Index

In addition to the weekly practice at Melbourne, there is a once a month twelve bell practice (usually on the second Thursday). Ringing at these practices ranges from Grandsire Cinques to Various Surprise Maximus methods. For more details of the practices contact Tim Peverett 0115 9323118

For the third year in succession members of this band entered the national twelve bell competition heats. This year they were held at Southwark Cathedral, London on the 27^th March. Like last year, Melbourne missed qualifying only by a narrow margin. St Paul's, High Wycombe and St Martin's go through to the final to be held at York Minster later this year. Better luck next year to Melbourne.

1. St Paul's Cathedral, London (79%)
2. High Wycombe (77%)
3. St Martin in the Fields, London (72%)
4. Southwark Cathedral, London (71%)
5. Melbourne (70%)
6. Towcester (67%)
7. Oxford (62%)
8. Exeter (56%)
9. Leeds (48%)

The methods are given below using "place notation". For those who don't know how this works, an explanatory document is available from John Heaton.
 
 

You may have seen our recent press in the Ringing World regarding our May Day Bell Peal 1999. We are inviting all bell ringers to join with the Children's Society to raise money for our essential funds. Last year, bell ringing teams from all over the country joined with The Children's Society to celebrate our May Day Peal. The event proved such a fun venture and fundraising success that we have decided to run the May Day Peal again for this year 1999 and we are inviting you to take part.

Ringing out your bells this May Day Weekend, will not only raise funds for your own bell ringing team, but also help support the important work of the Childrens Society. Your fund raising will enable us to bring hope and a brighter future to thousands of disadvantaged children and young people throughout England and Wales.

The Children's Society will provide publicity and sponsor forms to promote your ringing event. Please call Sarah Trusler on 0171 841 4519 for more information. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your assistance in Making Peal Day 1999 a great fundraising success,

Esther E. Whittlesea

National Fundraising Campaigns
The Children's Society.

The CCCBR Education Committee assists with running some training courses for ringers on a National Level, and can also help run local and one-off courses if required, tailoring the course to suit local needs. Courses and Seminars that are available include: Listening Skills; Using Simulators; Tower Management; Teaching Bell Handling; Teaching Elementary method ringing; Rhythm and rope sight (Good Striking)

During the year, various organisations also run weekend residential ringing courses in different parts of the country. These cover all sorts of methods for a range of abilities, as well as tower maintenance and sometimes even handbell ringing. The courses all have a sociable and encouraging atmosphere.

Each year the CCCBR Education committee publishes a directory of these residential courses. Contact your District Education Committee representative (Alec Humphrey or Gill Hughes) to see what is on offer. Alternatively, contact the CCCBR Education Committee Secretary direct (Ron Warford, 6 Northfield Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE3 3U. 0191 285 3878.)

The CCCBR Education Committee can also loan bell ringing simulators for periods of up to one month. Prospective borrowers should get in touch with John Turney, Orchard House, Hopton Heath, Craven Arms, Shropshire, SY7 0QD. 01547 530470.

1. Annual events are not twice a year.
2. When leading it is a handstroke gap (not backstroke).
3. The gap should only be large enough to fit one extra bell in.
4. Never look up to see Sallies coming through the ceiling.
5. It is wrong to learn the order of the bells you follow, even when covering.
6. It is not easier to learn bell orders.
7. To move up a place you ring slower.
8. To move down a place you ring quicker.
9. To ring quicker you don't pull harder you pull softer and catch the sally a fraction higher.
10. Never bounce the stay to ring quicker.
11. A foot of rope sticking out is too much, it may smack you in the face or somewhere else painful!
12. Glycerine shouldn't be used.
13. Glycerine makes the rope go hard and sticky.
14. Glycerine isn't hydrophobic.
15. It would be very difficult for the 2 to follow the 3 and the 3 to follow the 2!
16. The bell that was following 3 but was not itself called out goes to follow the 2 not the bell that was following it.
17. The calls '2 to 3', '4 to 5', 2 to 5' give queens not tittums.
18. Tittums is 142536.
19. It is unnecessary to turn to face the bell you are following. Just look in that direction.
20. The visual gap between you and the bell you are following is likely to be different depending on the bell being followed (generally - a larger gap for larger bells).
21. If the bell you are following goes wrong you should aim to keep at a constant speed.
22. 'Go' is only called one whole pull before starting.
23. It is wrong to slow down the last backstroke before going into a method.
24. A bigger gap is required over bigger bells since they turn slower.
25. Lines are blue not green (they are known as blue no matter what colour they are drawn in).
26. When the line moves right you are hunting out.
27. When the line moves left you are hunting in.
28. When the line moves right you ring slower.
29. When the line moves left you ring quicker.
30. Blue lines don't help tell you which bell to follow.
31. The story has 30 errors. The claim that there are 31 is wrong, therefore there are 31 errors in which case the claim there are 31 errors is correct, therefore there are only 30 errors…etc.

OK so where were you on Saturday 9th of January? Relaxing at home, shopping, visiting friends or family, or just nothing in particular?

