Issue 23, November 2002

Contributions for Issue 24 are needed before November 30th, 2002

Address for Strike Notes :
, 51 The Plain, Brailsford, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 3BZ

Quarter Peal Day

In the Morning…...
Four of us set off from Overseal at what seemed like the middle of the night. It was dark, cold and very wet. I must admit that during the journey I had to ask myself “Are we having fun yet?”

There were five attempts in the morning, all of which were successful. There were congratulations all round as for many people there were personal firsts – first as conductor, first of Grandsire Doubles, first inside, etc.

My first tower was Shelford. We were ringing Grandsire Doubles – a first for me and Teresa Wykes. We entered the church as if our lives depended on it, with mutterings of “I don’t want to, I can’t do this” but we managed to get through it, even if the striking left a little to be desired.

I would like to say how grateful we are to the more mature ( or should I say ‘advanced’ ?) ringers for giving up what could be their only lie in to travel a fair way just to ‘drum at the back’ for 45 minutes. A BIG thank you from all of us beginners!!

Lunch at the Rose and Crown, Cotgrave, was a noisy affair with lots of relieved, smiling faces. I often wonder on these occasions in the pub what language any eavesdroppers think we are speaking!
Mary Venables

…………..and in the Afternoon
The afternoon quarter peals weren't as successful as the morning ones. Quarters were scored at Cotgrave (Yorkshire S Major), Orston (Cambridge S Minor) and Willoughby-on-the-Wolds (Bourne S Minor). Each of these (except Cotgrave and Orston) contained numerous firsts. However, quarter peals were lost at Gedling (Hereward Bob Triples) and Radcliffe-on-Trent (Double Norwich CB Major). I don't know what happened at Gedling (but I can guess) but at Radclife the loss was caused partly by the method being too hard and by it getting late in a long day. The evening meal was attended and enjoyed by about a dozen people.
JEH

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The Quarter that Never Was

On the evening of 21st September, John Booth, Graeme & Gill Hughes were travelling to Coleorton to ring a quarter of St. Mary's Triples. But the trio never reached their destination, not because John lost his way but because he was involved in a secret plot to get Gill to Grace Dieu Manor School for her birthday surprise! Awaiting their arrival (for half an hour in a dark car park) were 16 of Gill's bellringing friends mostly from Derbyshire but also from as far afield as St. Neots and Bromsgrove, including John Cater who had been planning this event for almost a year.

Anyway, the wait was well worth it when a delighted Gill (whose Birthday was the previous day) stepped from John's car to be presented with a bouquet of flowers and a card signed by us all. We then proceeded to the school chapel for Gill's birthday treat, which was, as you might already have guessed, to ring on the very light six bells (tenor - weight 1 cwt. 2 qtrs. 22 lbs).

The bells at Grace Dieu are an interesting ring, as anyone who has rung there will tell you. The ropes are very close together and a few of us caught the ropes next to us as well as our own! Amongst the comments were: "It's the first time I've rung on a spiral staircase in the dark” and "These are the best bicycle spokes I've ever rung on."

When we'd just about got used to handling the bells it was time to go on to the pub, so we all descended on the 'George and Dragon' at Thringstone for the perfect end to a very enjoyable evening. Many thanks to John Cater for arranging the evening and well done to everyone who came along for keeping it a secret!
Sally Bramson

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Evening Bells

The story of Thomas Moore and Those Evening Bells (Strike Notes October 2002) has appeared before in the Ringing World. I have my doubts as to the veracity of the story, as I used to have a record of a Russian choir singing a Russian folk song of identical content and metre, as follows:

Russian text (English transliteration and translation below courtesy of: www.emiclassics.com/newreleases/debut/russian.html)

Vecherniy zvon, Vecherniy zvon,
kak mnogo dum navodit on,
o yunykh dnyakh v krayu rodnom,
gde ya lyubil, gde otchiy dom.
I tak ya s nim navek prostyas,
tam slyshal zvon v posledniy raz.
Vecherniy zvon,kak mnogo dum navodit on.

English translation:

The Evening bell, The evening bell,
how many thoughts it arouses in me,
of the days of my youth in my homeland,where I knew love,
where my father's house stands. And as I bade farewell for ever,
I heard the sound of the bell for the last time.
The evening bell, how many thoughts it arouses in me.

Thomas Moore's version is more poetic, but as he was both widely travelled and something of a musician (see http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/tmoore.htm) I venture to suggest that he might also have been something of a plagiarist. The Russian tune, by the way, is beautiful, and very evocative of a few heavy bells chiming.
Peter Harris

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Help Raise money for the Association Bell Restoration Fund

Have you heard how you can help raise money for the Association Bell Restoration Fund with your Christmas shopping from Webb Ivory?

Webb Ivory catalogues are available for you to order from: cards, presents, chocolate, treats, etc! Up to 25% of the costs of the items are then given to charity, in our case, the DDA BRF.

Please pay for your goods with your order, including the £1.50 P&P and insurance for the delivery to be sent to the co-ordinator, allowing up to 28 days for delivery. We will then contact you when your items arrive with us. Please make cheques payable to 'ME Cotton Webb Ivory'.

If we manage to make at least £100 profit, we hope that this will be matched by Barclays Bank under their £ for £ scheme. This is an offer not to be missed! If we make £500 pounds profit, then we get another £500 for free, please support us.

Catalogues are available from the General Secretary, Derby District Secretary, Ilkeston Chairman, the belfries of St Peter, Derby & the Cathedral and also Anthony & Elizabeth Cotton. There are a number of catalogues in circulation, once you have placed your order, please pass the catalogues on to your friends (you don't have to be a bell ringer to make an order!), or back to Anthony & Elizabeth Cotton, so others can make their orders. Any queries, please call 01332 341142 or email - we look forward to receiving your orders.

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History Corner

Unusually, at Sudbury, the fifth bell weighs over a hundredweight more than the tenor. Another strange fact about Sudbury bells is that two of them were cast in 1715 – by two different founders! The treble is by Daniel Hedderly and the second by Immanuel Halton. Both bells have inscriptions mentioning the Vernon family, so both bells were cast for Sudbury.

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