June 4:00 Lois Weedon, 6:30 Pattishall
Towcester Branch Practice Saturday 28th June 10:30 Greens Norton
Northampton Branch Practice Saturday 28th June 2:30 Duston
Thrapston Branch Practice Wednesday 2nd July 7:00 Titchmarsh
Guilsborough Branch Practice Saturday 5th July 3:00 Great Oxendon, 6:00 East Farndon
Peterborough Surprise Minor Social Sunday 6th July 2:30 Nassington
Peterborough 8 bell practice Friday 11th July, 7:30 Castor
Kettering Branch Practice Saturday 12th July, Weldon 2:00, Corby 3:15.
I’d like to thank members for my repeated election as Secretary and to assure them that I will always work to what I believe to be the best interests of the Guild.
Thanks
Helen
Helen Allton
Secretary: Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers
At the Guild Management Committee meeting held at the end of May it was decided to create a new post of Recruiment and Training officer in order to build upon the work done in training since the end of lockdown. Attached is a suggested job description.
Anybody wishing to stand for this post would need to be proposed and seconded in writing (email is fine) prior to the day of the AGM.
If anybody would like to discuss the job please contact the master.
I’m going to start with a thank you. This week has been Volunteers week. Each and every ringer is a volunteer, offering their time, effort and skill to support their tower, their branch and their Guild. Without each of you, there would be a lot less ringing taking place across the diocese. So thank you for turning up and ringing.
Guild AGM
Talking of turning up, the Guild AGM is fast approaching, it’s on Saturday. The main part of the day will be at Barton Seagrave, with towers open in the afternoon. Details can be found on the website, here: https://pdg.org.uk/homepage/agm Harrington have been confirmed, so the towers are as listed.
Please get your names for tea and any dietary requirements to Caroline Mitchell by 9th June.
See you there!
We still have some posts without nomination, PRO & Report Editor still looking for a volunteer or two…
VJ Day
Having just got the list of towers that rang for VE day, next on the horizon is VJ Day. There are more details on the CCCBRs website.
As a cross stitcher, I have sometimes used bellringing methods as patterns for cross stitch. Instead of a note, each bell becomes a different colour. This link gives you an example: https://www.facebook.com/PDGCBR/videos/1745784608932919
But I’ve never done anything on the scale of this project. Edward Bruce is planning on hanging two banners 33 ft long in the crossing of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, in Edinburgh. The video explains more. I particularly like the way the light catches on the material of the woven banners. https://youtu.be/CdtsPaB8KAM
Other means of communication
If you are on Bluesky or Instagram you can follow the Guild feed on both of those platforms. We admit we’re still getting the hang of it!
I hesitate to say this, but hasn’t the weather been nice? Slightly worried that this might be it for summer, but I’m crossing my fingers there’s more to come. Although I can hear the gardeners wanting a drop of rain. OK, but only when I don’t want to be outside; overnight only, alright?
We need nominations for Guild officers, if you know of someone who would be good at taking on a post, get onto them and send the proposals & seconds to me in writing or by e-mail. Job descriptions can be found on the website. Posts that are falling vacant are Report Editor & Master, with no PRO having been in post for the last year. The Guild is only as good as its volunteers, we need you!
VE Day
Well done to all the towers that rang or chimed or otherwise make a noise for the 80th anniversary of VE day. So far, I think there’s over 100 towers who have rung and put their ringing on BellBoard. There will be a full list in the next newsletter.
Scouts visit to St Benedict’s West Hunsbury
Somehow, I got inveigled into giving a talk to a Scout group at West Hunsbury this week, on ringing. Thanks to Debbie Sampson’s powers of persuasion, there were a good number of helpers to get the scouts ringing call changes on handbells, tunes on bellplates, walking plain hunt and watching some ringing in the ringing room. It made for an interesting evening and hopefully they learnt something – even if it’s just that not all bells are rung by machines. I was reminded (again) how hard it is working with children – and this lot were quite well behaved. I have renewed my admiration for those who do.
Dates for the Diary
Guild AGM Saturday 14th June. 1:45 Wilby & Harrington (tbc), 2:45 Cranford St John, 3:30 Barton Seagrave for ringing, service, tea & meeting (5:45) and evening ringing.
And Branch events.
Rutland 8 Bell Practice Tuesday 20th May 7:30Oakham
Peterborough Surprise Minor Social Sunday 1stJune 2:30 Cotterstock
Thrapston Branch Practice Thursday 5th June 7:30 Islip
Rutland Doubles Practice Saturday 7th June 10:15North Luffenham
Guilsborough Branch Practice Saturday 7th June 3:00 Spratton, 6:00 Cottesbrooke
Peterborough Practice Sunday 8th June 2:00Peterborough St Mary
Thrapston Branch Practice Thursday 19th June 2:30Wadenhoe
Wellingborough Surprise Practice Saturday 21stJune 10:30 Woodford
Daventry Branch Practice Saturday 21st June 3:30Church Stowe, 6:30 Pattishall
Culworth Branch Practice Saturday 21st June 4:00Lois Weedon, 6:30 Pattishall
That’s all for now.
Helen
Helen Allton
Secretary: Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers
Peterborough Branch 
