Dear Branch Members,

We are postponing the planned ringing at Peterborough Cathedral on 12th July, as a number of key people are away and overall availability is low. We’ll confirm a new date later in the year once arrangements are in place.

Thank you to anyone who expressed interest — we look forward to offering this opportunity again when more of the branch can take part.

Best wishes,
Debs

Dear Branch Members,

A quick reminder that we have the wonderful opportunity to ring for Evensong at Peterborough Cathedral on Sunday 12 July — and we’d really love to know if you’re coming.

This ringing is open to all levels, and we will make sure there’s plenty of experienced support so everyone can take part confidently, including those wanting to try higher numbers.

Meet: Outside the West Door
Time: 2pm

If you’re planning to attend, please email me at secretary@peterborough.pdg.org.uk.

Looking forward to ringing together in this amazing space.

Best wishes,
Debs

We had a good AGM meeting at Irchester on Saturday 13^th June, many thanks to the Wellingborough branch for hosting us.

I guess there were about 50 members present.

At the service, taken by Revd Debbie Smith-Wilds, the following names of members who had died in the last 12 months was read:

Will Adams (Whitfield), John Beadman (Brooke), Janet Bowers (Whilton), Alan Chantler (Yelvertoft), Ellena Christie (Hellidon), Len Hallifax (Lowick), Roy Hibbard (Castor), Tim Holt (Great Casterton), Michael Hurst (Twywell), Janet Ingram (Lyddington), Phillip Lindley (Yardley Hastings), Bert Ogle (Willoughby), and Stella Wilkinson (North Luffenham)

My notes of the Meeting:

The following were congratulated on being members for 50 years :

Richard Beadman, Braunston, Rutland
Tony Brunton, Brixworth, Guilsborough
Claire Yates, Potterspury, Towcester

Subscription rates remain as £10 for Adult members, £5 for those in Full-time Education.
Peal fees remain as zero pence per rope; Reports £5 unless pre-ordered by the end of February.

Bell Fund Grants:

• A Grant of £5,300 was approved for major work at Stoke Albany.
• A Grant of £350 was approved for minor works at Maxey.
• An “ex gratia” Grant of £200 was approved for minor works at Brixworth.
• The Steward was given authority to approve up to £2,000 on minor works.

A Grant request from All Saints Northampton was declined by the Committee: Giles Willson offered additional background information and asked that that decision be reviewed. 

Election of Guild Officers

The results of the Elections are as follows :

President                           Alistair Donaldson        

Master                               (Vacant)                         *Trustee Post

Secretary                           (Vacant)                         *Trustee Post

Treasurer                           Chris FitzGerald            

Steward                             John Beresford              

PRO                                    (Vacant)

Peal Secretary                   Paul Mason     

Webmaster                       Richard Allton

Safeguarding Officer        John Beresford              

100-club                            Cathy Dixon     

Training Officer                 Cathy Dixon

Report Editor(s)                (Vacant)

Newsletter editor             Duncan Lilly

Youth Officer                    (Vacant)

CC Reps                             Nick Elks;  Simon Dixon;  Sarah Bence;  Alistair Donaldson

The Secretary reminded the Meeting that under the Guild Rules the Executive can make an appointment to a Vacant position at any time that is then effective until the next AGM.
Noted that the current Roles (see website) can be adjusted to suit what members feel they can offer, and that delegation of particular elements is encouraged in the current Role Descriptions.

The President thanked the Secretary for additionally covering the PRO role over the last year, but felt this should not continue.

The Executive had discussed forming a team under the PRO to take on Social Media, Communications to outside parties, and News Collation for Website and Newsletter.

In the coming year the Executive will look again at adopting computer systems to lighten the load of both Guild and Branch Officers.    If any member would like to be involved in selecting appropriate systems please contact the Treasurer.

Guild Events

1.     2026 calendar

·       Summer Festival: 12^th September in Culworth branch. 

o      Contest at Brackley, which has the church rooms next to the church. 

o      Other Towers likely to be Whitfield & Greens Norton as a route in. 

2.     2027 calendar

·       Spring Meeting: 10^th April 2027   Towcester branch. (Easter Sunday is 28^th March) 

·       AGM: 12^th June 2027          Guilsborough branch. 

·       Summer Festival: 11^th September 2027      Northampton branch. 

3.     Proposed Social Events 2027

§       Quiz: 13^th February 2027. 

