Sunday 27th April 2025

Richy's Blog

If you would like to comment on Richy's blog, please use The Guild Facebook page.

Friday 25th April 2025

Watching Have I Got News for You tonight, they commented upon some recent research on what is considered the perfect day. Apparently it consists of no more than six hours of work, but should include six hours of family, two hours with friends, ninety minutes of "extra socialising", two hours of exercise and one hour of eating. It struck me how much of this ringing can encompass, although how far ringing can be constituted as exercise is debatable. Ruthie's Fitbit thinks she's been swimming whenever it records her ringing activity, so I suppose there must be some benefit to it in that respect! Indeed, God willing tomorrow's Guild AGM will see many of these elements come together for the perfect day!

Not that we were able to meet any of these conditions today. We are extremely fortunate with our jobs, especially now that I work from home full-time, but the working day was more than six hours. With the increasingly late sunset Josh and I had time to enjoy a kickaround in the garden and my wife and I participated in a beer or two into the evening, but family time was nowhere near six hours. Not unusually for a Friday night at home, there were no friends and no "extra socialising" and as is often the case during the average day of employment and education eating was far too rushed to equate to an hour.

Other ringers in Suffolk were doing more of at least some of those conditions with two quarter-peals and a peal remembering the lives of two ringers from the county who have passed away recently. The 1260 of Plain Bob Doubles at Brandeston was in memory of John Garratt who was a lifetime ringer on the 7cwt gallery-ring six and on the 9cwt ground-floor five of Badingham, whilst the quarter-peal of two Doubles methods on the front six at Stowmarket by the BAC and peal of Cooktown Orchid Delight Major at Felixstowe remembered Carol Girling.

Meanwhile, well done to Lizzie Wood, Erika Clarke, Peter Lock and Jonathan Iles on ringing their first quarter of Double Court Bob Minor in the success at Wissett.

Hopefully it contributed to the perfect day for them!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Thursday 24th April 2025

I haven't been on one of my lunchtime walks for a few weeks, primarily because the school holidays over Easter have seen a change to the usual routines, but also because in the lead-up to the peal at Helmingham for Alfie's birthday much of my downtime saw me learning, revising and reciting the composition and methods! Today though I got out during my hour break from lunch, taking me past Melton Old Church, a pond of ducks and to the edge of Lower Ufford, but not quite far enough to spy the tower of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary that holds the 13cwt eight there.

Apart from my usual everyday blessings that I try not to take for granted though, that was as noteworthy as my day got. There wasn't even time for eBells whilst Ruthie was out choral practicing this evening as instead I slumped on the sofa watching snooker. It was a more significant day for Past Master of the College Youths Martin Cansdale and Rosemary - daughter of former Bramford ringer Christine Hill and her husband Peter - as they became parents for the first time with the birth of their daughter Esther, an event celebrated with a touch of Stedman Cinques at St Paul's Cathedral no less! Congratulations to all concerned including former Bramford, Grundisburgh and Sproughton ringer Daphne Pegg on becoming a great grandmother again, but especially to Rosemary and Martin. Who I don't imagine had the time or energy today to go out on a lunchtime walk!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Wednesday 23rd April 2025

The Easter holidays now finished, it was back to just one of us going out to ringing whilst the other stays at home getting the boys to bed at an appropriate time for a school night.

On this occasion it was Ruthie's turn as once I'd returned from taking Alfie & Josh to the former's football training, she went out to Pettistree's weekly practice. It sounds like it was a good evening too, as Surprise Minor including Alnwick and London was rung whilst others took advantage of the makeshift 'waiting room', before Mrs Munnings retired to the Greyhound Inn next door.

Further afield well done to former Bardwell ringer Louis Suggett who not only rang his first handbell peal of Bristol Surprise Royal in the 5040 rung in Bosham in West Sussex, but conducted it to boot. Meanwhile the session that my wife attended tonight was preceded by a quarter-peal of Cambridge Surprise Minor, whilst a 5120 of the none too straightforward Brislington Surprise Major was rung at Horringer by a band less effected by whether the school holidays have finished or not!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Tuesday 22nd April 2025

It was a remarkably straightforward day for our household, with the main activity being Alfie going round his friend's for a playdate (and bumping into more friends at the park whilst there!) and me joining my mother-in-law and Ufford Ringing Master Kate Eagle at the weekly practice on the 13cwt octave. With the presence of Alan McBurnie we were able to produce a very useful session which was probably the best for Hollesley ringer Margaret Weeks since her return from injury last year as she trebled to Cambridge Surprise Minor and Grandsire Triples and rang inside to Grandsire Doubles and then Plain Bob Minor for the first time.

For a couple of ringers it was a much more dramatic weekend though and although it didn't directly impact them, it was for very sad reasons. On Saturday Bardwell was rocked by a fire that burnt down five houses. Mercifully no one was hurt, but it means a lot of people whose lives have been upturned, including a couple apparently due to give birth soon. Former local ringer David Ruffles was busy being interviewed by various media outlets in his role as the Chairman of the Parish Council, whilst Ruth Suggett the Ringing Master of the village's 11cwt eight was interviewed just before David from about 2 hours, 52 minutes and 30 seconds into the morning show on BBC Radio Suffolk, as she lives near the affected houses. Both are encouraging people to donate to a GoFundMe page if they can, in a heartwarming show of community that is familiar amongst the ringing family. Hopefully with the help of these ringers, their fellow villagers and anyone else willing and able to help, some good can come out of this dreadful situation.

Meanwhile the latest edition of The Ringing World finally arrived with us in the post following the long weekend and as usual features plenty of interest, albeit nothing Suffolk-related bar entries in the peal and quarter-peal reports. However, recent issues have included details of the Guild AGM planned for this Saturday at Debenham. Today was the final day to book a tea for the occasion, but if you haven't booked yours then I hope it doesn't put you off joining in for some or all of the other elements of the day. The event is due to be in a good place for other means of getting food with shops, pubs, cafes and a fish 'n' chip restaurant in this large village and plenty to do and find for non-ringers, as is outlined on 'The Tourist Trail' in what is - at this stage - forecast to be quite nice weather. We really are blessed to have places like this on our doorstep and we have a good excuse to go there and ring on a lovely eight in the company of friends established and new. And please do support the meeting if you can, which if recent years (especially last year's!) is anything to go by should be short, but will - if all goes to plan - see the new SGR Ringing Master elected, with the current one Katharine Salter stepping down this weekend. Be a part of democracy and a significant moment in the Guild's 102-year history on what should hopefully also be quite a straightforward day!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Easter Monday 21st April 2025

The next South-East District Surprise Major Practice is due to be held at Grundisburgh on Friday 30th May, but we inadvertently managed a pretty decent version at Ipswich Minster this evening. Monday night sessions here - and I imagine at other places that practice on the first night of the working week - take a bit of a hit at this point in the calendar. Of course there was no ringing seven days ago during Holy Week and with today being a bank holiday there is usually uncertainty about numbers. Sometimes we can get lucky with visitors who might normally be at another Monday night practice that has been cancelled or those holidaying in the area, but we can also suffer with absentees away on the long weekend.

The latter was true of tonight on Suffolk's heaviest ring of bells. With feelers sent out in recent days via the band's WhatsApp group we had ascertained that holding a practice was worthwhile, but when one or two had to pull out due to illness Ruthie and I - with the boys still on Easter school holidays - had to shore up our commitment to coming along, having initially been unsure if we could or not.

We were pleased that we did though as our presence and that of one or two welcome surprise extras meant that it was quite a fruitful couple of hours. Straight after us arriving in the rain my wife was asked to conduct a course of Superlative and later I called some four-spliced, whilst there was also some Lincolnshire (although that elicited a gasp and some mutterings from the ringer next to me who had been expecting Yorkshire!), London and Bristol, as well as the 'standard' eight spliced. It wasn't all Surprise Major though, with a couple of pieces of Double Norwich Court Bob Major - one on the back eight that I pulled the tenor in to, one on the front eight - and a touch of Stedman Caters also rung before some went on to the Halberd Inn and we returned home with a patient Alfie & Josh.

Ours wasn't the only ringing going on in the county today with a handbell peal rung for the NDA in Bacton, whilst further afield there were the usual 'big' Easter Monday peals at places like Winchester Cathedral and Worcester Cathedral, as well as some other notable performances. Such as the 5040 of seven Surprise Minor methods on the heaviest ring of six in the world hung for change-ringing, with Michael Wilby pulling in the 37cwt tenor at St Buryan in Cornwall. And at Tamworth the 15009 of spliced Caters and Royal advertised by and featuring former Exning learner Jimmy Yeoman was successfully rung, thus becoming the longest peal of Caters & Royal spliced yet rung.

Meanwhile there was lots of ringing done in memory of Pope Francis, with the world waking to news of his death this morning in what seems an aptly timed passing for the leader of the Catholic church, with his survival to after Easter having been seriously ill for a couple of months understandably seen as miraculous by many. His passing is not surprising, especially as most get the job when they are already old men, but he is still only the third Pope in my lifetime (indeed the first John Paul II was elected the day after I was born), so much like the death of Queen Elizabeth II it still feels shocking and significant and why there was debate on the Bellringers Facebook on whether flags should fly half-mast and/or bells rung half-muffled. Indeed there is some video of the bells at the Roman Catholic church of St Wilfrid's in York being rung fully muffled with the tenor open at backstroke which is very moving and brings back memories of the days following the Queen's death.

We weren't doing any ringing for Pope Francis though or any other ringing for that matter until our presence at the 34cwt twelve in Ipswich, with our main highlight being visiting Framlingham Castle at the request of the boys. No matter how many times I visit here I still find this a fascinating place with a sense of calm, even as our boys ran around looking for hidden egg clues. And although they were partially closed for maintenance we still enjoyed the magnificent views from the walk around the top of the walls, including of the tower that holds the town's 16cwt eight and which is another great place for a Surprise Major practice!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Easter Sunday 20th April 2025

This morning was logistically fraught, entirely due to the moving of Ipswich Town's men's football match with Arsenal. On any Sunday the 2pm kick-off would make things rushed for those of us who are busy on the Sabbath morning, but of course this wasn't just any Sunday as we celebrated Easter.

Add to that it being the tenth birthday of our niece Anna which meant that her Gran and our usual lift Kate was otherwise engaged, plus Alfie being at his friend's house for a sleepover and getting to The Mermaid for our necessarily early booking for lunch required some considerable thought for arrangements with Ruthie's involvement in the worship at St Mary the Virgin church in Woodbridge.

In the end, my wife carried out her duties and flinging her choir robes off dashed out at the conclusion of the service to collect Alfred and then Mason to get them to our lunch venue.

By which point Josh & I were already there to ensure we fulfilled our booking in time, having caught the train into Suffolk's county town to join the ringing at the Minster which was being held at the later time of 10-10.30am. That shorter than usual period, squeezed between Easter services only left enough time for some call-changes on twelve and a touch of Grandsire Cinques but was a decent return with numbers short due to the different ringing time and illness. All followed by the usual refreshments in Costa Coffee. It is also worth noting we intend to hold a practice tomorrow evening on the Bank Holiday.

