CANCELLED – Branch 8 Bell practice at St Mary’s, Peterborough

12 October 2025, 2.30pm

Unfortunately, we have had to cancel the Branch 8 Bell practice this month due to road closure’s for the Great Eastern Run.

Elaine and Jane

Summer Festival 

Saturday’s Summer Festival went off really well. Peterborough branch organised everything, even the weather stayed dry for the afternoon. Teams from Daventry, Guilsborough, Kettering, Peterborough, Towcester & Wellingborough entered and were marked by Keith & Marilyn Brown. Towcester were judged the winners. A report is here:  https://pdg.org.uk/latest-news/summer-festival-2025  and team photos are available on the website. https://pdg.org.uk/latest-news/summer-festival-2025-team-photos. Let me know if you want a copy for your local news, parish mag etc.  

Guild Newsletter

The Guild newsletter will be coming round shortly. It has been held up at the printers. Expect to see it soon!  

Guild Quiz

The Guild’s paper quiz is now available. Set by Simon & Cathy Dixon, it features a variety of question styles. Loads of entertainment for a whole £1. Not ringing related, so suitable for sale to friends, relatives, random strangers etc etc etc. Paper copies are being distributed to branches, electronic ones can be bought from the Secretary. 

Recruitment & Training Officer

At the Summer Festival meeting, the role of Recruitment & Training Officer was filled. Liz Reading & Nich Wilson had both been nominated. They, their proposers & seconders addressed the meeting before a vote was taken. In a very tight vote, Nich was elected. Thank you to both candidates for standing. 

The Guild remains in need of a PRO to make a full compliment. The Secretary would welcome the help! 

CCCBR news

The CCCBR Annual meeting took place last weekend. The membership was increased to £1 per Guild member from next year, up from 40p this year. At the Summer Festival Nick Elks spoke about a couple of projects, Ringing 2023, the Publications and the Library. You can contact any of the reps for a fuller update. on cc_reps@pdg.org.uk. 

Dates for the Diary

Guild 10 Bell Practice Saturday 8^th November. 10:30 – 12:30 Daventry

Guild 10 Bell Practice Saturday 10^th January. 10:30 – 12:30 Rothwell

And Branch events. 

Thrapston Branch Practice Thursday 18^thSeptember 2:30 Weldon

Daventry Branch Practice Saturday 20^th September 3:30 Everdon, 7:00 Aynho

Culworth Branch Practice Saturday 20^th September 4:00 Marston St Lawrence, 7:00 Aynho

Thrapston Branch Practice Wednesday 1^st October 7:00 Titchmarsh

Guilsborough Branch Practice Saturday 4^thOctober 3:00 Maidwell, 6:00 Creaton

Peterborough Minor practice Sunday 5^th October 2:30 Wansford

Peterborough 8 bell practice Sunday 12^th October 2:00 Peterborough St Mary

Thrapston Branch Practice Thursday 16^th October 2:30 Wadenhoe

Wellingborough Surprise Practice Saturday 18^thOctober 10:30 Mears Ashby

Wellingborough Branch Practice Saturday 18^thOctober 7:00 Irchester

Daventry Branch Practice Saturday 18^th October 3:00 Badby, 7:00 Upper Boddington

Culworth Branch Practice Saturday 18^th October 3:00 Badby, 7:00 Upper Boddington

The Towcester event for 27^th September has been cancelled. 

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 all, a final reminder that food and drink orders need to be placed with Diana by Thursday 18th September, please. diana_cherryfields@yahoo.co.uk, please see below.

Details of ringing:

12:15-1pm  St Neots  Bells: 10   Weight: 29-2-13 in Db   Toilet

Address: Church St, Saint Neots PE19 2BU
Grid Reference: TL184601
What 3 Words: ///credited.baguette.rave

Dove: https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/12275  

1:15-2pm: Eynesbury   Bells: 6 (Anticlockwise) Weight: 13-0-27 in F#.      Toilet
Address: St Mary’s St, Eynesbury, Saint Neots PE19 2NA

Grid Reference: TL184598
What 3 Words: ///tumblers.pitching.liquids

Dove: https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/12418

2:15-3pm:   Eaton Socon, St Mary, 8, 13–1–11 (678kg) in F

There will be a rope fee, £1 for each ringer per tower, please, to cover the tower donations, payable to me on the day, thank you.

Please note – all are welcome to come to the cream tea, whether you ring or not, it is very sociable.

3:15pm til close (4pm) at Roxton Garden Centre (just off A1 Black Cat roundabout between A1 South and Bedford turning, and the entrance is on the left about 100 metres or so along that road).

Address: Bedford Road
Roxton
Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 3DY
what3words address
///Speeds.Streak.Troubled

The Cream Tea at £5.85 is lovely with a home-made scone, jam, clotted cream and tea or coffee (I tested this!) 

Scone can be fruit, plain or cheese – please specify and tea/coffee choice.

Please note there is no full afternoon tea offered at weekends but the following can be ordered in advance:-

Sandwiches which can be served on either white or brown bread with either chips OR salad 
Egg Mayonnaise £8.49
Grated Cheese & Piccalilli £8.99
Plain Ham £8.99
Tuna Mayonnaise & Mixed leaves £8.99

Chicken Tikka with Indian Sweet Chilli Sauce & Mixed Leaves £8.99

Food and drink orders to be placed with Diana by Thursday 18th September, please. diana_cherryfields@yahoo.co.uk

I look forward to seeing you all there on the day, thank you.

