Dear All,

Please see the following e-mail from Helen reminding Branch Secretaries and Treasurers of how to access the Training Fund and what it would cover.

In the hope that we will be able to ring in towers around the Branch sometime later this year, it is a timely reminder that there is a Training Fund. Little or no ringing for over twelve months means getting back to real bell handling and ringing may require some help for some of us.

Best wishes,

Julie

To: Branch Secretaries & Treasurers.

In today’s F&GP meeting, a question was asked about how to access the Training fund and what it would cover. 

There is information on the fund available on the Guild website, here: http://www.pdg.btck.co.uk/TrainingFund

The form to apply for a grant is available from the same page and is relatively simple. The Fund will consider applications for equipment, attending training courses, running training course or ongoing training. Applications can be made by individuals, a tower, a group of towers, or branches. The extent of the benefit of the training is an important element of the application. This is looking at who will benefit from the training, both immediately and in the future. 

Applications go to the Master for review and I’m sure he’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have. We are all aware that this will be an important part of beginning ringing when we are able. Can you please communicate out to anyone who might find this relevant.  

Thanks

Helen

Good Evening all,

To all tower captains / correspondents, at this years AGM i asked the question regarding if the March edition of the Guild Newsletter would be happening.

The message i received from Helen was; yes there will be a March 2021 Guild Newsletter and all entries are gratefully received. Therefore I am asking all tower captains / correspondents to have a think along with members of their towers and see if they have thoughts on what has been happening during this lockdown periods.

I know some towers are using Ringing Room with Zoom or WhatsApp some towers are socially distancing hand bell ringing thus keeping socially in contact with fellow ringers. Are there any other forms of keeping in contact with each other being used?

Any thoughts or correspondence you may have please send it to me so i can collate and send in to be printed.

All correspondence to terry62.wright@outlook.com. Could i please have all correspondence to me by:- Friday 26th February 2021 please.

Thank you in anticipation of your responses.

Terry.

Terry Wright. Peterborough Branch Press Correspondent.

Dear all,

Here is the latest up-date from Helen. Forgive the brevity of my introductory message forwarding Helen’s Guild up-date but all of this is very new to me and very challenging!

Best wishes,

Julie

Hope you managed to stay safe and warm in the snow and ice that we’ve had the last week or so. It was surely complete co-incidence that The Ringing World featured a snowy Guild tower for its cover this week, Simon Pearce’s photograph of St Botolph’s church, Stoke Albany. You can see the image and even purchase a copy from the link given. https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/

Guild Updates

Do you want to shape the future of ringing? The Guild is looking for people to get involved in ringing for our youth members. If you are interested in a range of activities – organising, helping, guiding or being available to call on for youth ringing sessions and activities, please get contact the secretary, secretary@pdg.org.uk It’ll be a team effort and all sorts of skills will be useful. 

Training corner

If you are worried that you won’t be able to use Ringing Room and will mess it up, why not download Mobel so you can practice using an online ringing resource on your own first. http://www.abelsim.co.uk/MobelNews.htm

Plain Bob Doubles is usually one of the first methods that you learn after you have mastered Plain Hunt. https://www.facebook.com/PDGCBR/posts/191537279118337

Plain Bob Minor is the next stepping stone from Plain Bob Doubles. It shares a lot of common features. 

Now we are in lockdown again how about starting a new project?! http://ringingteachers.org/…/arti…/50-virtual-ringing-things

Puzzle spot

If methods are all the right notes, just not necessarily in the right order, then maybe anagrams are the wordy equivalent. Can you unscramble these to give the methods this band would like to ring? https://www.facebook.com/PDGCBR/posts/237386874533377

There’s a lot of different methods named after castles to fit into the grid. Can you fight your way to a successful conclusion? https://www.facebook.com/PDGCBR/posts/237381431200588

A group of ringers were asked to describe various ringing terms. What are they on about in this cloud of words? https://www.facebook.com/PDGCBR/posts/234490588156339