Meanwhile a quarter-peal of Yorkshire Surprise Major was rung on the back eight at The Norman Tower, whilst the service ringing at Little Cornard, Stowmarket and Woodbridge was noted on BellBoard as this special day was celebrated by the bells of the county.

For us though there was no further ringing as once we'd eaten we met up with Norwich ringer Simon Rudd in the Fanzone and then watched the footy. That we lost to the team that knocked Real Madrid out of the Champions League during the week was no surprise and incredibly we're still not officially relegated from the Premier League, but it was another glum result. As well as the instigator of much logistical fraughtness.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Holy Saturday 19th April 2025

It is the biggest and most important weekend in the Christian calendar and as a pivotal part of a church choir it is a busy one for Ruthie, who tonight was practicing for and then singing in a service at St Mary the Virgin church in Woodbridge.

Meanwhile Alfie was at a friend's house for a sleepover, Mason was working in his new job at a local pub and so Josh & I decided to go down the park to play football as the daylight hours continue to stretch out later. It was a lovely way to spend an evening.

No ringing though, with none much going on generally, but God willing that will change over the next two days of this big and important weekend of the Christian calendar.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Good Friday 18th April 2025

It felt like Throwback Friday this evening. Or should that be Frowback Friday? Either way, there was a sense of nostalgia as Simon Rudd sent out an open invitation to join him at his virtual pub, as we did for almost every Friday night throughout the lockdowns and for a while after, but not for a long time as naturally most have got back to normal life.

There were some familiar faces such as Lesley Boyle & Gareth Davies from Cambridgeshire,  Norman Tower ringers Cath & Julian Colman and Simon's partner Ros Burroughs, but also familiar names who we'd not met before in the form of Alexandra Hajok from Bolton and Jeff Ladd who joined us from Vernet-les-Bains in the south of France where he is responsible for the 5cwt ten. It was nice to meet them and although we have seen the others a number of times since we came out of lockdown, it was lovely to catch-up in this relaxed fashion without having to get someone to look after the boys or even leave the house!

Earlier in the day our host had been in part responsible for the only ringing in Suffolk noted on BellBoard on this Good Friday as he conducted a quarter-peal of Rutland Surprise Major in Ipswich, but there was no ringing for our household as instead Ruthie was singing in Woodbridge on this most important of weekends in the liturgical calendar. Nonetheless, the weather was lovely again and with no work or school on this bank holiday it was wonderful to spend some quality time with Alfie & Josh.

It was indeed a Good Friday. Or Throwback Friday. Or Frowback Friday.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Maundy Thursday 17th April 2025

Not unusually for a Thursday evening Ruthie was singing, but rather than practicing she was putting it into practice on this Maundy Thursday at the start of what is due to be a busy weekend of singing for her and her choral colleagues.

Also not unusually for a Thursday evening that meant no ringing for us, although my wife did bump into Halesworth ringer Jason Busby in the shop and I enjoyed looking back at entries on BellBoard of ringing in Suffolk from the 1700s and 1800s. Primarily that was because Colin Salter had mentioned at the weekend that he had added a lot of performances, but so too has Sue Marsden, David Willis, Guild PR Officer Neal Dodge and former Reydon ringer Philip Moyse. What always fascinates me about ringing of centuries gone by is how restricted the repertoire was compared to now. I expect the striking was good and I imagine it was because bells were harder going back then, but I'm not sure there is a band around these days who would even contemplate a 10080 of Grandsire Bob Minor as they rang at Gislingham in 1822! Lots of interesting venues too, such as the unringable fives at Hessett (1200 Grandsire Doubles) and Sibton (5040 Doubles) and handbells at the Halberd Inn.

Although I can report on a successful quarter-peal rung at Pettistree yesterday though, there was nothing being added to the historical records of Suffolk ringing today, probably due to it being Holy Week. And maybe ringers being out singing.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Wednesday 16th April 2025

Our evening was one of two pubs, a ground-floor six and a shipping container.

The pubs in question were The Cherry Tree in Woodbridge and the Greyhound Inn next door to St Peter and St Paul church in Pettistree, where we were doing our ringing in between.

Alfie's birthday celebrations continued at the former tavern as having been away for the actual anniversary of his birth last week, his Granny Kate wanted to treat him to a meal, which she very kindly did today.

Lovely food and a convivial time enjoyed and we continued on to the aforementioned six who were ringing as they usually do during Holy Week. Less usual though was the shipping container sat at the bottom of the tower to accommodate the ringers sitting out whilst the church is closed. Well done to Chris & Mary Garner on getting this arranged as it now offers a weatherproof, secure 'waiting room' that has also allowed us to create a little extra space in the ringing chamber and it could also be heated if necessary.

Whilst not taking advantage of this new space at another well-attended practice, my wife and I were pleased to be able to use our joint presence during these Easter school holidays to ring some Alnwick and London Surprise Minor, whilst Mrs Munnings also conducted a 120 of Grandsire Doubles before we retired to the latter hostelry.

Meanwhile, following my efforts to mark the birthdays of my sons with peals with suitable lengths and/or numbers of methods, I'll admit to a small chuckle when seeing the eightieth birthday of Gill Fielden marked by her son and grandsons in a fashion much more possible in the Pipe family than the Munnings family! Happy Birthday to a lovely lady and a superb ringer who I rang with during my time ringing in Birmingham and who many here will also have rung with as she did a fair bit in Suffolk, especially when married to son of the county Rod.

There was peal-ringing going on within our borders too, with it particularly pleasing to see Essex ringer George Thoday back in the peal columns with his first in the medium since 2023 as he rang the fourth to a 5280 of Yorkshire Surprise Major at The Wolery. And well done to North-West District Ringing Master and Annual Report Editor Joshua Watkins on ringing his first in the method.

A good evening for George and Joshua therefore, although I can't say what else their evening consisted of.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Tuesday 15th April 2025

Before today, there had been at least one quarter-peal rung in Suffolk every day of this month. In fact on every day for the last seventeen days. It was an impressive run, but I suspected that it may come to an end at some point during this Holy Week, with many towerbells unavailable for use. And so it was today as nothing was noted on BellBoard from within our borders, but there was ringing activity from the county's ringers present and past further afield, as well as a couple of notable peals.

A number were ringing in the quarter-peal on the Mancroft Ringing Discovery Centre bells in St Peter's in Norwich conducted by former St Mary-le-Tower Ringing Master Simon Rudd. One-time North-East District RM Maggie Ross was peal-ringing in France at Vernet-les-Bains whilst not all that far away her other half Tim Palmer was ringing in the first peal ever rung in Andorra. Meanwhile back in the UK a peal of the 'standard' forty-one Surprise Minor methods was rung at Lustleigh in Devon by the five ringers who have rung the most peals of this once unattainable achievement and Ian Avery who has rung the treble to it more than anyone else.

There was also activity aimed at making attending ringing at Pettistree more comfortable. With the church currently closed for redecorating, where to put the large numbers of ringers who usually attend the weekly Wednesday night practices on this ground-floor six has been a slight issue. There isn't really enough space in the ringing chamber and although God willing as the weeks and months progress the evenings will get lighter and warmer and are when we tend to spill out into the churchyard anyway, the current conditions aren't conducive to standing out in for long periods of time. A tent was put up at first but wasn't up to the job of protecting folk from the wind and so there was nothing at all last week, which made things very cosy!

Now though there is a shipping container that has been dropped opposite the west door that takes you into the ground ringing chamber and has been transformed into a waiting room for those not ringing, out of any wind or rain that the British springtime may throw at you! Especially tomorrow when there won't be many places ringing due to Holy Week (although Martin Kirk has added to yesterday's thread on the SGR Facebook page that Bardwell will still be ringing too) then please do come along, take a look and get your ringing fix!

Finally, there is now just a week left to book your tea for the Guild AGM due to be held in Debenham on Saturday 26th April.

By which point I imagine there might have been a few more quarter-peals rung in Suffolk, even if there weren't any today.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Monday 14th April 2025

A message on the Suffolk Guild Facebook page from Josephine Beever announcing that there is no practice at Stowmarket during this Holy Week prompted a number of messages that highlighted the need to check before you do or don't go out ringing this week. I mentioned that there is no session at Ufford, but that also Pettistree are due to hold theirs on Wednesday evening. Jackie Shipley imparted there is no practice at Woodbridge, whilst Lesley Barrell announced the same is true of Falkenham. In contrast, Jacky Savage posted that they intend to hold a practice on the simulator at Felixstowe on Wednesday and asked people to email her on felixstowe@suffolkbells.org.uk if they would like to join it.

Ipswich Minster is one such place that falls silent during Holy Week and traditionally we have used the free evening to carry out the annual spring clean of the famous ringing chamber. I say "we" as actually we didn't go along. The Easter weekend and the days leading up to it are usually very busy from a singing perspective for Ruthie and so if I'm perfectly honest I was reluctant to sacrifice a rare bit of downtime with my wife before that hectic period for her and her choral colleagues for cleaning somewhere else, especially as keeping our own place tidy feels like the proverbial painting of the Forth Bridge (although fans of QI will be aware that that that isn't a thing anymore!). However last year in a clever move, it was decided to hold our AGM on the Monday of Holy Week. It makes a lot of sense, not only meaning that we no longer have to curtail the ringing on a practice night for it, but also that people aren't just travelling into Ipswich for a spot of dusting and it encourages folk like me in to help with the cleaning when we might not otherwise have, as we were coming in for the meeting anyway.

Not that I made the cleaning this year. My presence there last year reinforced my belief that as ever in such situations I am more a hindrance than help, but even putting that to one side we had a visit from bridesmaid and best friend of Mrs Munnings Fergie planned at the last moment on a flying visit to her hometown this evening. I did make it to the Stables in the Halberd Inn for the AGM though, with holding proceedings here another smart innovation from 2024 allowing us to enjoy a tipple of choice whilst getting down to business.

And there was a fair amount of business, again led superbly by the Reverend Tom Mumford. Although some of our band do, most of us can't regularly attend services here as we travel in from distance and/or help ring the bells at other churches, so it can be difficult to feel a part of the church community here. Tom has always been genuinely and enthusiastically supportive of the ringers though and really makes us feel a part of his flock and tonight he was quick to point out how much the bells are appreciated by the congregation, whilst on behalf of the PCC he presented a gift to George Heath-Collins who is responsible for the church's website.

George was truly showing his worth tonight, not only helping guide us on issues of our own website and taking on the newly created role of Webmaster Officer, but filling in for his wife Lucy who was at home unwell and therefore unable to carry out her role as Secretary in person this evening. He had much to keep up with and contribute to, such as relatively minor issues like changing our name following the rebranding of St Mary-le-Tower to Ipswich Minster to vital ones like safeguarding and finances, whilst Ivan Culham, Peter Dykes and David Lugg were all deservedly elected members of the society. Well done to them!