Diana

Hi

I am 2 ringers short for a wedding at Benefield on 20th Sept. The wedding starts at 3pm and we need to be there by 1.40 to get the bells up and ring the bride in. The wedding should last about 40 minutes, and I had thought about ringing a quarter afterwards, thogh this is not essential. Please message me if you are free, saying if you would like to ring a quarter or not.

Regards

Sue

Friday 12 September 2025, 7.30-9pm

St Kyneburga, Castor

A reminder that it’s the branch 8 bell practice this Friday from 7.30-9pm followed by refreshments in a local pub afterwards.

All levels of ringers encouraged to attend so whether you are a regular ringer of major methods or you’ve not had the opportunity to ring on 8 bells before, but are curious please come along.

I would appreciate it if you can let me know if you are coming.

Thank you

Jane

Dear all, a reminder about this enjoyable afternoon, please see below from Diana.

12:15-1pm  St Neots  Bells: 10   Weight: 29-2-13 in Db   Toilet

Address: Church St, Saint Neots PE19 2BU
Grid Reference: TL184601
What 3 Words: ///credited.baguette.rave

Dove: https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/12275  

1:15-2pm: Eynesbury   Bells: 6 (Anticlockwise) Weight: 13-0-27 in F#.      Toilet
Address: St Mary’s St, Eynesbury, Saint Neots PE19 2NA

Grid Reference: TL184598
What 3 Words: ///tumblers.pitching.liquids

Dove: https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/12418

2:15-3pm:   Eaton Socon, St Mary, 8, 13–1–11 (678kg) in F

There will be a rope fee, £1 for each ringer per tower, please, to cover the tower donations, payable to me on the day, thank you.

Please note – all are welcome to come to the cream tea, whether you ring or not, it is very sociable.

3:15pm til close (4pm) at Roxton Garden Centre (just off A1 Black Cat roundabout between A1 South and Bedford turning, and the entrance is on the left about 100 metres or so along that road).

Address: Bedford Road
Roxton
Bedford Bedfordshire MK44 3DY
what3words address
///Speeds.Streak.Troubled

The Cream Tea at £5.85 is lovely with a home-made scone, jam, clotted cream and tea or coffee (I tested this!) 

Scone can be fruit, plain or cheese – please specify and tea/coffee choice.

Please note there is no full afternoon tea offered at weekends but the following can be ordered in advance:-

Sandwiches which can be served on either white or brown bread with either chips OR salad 
Egg Mayonnaise £8.49
Grated Cheese & Piccalilli £8.99
Plain Ham £8.99
Tuna Mayonnaise & Mixed leaves £8.99

Chicken Tikka with Indian Sweet Chilli Sauce & Mixed Leaves £8.99

Food and drink orders to be placed with Diana by Thursday 18th September, please. diana_cherryfields@yahoo.co.uk

I look forward to seeing you all there on the day, thank you.

Diana

PS Please could I ask you to resend previous responses as my computer decided to damage/ruin my carefully collected spreadsheet of replies! Thank you and sorry.

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.

Team entries need to be with Jim Bence by the 6^th, on master@pdg.org.uk & Rules for the contest can be found on the website: https://pdg.org.uk/forms/8_Bell_competition.pdf

Names for tea with any dietary requirements to Deborah Bray on secretary@peterborough.org.uk

There’s a poster for you to print for your tower available on the Guild’s website. https://pdg.org.uk/latest-news/2025-summer-festival  

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! 

Funding opportunity

Benefact Group are still running their Movement For Good awards. The next round of draws takes please in September, so please take a few minutes to nominate us. https://movementforgood.com/index.php?cn=258271&ct=heritage_arts#nominateACharity

CCCBR news

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. 

One topic will be the Ringing 2030 Business Plan, which is available here: https://cccbr.org.uk/2025/08/06/ringing-2030-business-plan-released/

Dates for the Diary

Guild 10 Bell Practice Saturday 13^th September. 10:30 – 12:00 Kettering

Guild Summer Festival Saturday 13^th September. Ringing at Yarwell & Wansford, Contest and evening ringing at Castor.

And Branch events. 

Thrapston Branch Practice Thursday 4^th September 7:30 Islip

Guilsborough Branch Practice Saturday 6^thSeptember 3:00 Sibbertoft, 6:00 Welford

Peterborough 8 bell practice Friday 12^th September 7:30 Castor

Kettering Branch Practice Saturday 13^th September 10:30 Geddington

Thrapston Branch Practice Thursday 18^thSeptember 2:30 Weldon

Daventry Branch Practice Saturday 20^th September 3:30 Everdon, 7:00 Aynho

Culworth Branch Practice Saturday 20^th 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

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PDGCBR

Website: www.pdg.org.uk

e-mail: secretary@pdg.org.uk

Hi everyone,

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

Many thanks in advance.

Best Regards

Debs

Another reminder for the 8 Bell practice at St Mary’s tomorrow 2. 30pm!

All are welcome who wish to ring on 8 bells.

And for the more advanced the surprise method is Lessness.

See you tomorrow.

Regards

Elaine

Hello all,

Just a reminder that this month’s 8 Bell Practice is on Sunday at 2. 30pm at St Mary’s, Peterborough.

If you normally ring in a 6 bell tower, this is your opportunity to ring on 8. Anything from rounds and call changes, plain hunt and beyond on 8 bells.

For the more advanced ringers, this month’s special method is Lessness.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Elaine and Jane.