For your entertainment

A Blue Peter episode from 1974. Is learning to ring always this stretching? Someone get her a box! https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3455220244584813

This technical construction might just be the project you’re looking for. What would you try and teach it next? https://youtu.be/ABf1uldlc10

Central Council Updates

The president’s latest blog. https://cccbr.org.uk/2021/01/27/presidents-blog-26/

And finally: The cover of this week’s Ringing World featured Simon Pearce’s wintery shot of St Botolph’s church, Stoke Albany. You can see the image and even purchase a copy from the link given. https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/

Hope you stay safe and well and do get in touch if there’s anything you want to see or have items of interest that you want us to spread wider. 

Thanks

Helen

Following discussions at the Branch AGM and subsequent agreements, both with the committee and the Guild Treasurer, as your new Treasurer I can advise on the following way forward in settling your subs for 2021 and any arrears you may have for 2020.

The preferred method is to pay your subs through online banking or alternatively by making a deposit payment through your bank branch. If either of these methods don’t suit you personally I am happy to receive a cheque through the terrestrial post and bank it on your behalf.

To keep the Branch banking details away from the public domain please complete the contact form by responding through this link: https://petbells.org.uk/contact/treasurer/ and I can share payment details and the amount that is outstanding for you.

Many thanks and not only do I look forward to hearing from you but more importantly ringing with you physically and not just virtually!

Andrew Christie

I know lockdown is making lots of things difficult, but I can’t help but think there is something to be said for able to attend two different branch AGMs on the same day, all from the comfort of your own home, cup of tea in hand. Technology still can’t fix it so that I could attend two different meetings at the same time, but I’m sure someone is working on that. So far all the branches that I’ve been able to attend have had a successful AGM, and I hope that those still to do so are equally as successful. 

And, being the beginning of the new year, I’m sure the Guild and branch treasurers would want me to remind you that subs are now due. Contact your branch treasurer for details of how to pay within your branch. 

Guild Updates

Just a reminder that the 2020 Guild Quiz remains available. Entries are due in by the end of the month, so there’s still time to enter. Available from your branch, or from Guild Secretary (secretary@pdg.org.uk). Quizzes are £1 each, and contain 100 questions to amuse, bemuse and confuse. 

Mental Health

January can be hard on people’s mental health. This year may be even worse with the added pressures of lockdown hanging over us. With that in mind, the diocese marked the 17^th January as Wellbeing Sunday. There are resources available to help take stock and maybe boost your mental health. That’s also where ringing can help, by staying in touch with fellow ringers and having something to focus the brain on. Try learning a new method or reading on some theory of ringing. There’s plenty of information out there if you wanted to explore a topic further. See the article in CrossKeys for more support. https://crosskeysmag.org.uk/?p=4410

Training Times

Test your knowledge of plain hunt with this quiz from ART. https://www.facebook.com/PDGCBR/posts/191535699118495

Next comes dodging some tips on how to dodge in a non-dodgy way. https://www.facebook.com/PDGCBR/posts/191537699118295

Local Knowledge

The Guild has had an enquiry from a lady trying to trace her Great Grandfather. He served in the Police force and was stationed across the county, including Kettering, Oundle, Paulerspury, Daventry and East Haddon, Northampton, Pottersbury and Naseby. He retired from the police in 1931.  In the newspaper cutting she has, he is described thus: “While at Naseby he was well known as a bellringer.” If anyone has any information that may be relevant, you can leave a reply on her blog, or contact me and we’ll get the information to her.  https://tonilouiseabram.wordpress.com/2021/01/15/albert-edward-william-clarke/

I’m always amazed at what delights are hidden in so many of our churches. This gem is in Stowe Nine Churches. https://www.facebook.com/nationalchurchestrust/posts/5664448826913908

Your next lockdown project?