So much is done by so many to make ringing here function and it is certainly appreciated by me who contributes very little to it all currently and I expect even more so by those who travel even further than me to ring here. For all the business covered, this felt a little like a celebration and appreciation of their efforts. Thank you to all the officers and those like Peter Davies who opens up and ensures that conditions are right for us to ring in.

Meanwhile earlier in the day there was ringing carried out in the county as a quarter-peal of Little Bob Royal was rung on handbells in Moats Tye.

Great to see that there is still some ringing going on within our borders during this Holy Week!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Sunday 13th April 2025

April has begun in a busy fashion for Suffolk ringing and continued as much today. This afternoon's 1282 of Cambridge Surprise Royal at The Norman Tower was the twenty-sixth rung within our borders since we bade farewell to March and means that at least one quarter-peal has been rung in the county on everyday this month thus far.

Not only that, but the monthly second-Sunday peal at Aldeburgh today was the third peal for the Guild in three days and it's fourth of April on top of a handbell peal rung in Bacton for the Ely Diocesan Association.

And of course there will have been plenty of service ringing across Suffolk today, including that which I was a part of at Woodbridge this morning which had an audience during the last piece when Alison Wintgens' Godson and his family came up to watch us. Also like other places we were ringing for the Palm Sunday worship which whilst my fellow ringers rang down I joined, initially on Market Hill and then with an ambitious procession in a currently roadwork and traffic light-infested area and into the church as we followed a donkey, which was later seen coming out of the Kings Head as we left the post-service refreshments!

Meanwhile, I was struck by the fact that today's peals were rung across four different countries and if one broadens that to quarters too there are performances recorded on BellBoard from seven separate countries, with ringing arguably more global than ever before.

Our afternoon was closer to home and a lot quieter from a ringing perspective, although I did take a first read of the new SGR Annual Report which is now available to read on this website. Well done to Joshua Watkins on an accomplished debut as Report Editor which as ever is an interesting account of what happened in the districts, Guild committees and the like in 2024. Do try and make sure you have a read of it before the 2025 AGM, which is due to take place in thirteen days in Debenham and linked to that the Agenda for the actual meeting is also now available on this website.

As I've mentioned previously though, that meeting is but a small part of the day. Indeed last year it was just forty minutes of proceedings overall! There is open ringing planned on the 21cwt ground-floor eight whilst refreshments are served in Dove Cottage next door, as well as beforehand on the light ground-floor five in the neighbouring village of Winston, with a picturesque walk between the two an option for those who wish. A short service is intended to be led by the Reverend Keith Rengert at St Mary Magdalene church before a tea (which needs to be booked by Tuesday 22nd if you want one) is scheduled in the United Reform Church a few minutes stroll away and if previous experience is anything to go by a drink or two in a local hostelry after the business. All slated to be preceded with four quarter-peal attempts and a peal attempt.

God willing Suffolk's ringing in April will also finish in as busy a fashion as it has begun.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Saturday 12th April 2025

Two peals in two days is a rarity for me currently.

Ringing on a Saturday morning is also a rarity for me currently.

Today, both were realised, but for good reason. I was already in the process of organising yesterday's ultimately successful attempt at Helmingham for Alfie's birthday when I was asked by Guild Ringing Master Katharine Salter if I would like to ring in an attempt at St Margaret's in Ipswich to celebrate tomorrow's ninetieth anniversary of the birth of John Girt, the longstanding tower captain there. I have a huge amount of respect and fondness for John who has done so much for local ringing, the South-East District and the Suffolk Guild, whilst this is a tower that is close to my heart as it was where my brother Chris and I did a lot of our early eight-bell ringing and where our father Alan and grandfather Jack did a lot of their early ringing.

Therefore, I was fully prepared to ring another peal almost precisely twenty-four hours after my previous one for this cause.

However, we don't normally do Saturday morning ringing either, as typically Alfred is playing football which quite apart from us wanting to watch him play also makes committing to ringing at the same time logistically challenging. Several weeks ago though, his team's coach very kindly sent out all the fixtures remaining this season. Not unusually as we are now in the depths of the school Easter holidays, this morning was free and so although Ruthie couldn't ring as she was at a work event that she was able to take the boys to, I said I could ring. Imagine our horror then when in a short-term enquiry that seems common in youth footy, the coach sent out feelers earlier this week for an away friendly this morning. We hate to say no as we know how much this now eleven-year old enjoys playing for his team, but we had to say no this time. As it happened we weren't the only ones who were busy this morning though and football plans were abandoned, so I was able to participate in the 5152 of Double Norwich Court Bob Major without any pangs of guilt for missing him play.

I'm very glad I was able to, as this was possibly one of the best peals I have rung in recently, if such a claim is credible with my low numbers currently. And I say possibly as I didn't hear all that much of it. For all that sentimentally I miss the old cosy and characterful ringing chamber, what was done here in 2017 is fantastic with the ringing now done in a spacious, bright, airy room on show to churchgoers. The downside though is that as with any ringing chamber open to the church you have to compete with the noise that can be created in that church and so it was this morning as in a spot of bad luck we found ourselves competing with the annual spring clean of the church. Vital work and thank God for volunteers such as these ensuring that these beautiful old buildings are loved, but it made it extremely difficult to hear our bells. There was vacuuming, drilling and even someone flicking a tape measure around and when loud hammering just beneath us began as they fixed a pew we literally couldn't hear any of the ringing, prompting one of the band to shout "quiet" which seemed to work for a while. Very well done to all the band therefore on keeping going and keeping right (especially as putting someone right in those circumstances would've been extremely challenging!) and in particular conductor Colin Salter with a composition which was far from straightforward.

Having been let in by tomorrow's birthday boy and his wife Shirley, we were also met by them afterwards for a catch-up and photos before a number of us retired to the sunbaked beer garden of The Woolpack, where it was interesting to hear more about Adrian Knights' legacy to the SGR. Most of you reading this will be aware that he left over £250,000 to the Guild in his will specifically for augmentations and as a charity we can't really hang on to this money for any longer than necessary. We don't want to open the door for inappropriate augmentations though, so they are looking for places where an augmentation would help and to that end the SGR are writing to parishes across the county to gauge any potential interest. The most obvious places would be heavish eights that could benefit from a lighter and more manageable front six or even front eight and those where there are large active bands who could take advantage of more bells, but of course the Guild would welcome any serious suggestions.

One person who missed out on our post-ringing activity (including the photos) and pub discussions was Nigel Gale who rushed off for the opportunity to chime the bells at the hung-dead but glorious eight at St Mary's in Bury St Edmunds which was part of the North-West District Practice next door at The Norman Tower. That was followed by a quarter-peal at Bardwell which was Sylvie Fawcett's first of Major inside, so well done Sylvie!

Meanwhile, once I'd returned from Ipswich I was able to read this week's issue of The Ringing World which features an excellent piece on the town's Minster and its training bells, written by Amanda Richmond and Jonathan Williamson, whilst on the back page there was some background to the 30,288 changes of Bristol Surprise Maximus at Tulloch in Scotland being attempted today. Sadly it was lost after more than seven hours when one of the band couldn't continue, but if successful it wouldn't only have smashed the record length on twelve bells which was set on Alderney with that 25,056 in 2017 but would also be the longest duration of any non-stop towerbell ringing ever. It is a reminder that these phenomenal ringers are human, that these aren't a case of twelve elite ringers just turning up and setting another record and why this would be an achievement in achieved. Indeed it is a reminder of why any quarter-peal or peal is an achievement. Even if you ring two in two days.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Friday 11th April 2025

This morning's peal attempt to celebrate Alfie's birthday has probably induced more anxiety in me than any other peal I have arranged or even been in.

The ambition was... well, ambitious. Alfred was eleven yesterday and so faced with a choice of getting a band for a 5011 of something almost certainly on eight or more or one for 11-spliced I plumped for the latter. And then to make it even harder for myself I decided to do that with Surprise Major. And then to make it even harder than that, when I first thought about it before Christmas and April seemed eons away, I was inspired to go for a 'Pickled Egg' eleven. Naturally that reduced the pool of potential ringers, but there is actually a lot who are capable of doing this (far more so than me!) in Suffolk and especially once widened to East Anglia. However, I was getting nervous as one by one I was rebuffed by those helping at the Essex Ringing Course, holidaying in Australia or up in Scotland for record peal attempts. Fortunately I was still able to get a really good band with much experience in doing this sort of thing, even after one of the band had to drop out earlier this week when I'd given them completely the wrong start time! Still, not good for the stress levels.

Nor was getting the tower itself, which was hampered by communication issues but mainly my lack of proactiveness and organisational inadequacies, which saw me still phoning round last night to confirm someone was letting us in! It was all in hand and I needn't have worried, but I did!

All this was the backdrop to me also learning a composition and a handful of unfamiliar methods which has seen my mind thoroughly occupied over the last few weeks in amongst everyday life. I had learnt it all as much as I possibly could, but would it stick? How the likes of Jack Page and Alan Reading learn so many different far more complicated compositions at the same time is beyond me!

Nonetheless, we gathered at Helmingham where we had been let in and were ready to raise the 17cwt eight. Everything seemed to be falling into place, until I got a phone call as I stood in the gallery ringing chamber looking out over the church below. One of the band was letting me know that they had arrived. In Framlingham. It was better than I had initially feared as thoughts of them being hours away raced through my mind. Framlingham was OK in the circumstances. At just twenty minutes away they could get to us whilst we rang the bells up and then enjoyed some of the sunshine whilst we waited, before we finally got going. And then stopped again following several mistakes within the first couple of leads.

Frankly after all of that I am all the more amazed that we were ultimately successful in 3 hours and 8 minutes (pleasingly in the same time as three peals recorded by boards on the walls there, so we clearly got the speed right!) as we produced some moments of uncertainty but also - despite my dubious pronouncing of Turramurra and Ytterbium - a whole lot more really good ringing, some of which was kindly caught on video by Jenny Croft as explored the surroundings.

In fact in the end the only disappointment was that there were no pubs nearby open, which was a pity as we could have done with a drink! Nonetheless, I did end up at a pub as following a spot of food shopping with Ruthie and the two youngest boys and before picking Mason up, the four of us found ourselves in the beer garden of The Turks Head in Hasketon whilst the boys (particularly Josh!) discovered an aptitude for petanque.

Meanwhile, well done to Maureen Gardiner, Andrea Alderton, Lesley Steed, David Steed, David Howe and conductor Stephen Dawson on ringing their first quarter-peal of Francis Genius Delight Minor in the 1296 at Tostock.

