November 2024
Second Saturday Sessions for 2025
With most of the celebrations for the Guild Centenary now over, we are planning ahead for 2025. Please check with the Guild website (https://pdg.org.uk/events/second-saturday-events) for any updates.
November 9th 2024, 10:30 – 10-bell practice at Daventry
An opportunity for ringers of all abilities to have a go at ringing on higher numbers. We regularly ring a range of methods from Grandsire and Little Bob up to Surprise Royal. On this occasion we are hoping that the Bishop of Brixworth, John Holbrook will visit us while we are ringing so let’s aim for a good turn-out!
These practices are open to all – no need to register.
January 11th 2025, 10:30 – 10-bell practice at Peterborough Cathedral
An opportunity for ringers of all abilities to have a go at ringing on higher numbers. We regularly ring a range of methods from Grandsire and Little Bob up to Surprise Royal.
This practice is open to all – no need to register.
February 8th 2025, 14:30 – Ringing Up and Down in Peal at Great Oxendon
With advice and practice for either one of these activities, this would suit ringers who are members of bands that regularly lower and raise their bells but do not have enough ringers who can do so in peal.
If interested please contact Simon Dixon (master@pdg.org.uk).
March 8th 2025, 10:30 – 10-bell practice at Kettering
An opportunity for ringers of all abilities to have a go at ringing on higher numbers. We regularly ring a range of methods from Grandsire and Little Bob up to Surprise Royal.
This practice is open to all – no need to register.
March 8th 2025, 15:00 – Bell Maintenance at Great Oakley (tbc)
This is aimed at those who are interested in the mechanics of the bells and would like to learn a bit more, especially about how to keep the bells and fittings in good working order. It will be a mainly practical session held up in the belfry and would suit new recruits as well as existing ringers, it will also cover looking after ropes and stays; learning how to change a rope and stay, how to adjust the length of a tail-end, and how to splice a broken rope.
If interested please contact Simon Dixon (master@pdg.org.uk) .
April 12th 2025, 10:30 – Leading Up and Down in Peal at Grafton Underwood
This will cover the additional skills needed to allow a band to raise and lower the bells safely and tunefully. It should be of particular interest to those who get called upon to carry out this task but are uncertain about how to make it work successfully.
If interested please contact Simon Dixon (master@pdg.org.uk)
May 10th 2025, 10:30 – 10-bell practice at Moulton
An opportunity for ringers of all abilities to have a go at ringing on higher numbers. We regularly ring a range of methods from Grandsire and Little Bob up to Surprise Royal.
This practice is open to all – no need to register.
May 10th 2025, 15:00 – Learning and Calling Touches at Caldecott
This course is for those who want to be able to do more than say “go and stop” for a plain course, or who want to extend their repertoire of touches. Ringers who put themselves forward for this course should be at least competent ringers of touches of Plain Bob. It will not cover calling Call Changes, Grandsire or Stedman.
If interested please contact Simon Dixon (master@pdg.org.uk)
June 14th 2025, 10:00 – Stedman at Weedon Bec
The theory behind the structure of this method, and how to ring it, will be taught using Stedman Triples as the basis. This applies as well to ringing touches with bobs and singles. However, the course will cover how to extend the method to larger numbers as well as contracting it down to Stedman Doubles (although the singles in Stedman Doubles will not be covered). The practical session will take place at an 8-bell tower where either Triples or Doubles could be rung. Ringers who put themselves forward for this course should be confident at ringing Grandsire and at least one other method.
If interested please contact Simon Dixon (master@pdg.org.uk)
July 12th 2025, 10:30 – 10-bell practice at Higham Ferrers
An opportunity for ringers of all abilities to have a go at ringing on higher numbers. We regularly ring a range of methods from Grandsire and Little Bob up to Surprise Royal.
This practice is open to all – no need to register.
We ask that if anyone is interested in any of these sessions or have suggestions of their own to put forward, that they contact Simon Dixon (master@pdg.org.uk) or Cathy Dixon (pro@pdg.org.uk) to let us know and we’ll be in touch with more details. Please note that there will be a small fee of £3 per student for the training sessions to go towards a tower donation, and a request for £1 from each ringer at each of the open practice sessions.
Peterborough Branch 