§       Open Day: 8^th May 2027. 

4.     10/8 bells Practices

·       11^th July, 8 bell at Welford

·       12^th September, 10 bell at Towcester

Safeguarding

Copies of the Safeguarding Officer’s Report and a new form to be completed by Visiting Ringers were circulated for comments as the Safeguarding Officer will be meeting the Diocesan Team in the next few weeks.

Any Other Business

Andrew Gunstone proposed that the Executive look again at the Structure of the Guild with a view to better matching the number of roles available across the Guild with the number of volunteers coming forward.   

Please would each Branch nominate a representative to join a Review Group to consider this.

Since the AGM the Executive have met to discuss how to cover the Five Vacancies noted above.

In order to keep open lines of communication within the Guild and to the outside world the generic Guild Email addresses of the vacant positions will be re-directed as follows:

• Master & Youth to the President
• PRO to the Steward 
• Secretary & Reports to the Treasurer.   

In addition a new email address will be created membership@pdg.org.ukin order to streamline processing of both new membership forms and renewal of membership forms.  Please speak to the Treasurer before sending in any newly completed forms.

Any Member who could consider taking on any part of the vacant roles listed above, maybe joining a team as outlined under PRO above, are encouraged to contact a member of the Executive to discuss what they can offer to support the Guild in the coming year.

So…

• If you think the Guild does a good job please come on board to help keep it running. There are proposed events and activities that may not take place without volunteers coming forward to help.

• If you think the Guild could be improved do come on board and tweak or radically shake what the Guild does. 
• If anything is holding you back from volunteering please let us know and we may be able to resolve that.

Finally : Grateful Thanks to all those Officers who have kept the Guild running so well over the last year.
Alistair DonaldsonPresident
Peterborough Diocesan Guild

Come and ring your Cathedral bells!

Dear Branch Members,

We have the opportunity to ring for the Cathedral evensong on Sunday the 12th July.

This is an event that is inclusive of all levels, abilities and ambitions. The intention will be to have enough experienced support to allow those less experienced on higher numbers, to ring.

Meet at 2pm outside the west door.

Please can you email me secretary@peterborough.pdg.org.uk if you are planning to attend. 

Best regards

Debs

An update on the information for the Guild AGM on Saturday at Irchester. 

The Agenda and Minutes of the last AGM and the meetings at the Summer Festival and Spring meeting have been added for review ahead of the meeting. We have also added an extract from the Annual Report. Due to issues in production, this was not printed and distributed at the Spring Meeting, as usual. As the AGM votes to accept the GMC report and accounts, these have been extracted and provided electronically, such that they can be read ahead of the meeting. All information is available here:https://pdg.org.uk/latest-news/agm-2026

The timetable for the day is as follows:

• 2.30 – 3.30: Open Ringing at Bozeat, Easton Maudit and Rushden towers (Easton Maudit have their new rope guides in, which I’m told have improved the ringing experience quite noticably)
• 3.30 – 4.30: Ringing at Irchester
• 4.30 – 5.00: Service at Irchester conducted by Rev Debbie Smith-Wilds
• 5.00 – 6.00: Tea in the church
• 6.00 : AGM followed by more ringing at Irchester

Names for tea to Jenny Ball on secretary@wellingborough.pdg.org.uk please include any dietary requirements. 

This year sees a large number of posts vacant. There is currently no Youth Officer, Report Editor or PRO. The Master, Secretary Training officer and Newsletter Editor are standing down. There are role descriptions on the Guild website, but these are always open to discussion and alteration, depending on the preferences of the potential role holder. See here for the current holder and role. https://pdg.org.uk/homepage/officers Some roles lend themselves to being shared, and that is always a possibility. Have a chat with someone about it if you might be interested. 

Nominations have to be made in writing to me ahead of the meeting, e-mail counts as in writing. Nominations cannot be taken at the meeting itself.  

See you Saturday, before I waltz off into the sunset after one last meeting. 🙂 

Thanks

Helen Allton

Spring Meeting

Thanks to the Rutland branch for hosting the Spring Meeting last month. The glamour added by asking the Lord Lieutenant of Rutland to attend and present the prizes was inspired. Although it was a tad windy and the fabulous feather hat nearly took off more than once!

Congratulations to Peterborough Cathedral, who retained the Weaver Shield and to Welland Valley Benefice, who won the Centenary trophy for the first time. 