Hopefully it didn't induce too much anxiety.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Thursday 10th April 2025

Eleven years ago today Ruthie and I entered the brave new world of full-time parenting. We'd been blessed with Mason of course, but never 24/7 as he split his time with his mother. Of course having a baby with you as your responsibility all the time was life-changing, as it was for his older brother too. So Alfie's arrival at 2.04am on Thursday 10th April 2014 was a big thing for all of us and so began a life of working all of our lives - especially ringing - around children. For most of that time only one of us has been able to go out to evening practices. When my wife goes singing on a Thursday it is impractical to get out ringing without the boys being out very late on a school night. And some of you will probably have frustratedly experienced trying to get an answer out of us for ringing in a quarter or peal, which is usually a protracted process as we're typically trying to find ways of saying yes whilst also not abandoning our children! Logistically parenthood makes our lives challenging and it only got more so on Josh's birth and continues to as they get older and have their own social lives, activities and work! We wouldn't swap any of it for anything though and therefore Alfred's birthday - as well as Mason's, Joshua's, Mother's Day and Father's Day - is a day to celebrate.

Which we did! With his big day falling - as it so often does - during the school Easter holidays, both his parents took the day off work and with his cousins coming round early as we looked after them on behalf of his Aunty Clare, he took the opportunity to open his presents and cards in front of them and we then took advantage of the nice weather and took them down the park, where of course football was involved!

Then at his request we went to Ask Italian in Ipswich, a venue he remembered going to - and clearly enjoying - a couple of years ago, before we rounded the day off with another stunning cake made by his mother.

It meant Mrs Munnings forgoing her choral practicing and also me doing likewise for the Surprise Major Practice at Hollesley. I'd love it if AJM or any of the boys were to one day take to the exercise, but at the moment it seemed a little unfair to drag him out to more ringing on his birthday, as much I would've been more than happy to go and ring on one of the nicest eights in Suffolk.

Others were ringing elsewhere in the county too, particularly at Ixworth where a 1344 of Painswick Surprise Major was rung. Well done to Stephen Dawson, Joshua Watkins and Alan Moult on ringing their first in the method.

But our main focus today was on celebrating parenthood, all three boys and most particularly today Alfie. Happy Birthday Alfred!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Wednesday 9th April 2025

Birthdays are at the forefront this week in Suffolk ringing as well as us personally. Tomorrow is the eleventh anniversary of Alfie's birth, whilst at the other end of the scale it would've been George Pipe's ninetieth birthday today. It is also the ninetieth birthday this week of John Girt. Much like George was, John is one of those stalwarts synonymous with the Guild because he has done so much for it. Most notably he was Guild Secretary for an incredible fifteen years, but he is also a Vice President, a Life Honorary member, has worked hard in recruiting and training and much, much more. And personally I have always been grateful for the initial eight-bell opportunities that my brother Chris and I got in our youth at St Margaret's in Ipswich where he has been running the ringing for many years.

Therefore it is only appropriate that his significant birthday is being marked within our borders this week. I am aware of ringing planned for it this weekend and today a 5090 of Double Norwich Court Bob Major was rung at Rendham, whilst the pre-practice quarter-peal at Pettistree was dedicated to him too and was rung in by Ruthie before myself, Alfred & Josh joined her at a slightly different feeling session. With the church closure intended to last until July, a tent had been put up over the west door entrance at the bottom of the tower to create an overflow space in the absence of being able to use the church. However, that wasn't really working and so there was nothing there tonight whilst a suitable solution is actioned. Of course the evenings should be getting lighter now and hopefully warmer too, but on this occasion it meant that the ringing chamber was unusually cosy, especially once it got too dark and chilly to hang around outside!

Nonetheless, this was still a very good practice, with the help of Rob who was visiting from Herefordshire as along with Doubles for Helen, John and Sam to ring, there was also much Surprise Minor including Cambridge, London, Norwich and Surfleet, as well as a well-struck touch of spliced Minor before we retired to the Greyhound Inn.

Our night was relatively late, but not as late as it was for Matthew Higby who after we'd returned from the pub posted on Facebook that he was still working up at Tulloch in Scotland splicing in new tailends ahead of a planned attempt of 30,000 changes of Bristol Surprise Maximus there on Saturday. That is something to look out for!

Meanwhile, something else to look out for is the return of the weekly practices at Grundisburgh on a Thursday night, starting with tomorrow. They had been mothballed over the winter, but although there won't be one next week on Maundy Thursday, the intention is for them to be up and running again now, so please do support them if you are able.

And please do enjoy celebrating the many birthdays of this week!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Tuesday 8th April 2025

On the front page of BellBoard today is an announcement sent in by former Exning learner Jimmy Yeoman of the intention to ring 15009 changes of 6-spliced Stedman Caters & Treble Dodging Royal for the Cumberland Youths at Tamworth in Staffordshire at 9am on Easter Monday. Going by the 3 hours and 6 minutes that it took to ring the peal I rang there in 2000 and variations of time taken in other peals rung on the 21cwt ten, I imagine it would take around nine-and-half to ten hours to ring if successful, which would be around nine-and-a-half to ten hours more ringing than either Ruthie or I managed today, with Ufford's weekly practice cancelled due to a lack of numbers. Worth noting there will also be no session there next Tuesday either, as it is Holy Week. And again it is worth checking if you would usually go to a practice in case they aren't ringing next week and indeed if you are intending on not going to a practice in case they are ringing!

There was definitely ringing at Offton this evening though with a 1260 of Plain Bob Doubles, as for the eleventh day running a quarter-peal was rung in Suffolk. During that period there have been twenty-seven quarters rung, which by my calculations is about twenty hours of ringing. Or roughly twice that which Jimmy Yeoman and friends are intending to ring for on Easter Monday. Good luck Jimmy!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Monday 7th April 2025

Being the start of the Easter school holidays both Ruthie and I went out to Ipswich Minster's practice this evening, dragging along a reluctant Alfie & Josh with us. Although they may not have appreciated it, I think the rest of the band did as my wife's presence enabled us to ring some Lincolnshire Surprise Maximus during a session that also saw us ring Cambridge Surprise Maximus and Stedman Cinques. More support is always welcome and along with The Norman Tower we now have two very decent twelve-bell practices for those who want to break into and/or progress on this number. You would be most welcome. Apart from next Monday when there is no practice as it is Holy Week, which I believe is also the case in Bury St Edmunds on Maundy Thursday.

Others went on to the Halberd Inn afterwards, but with the boys understandably not allowed in at that time we headed straight home for a cup of tea at the end of another lovely sunny day that saw quarter-peals rung on handbells in Moats Tye and on the 8cwt six at Great Barton. Well done to North-West District Secretary Mary Oliver-Barratt on ringing her first inside in the latter.

It's been a pretty good start to the Easter school holidays, even if Alfie & Josh might not appreciate it!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Sunday 6th April 2025

It was another busy day of quarter-pealing in Suffolk as for the third day running there were a quartet of quarters rung in the county. Well done to Lizzie Wood on ringing her first on eight on a working bell in the 1260 of Plain Bob Triples at Halesworth and to Sonia Doherty on ringing her first on eight at all in the 1288 of Grandsire Triples at St Margaret's in Ipswich! Meanwhile another couple of quarter-peals were rung in memory of Carol Girling, with Plain Bob Minor rung at Tostock and another of Grandsire Triples today, this time at Stowmarket where she was such a big part of the ringing scene and her husband Winston was Tower Captain until recently. A clip of the ringing can be found on the Guild's Facebook page.

Sadly we weren't able to add to those figures with an attempt of more Grandsire Triples at Woodbridge this afternoon. This was to be in memory of Mike Tyler who rang here and at nearby Bredfield and who died just after Christmas. It had been initiated by the local ringers of the 25cwt eight, but I had been asked to complete the band and so we'd gathered in the tower with a good band to go for this, once Peter Mayer and I had managed to pull the tenor up! Appropriately the bells were half-muffled as they have been throughout Lent and we set off producing some pretty decent ringing for the crowds listening specifically to this (it was apparently announced in church this morning and was in this week's notices) and from outside the pubs and cafes on the Market Hill, but around halfway through the conductor noticed that the bells weren't in the right order and set it up. What went wrong exactly is unclear, but of course there was no point carrying on from that position and when after some scouring for compositions a subsequent restart floundered within minutes - as can often happen with restarts when the original attempt has gone a long way - we decided to call it a day and take advantage of the refreshments very generously laid on for us by local ringer Jackie Shipley in St Mary's House..

Disappointing as the lost quarter was, it was a part of what was still a very pleasant afternoon as I walked up to St Mary-the-Virgin church in the glorious sunshine that has become the norm recently and then back via the park where Alfie & Josh had been kindly invited to a birthday party (with a football theme of course!) and where I met up again with them and Ruthie.

The morning wasn't too bad either. Ringing at Ipswich Minster saw me ring the tenor to some Cambridge Surprise Maximus, the treble to call-changes on twelve (having only just about got out "treble's going, treble's gone" whilst nearly losing my voice partway through!) and finally right in the middle on the seventh for a touch of Stedman Cinques, before we retired to Costa Coffee for refreshment and then went on to Grundisburgh to ring there.

Numbers were much lower here, with only five ringing out as we arrived and then one of the ringers needed a bit of time out as they were clearly struggling, but in the end we managed Plain Bob Doubles and call-changes on six whilst Joshua bonded with Helen's granddaughter Lyla over ladybirds!

It was all very relaxed on a busy day of quarter-pealing in Suffolk!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Saturday 5th April 2025

Recent days have seen absolutely gorgeous weather. For all that the wind has been chilly, it has been dry, bright, sunny and - out of that wind and in the sunshine - really warm. Absolutely lovely conditions to be on the Felixstowe Peninsula at Falkenham. Much like the Shotley Peninsula I went to earlier in the week, this is surrounded by big towns, docks and busy dual carriageways and yet the village is a small rural idyll that feels miles from anywhere. This was where the South-East District was holding its monthly practice this morning with a focus on Grandsire on this light easy-going ground-floor six where there is plenty of room even in the small quaint church that the ringing chamber is a part of and outside with views down to the River Deben.

Hopefully plenty of members were taking advantage, but we were unable to on another Saturday of football, primarily Alfie's team's fixture which was on at the same time as the SE event and whilst we were sorry to miss the ringing we were also really pleased to be watching him and his teammates winning with another clean sheet in what he described as his best match so far this season.

Sadly Ipswich Town's latest Premier League fixture this afternoon didn't go quite so well as they lost at Portman Road to Wolverhampton Wanderers and thus pretty much finishes any realistic prospect of the Tractor Boys staying up this year with our visitors the team who are the worst of the rest above us and already quite a few points ahead even before proceedings just down the road from the six at St Matthew's.

Despite the depressing outcome of the actual footy it was yet another fun day out with the family and other ringers in those glorious conditions. Although mother-in-law and Ufford Ringing Master Kate Eagle couldn't make it today, once we'd had the usual pre-match food and drink in The Mermaid we met up with my brother and Norman Tower ringer Chris and then entered the Fanzone for a drink with Norwich ringer Simon Rudd.

