If you are a ringer who can comfortably ring plain hunt 6 and know you could improve your striking, this workshop could be for you.
We are limited to 6 ringers because of the format of the session. You will each get several rings of PH6 and depending on your repertoire that may mean you ring something else. The session is designed to allow you to concentrate on placing your bell as much as what you are ringing.
Please contact us if you would like to attend. Ringers will be accepted on a first come first served basis but we will have a reserve list.
For Easter Day Corby were able to ring for the first time after their work had been completed by O’Shea Engineering and volunteers during Holy week. Seasonally most appropriate. Well done to all concerned.
Guild News
The Guild’s Annual report for 2024 has been printed and is being distributed. Coming soon to your tower. Copies that had been requested by members will be distributed through your branches.
I have sent copies to the church authorities and both Archdeacons have responded thanking ringers for their efforts. Archdeacon Richard enjoyed hearing the bells ringing in the Spring sunshine as he headed to take the service at Courteenhall yesterday.
Young Ringers Event
On 26th April in Daventry from 10 to 12 am there’s an event for Young Ringers. That aims to encourage young people to come up the tower and have a go. They could be existing ringers who want to get involved with other ringers their own age. Or they could be young people who might be encouraged to try ringing. Justin Baker is corralling a team of volunteers; he can be contacted on ringing_master@daventry.pdg.org.uk
The Spring meeting all went off well last weekend. Even the weather played ball. Thanks to the Thrapston branch for laying on the tea and to the Dixons for the organising. Congratulations to Peterborough Cathedral on their first win of the Weaver Shield. Pattishall retained the Centenary trophy.
Let me know if you want a copy of your photos. They may be of use in an item in your parish magazine or village newsletter. Tell your community what you’ve been getting up to.
CCCBR latest
Bell Sunday is being advertised on the CCCBR website.
Alistair Donaldson is arranging an ART training day on 28th June at Rothwell. If you are interested in a place, please get in touch with him: president@pdg.org.uk
Dear all, please see the following information from the Guild.
For those considering developing their ringing teaching – either of basic bell handling or of foundation skills – the Guild has arranged an Association of Ringing Teachers (ART) all-day course entitled MODULE 1 teaching bell handling on Saturday 28th June at Rothwell.
If you aren’t familiar with ART, do have a look here: https://bellringing.org. This is a great place to discover masses of information about ringing in general, the ART organisation and how to learn or brush up your teaching skills. Details of the modules will be found here: https://bellringing.org/about-teaching/teaching-modules/
The cost of a day course is £30 including materials and you will also need to bring your lunch or buy locally. If this is prohibitive for anyone, do consider applying for a grant from the Guild Training Fund through the Master (master@pdg.org.uk).
This Course is suitable for those who already teach bell handling and want to update their skills AND for those who have never taught anyone to handle a bell, Module 1 provides you with the skills and techniques necessary to take a ringer from their first lesson to having competent bell control.
You will learn through a mixture of practical and classroom sessions:
How to teach a skill
How to break down bell handling into easy stages that the new ringer can master
About different learning types and how to adapt your teaching for them
The benefits of intensive teaching
The practical sessions will give you plenty of time to practise your new skills in a safe environment. Working in pairs you will also have opportunity to hone your observation skills and get feedback on your feedback.
Please contact Alistair Donaldson (president@pdg.org.uk) AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to reserve your place on this course.
If you are interested in the follow-on MODULE 2C Elementary Change ringing courseplease also register your interest with Alistair, who may arrange a course later in the year if there is enough interest.
On Saturday I was in London, having a day out in the big city. As I came out of the crypt at St Martin in the Fields, the 12 bells were ringing for a wedding. Lots of wedding hats in evidence; I hope they stayed put, it was a tad blustery. Also some rather irritated buskers, who had no chance of competing with a total of over 6 tons of metal swinging around!
Spring Meeting
The Spring meeting is on Saturday. As last year, there are 2 trophies up for grabs, one for method ringing bands, the other for call change bands.
The contest will take place at Great Addington for the method ringing and call change bands at Twywell. Ringing at both towers starts around 3 pm and should be concluded by 5pm. Teams will have had their start times already.
At Twywell there is a little parking on the road through the village – please don’t go down the lane to the church, there is no parking down there.
