Sunday 2 March – Major Surprise Social, St Mary’s, Peterborough 3.30-5pm
Friday 14 March – Branch 8 Bell Practice, Castor 7.30-9pm
Sunday 6 April – Stedman and Grandsire, Glinton 2.30-4pm
Sunday 13 April – Branch 8 Bell Practice, St Mary’s, Peterborough 2-3.30pm
Friday 9 May – Branch 8 Bell Practice, Castor 7.30-9pm
Sunday 11 May – Striking Workshop, Wadenhoe 2-4pm (email to follow)
Sunday 18 May – General Ringing, St John’s, Peterborough 3.30-5.30pm (Peterborough Arts Society will have a display in church for us to enjoy)
Sunday 1 June – Surprise Minor Social, Cotterstock 2.30-4pm
Sunday 8 June – Branch 8 Bell Practice – St Mary’s, Peterborough 2-3.30pm
Sunday 6 July – Surprise Minor Social, Nassington 2.30-4pm
Friday 11 July – Branch 8 Bell Practice – Castor 7.30-9pm
Sunday 10 August – Branch 8 Bell Practice, St Mary’s, Peterborough 2-3.30pm
Sunday TBC September – Ring for your Tea – TBC TBC
Friday 12 September – Branch 8 Bell Practice, Castor 7.30-9pm
Sunday 5 October – Surprise Minor Social, Wansford 2.30-4pm
Sunday 12 October – Branch 8 Bell Practice, St Mary’s, Peterborough 2-3.30pm
Sunday TBC November – we are hoping to arrange a cathedral evensong ring 2-3.30pm
Friday 14 November – Branch 8 Bell Practice, Castor 7.30-9pm
No branch events in December
A reminder will be sent out before each event but please put these dates in your diaries! We have decided to ask for a £2 donation for each event to go to the host tower for their bell funds so please bring cash with you and we may also be able to provide a card payment option. Please share with any ringers that are not on PetNet, thank you.
February has arrived and, along with the snowdrops I saw at Harrington yesterday, it has come equipped with something that my phone has taken to describing as “wintery mix”. Which is a lot less fun than it sounds. March is very nearly upon us and Spring must be around the corner. Also the Guild’s General Management Committee on the 1st March, when your secretary again gets to see, once more, how unreadable her writing can be. As a very wise man once said, the minutes should reflect what should have been said, not necessarily what was actually said…
Guild Report One last reminder that if you want a copy of the Guild’s Annual Report, you need to let me know by the end of the month. For the Centenary we’re ringing the changes and having a full colour printed cover. It will certainly stand out from the usual report. Mail me with your requests, if you haven’t already. Otherwise requests will be charged at £5, as for non-members.
Fundraising
The Treasurer has written a piece on how to take advantage of your online shopping habit to raise money for the Guild, using EasyFundraising or Give as you Live. In either case, you go through the site to your usually shopping website and the retailer gives either an amount or a percentage of your spend to the Guild. The details are on thew website. https://pdg.org.uk/latest-news/online-shoppers-a-call-to-arms
First Peal
On Saturday Pattishall rang the first peal on the augmented 8. They went to 8 from 6 bells just prior to Christmas 2023 and were helped with a grant from the Guild’s Bell Repair Fund. The band was a mostly local band with a first on 8 and a first of Grandsire as conductor. Congratulations to all concerned. https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1823627
Books for sale
Charlotte Eley is downsizing her substantial book collection. The list of what is available, and prices can be found on the website. Please contact Charlotte direct to discuss further. https://pdg.org.uk/latest-news/books-available
More books for sale
At the Kettering branch AGM, Jim & Sarah Bence held their first popup shop of the CCCBR books that they are managing. You may have seen a smiley picture of then in a recent Ringing World, advertising the fact that they have taken this on. They have a large range of books for sale and regularly have bundle offers, so keep your eyes on the shop https://shop.cccbr.org.uk/ and their social media profile. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569273783797
Dates for the Diary
Guild 10 bell Saturday 8th March Kettering 10:30 – 12:30.
And Branch events.
Towcester Branch Practice Saturday 22nd February 10:00 Blakesley, 11:15 Church Stowe
Northampton Branch Practice Saturday 22ndFebruary 2:30 Cogenhoe
Rutland Plain Hunt Workshop Saturday 1st March 10:15 Preston
Guilsborough Branch Practice Saturday 1st March 3:00 Cold Ashby
Kettering Branch Practice Saturday 8th March 2:00Arthingworth 3:15 Kelmarsh
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
Rutland 8 bell practice Thursday 20th March 7:30Uppingham
Towcester Branch Practice Saturday 22nd March 10:00 Calverton, 11:15 Cosgrove
Thanks
Helen
Helen Allton
Secretary: Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers
Dear all, thank you to those who have already paid their subscriptions for 2025. For those that haven’t yet, subs are £10 for adults and £5 for students.
The easiest way for most people to pay is to make an online payment as follows:
Account Name: Peterborough Branch of Bellringers (name may be truncated due to character limitation by your Bank)
Sort Code: 77 72 37
Account #: 11096468
Any queries please get in touch with the Treasurer, Steve Brown mailto:treasurer@peterborough.pdg.org.uk
Thank you Jane for reminding us about the social. It would be lovely to see as many people as possible there and it has been timed at 3. 30pm to allow anyone from the Cathedral to join us after ringing.
Any methods are up for grabs if there is an appetite!
St Mary’s, Peterborough on Sunday 2nd March, 3.30-5.30pm
Surprise Major ringers are invited to join us for this social event for some good ringing and cake! The chosen methods are Cambridge, London and Lessness. It would be great to see you and please come having done some homework if you don’t ring surprise methods very often!