Elsewhere in Suffolk meanwhile, it was another busy day of quarter-pealing in the county. Well done to North-West District Ringing Master Joshua Watkins on ringing his first blows of Queen Mary Surprise Minor (which is sixth-place King Edward, which in turn is Cambridge with a bell making places in thirds when the treble lays at the back at the half-lead rather than fifths, in a demonstration of how many Minor methods one can learn from just a handful of base methods) in the 1320 at Woolpit and on his first spliced as conductor with the 1272 of Bourne, Cambridge, Hull, Ipswich, Norfolk & Primrose Surprise Minor (in another good demonstration of my previous point!) at Euston, which also remembered Carol Girling. And there were QPs of St Clement's College Bob Minor and Beverley, Surfleet & York Surprise Minor spliced at Tostock and Troston respectively as well.

It was a lovely day for it too!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Friday 4th April 2025

It was a busy day for ringing in Suffolk, with four quarter-peals rung within our borders today by four completely separate bands.

Two were rung in memory of ringers lost recently, with the 1320 of London Surprise Minor at Tostock remembering Carol Girling and the 1260 of Plain Bob Doubles at Metfield dedicated to the former Tower Captain at the 9cwt six Bryan Wareham, but they also saw personal achievements. Well done to Lizzie Wood on ringing her first inside in the latter and to Andrea Alderton on ringing her first in the method in the former, whilst a 1344 of Cambridge Surprise Minor was rung at Earl Stonham and a 1263 of Stedman Triples at Elveden.

No ringing for us though, but we did spend our evening with ringers as we met our fellow Ipswich Minster ringers in the Halberd Inn ahead of a curry at our usual venue of Maharani on Norwich Road. Unusually we had Alfie and Josh with us, a combination of them now being well versed with curry etiquette and their usual child-sitter for such occasions being present as my mother Sally joined us. Less unusually though, we all had a superb night out (with the Culham-Munnings end of the table good value for company!) with good food, good service and good hospitality. Thank you to David Potts for organising and on making it having begun the day in Germany!

It was a busy day for him, even if just not from a ringing perspective!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Thursday 3rd April 2025

The lighter evenings really do feel like they give you more of the day and make such a positive difference. Gone are the days (until we put the clocks back at least) where it is dark when work finishes and makes one feel that the day is over and just passing time indoors, usually looking at screens. Evening practices now start in daylight and whilst Ruthie was out practicing with her choral colleagues I was able to play football with Josh in the garden. Lots of smiles and fresh air and not a screen in sight.

Ironic then that I find myself congratulating someone for a performance on Ringing Room, but it is worthy of mention on this blog as the 1344 of Yorkshire Surprise Major rung on the platform by a band featuring Suffolk Guild Treasurer Tim Hart was former St Mary-le-Tower Ringing Master Simon Rudd's 2000th quarter-peal as conductor. Of course they haven't all been rung on RR, but whilst it isn't everybody's cup of tea and wasn't universally popular even when we couldn't do ringing in any other way, personally I think it has been a wonderful innovation and although most have moved on, Simon, Tim and many others have continued using it as an outlet for progressing their ringing without having to spend time travelling the country to do it, so it is perhaps appropriate that he has reached this impressive landmark in this way.

There was ringing happening on real bells in the county today too though, as well as further congratulations to be imparted as the 1280 of Bristol Surprise Major at Horringer celebrated the birth of Sally Crouch's grandson, which all contributes to a very positive feeling day!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Wednesday 2nd April 2025

This is not a drill! The year is 2025 and Ipswich Town's men have won a Premier League match! Momentous as their victory in Bournemouth tonight was for us fans of the Tractor Boys, it was but a backdrop to my participation in the practice at Pettistree, which was unusual for more than just the Superblues winning.

Indeed on my arrival I was greeted by a tent covering the entrance through the west door straight into the ground-floor ringing chamber, which for the next four months is intended to be the way in rather than the usual through the south door and via the church. That is because the building is closed for replastering, but ringing is continuing as normal. We did have the unusual visit of my mother Sally who was mainly here for the socialising as she still isn't ringing and Rhonda and John who have recently moved into the area from Cambridgeshire and whose presence will hopefully become perfectly normal! And as soon as I eventually entered the ringing chamber following a group photo that was being taken outside our new entrance, I bonged behind to some Plain Bob Doubles, which is a rare opportunity. Nonetheless, despite the absence of two or three Surprise Minor ringing regulars, we also rang Cambridge, Norwich (which saw Gavin Edwards pulling a tenor in for the first time, so well done him!) and Surfleet before we retired to the Greyhound Inn for a drink very kindly bought for us by Mary Garner ahead of the anniversary of her birth tomorrow. Happy Birthday for tomorrow Mary, an event marked by the pre-practice quarter-peal, a presentation of a card to her and a rendition of Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday also to Brian Whiting, who celebrated his with a 1260 of Gainsborough Little Bob Major at The Barn Owl Ring in Norton, whilst on the same bells a 1250 of Cambridge Surprise Major was dedicated to Carol Girling. Carol was also remembered with the 1280 of London Surprise Major rung at Elveden and in Bacton a peal was rung on handbells for the Ely Diocesan Association in memory of Derek Sibson, a Past Master of the Cumberland Youths and someone I remember from the times I rang in his home county of Northamptonshire as a youngster when visiting my maternal grandparents.

Earlier in the day, I found myself at the Royal Hospital School in Holbrook, beneath the tower with a 21cwt five and the tower of Stutton with it's 11cwt six poking above the woodlands alongside the grounds where for the third year in a row Alfie had qualified to represent his school at the annual cross country festival here against pupils from primary schools across the south-east of Suffolk. As with previous years he also did really well, although his experience was sullied somewhat by being highly placed as he got to the final bend only to be pushed to the ground by another runner following a spot of jostling for position! Having despondently trudged the final few yards he was visibly upset which was sad to see and had hurt his ankle in the incident which meant that he couldn't go to football training this evening. Still, he can be really pleased with his efforts as he was still relatively highly placed at the finish.

Having taken the morning off to cheer him and his schoolmates, I had time either side of the event to explore the peninsula. Although hemmed in by dual carriageways, Ipswich and the ports of Felixstowe and Harwich, it is also bordered by the rivers Orwell and Stour, both of which were shimmering beautifully this morning and it is home to pretty villages and feels extremely isolated and rural. It is also somewhere that our family have strong roots. The churchyards are liberally sprinkled with gravestones with the Munnings name on and I believe my Grandad Jack used to cycle into Ipswich from Holbrook to ring at St Margaret's, but we don't come here often and so I took the chance to get some photos for the Guild website. On a gloriously sunny morning when the churches of our county were looking at there most wonderful, I got pictures of Chelmondiston and Freston, both of which are one-bell towers.

It was a pleasant way to start a day that ended so momentously.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Tuesday 1st April 2025

A notification for approval on the Suffolk Guild Facebook page today brought dreadful news as Cath Colman shared that her mother Carol Girling passed away overnight in her sleep. Our thoughts are with Cath, as well as Carol's husband Winston who she supported through all he has done for ringing in Stowmarket, the North-West District and the SGR, which is a lot. But Carol did a huge amount herself. She was a member of the BAC, the NW District Representative on the Recruitment & Training Committee and the Newsletter Editor, whilst also a very useful ringer. She was a regular quarter-peal ringer locally helping ringers near the beginning of their ringing progression and Pealbase shows she rang 92 peals from one of thirty-six Minor methods inside to the first peal of ten ringers. Above all else she was a lovely lady who is a sad loss for us ringers and of course her family, a number of whom are ringers.

It was a sombre note introduced to what had been a really upbeat day. The skies were clear, the sun was shining brightly and temperatures warm and being April Fools Day I had enjoyed hearing about the various pranks and jokes being played out. Such as the news that the Tide Mill in Woodbridge being painted a different colour and the peal of one-spliced at the fictional Much Groaning in Shropshire!

However, Ufford practice had to be cancelled due to one of the regulars having to take someone to hospital. Thankfully the patient was fine after being seen to, but as I've mentioned before the absence or addition of one or two ringers to towers like here can make the difference between a relatively expansive session including Triples and Surprise Minor and no session at all.

There was at least ringing at another Tuesday evening practice though, with the one at Offton preceded by a 1260 of Plain Bob Triples rung on the ground-floor eight and dedicated to Carol Girling, whose family was utmost in the thoughts of ringers, ourselves included.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Monday 31st March 2025

I have always felt uplifted going to St Mary-le-Tower on the first Monday night practice following the change of clocks, as it is usually the first evening of the year where I travel out to ringing in the daylight. So it was when I made my way to what is now Ipswich Minster for tonight's practice, my journey taking me through the beautiful Suffolk countryside coming to life and basking in the orange glow of the late evening sunshine and waited in a churchyard of blossoming trees for the piece in progress on my arrival to finish.

Very pleased I was too that I was there as we were missing quite a few Surprise Maximus regulars with the WhatsApp group busy beforehand with apologies from those unable to come due to coming back late from work, those still working, those ill and even those preparing a meal for the bellhangers they were hosting! We at least had the presence of my mother Sally for the first time for a few weeks, but she is still not allowed to ring, so we couldn't benefit from her skills on the end of a bellrope.

Nonetheless, Ringing Master David Potts was able to fashion a useful practice, with even a little indulgence thrown in as we rang a very enjoyable touch of Stedman Triples and Bristol Surprise Major spliced, appropriately enough following the marking of the thirty-fifth anniversary on Saturday of the first peal of spliced Cinques and Maximus. Most of the session was dedicated to ringing on ten and Hal's confusion over transposing numbers from twelve to ten, something that must be contagious as I started struggling with it too! Despite such issues we still managed a range that included Stedman Caters and Cambridge Surprise Royal before we rounded proceedings off with a couple of courses of Grandsire Cinques and a drink in the Halberd Inn.

Meanwhile earlier in the day, the Guild's quarter-peal ringing for the month was rounded off on handbells in Moats Tye with a 1296 of Little Bob Royal, an effort that hopefully also left the band feeling uplifted.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Sunday 30th March 2025

This morning began early.

Partly because of the lost hour with the clocks moving forward. Mainly though for two very important reasons.

One was to drop Mason off at Suffolk Rural - or Otley College as many of you will probably know it better - where he was volunteering to serve jacket potatoes at their spring family farm day, the other was of course for the boys and me to wake Ruthie with flowers, gifts and a cup of tea for Mother's Day. It was the very least we could do for a woman entirely worthy of a day like today and so I'm glad to say that it wasn't the only treat she got today as we ended up at Chestnut Tree Farm for a meal with not just my wife, but her mother and Ufford Ringing Master Kate and her mother Janet, as well as Ruthie's sister Clare and her girls and fiancé Chris. With Mason collected and pleasingly talking enthusiastically about his day, it was a nice occasion to celebrate the mothers of Ruthie's family.

Earlier in the afternoon we'd also celebrated the mother of my family as we visited my mum Sally for a cup of tea as well as bringing a card and gift for another mater deserving of the attention for all she has done for my brother Chris and me in raising us, supporting us and teaching us to ring!

And even earlier this morning Ruthie received flowers from the boys at church in Woodbridge where she was singing in the choir and which was preceded by me, Alfie & Josh joining the ringers upstairs so I could help them to ring on the front six of the half-muffled 25cwt eight. Or at least until the rope on the fourth slipped its wheel whilst the Ringing Master Bruce Wakefield was ringing it!