At Great Addington there is the Memorial Hall carpark. At either tower, please park with consideration for the locals.
Tea will be at Islip village hall from 4 pm, with the results and a brief business meeting at 6 pm. There will be evening ringing at Islip. The village hall is on Old Farm Lane, Islip, NN14 3LY. There is parking at the hall, but you may need to park in the village and walk up.
There will be a raffle for the BRF, so bring your lucky cash with you. Also Jim & Sarah Bence will have their CCCBR bookshop with them. Well, maybe not all of it! They’ll be able to offer a discount on list prices, but it is card only payment.
That makes reference to the event on 26th April in Daventry from 10 to 12 am . That aims to encourage young people to come up the tower and have a go. They could be existing ringers who want to get involved with other ringers their own age. Or they could be young people who might be encouraged to try ringing. Justin Baker is corralling a team of volunteers; he can be contacted on ringing_master@daventry.pdg.org.uk
The diocese is happy to share items of interest, but they do like them to be accompanied by pictures of happy people! Pass items of interest or notice of events open to the public to me and I can send them on.
If a period of concentrated ringing learning at a ringing school sounds like something you might enjoy or benefit from, then there are 2 that have their application dates soon.
Applications are now open for the North West Ringing Course 2025 for both Students and Helpers. The Course will be based at Borwick Hall near Carnforth in Lancashire from Thursday 7th August to Sunday 10th August. All details can be found on our website at https://nwringingcourse.uk or contact us on enquiries@nwringingcourse.uk
The Southwest Bell Ringing Course is Friday 24th October – Monday 27th October 2025 at Millfield School, Street, Somerset, BA16 0YD. Application for Students and Helpers places will open on 1st May 2025. https://southwest-ringing-course.org.uk/
Dates for the Diary
Spring Meeting Saturday 12th April Contest at Great Addington/Twywell. Tea 4:00 Islip Village Hall. Results and meeting 6:00. Evening Ringing at Islip.
Guild 10 bell Saturday 10th May Moulton 10:30 – 12:30.
And Branch events.
Thrapston Branch Practice Thursday 10th April 2:30Wadenhoe
Kettering Branch Practice “on the way” to the Spring Meeting Saturday 12th April 1:30 Geddington
Peterborough 8 bell practice Sunday 13th April 2:00Peterborough St Mary.
Wellingborough Branch Practice Saturday 26thApril 2:30 Great Doddington
Daventry Branch Practice Saturday 26th April 3:00Welton 6:30 Long Buckby
Northampton Branch Practice Saturday 26th April 7:00 Boughton
Culworth Branch Practice Saturday 26th April 7:30Evenley
Thrapston Branch Practice Thursday 1st May 7:00Great Addington
Guilsborough Branch Practice Saturday 3rd May 3:00 Lilbourne, 6:00 Crick
Peterborough 8 bell Practice Friday 9th May 7:30Castor
By the time I send my next update, it will be Easter. Don’t eat all the eggs at once (or is it just me that tries to do that!)
Thanks
Helen
Helen Allton
Secretary: Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers
This is just a reminder that we have the social on Sunday 2. 30pm – 4pm.
What you should expect to ring are methods and principles leading you to Stedman. These could include, Stedman, Erin, Grandsire, Reverse St Bartholomew, Original and any other method with the same type of work.
We will not be ringing Plain Bob and Reverse Canterbury methods.
Dear all, after a break of over a year, the Branch 8 bell practice resumes on Friday evening at 7.30pm at Castor. The practice will include rounds, and methods ranging from Plain Hunt to Surprise Major.
Whatever your ability, you will be made very welcome and the ringing will be organised to suit your requirements.
In future, the practice will alternate monthly between the second Friday evening at Castor and the second Sunday afternoon at St Mary’s in Peterborough, so the April practice will be at St Mary’s, starting at 3.30pm.
And suddenly it feels like spring might be around the corner. Several ringing outings in the last few weeks have had an array of snowdrops carpeting the floor. And now the crocus and daffs are sticking their heads above ground. Must be almost Spring Meeting time – see more below!
Last weekend the Cathedral held a service in celebration of Rutland and the Rutland branch had arranged a number of ringers to go to the Cathedral and ring before the service. I headed along to join them. Alan Ellis marshalled his resources well, with support from the Cathedral band, and there was ringing on 8, 10 and 12. For a majority it was a first occasion ringing on 10 and 12. I hope they enjoyed the experience.