Looking for something to keep you busy in the latest lockdown? This Lego based video could be the creative spark you’ve been looking for. https://youtu.be/6d-np6zYRqM

It’s a maths/art mashup, try creating a 4th order permutahedron and how funky can you make it look? See here for what one is and how to create it. https://youtu.be/iK5b_rww7mo

Central Council Updates

The President published his latest blog. https://cccbr.org.uk/2021/01/13/presidents-blog-25-2/  Along the same lines, I’ve finished the Christmas cheese mountain, but still  have sprouts left (much to Mr Secretary’s disgust). 

ART and the Central Council have published edition 2 of their Survival & Recovery newsletter. It is attached and also available here: https://cccbr.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Survival-Recovery-Newsheet-Issue-2.pdf

Puzzle corner

There are a number of methods named after hills in this selection of treble bob minor methods. Can you navigate your way around them and scale the heights of success? https://www.facebook.com/PDGCBR/posts/230517878553610

A number of ringers were asked to describe common ringing terms. What might they be trying to describe in this word cloud? https://www.facebook.com/PDGCBR/posts/227011495570915

Can you fill in the blanks in the number sequences? The missing rows are indicated by stars. https://www.facebook.com/PDGCBR/posts/226296245642440

I hope to see some more of you over the next few weeks at the remaining Guild AGMs. 

Thanks

Helen

Helen Allton

Secretary: Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PDGCBR

e-mail: secretary@pdg.org.uk

It was very good to see so many of you yesterday at our virtual AGM. I do hope it won’t be too much longer until we can actually meet in person. This current lockdown combined with rather terrible weather seems interminable to me and probably to many of you too.

If you would like to read the minutes of the meeting, or if you weren’t at the meeting but would like to know who is on the new committee, please do have a look in the downloads section of the branch website

petbells.org.uk/downloads

where you can find the minutes.

all best wishes

Sylvia

(retiring branch secretary)

Thank you to everyone who has enquired about payment of 2021 subs.

The ongoing covid restrictions are causing some difficulty in making arrangements for payment of subs. The new Treasurer is looking at ways to enable secure electronic payment.

Further information will be provided as soon as possible. Watch this space!

Angela (Retiring Treasurer)

Don’t forget the Branch AGM is tomorrow 16th January at 2pm. If you would like to attend please contact Hilary in order to receive your ZOOM log in invitation. You can contact her on

hilary.hardie@btinternet.com

All the AGM documents ( annual report, accounts, minutes of the last AGM) can now accessed in the downloads section of the Branch website.

petbells.org.uk/downloads

This year we have a shortened and simplified meeting and the short agenda is on my previous post. Items for AOB are welcome. Please send them to me at

sylviaupex@hotmail.com

Hoping to “see” you tomorrow.

Sylvia

The accounts for approval at the AGM can be seen in the downloads section of the website:

https://petbells.org.uk/downloads/

The accounts though somewhat light in content due to the lack of events taking place during this very difficult year, should be self explanatory, however I will answer any questions at the AGM.

I very much hope that things will improve sufficiently in 2021 to allow ringing to resume, and that members will be able to get together again.

Best wishes to you all.

Angela Whiteway

Treasurer

Just a reminder that the AGM will be held on Saturday January 16th at 2pm

If you would like to attend the AGM please contact Hilary to receive your Zoom invitation and log in. You can contact her on

hilary.hardie@btinternet.com

Please note that there is an AOB section on the agenda but if you know you are going to raise a subject in this part of the meeting it would be really helpful if you let us know first so we can allow time for this. Please send your AOB subject/question to me

sylviaupex@hotmail.com

prior to the meeting.

Many thanks

Sylvia

Peterborough Branch of the Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers

Agenda for AGM to be held January 16^th 2021 at 2pm via ZOOM

1. Welcome from the Chairman

• Annual report from the ringing master

• Approval of accounts for 2020

• Election of new members

• Discussion and planning of events for 2021

• Election of Branch officers:

               Chairman

               Ringing master

               Events organiser

               Secretary

               Treasurer

                Steward

                Press correspondent

                Guild management committee representative

                Committee members ( up to 3)

                100 club organiser

                Examiner of accounts

• Any other business