Meanwhile on BellBoard, Little Cornard's ringing for this morning's service was noted, as was a 1314 of Grandsire Caters at Stowmarket which was the first quarter-peal on all ten bells.

Stowmarket is also where last year's Guild AGM was held and is enough for me to tenuously link it to reminding readers of this year's AGM, which is due to be held in Debenham on Saturday 26th April. The AGM itself is just a small part of the day. In fact a really small part if the 2024 one is anything to go by, which was done and dusted in under forty minutes. Although I can't guarantee that it will be as quick this time, it is the strongest indication yet that the meetings that once dragged on for hours and hours and seemed to have understandably put people off attending are well and truly a thing of the past. Much that once filled those lengthy proceedings is dealt with as it happens, quickly and en masse through emails and social media, but whilst there is still some business to attend to on the day and even if you cannot bear to participate in this now short dose of democracy, there is so much else due to happen on that day to hopefully entice you along. Ringing at Debenham, as well as beforehand on the ground-floor five in the quaint neighbouring village of Winston, a hopefully joyful and usually also brief service, refreshments in Dove Cottage next to the church of St Mary Magdalene and beneath the sound of the lovely 21cwt ground-floor eight, a fantastic sounding spread at the meeting venue of the United Reform Church, much socialising with members from an organisation that stretches from Aldeburgh to Poslingford, Palgrave to Stutton and if every Guild AGM I've ever been to is anything to go by, a drink or two with a sizeable crowd in a local pub afterwards. Please do support this if you can and if you want a tea then book it by Tuesday 22nd April with South-East District Secretary Liz Christian.

Although the AGM and Easter mean that there isn't as much going on in the districts as is typical (with the North-East and South-West the ones missing out due to the vagaries of the moving liturgical calendar at this time of year), there is still ringing penciled in for April in the SGR with the South-East District due to be holding their monthly practice on Saturday on the very easy-going light six at Falkenham where Grandsire Doubles is the main focus but I imagine not the only focus. There is due to be an event in the NE with the Beccles 10-Bell Practice on the evening of Wednesday 9th, whilst twenty-four hours later a Surprise Major Practice is slated for Hollesley, the North-West District intends to hold their practice at The Norman Tower from 10am-noon on Saturday 12th and a Kaleidoscope Session is scheduled for Friday 25th between 7 and 9pm at Barham.

There may be some late nights and some more early mornings next month too.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Saturday 29th March 2025

At one point today, Ruthie said to me "I can't believe we've done so little but it's felt so rushed" as we raced to meet our next engagement.

She had a point. On this sunny spring Saturday, we only had two main things to go to, neither of which would be very long. In the morning Alfie and his teammates were playing a football match at home, something that wasn't expected to take more than an hour and a half out of our leisurely day. Then this afternoon we'd agreed to go along to Messy Church at St Mary's Church House in Woodbridge between 2 and 4. And at some point in between I needed to collect Mason, we had to get the click and collect shopping and I'd asked the boys to get a card and gift for their mum for tomorrow's Mother's Day, none of which was anticipated to take very long, still leaving plenty of time for a spot of lunch.

Things didn't quite pan out at that sedate pace though. Alfred's game was subject to all sorts of delays like injuries, drinks breaks on a warm morning and the retying of bootlaces and then when he discovered that friends were playing in the match kicking-off afterwards he was keen to stick around to cheer them on. With the sun shining and Josh enjoying a kickaround with other kids on the same park, it seemed a pity to take them away from this and back home where I imagine they would've instantly been glued to a screen.

However, that gave us much less time to squeeze those smaller tasks in before Messy Church. Having picked my eldest up though, we should still have had plenty of time to get shopping and gifts. Except I rather naively underestimated that on the day before Mother's Day everywhere within a mile of Tesco and its surrounding shops in Martlesham Heath would be completely gridlocked.

Eventually those tasks were completed, but it was very much lunch on the run as we dashed to St Mary's Church House, a route currently complicated and lengthened by a huge chunk of the town's one-way system being closed for several weeks. My wife and two youngest sons thrown out (not literally of course!) of the car outside our destination just in time, I scoured the area for somewhere to park (with the aforementioned road closure also reducing the available parking nearby) and spent the next couple of hours helping out at a really enjoyable event. Well, more like two and a half hours. In fact, once we'd helped clearing up, almost three hours before a message from my wife's sister Clare saying she was waiting outside our home to pick something up led to another frantic trip and that accurate comment from Mrs Munnings. After all was said and done, we eventually slumped on the settee to a relaxed Saturday evening after nine hours solid activity on our leisurely day!

Unsurprisingly on a day when we barely had the chance to breath there was no time for any ringing for us, but happily that wasn't the case for every ringer in Suffolk, especially the six who rang four quarter-peals in the county today. Well done to all those who rang their first blows of St Anne's Bob Triples in the 1344 rung at Coddenham, but especially to Juliet Griffiths for ringing her first of Grandsire Triples in the 1260 at Hollesley and congratulations to her & Sally Crouch on ringing their 25th QP together and to Neal Dodge & Joshua Watkins on ringing their 75th together in that success on the 16cwt eight. Juliet also rang her 50th in the medium with the forty-three minutes of St Clement's College Bob Minor at Clopton, so congratulations to her on that, whilst Cambridge Surprise & Plain Bob Minor were rung at Ashbocking in the other of the quarters. Meanwhile further afield, a peal of Stedman Cinques was rung for the SGR at Ossett in West Yorkshire in 3 hours and 31 minutes.

Although we were unable to do any ringing ourselves, we did find time this evening to read this week's edition of The Ringing World, which features the obituary of Essex ringer Jim Towler written by former Bures ringer John Loveless and also notice of the Guild AGM due to be held at Debenham on Saturday 26th April. God willing that will also be a busy day!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Friday 28th March 2025

There was ringing going on this evening at Earl Stonham with the South-East District Kaleidoscope Session on the gallery-ring six and hopefully it was well attended and useful to those there. These are an opportunity for those near the beginning of their ringing progression to get together and take advantage of the experience available throughout the district and so I hope that was the case on this occasion.

However, we were unable to make it as we were invited as a family to The Bull Inn on the Market Hill beneath the 25cwt eight of Woodbridge to celebrate the birthday of one of Ruthie's choral colleagues from St Mary the Virgin church. With the vicar the Reverend Nigel Prior also present and links to ringers in the choir, ringing did come up, including the open day the ringers are intending on holding soon.

Although there wasn't time to get across to that aforementioned SE practice from our early evening engagement, we were back home in time to enjoy a chilled evening with a drink and even a perusal of the draft minutes of the BAC meeting held at St Margaret's in Ipswich at the start of last month and which were shared to this website today.

With the usual caveat that they aren't exciting or meant to be and with a momentary pause to remember what we used to get up to on Friday nights instead of reading BAC reports, these again offered an insight to much that is going on across the Guild.

There is the usual mixture of bad news, good news and sort of in between. It is a pity for example to see that Cotton are now unringable once more. These are such a unique ring of bells due to being rung from a ringing chamber completely open to the elements and so much more could be made of them from a PR perspective as well as from the pure ringing benefits of a manageably weighted ground-floor eight, but I guess - as with anywhere - it needs local enthusiasm and motivation, which it seemed to have briefly when former SGR Secretary Carl Melville was the incumbent there. That certainly isn't a criticism of anyone as I don't know enough about the situation 'on the ground', but it is a shame.

On a more positive note though, it appears the project to install an eight at Hoxne continues to enjoy community support, with the bells waiting in storage at Blyth & Co in Nottinghamshire, whilst the in between bit is fulfilled by Blythburgh, where they are thinking of installing facilities at the bottom of the tower. As a result the ringing chamber would need to be moved from it's current position on the ground-floor to a new floor above, but when the technical advisors attended a site meeting with the architect it became clear that the initial plans didn't really leave enough space for the bells to be rung, so they advised as much. An example of how important it is for ringers and especially those with the expertise that BAC members have to be involved in such projects.

The biggest headline of the report though is that Alan Moult has resigned as the joint Technical Advisor after many years in the role. Fortunately Jed Flatters is remaining as the sole Technical Advisor and although Alan is also planning on relinquishing the post of Diocesan Bell Advisor in a couple of years time he intends to continue on the BAC. I can only reiterate the report's words of thanks for someone we as a Guild are very lucky to have, although I will go further and say how fortunate we are to have those willing and able to serve on the BAC generally. Thank you to them all, but on this occasion especially Alan.

And thank you to those willing to run events like tonight's Kaleidoscope Session at Earl Stonham.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Thursday 27th March 2025

I do enjoy a spot of history, I enjoy exploring the evolution of language and I love spending time with my sons, so I was in my element when I found myself in Alfie's class with our eldest for a 'Stay and Investigate' session on the Vikings that involved a quiz on what English words a list of Old Norse had evolved into! Although much to the shock of no one I'm sure, I was rubbish at weaving.

Elsewhere in Suffolk meanwhile, a handbell peal was being rung in Bacton for the Norwich Diocesan Association, but there was no ringing for anyone in our household today, bar me doing some more practicing of methods on Ringing Room whilst Ruthie was singing with her choral colleagues.

Another time where ringing opportunities on towerbells are limited is Holy Week, which is due to start on Monday 14th April. And as is usually the case at this time of year a debate has started up on the Bellringers Facebook page about the rights and wrongs of ringing during the week leading up to Easter. At one extreme it was suggested that we shouldn't be ringing during the whole of Lent (apart from Sundays which apparently aren't a part of Lent for those looking to indulge in whatever they've given up!), at the other towers continue to ring as normal. Someone believed that the actual period of mourning 'prohibiting' us from ringing is from Maundy Thursday through to Easter Sunday morning, which makes sense. Personally I'm with Norfolk ringer Steve Day who points out that hardly anyone walks past a church and wonders why the bells aren't ringing, but more would notice if they were ringing half-muffled, which might stand a greater chance of making the general public aware of Holy Week and it's importance.

Nonetheless, it doesn't vex me enough to push back against it and so therefore I intend to go with the flow. Whilst of the towers I go to there will be no ringing at Ipswich Minster on the Monday or Ufford on the Tuesday, there is a practice planned for Pettistree as usual on the Wednesday, but as the thread on Facebook highlights and as we see each year in Suffolk, different places have different customs that might include moving to ringing a mini-ring and/or handbells or having a social. Before you decide not to go to a tower because you don't believe they are ringing then do check that that is actually the case in case they're left short. Likewise, if you are planning on going then please contact them in case they are one of those not ringing or are going elsewhere to do something different.

As they would say in Old Norse, verðr viðbúinn.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Wednesday 26th March 2025

For the second day running a peal of Surprise Royal was rung for the Suffolk Guild beyond it's borders as following yesterday's 5040 of Cambridge at Gressenhall in Norfolk today saw the same number of changes rung at Tollesbury in Essex in a Yorkshire-above method named Newbury Town.