Guild AGM

The Guild’s AGM is being held on 13th June in the Wellingborough branch. The timetable for the day is as follows:

• 2.30 – 3.30: Open Ringing at Bozeat, Easton Maudit and Rushden towers
• 3.30 – 4.30: Ringing at Irchester
• 4.30 – 5.00: Service at Irchester conducted by Rev Debbie Smith-Wilds
• 5.00 – 6.00: Tea in the church
• 6.00 : AGM followed by more ringing at Irchester

Names for tea to Jenny Ball on secretary@wellingborough.pdg.org.uk please include any dietary requirements. 

All details are on the Guild’s website: https://pdg.org.uk/latest-news/agm-2026 The agenda and minutes of past meetings will be added ahead of time.  As the Guild report has not been issued yet, due to problems in production, the GMC report and accounts will also be added to this page, to ensure that the meeting can accept these at the AGM. 

This year sees a large number of posts vacant. There is currently no Youth Officer, Report Editor or PRO. The Master, Secretary Training officer and Newsletter Editor are standing down. There are role descriptions on the Guild website, but these are always open to discussion and alteration, depending on the preferences of the potential role holder. See here for the current holder and role. https://pdg.org.uk/homepage/officers Some roles lend themselves to being shared, and that is always a possibility. Have a chat with someone about it if you might be interested.

Nominations have to be made in writing to me ahead of the meeting, e-mail counts as in writing. Nominations cannot be taken at the meeting itself.  

Newsletter

The next edition of the Guild newsletter is now available. The physical copies were circulated at the Spring Meeting, so should be making their way to your tower. It is available electronically on the Guild website: https://pdg.org.uk/newsletters/newsletter_202604.pdf

The next print deadline for the next edition is 24th August. Jonathan is standing down from the post of Newsletter editor, if this is something you think you can do 3 times a year, get in touch with him to find out more.

Thanks

Helen

Helen Allton

Secretary: Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PDGCBR

Website: www.pdg.org.uk

e-mail: secretary@pdg.org.uk

Dear Members

Please note that we have changed our bank account from Lloyds to The Co‑operative Bank. Lloyds informed us that our existing account would be closed, and that the only option for remaining with them would be to move to a business account, which would incur charges. As we do not generate enough income to justify paying bank fees, the committee reviewed alternative providers. The Co‑operative Bank was identified as the most suitable option, and this decision was formally approved at a committee meeting.

Please see below the new bank details:

The Co-operative Bank

Name on account: Peterborough Branch of Bellringers

Account no: 67509845-00

Sort code: 08 92 99

If you need any further information please contact one of the committee.

Best Regards
Debs

Hilary Hardie: chairman@peterborough.pdg.org.uk

Steve Brown: treasurer@peterborough.pdg.org.uk

Deborah Bray: secretary@peterborough.pdg.org.uk

Dear Bellringers

Join us for a relaxed afternoon of ringing and good company. This session is ideal for anyone who wants to build confidence or transition to Minor methods, whether you’re wanting to try plain courses, stretching into touches, or exploring new methods. We’ll work together at a steady pace, with plenty of guidance, opportunities to ask questions, and space to try things out without pressure.

Expect a relaxed atmosphere, constructive coaching, and a chance to strengthen skills alongside experienced ringers and others who are learning too.

Time: 2pm
Date: Saturday 9th May
Location: St John the Baptist Church, Barnack, Stamford, Main St, Stamford PE9 3DN.

If you could let me know if you are planning on coming it would be much appreciated.

Best Regards

Debs

secretary@peterborough.pdg.org.uk

The next Guild 10 bell practice is on Saturday 9^th May at Peterborough Cathedral between 10:30-12:30.

All ringers are welcome to attend and will be looked after where possible from rounds and call changes to surprise royal method ringing.

Special method for the morning will be  Ardessie Surprise Royal  ( Swindon with a different front work )

The cathedral has a policy of strict numbers in the tower, PLEASE would you let me know in advance if you are hoping to attend.

Please meet at 10:20 around the Cathedral shop area for access to the tower.

Best wishes

Jim

Jim Bence

07807 561277

Guild Ringing Master

Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PDGCBR

Website: www.pdg.org.uk

Apologies everyone, unfortunately we need to cancel this Sunday’s social as several key people are unavailable.