10 am St Faith’s, Gaywood, King’s Lynn. PE30 4DZ ///cookies.thread.converged 6 bells, tenor 12–0–16 in G https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/14029 Toilet available
11.30am St Nicholas’, King’s Lynn. PE30 1DZ ///active.porch.tricks 8 bells, tenor 18–3–12 in F https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/10477 Toilet available
Lunch – do your own thing. A picnic in the park or enjoy some of the pubs and eateries of King’s Lynn. Lots of places to find in and around the town square
2pm Minster Chapel of St Margaret, King’s Lynn. PE30 5DU ///calm.lonely.blitz 10 bells, tenor 28–1–4 in C https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/15688 Toilet available
£2 per tower for a donation. We look forward to seeing you at any or all of the towers.
Please let us know if you are planning to attend (jrcalamity@icloud.com). Thank you. We have been asked to advice St Nicholas’ how many people are coming as they have an event on in the evening and need to know about any issues for them to set up if there are a lot of people there.
We seem to have had a reasonable bank holiday so far, although the weather’s not looking quite so good for tomorrow – but that’s just typical! Hope you’ve been able to make the most of it. Having got the Spring Meeting done, we’re moving on to the next few Guild events.
Guild Open day
Saturday sees the Guild’s Open day. 30 towers across the Guild are open according to a timetable, towers from A (Aynho) to Y (Yarwell) and across all 10 branches of the Guild. There are a range of interesting, unusual and rare towers or recent augmentations to tempt you out. £2 per tower or £20 for a day ticket. These are available in advance by e-mailing centenary@pdg.org.uk or at the first 6 towers. Cash on the day please.
The Guild’s AGM is planned for Saturday 8th June. It was planned to be in Northampton town centre, visiting the 4 town centre churches. Unfortunately, Northampton town took no account of this and have decided to hold the town carnival that day. That closes roads across the centre, making the plan unworkable. There has been a rearrangement and the plan for the day is now as follows:
Open Ringing at Harlestone at 2 pm and Pitsfors at 3 pm.
Ringing at Moulton at 4 pm, for the service at 4:30 pm.
This will be followed by tea in the church hall and the AGM at 5:45 pm. There will be evening ringing afterwards.
All are welcome to the AGM, names for tea to me on secretary@pdg.org.uk by 5th June please.
Bell Sunday is the 12th May this year. You can link your ringing to the event, if you do any special ringing. https://bellsunday.org/
There’s a request to ring to mark the 80thanniversary of D-Day on 6th June, Not ringing at the time of the landings, the request is to ring at 6:30 pm, if possible.
We hope this message finds you well. We wanted to extend our gratitude to everyone who joined us for the minor bell ringing social last Wednesday and to extend our apologies for any inconvenience caused by the lighting issue. However, it provided us with a good opportunity to ring our blue line and showcase our adaptability!
A big thank you to the members of the South Lincs and Rutland branch who joined us, as well as a special acknowledgment to hosts Sue, John, and Jerry from Easton on the Hill.
Branch outing
Looking ahead, we’re excited to announce our next event on Saturday the 18th of May. We’ll be visiting three towers around Kings Lynn, including the Kings Lynn Minster and Wisbech, both with 10 bells. We’ll kick off the day at 10 am in Gaywood. Lunch arrangements will be left to individuals, with plenty of options available in the town center, including numerous pubs and cafes. Alternatively, The Walks park offers a lovely spot for a spring picnic – weather permitting!
Further details about the event will be shared closer to the date. We’re eagerly anticipating another memorable day of ringing and fellowship!
Please can you let me know if you are planning to attend the Minor Social event this Wednesday so that I can make sure there is enough cake! Thank you. This is event is aimed at people that ring or have rung minor methods already. There will be opportunity for people to treble as well as ring inside.
Please email: jrcalamity@icloud.com
Please also let me know if you would like to ring a particular method so that I can make sure there are people to call methods, especially if it is for touches.
I am proposing Plain Bob, Little Bob, St Clements, Double and Single Oxford but other methods possibly available on request.
Monday update, with lots of news from the weekend.
Guild Spring Meeting
Saturday was an excellent day. Guilsborough branch did a superb job of hosting, laying on the most spectacular tea I think I’ve ever seen and even organising some spring-like weather. The 21 teams that entered is the most we’ve ever had, 12 teams rang call changes at Guilsborough and 9 teams rang methods at Cold Ashby.
There was a packed church at Cold Ashby for the results, with Towcester taking the Weaver Shield for the method ringing contest while Pattishall were the first winners of the Centenary Trophy for call changes.
A full report will follow. We have photos of each band, drop me a mail and I can send yours over to you. If there was a prize for most original pose, Cransley would have taken that by a country mile!
There’s lots of different items, including a welcome from Bishop Debbie.
The next edition will be for the September Summer Festival, print deadline is end of August. Items can be sent in at any time to newsletter@pdg,org.uk
Annual Report
This is also being distributed, one copy for each tower. This year’s is a lively green cover. If any members want a copy, they are available for £2 to members (including postage). Get in touch and I’ll get one out to you.