No peals for me on any number on this warm bright Wednesday, but I was preparing for one in some unfamiliar methods not rung by me for a while if at all, as I found myself on Ringing Room this evening doing some revision whilst Ruthie was out at Pettistree's weekly practice enjoying avoiding ringing Stedman Doubles amongst actually participating in various other bits such as Surfleet Surprise Minor during another apparently productive session rounded off with refreshment in the Greyhound Inn, all of which had been preceded by a quarter-peal of St Martin's & St Simon's Bob Minor.

A useful evening all round before I went to bed, wondering if there might be a peal of Surprise Royal for the Guild in Cambridgeshire tomorrow.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Tuesday 25th March 2025

What constitutes a successful practice can be open to conjecture. At this evening's Surprise Major Practice at Ufford I don't believe there was a single mistake-free piece, but I think it can be considered a success. Michael (who I've been mistakenly labelling as Martin!) who has recently returned to ringing at Hollesley not only did his first treble-dodging on eight for the first time in decades, but also rang inside to a couple of half-courses of Cambridge Surprise Major. Although Elaine Townsend hasn't been away from ringing at this level for the same amount of time, she too was returning to Surprise Major ringing after quite a while and also did well in the same method. Invaluable entry points back into this level. Hilary Stern was focusing on Lincolnshire and three leads of Bristol but was also given greater insight into course bells by the more experienced ringers there. Notes on striking were imparted and there was good ringing in amongst it all. Although we were a couple of experienced ringers short of attempting a touch of Stedman Triples and Bristol Surprise Major spliced which was mooted, generally speaking I thought it was productive, useful and therefore yes, successful.

Meanwhile other Guild members were indulging in Surprise of the Royal variety, as a peal of Cambridge was rung at Gressenhall north of the River Waveney with a sort of joint Norfolk-Suffolk effort on the 9cwt ten. And back within our borders more Lincolnshire Surprise Major was rung at Offton in a quarter-peal ahead of the weekly session there. Which they hopefully considered to be a successful practice.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Monday 24th March 2025

Having followed the National 12-bell Striking Contest qualifiers on social media on Saturday and got a report on the South-West District Practice at Polstead from my mother yesterday, it was great to receive the lowdown on the other of the main ringing events from the weekend, the North-East Essex Open Tower Day this evening from one of the organisers Gavin Edwards. Apparently around £1,800 has been raised directly from it towards the Little Bromley Bell Restoration Fund and Gavin had met lots of ringers of all ages and from lots of places, including the Garners from Suffolk.

Our conversation was carried out at this week's Ipswich Minster practice, once I'd got in after standing outside listening to what sounded a mammoth touch of Grandsire Cinques (but was probably only a couple of courses) that was nonetheless very enjoyable to listen to. However, I did do some ringing myself, including calling the bells to Tittums (172839405E6T) and back during call-changes on twelve and a couple of pieces of London (No.3) Surprise Royal, called for on a whim with not quite enough for Surprise Maximus as a few regulars were away. In fact so well did the London go there was talk of learning Newgate Surprise Maximus as the next natural step.

I felt we'd certainly earned our post-ringing refreshment in the Halberd Inn, where we caught the end of England's men's football match against Latvia on the TV and reflected on a successful weekend of ringing.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Sunday 23rd March 2025

We began our day listening to Falkenham bells, being rung by... well, us. As advertised, an extract from the piece that won Pettistree the Mitson Shield when the Guild 6-bell Striking Competitions were held on the lovely 5cwt ground-floor six last year was played on BBC Radio 4's 'Bells on Sunday' this morning.

It was a lovely way of starting a morning of ringing - for me at least - at Ipswich Minster and then Grundisburgh, where we had the same number of ringers at both. For the former that meant we very short, at the latter it was a bumper crowd! At both we made the most of it though. On Suffolk's heaviest twelve, call-changes were being rung on the front eight as the boys and I arrived, but we did ring three leads of Bristol Surprise Major on the back eight, Grandsire Caters and once David Lugg had left early to help out on the 10cwt six of St Matthew's across the town centre, some nicely rung Grandsire Triples on the light octave.

Having enjoyed refreshment in Costa Coffee, received a report on yesterday's successful sounding South-West District Practice at Polstead from my mother Sally who had gone along despite still not being able to ring and walked back to our car as the bells at St Margaret's were being rung up, we went to the county's lightest twelve where we rang some more Grandsire Triples and a couple of bits of rounds on ten, watched by a youthful bench of Alfie, Josh and Guild Chairman Mark Ogden's grandchildren.

My youngest two sons and I were back in the county this afternoon, this time for football at Portman Road. Not for the Tractor Boys, but rather the Tractor Girls who are doing rather better than their male counterparts this season. Indeed, as we sat in the lower tier of the Sir Bobby Robson stand that is usually out of bounds for the boys due to their young age we witnessed the first Ipswich Town victory of 2025 on this pitch as the women beat their visitors Plymouth Argyle to go top of the table in a very pleasant atmosphere created by over 10,000. God willing, whilst this was the first time we had watched them live, it won't be the last.

Ruthie wasn't with us though as she was singing with the Illuminati choir, watched by SGR Webmaster Chris Garner and his wife and Membership Secretary Mary at Hasketon. Whilst there my wife was able to see for the first time the facilities at the back of the church whose construction necessarily prevented access to the ground-floor six, but it does mean there is now a toilet in the church that will be just as useful for the ringers as churchgoers I imagine!

There wasn't any ringing on the bells on this occasion, but that wasn't the case elsewhere within our borders on a very busy day on Suffolk's bells as six quarter-peals were rung. Well done to Mark Ingledew on ringing his first of Stedman Cinques in the 1311 at The Norman Tower, to Juliet Griffiths on ringing her first of St Clement's College Bob Minor in what was the first QP on the 11cwt six at Rattlesden since the ringing chamber was moved upstairs and congratulations to David Steed on ringing his 2,250th in the medium with the 1272 of Norwich Surprise Minor at Tostock, whilst Henry VIII's sister Mary Tudor was remembered with a QP of Oxford Treble Bob Minor in Westhorpe, the village where she died in 1533 (has anyone booked the bells for a peal attempt on 25th June 2033 yet?!), whilst there was a 1320 of Cambridge Surprise Minor rung on the front six of the 16cwt ten at Mildenhall rung in memory of the former Tower Captain there Marion Turner who died on 4th March and a 1260 of Grandsire Doubles at Old Newton.

Meanwhile, my wife returned from what was apparently a concert well-received by a packed church, which was as lovely a way to end her day as listening to Falkenham bells was to start it.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Saturday 22nd March 2025

As I mentioned on Thursday, today was a busy day of ringing.

However, we couldn't make any of it on a day which highlights perfectly how our current circumstances can make getting to ringing events difficult and sometimes impossible. Even on a day like today when the boys' activities actually made up a relatively small percentage of our waking hours, beginning with Alfie keeping a clean sheet (not conceding any goals) in his team's football fixture in the morning and then Josh going to a footy-themed birthday party on my old stomping ground of Whitton Sports Centre where he kept four clean sheets and nearly scored a goal, before we ended our day with a great meal out at The Coach & Horses with our friends and near neighbours Verity and Jade to celebrate the former's birthday. All extremely enjoyable, but ultimately it left us no opportunity to join one of the three ringing events that we may otherwise have gone along to.

Hopefully the South-West District Practice at Polstead and the North-East Essex Tower Open Day both went well, but we were able keep up with proceedings of the National 12-bell Striking Contest qualifiers through social media and the competition's website. Leeds were pleased to be drawn to ring early, Birmingham and Norwich less so to be drawn late. Video of ringing outside Rotherham demonstrated a typically high standard of ringing. And the results were shared to the wider world almost immediately after they'd been announced, revealing pretty much what I had vaguely imagined would happen, apart from at Beverley. Not that past winners York and St Paul's Cathedral getting through is a surprise, but I have to admit that I envisaged that more recent regular finalists Leeds and Melbourne would finish in the top two. Especially the latter, with the 2025 final at St Mary Redcliffe in Bristol on Saturday 28th June due to be the first to not feature the Derbyshire team since 2008. Well done to Leeds and St Paul's, as well as to former Exning learner Jimmy Yeoman on qualifying with the Brummies and to the ASCYs, Cambridge, Exeter, Guildford and the Cumberlands on earning the right to join the hosts at the main event in the summer.

And we did find the opportunity to catch-up on other ringing stuff. Such as The Ringing World, the latest edition of which arrived with us today and includes a report on the leading quarter-peal conductors of 2024, featuring representation from our county in the form of Philip Gorrod and Brian Whiting, but first an unexpected treat discovered via my usual Saturday morning email from Ringing Forums. For under a thread on the subject of the recent strange article about the exercise in The Telegraph, South-East District Ringing Master Hal Meakin pointed people towards an interview he had done at Ipswich Minster on BBC Radio Suffolk 2 hours, 40 minutes and 36 seconds into about the new training bells. Something I had missed despite listening to Sarah Lilley's show on 13th March about the new training bells. Something I had missed despite listening to the show, although I miss chunks whilst making phone calls or on video meetings. A brilliant bit of PR though. There was even time for a spot of rabbit chasing following its escape from a nearby garden! Whilst it also didn't escape my notice that we have precisely a month to get our names in for tea at the Guild AGM due to take place in Debenham on Saturday 26th April.

Which God willing will also be a busy day of ringing.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Friday 21st March 2025

Fridays are usually quiet from a ringing perspective, in a normal week the only night of the working week where the boys and us are all together at home and we made the most of it by watching England's men's football team's first match under their new manager Thomas Tuchel on the TV and also the under-21s match involving Ipswich Town players having varying degrees of success. For Alfie and Josh in particular, it was the perfect evening! Indeed it was very pleasant for us all.

However, the closest we got to anything ringing related was the sound of bells ringing across the Yorkshire Dales from the depths of the 1970s as we watched an episode of the old version of All Creatures Great and Small, a reminder that even the most mundane ringing can be caught for posterity for decades and who knows centuries into the future. Make every piece as good as you can!

I'm sure that was the case with those who were actually ringing in Suffolk today, especially at Theberton and Tostock where quarter-peals were rung of Grandsire Doubles and Chadkirk Treble Bob Minor respectively. Well done to Paul Wetherell on ringing his first of Grandsire in the former and to Josephine Beever, Andrea Alderton, conductor & birthday girl Lesley Steed, her husband David, David Howe and Stephen Dawson on ringing their first in the method in the latter.

And congratulations to former Reydon learner Philip Moyse, who hot on the heels of ringing his 500th QP a few days ago rang his 300th peal in the 5120 of Humph Surprise Major rung today at Barrow Gurney in Somerset, sixteen years after his first one at his then home tower during the 2009 SGR Peal Week. Like his quarters, all his peals are on BellBoard too.

Great to see that not everybody's Fridays are quiet from a ringing perspective!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Thursday 20th March 2025

Hotter than Ibiza we were told. It was certainly the nicest day of weather here thus far this year and lovely for a lunchtime walk that took me nearly to the centre of Bromeswell and within sight of the village's church tower which is home to two bells swung chimed.