Whilst each of these is a perfectly valid use of your quality time the fact remains that the number of people who attended the Annual District Meeting or forwarded their apologies was a small proportion of our membership, and although I am conscious of the reality that not all members actually want to play an active role in the District`s affairs, I find myself trying to remember a quotation to the effect that each electorate gets the government that it deserves. Well, perhaps we all now have the committee and officers that we deserve, time will tell; but if you have any opinions to express about how our association can best help its members, you and your band, and were not at the meeting you have lost your chance until the millennium - in which case I look forward to seeing you then at the next ADM.

Alec Humphrey.

April 24^th District training day - details from Gill Hughes or Alec Humphrey
May 8^th Horsley Cup & Arthur Ashby Cup Finals - Horsley
June 12^th Evening meeting - Tutbury 7.30-9.00 with ringing at Marston on Dove 6.00-7.00
July 3^rd 8 bell contest and summer meeting - Peak District

Also see details of the next few Brailsford Practices.

At my local church we have regular weddings during the spring and summer. I don`t mean that the same couples get married there regularly, but that marriage ceremonies take place there regularly; and a fairly large number of the happy couples ask for the bells to be rung. The amount that we ringers each receive has not changed for about seven or eight years and we sometimes have problems getting a band together, some of our older ringers with family commitments would usually rather be doing something else with their Saturdays and some of our younger ringers whilst keen to ring because they like the money are not as capable as some others.

Should we try to set a fair rate of pay for our time and commensurate with our experience, should we try to assess a market rate, and should "imported" ringers receive travelling expenses? How and how much should we be charging? Yours Jeff

I have found that rates of pay vary considerably depending on where you are. It is reasonable (given the overall expense of a wedding) to charge a fee that encourages your members to ring for weddings. At the very least you should be compensating imported ringers for their travelling expenses. Often towers keep some money back for their tower fund as well. This is a good idea because it can be a regular source of income. How much should you be charging? Should it depend on the number of bells being rung? My feeling is the going rate at the moment is about £10 per rope for before and after. Some towers still charge less, and a few charge considerably more.

Last month we rang a quarter-peal at our church, where by the way there is quite a lot of extraneous noise. During the ringing the conductor made several comments, plainly about the ringing but not sufficiently clearly, as we discovered afterwards when comparing notes, for either of us to distinguish what was being said.

What can we do about this? We realise that after the ringing has finished we can make our point to her so that it is not likely to happen again, but what about while the ringing is taking place - after all she may be addressing one of us - starting a conversation may easily disturb everyone's concentration, so what should we do?

Incidentally we find the same problem at meetings, where some conductors enunciate very clearly but others are so softly spoken as to be almost inaudible above the noises in the ringing room, or bark their calls and instructions so that despite their volume their consonants are unclear or non existent and so what they say is unintelligible. Yours, Mutt and Jeff.

Often the conductors comments are fairly general (non bell specific) and you can probably guess what they have said anyway. In other situations you may be well aware of what you are doing wrong anyway. In these cases it is probably best just to continue (and mention to the conductor afterwards that he/she should speak a little clearer).

If you think the comment was specific to you, and you don't know what you are doing wrong, then it is best to ask the conductor to repeat what he/she has said whilst ringing (unless you think by doing so you are certain to fire out the touch!). This is particularly important during longer ringing like quarters and peals.

Please do tell conductors if you can't hear what they are saying (during or after a piece of ringing), since they are probably not even aware there calls are unintelligible.

As has become traditional, the Duffield ringers held their Christmas 1998 outing in the following January as it is easier to find a convenient time for everyone to attend. The norm has been to go out for an evening meal but this year we decided to do something different. A walk in the Peak District followed by ringing and/or lunch was suggested but some of us weren't too enthusiastic about the prospect of a walk in freezing cold January temperatures. Finally we decided on some local ringing at West Hallam and Horsley with a pub lunch in between, the event to take place on Saturday 30^th Jan.

Mike Willis made all the arrangements and we all arrived at West Hallam church at 11.30 am (well most of us, except for the Jopps who were late as usual!). We had a good ring with touches of Little Bob and London Surprise Minor included. Katy Todd even requested Grandsire Triples which was a change from her declaration a week earlier that she was giving it up!

Lunch was at the White Post in Stanley Common, in front of a warm, welcoming fire. It was so cosy that John McCartney actually fell asleep after his meal, much to the amusement of everyone else.

After lunch we headed off to Horsley for some more ringing. We had another go at Little Bob and London as well as plenty of Bob Doubles and Bob Minor. Brian Trowbridge wanted to ring a touch of Original Minor but we wouldn't let him! All in all it was an enjoyable outing.

R.J.

As a matter of policy the district committee has decided to hold its monthly events on the second Saturday of each month whenever possible. So get busy now; take out your diary (or tie a knot in your handkerchief) and make an entry on each second Saturday so that you don`t forget our friendly functions (how`s that for alliteration).

All Saints, Doubles is a simple five bell method that makes a pleasant change to Plain Bob. At bobs the bell making seconds to the treble is the one that remains unaffected!