I particularly enjoyed the Cathedral staff trying out the Rutland flag upside down and being put right by ringers from Rutland who had were gathering before going upstairs. With the Lord Lieutenant present, that could have been a little embarrassing. See, ringers are useful people to have about.
Spring Meeting
The Spring Meeting is the 6 bell striking contest. As last year, there are 2 trophies up for grabs, one for method ringing bands, the other for call change bands.
The contest will take place on Saturday 12th April at Great Addington, with Twywell if needed due to number of entries.
Tea will be at Islip village hall from 4 pm, with the results and a brief business meeting at 6 pm. There will be evening ringing at Islip.
The draw will be performed in advance and teams need get their entries to Simon Dixon by 2nd Aprilmaster@pdg.org.uk. Remember that Simon’s not very psychic, so if your band needs to ring early or late due to needing to ring for a wedding or some other commitment, he needs to know that with your entry please!
This weekend we had the Guild’s 10 bell practice, at Kettering. This time we rang call changes, plain hunt, Grandsire, Little Bob, Yorkshire, London & Bristol. If you’re confident ringing on 8 this is the opportunity to try ringing on higher numbers. It’s also a chance to stretch your repertoire on 10 bells. Having dealt with 10 ropes makes 8 seem easier! The next practice is Saturday 10th May at Moulton, starting at 10:30.
100 Club
Due to the increased number of members in the 100 club, at the GMC last weekend we agreed to change the prize structure, increasing the number of winners to 4 each month. That increases the chances of an entry being drawn. You can, of course, increase your chances of winning further by taking an additional number. For details contact 100_club@pdg.org.uk.
There is a DAC Bell Advisor’s conference in Leeds on Thursday 3rd April. You don’t have to be a DAC to attend. There’s some confusion as to the year, as 2024, 2025 and 2026 all get a mention in the paperwork! We have asked for clarification. https://cccbr.org.uk/2025/03/07/dac-bell-advsiors-conference-2025/
Dates for the Diary
Spring Meeting Saturday 12th April Contest at Great Addington/Twywell. Tea 4:00 Islip Village Hall. Results and meeting 6:00. Evening Ringing at Islip.
Guild 10 bell Saturday 10th May Moulton 10:30 – 12:30.
And Branch events.
Peterborough 8 bell practice Friday 14th March 7:30Castor
Wellingborough Surprise Practice Saturday 15thMarch 10:30 Orlingbury
Wellingborough Branch Practice Saturday 15thMarch 7:00 Finedon
Daventry Branch Practice Saturday 15th March 3:00Kislingbury 6:30 Northampton Holy Sepulchre
Thrapston Branch Practice Thursday 20th March 2:30 Thrapston
Rutland 8 bell practice Thursday 20th March 7:30Uppingham
Towcester Branch Practice Saturday 22nd March 10:00 Calverton, 11:15 Cosgrove
Guilsborough Branch Practice Saturday 5th April 3:00 Scaldwell, 6:00 Brixworth
Peterborough Grandsire/Stedman Practice Sunday 6th April 2:30 Glinton
Thrapston Branch Practice Thursday 10th April 2:30Wadenhoe
Kettering Branch Practice “on the way” to the Spring Meeting Saturday 12th April 1:30 Geddington
Peterborough 8 bell practice Sunday 13th April 2:00Peterborough St Mary.
For International Women’s Day yesterday I was happy to share the picture of the peal board in Isham (a not very good photo attached). It’s an unassuming little peal board that says that it is the first peal by a band of ladies in the county, what it does not mention is that this was the first peal by an all female band where the tenor was turned in. While the PDG did not exist until 2 years after this peal, we should be proud that our area played a part in history.
Thanks
Helen
Helen Allton
Secretary: Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers
Suggested methods to be announced nearer the time. If there any methods you’d like to ring please let us know so we can share and aim to have good support available.
Perhaps come a bit earlier and bring a picnic and enjoy the setting?
My apologies that this was missed off the original list of dates.
Please note that this is not a surprise ringing event.
General ringing from rounds and call changes to surprise minor (please let us know if there is anything you would like to ring in advance so that we can aim to have the right support).
Please share with your towers and anyone who is not signed up to PetNet.
Peterborough Branch 