The CCCBR is looking for a new adviser on bell complaints. Robert Wood has dealt with such enquiries for some years and has decided to stand down. They are looking for someone with relevant experience and knowledge of UK Environmental Legislation. Anyone wanting more information should contact Alison Hodge alison.hodge@cccbr.org.uk
Bell Sunday is 12th May this year, see what your incumbent has planned and let them see the resources available on the CCCBR website for ideas on how to include ringing in your service. https://bellsunday.org/
100th Anniversary
It was excellent to see PDG 100 clothing out in force at the weekend. There’s still a chance to get yours before the year is out… Also mugs and puzzles still available https://pdg.org.uk/pdg-100/centenary-year-merchandise
The next 100th anniversary is the Open day. A chance to ring at towers across the Guild from A (Aynho) to Y (Yarwell). Towers are open for 1 hour, with start times from 09:00 to 18:50. Cost £2 per tower or £20 for a day ticket, available in advance from centenary@pdg.org.uk All details on the website: https://pdg.org.uk/pdg-100/open-day
Bells on Sunday
Starting their 900th anniversary, the bells of St Kyneburgha’s church, Castor features on Sunday 14th April at 5:43 am. You can listen again via BBC sounds using the link below.
April has arrived, and with it, we hope, Spring is on its way. Particularly with the name of our next Guild meeting.
Guild Spring Meeting
Saturday sees the Guild’s Spring meeting, including the 6 bell striking contest. There’s been a record entry this year, such that the call change bands will be at Guilsborough from 2 pm and the Method ringing bands at Cold Ashby from 3 pm. Spratton will be open for general ringing from 2pm to 3:30. The tea, meeting and results will all be at Cold Ashby, followed by evening ringing.
There’s a handy map of Cold Ashby with locations of the village hall and parking locations. As Cold Ashby is a small village, please share transport, where possible, and park with consideration for the residents. https://pdg.org.uk/latest-news/spring-meeting-arrangements
Guilsborough branch have the catering well in hand, it should be an excellent day. See you there.
The Centenary trophy has been collected; you’ll have to turn up on Saturday to see it. Will your band win it first?
Bells on Sunday
This will feature the bells of St Kyneburgha’s church, Castor on Sunday 14th April at 5:43 am. Or, if that’s a little early, you can listen via BBC sounds using the link below.
Elaine and I are planning an outing to King’s Lynn and Wisbech on Saturday May 18th from 10am to 5pm. There will be ringing at 4 towers and plenty of time for people to have some lunch in King’s Lynn. Please note we are not arranging a lunch venue so you will be left to your own devices.
Towers and timings to be confirmed at a later date. Details will be provided when towers are confirmed.
Please can you let us know if you would like to come along.
All Saints Church, Church Street, Easton on the Hill, Stamford. PE9 3NZ (What 3 Words ///constrain.playroom.ignore)
Please let us know if you are coming and if there is a particular method that you would like to ring so we can be prepared (e.g. Kent, Single/ Double Oxford, St Clements, Plain Bob Minor, Little Bob). There will be tea/ coffee and cake but there is no toilet.
Dear all, at the AGM in January, it was suggested that we should bring together young ringers across the branch. A successful first event was held in February and 5 young ringers plus two learners joined us at St Mary’s in Peterborough on a Sunday afternoon. It was a good opportunity for these ringers to get to know one another both through ringing and through chatting. Thank you to the teachers and ringing parents for supporting it. As always with a ringing event there was cake.
A second event is planned for Sunday 21 April, 4pm at Nassington, and we expect it to then continue every 6 weeks or so.
If there is a season for everything, then it seems like spring brings striking contests as well as spring flowers. After reporting the results of the Midland youth contest last time around, this time it’s the turn of the Towcester band to be congratulated for a respectable 5th place finish (of 8 teams) in the 12 bell eliminator contest at Reading yesterday. They don’t qualify for the final, but there’s a silver lining there – no need to locate Chilcompton!
Spring Meeting
If it is striking contest season, then the Guild diary follows suit. The next Guild event is the Spring Meeting on 13th April, which includes the 6 bell striking contest. The new trophy is taking shape, still no pictures, that would spoil the surprise. There’s plenty of time to get your band organised, entries to Simon Dixon by Saturday 6th April, master@pdg.org.uk. As a reminder, the rules are here https://pdg.org.uk/forms/6_Bell_competition.pdf and there’s a poster here https://pdg.org.uk/meetings/Spring_Meeting_2024_poster.pdf
I know the Guilsborough branch are getting their ducks in a row for the tea, a range of scrumptious goodies are in the planning. Hope to see you there.
Guild Newsletter
The next Guild newsletter deadline is the 31st March, for distribution at the Spring Meeting. Any news or items of interest can be sent to Jonathan Stuart, the newsletter editor, newsletter@pdg.org.uk. What have you done recently that would make a good item to tell your fellow ringers about? The recent issues have had a wide range of interesting items, but we can only do that with your contributions.
CCCBR news
An update on Bell Sunday, which this year takes place on Sunday 12th May. It’s an opportunity for the church family to recognise the impact that bells can have on the community. There are resources to help here. https://cccbr.org.uk/2024/03/16/bell-sunday-12th-may-2024/
Dates for the Diary
Guild Spring Meeting Saturday 13th April. 6 bell contest at Cold Ashby from 3 pm. Teams to the Master (master@pdg.org.uk) by the 6th April.
Daventry Branch Practice, Saturday 20th April, 3:00Preston Capes for ringing service, tea & meeting, 6:30 Moreton Pinkney (joint with Culworth)
CulworthBranch Practice Saturday 20th April, 6:30Moreton Pinkney (joint with Daventry)
And with that I will leave you to debate what to do with yourself in the ringing desert (or so I mean dessert?) that is Holy week. Opportunity to Spring clean the ringing room? Or have a social evening? Whatever you do with it, have a happy Easter.
Peterborough Branch 