Please let me know if you are planning to attend so we can ensure that there is enough cake!
That’s January almost done. 10 AGMs took place successfully, despite weather and cold almost getting in the way. There have been some changes in the committees, with new people taking office and other stepping back. It’s important that we thank those who have served their time and welcome those who have decided to contribute and have taken on those roles. Welcome all.
Guild Newsletter The January newsletter is being distributed in hardcopy, expect to see one arriving at your tower shortly. It is also available electronically here: https://pdg.org.uk/newsletters/newsletter_202501.pdf
Do share with friends and your church. We can send out additional copies if there’s a location that would be a good place to put a copy for general information for non-ringers or interested parties. Have a think about where one could go in your locality.
CCCBR News
Just advance notice of the CCCBR meeting in September. To be held in Sheffield.
Guild 10 bell Saturday 8th MarchKettering 10:30 – 12:30.
And Branch events.
Guilsborough Branch Practice Saturday 1st February 3:00 East Haddon
KetteringBranch Practice Saturday 15thFebruary 2:00 Ashley, 3:15 Wilbarston
Wellingborough Branch Practice Saturday 15th February 2:30 Wilby
Daventry Branch Practice Saturday 15thFebruary 3:00 Flore, 6:30 Nether Heyford (joint with Culworth)
Culworth Branch Practice Saturday 15thFebruary 3:00 Whitfield, 6:30 Nether Heyford (joint with Daventry)
Towcester Branch Practice Saturday 22nd February 10:00 Blakesley, 11:15Church Stowe
In the middle of singing “Lifted Gently to the Steeple” for the 2nd time this month I was struck by the last line of the first verse “Midway ‘twixt the earth and sky”. Isn’t that a lovely image? I leave you with that to ponder.
Thanks
Helen
Helen Allton
Secretary: Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers
Brrr. There are some towers that are more suited to this weather than others. I’m chief heater putter-on at the moment at Towcester at the moment. If you’re a nice open airy ground floor tower, you must be longing for summer. Nothing worse than cold hands when you’re trying to ring. But it is January and a spell of cold weather ought to be expected. And at least it looked pretty for a while.
Guild Quiz
Reminder that the Guild’s annual quiz is still available. Can be found on paper from your branch, or electronically from your friendly Guild Secretary. Quizzes are £1 and there are prizes available for correct entries sent in by the end of February. Suitable for non-ringers, so get your friends’ brains whirring too. Payment by BACS or paypal can be arranged.
Annual Report
Advance notice. At the AGM last year it was agreed that members would be eligible for a copy of the annual report as part of their subscription. That does require that they make the request before the end of February. If you want a report, get your request to me soonish. Note that officers who have received a report will continue to do so, as will Life Honorary Members. Requests thereafter will be charged at £5.
CCCBR News
The President’s blog was made available on the CCCBR website on 12th January, but as it references Thanksgiving I think that a rather delayed publication.
Thanks to Jean Tinsley and Andrew Christie for bringing this to my attention.
Guild 10 bell practice.
I admit that as Richard & I were driving into Peterborough, we were worried about turnout. It was really very cold to be going out, we could understand people staying at home. As it turned out, we had a really good 10 bell practice. 22 people braved the cold (and the many stairs). For 6 ringers it was their first time ringing on 10 bells. They seemed pleased with their efforts. Others tried some methods for the first time, with Little Bob, Grandsire, Stedman & Cambridge Royal. The London Royal dusted off a few cobwebs…
The next Guild 10 bell is on Saturday 8th March at Kettering, 10:30 to 12:30. All welcome.
Dates for the Diary
Guild 10 bell Saturday 8th March Kettering 10:30 – 12:30.
And Branch events.
Note that Culworth AGM should have been on the 18th, not the 25th, as previously advertised (sorry!)
Thrapston Branch AGM Thursday 16th January 2:30 Thrapston for ringing, service, tea & meeting
Culworth Branch AGM Saturday 18th January 3:00 Aynho for ringing, service, tea & meeting
Wellingborough Branch AGM Saturday 18th January 3:00 Irthlingborough (please note change of venue)
Peterborough Branch AGM Saturday 18th January Castor time tbc.
Daventry Branch AGM Saturday 18th January 3:00 Daventry for ringing, service, tea & meeting
KetteringBranch AGM Saturday 18th January 3:45 Isham for ringing, service, tea & meeting
NorthamptonBranch AGM Saturday 25th January 3:00 Harpole for ringing, service, tea & meeting (Names for tea to Bridget Paul by Thursday preceding)
Towcester Branch AGM Saturday 25th January 3:00 Greens Norton for ringing, service, tea & meeting
Guilsborough Branch Practice Saturday 1st February 3:00 East Haddon
I’ll no doubt see you at one or other of the AGMs, as the Executive try and make sure someone goes to each AGM to represent the Guild. It’s a lottery as to who you’ll see. If you’re Rutland, we turn up en masse as it was the only event that afternoon. See you around.
Thanks
Helen
Helen Allton
Secretary: Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers
A gentler reminder we have the branch AGM at St Kyneburgha church, Castor in just over a weeks time. Please advise if you are able to attend asap to ensure we can cater accordingly. If you have any food allergies or intolerances please let me know in advance.
Email me on secretary@peterborough.pdg.org.uk
Confirmed Programme
14:00 Ringing
14:45 Service
15:30 AGM followed by Tea (held in the Cedar Centre next to the church)
Peterborough Branch 