Ringing World 5144 (27 November 2009)

Front Cover: Hertford County Association 125th Anniversary
31st October 2009
These days how do you celebrate a 125th anniversary? A formal dinner? A disco? The incoming General Secretary ensured that the outgoing Gen Sec and outgoing President were the prime organisers of events in order to spread any blame.

Notes of a meeting between
The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers and Ecclesiastical Insurance Group
23rd October 2009 – EIG Offices – Gloucester
This meeting is one of a series of ongoing liaison meetings between the two organisations.

Society of Royal Cumberland Youths Past Masters’ peal by Linda Garton
Prior to the AGM of the Society of Royal Cumberland Youths on 4th October, eleven Past Masters and the current Master (for a few more hours) met at St Martin-in-the-Fields, the Society’s headquarters, for a peal attempt of Lincolnshire Surprise Maximus. The successful peal was rung with the best wishes of the band to Dennis Beresford, also a past Master of the Society, and his wife Mary, and to congratulate them on their recent Golden Wedding Anniversary.

Bells in Hymns
There was a time when every ringers’ service I attended necessarily included ‘Unchanging God, Who livest’, and I came to wonder if there were any alternative ringers’ hymns. I quickly found that ringing.info had done my work for me, giving fourteen possibilities that can be perused on the site.

Letters
Child Protection ‘Mumbo Jumbo’ - Alan Reade
Peals at York Minster - Derek Jones
Brigstock Doubles - John David
Long Ashton’s benefactors – past, present and future - John Gilbert
The Ringing World Diary 2010 - Robert B. Smith

‘The impossible takes a bit longer’
John Harrison examines the new remit of the Central Council’s Biographies Committee
The US Army Engineer Corps famously claimed to ‘do the difficult at once’. In case you are wondering how that relates to ringing, let me go back to the beginning and explain.

Devon Young Ringers’ Hallowe’en outing
When it was realised that the Young Ringers’ outing on the last Saturday in half term week fell on 31st October, a theme, though not over-played, was established for the day. Sophie designed a gothic ghost poster for the event, and a tub of ‘trick or treat’ chocolates did the rounds on the day (they seemed to be all treats) as well as Wendy’s cookies.

Truro D.G. day trip to the Isles of Scilly
Seventeen ringers, including the Guild  President (Ian Self) and the Guild Secretary and his wife (Robert and Helen Perry), met at 8.30am on Saturday, September 5th on Penzance Quay for the sea crossing on the Scillonian to Hugh Town on the Isles of Scilly. This was a voyage of discovery – to meet the new band of ringers on the island of St Mary’s and to ring on the new peal of eight bells at the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin in Hugh Town.

Celebration at Romsey Abbey
Sunday, 6th September 2009 was an  important day for the bell ringers at Romsey Abbey in Hampshire who had much to celebrate within the morning service. During the service, James Hetherington (son of the current and immediate-past abbey Ringing Masters) was baptised. At the conclusion of the service, the new peal board was presented to the congregation, and blessed by the vicar of Romsey, Revd Tim Sledge.

Obituaries
Roger Liddell, Tina Matilda Bridge

Stedman Cinques with the Hungerford Ringers
It is now my second weekend with the enthusiastic Hungerford Ringers. Last year was eights and sixes in Devon and this year we were in Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire, arrangements being made by Andrea and Maurice Barletta and what trouble they had gone to to ensure our comfort and our enthusiasm were catered for.

Book Review
Living Heritage
by John Harrison
The story of 300 years of bells, ringing and bellringers at All Saints, Wokingham.

Thought for the week
With the sad but understandable demise of the popular column “From the E-lists” (thanks for the past seven years John) readers who are not online and registered with the change-ringers forum will have missed the thread on the responsibilities of a conductor.

DVD Review
Bells in the city
Bells in the city is a powerful short film set in the magnificent location of Worcester Cathedral tower.