It was as adventurous as my day got, with my Thursday evening spent at home, as is the norm. Less typically, it was spent in the company of Ruthie as her singing voice has evaded her for the moment as she battles a cold and so she was unable to practice with her choral colleagues. Lovely as it was for me to have her there, it was a pity for my wife who so enjoys singing and unlike me who has been ringing, hasn't been out on any evening this week.

As per usual for this day of the week, there was no ringing for us, but there was elsewhere in Suffolk with belated and 'pre-emptive' birthday compliments paid to Sally Crouch and Lesley Steed respectively with a quarter-peal of Plain Bob Minor rung at Horringer. Happy Birthday Sally and Lesley!

And Saturday is due to be a busy day here and further afield. If all goes to plan, the National 12-bell Striking Contest qualifiers (rebranded this year from the admittedly more brutal sounding eliminators) will be taking place across the country, for the first time at four venues. Regrettably there is no entry from Ipswich this time, but there is East Anglian representation in the form of Cambridge and Norwich who are both scheduled to compete in Rotherham. It'll be interesting to see how the new format of the top two qualifying for the final rather than the top three as previously will effect the dynamics, but one expects that the former from just over the Cambridgeshire border should qualify, whilst the latter north of the River Waveney may be considered outsiders as they haven't qualified (although they competed in 2015 when they so superbly hosted) for the final since 2007. I imagine the other team to qualify for the final planned for St Mary Redcliffe in Bristol on Saturday 28th June from that group will be the College Youths, but I also imagine they'll be pushed hard by Oxford and Southwark. Perhaps too soon for Leicester in their first entry since 2006 and 2023 hosts Sheffield who have only entered in the last four competitions after a sizeable gap, but as we and Portsmouth showed in 2022 and last year respectively surprises are entirely possible!

Talking of Portsmouth, having hosted and qualified from our eliminator in 2024, they are planning on competing in Shrewsbury where serial winners Birmingham will be looking to regain the Taylor Trophy they lost last summer in Chilcompton and are favourites to top a qualifier where one of the judges is Katie Waterson, daughter of former Bramford ringer Christine Hill and niece of twice past Guild Ringing Master Stephen Pettman, both of whom have judged in the contest themselves. One imagines that Katie will be deciding (blind of course) between Portsmouth or 2019 winners Exeter to come in second behind the Brummies who have won the contest a staggering twenty-six times (including seventeen times this century of which I was privileged to have contributed to twice), although Towcester will be hoping to qualify for the first time in a decade for an event they quite regularly qualified for for a period or perhaps Hursley may finally make it after entering on and off but regularly since they first competed in 2008. Much like Leicester and Sheffield elsewhere it may be too soon for last year's hosts Chilcompton, whilst its a pity that Truro have had to pull out.

Meanwhile at St Mary's in Beverley the hosts may hope that home advantage will mitigate for inexperience as they make their debut in the contest, but will be unlikely to come above the other teams who have all previously qualified for multiple finals and in the case of St Paul's Cathedral and York who have won the whole thing. Going on more recent form though one imagines the top two places will be taken by Leeds and Melbourne, with the latter having been in the last fourteen finals, whilst Stockton will also hoping to be in the mix.

Finally, in Liverpool (mercifully on the 'light' 41cwt twelve of Our Lady and St Nicholas in Pier Head rather than the 82cwt ring at the Cathedral!), the holders the Cumberlands will be confident of qualifying from a fairly inexperienced group where only Guildford have any very recent participation in the final, but Worcester may push them having qualified in 2016 and on bells not too dissimilar in weight to their own Cathedral, but of course home advantage may give the hosts an extra chance and Reading could be dark horses. It would be a surprise if Chester or Cheltenham qualify with only seven entries between them before this year, but again surprises can happen!

There are further details of schedules and the like for each qualifier on the contest's website and if you are in the vicinity of any of them I would encourage you to go along and take it all in. It is a real festival of ringing and socialising, but if you can't make any of these or Bristol in the summer it is worth noting that the final in 2027 is lined up to be held at The Norman Tower!

Closer to home but still just beyond our borders, the North-East Essex Open Day ought to be a fun occasion, with the beauty being you can do as little or as much as you wish, in the process meeting all sorts of people as everyone goes around at their own pace. One of those who has been organising this is Gavin Edwards who has been hugely supportive of ringing this side of the River Stour, so it would be great for there to be Suffolk representation!

However, if you are unable to go on that or are happy to just do the morning (and there are six available before noon) then please do support the South-West District Practice at Polstead between 3-4.30pm which should be an invaluable opportunity for those near the beginning of their ringing progression, so long as there is enough experienced help on hand.

It would also an absolutely wonderful place to be if the weather is hotter than Ibiza!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Wednesday 19th March 2025

Pettistree's ringers are due to appear on BBC Radio 4's 'Bells on Sunday' again with an appearance penciled in for the weekend. This time it is from our winning piece at last year's Mitson Shield at Falkenham. As is usually the case and thanks to Mike Cowling there is a longer recording on the tower's page on this website, alongside the superb piece that won Bardwell the Lester Brett Call-Change Trophy at the same event.

Some of the band whose ringing is scheduled to be listened to by thousands worldwide were on home turf this evening for the weekly practice, including myself once I'd squeezed in Alfie's football training first. A useful session with a big crowd saw much managed in the dimness of the church, with lightbulbs removed ahead of some planned work in the building over the coming weeks. And all to a typically high standard that wouldn't be out of place on the airwaves. Although Alnwick started badly with the fourth ringer realising after a couple of false starts that they were actually trying to ring Surfleet! Nonetheless, once that misunderstanding was ironed out, Hilary Stearn was able to cross off 'A' as she endeavours to ring an A-Z of the 'standard' forty-one Surprise Minor methods. Or A-Y, as there isn't a method in the forty-one that begins with the letter Z.

Later, Surfleet was also rung (amongst much joking that the aforementioned ringer would try to ring Alnwick!), as well as London and some spliced Minor on a productive night preceded with a quarter-peal of Double Oxford Bob Minor and followed by a drink by the candlelight of the Greyhound Inn, as we continued our evening of dim lighting!

It all rounded off a nice night out for the stars of BBC Radio 4...

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Tuesday 18th March 2025

I was really pleased with my lunchtime walk today as on the way out it took me past Melton Old Church and on the way back in sight of Bromeswell's church tower and as far as Lower Ufford and within sight of the church that where the 13cwt eight hang.

A few hours later, I was back there to ring on them during the weekly session which was particularly productive, especially for Margaret who trebled to Cambridge Surprise Minor and rang inside to a 120 of Grandsire Doubles and Mary who rang Plain Hunt on Six, whilst we also rang call-changes on eight and a touch of Grandsire Triples.

Elsewhere in Suffolk a quarter-peal of Cambridge & Yorkshire Surprise Major spliced was rung on the 8cwt ground-floor eight of Offton ahead of a practice that my mother Sally was intending on joining following a chat I had on the phone to her to see how she was getting on, although she still isn't ringing. Additionally, that 1312 wasn't the only performance of the day on the county's bells as a peal of Bristol Surprise Major was rung at Horringer for the seventieth birthday of Richard Knight by a band of Cumberland Youths from across East Anglia and most deserving he is of the celebration. Richard is one of the stalwarts of the Guild without whom it would struggle to function. A vital part of the South-West District of which he is currently the Ringing Master, he has served on the GMC and is always willing to travel distance to help ring in peals if he is able, including the occasional Ipswich Town peal! Happy Birthday Richard!

Meanwhile I came across more reading material on the art today. In fact one I discovered during the course of my work as an article on one of our websites was celebrating the bell ringing club at King's School Rochester in Kent, which takes place at the Cathedral where we visited on last year's Rambling Ringers Tour.

And later on I read a piece that is more fantastic PR from Dickson Love and St James Garlickhythe in London. Both bits are well worth a read and I'm glad I found the time to do so on a busy day of work, phone calls, ringing and long walks!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Monday 17th March 2025

The latest edition of The Ringing World arrived with us this morning and includes amongst much typically interesting content an excellent report on the recent George W Pipe 12 Bell Competition at Bishop's Stortford written by Anne Sloan, part of the team that hosted us so superbly at the 15cwt twelve and next door at The Windhill Churches' Centre on a memorable day.

Come this evening and I was at a place very close to George's heart, St Mary-le-Tower. Or Ipswich Minster as it is now of course. I hope he would be pleased with how we're taking the strong history of twelve-bell ringing forward here, but it has to be said that tonight's practice was a mixed bag. Sue Williamson and myself on the trebles were sent to the sinbin for an untidy bit of Plain Hunt on Eleven which then saw some better Plain Hunt on Nine before we were reintroduced for some much improved Plain Hunt on Eleven. Yorkshire Surprise Maximus didn't go very well at all in the first bit of ringing I did after arriving, but a second go at it later saw some really good ringing, albeit disrupted briefly by a couple of blow-ups. For some Little Bob Maximus I stood behind Peter Davies and there was some reasonable Stedman Cinques, whilst the session was rounded off with a quick plain course of Erin Cinques on an eclectic and productive night of ringing.

We'd certainly earned post-ringing refreshment, as many did in the Halberd Inn where I had a lovely chat with Diana Pipe about Hilda Snowden. Hilda died in 2002 and her active years in the exercise seem to have been before my time in the art, but her name is very familiar to me and there is a biography for her on the Central Council website. She was well known for being a super tenor ringer and indeed was - according to that biography - at twenty-three years old the youngest lady at the time to pull in a tenor over a ton when she rang the 21cwt eighth at Great Dunmow in her native Essex to a 5024 of Bristol Surprise Major in 1939 and during our conversation over a beer Di was reminiscing about how skillfully she pulled the 25cwt tenor at Woodbridge in to a 5088 of Yorkshire Surprise Major in 1954. As well as Hilda's need for a cuppa during the racing about of an open tower day! It was fascinating to hear some in depth firsthand memories of someone who has largely just been a famous name to me up until now.

In fact, with that, this evening's ringing and The Ringing World, there's been much to read about and listen to today.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Sunday 16th March 2025

Five years ago today, we were told to stop ringing as coronavirus began taking a grip on the UK. Things were already changing. Events were being cancelled and sport put on hold. The full lockdown wasn't announced until a week later which is when British society generally considers the moment life changed. But it was Monday 16th March 2020 that sticks out most vividly in my mind.

Bellringing is the main thing in my life apart from my family and friends, many of whom I owe to ringing. I enjoy seeing people, going to places and the exercise was then and is now my main outlet for that, so I was devastated to lose it, especially once the novelty of the situation wore off. Even then I thought it might only be for a few weeks or months, but once we'd rung the bells down at that final poignant practice at St Mary-le-Tower on the same night as the government announcement it was over a year before I touched bellropes again and nearly eighteen months until we could do full unfettered ringing. At times there were fears that it would be years before we would be back. What was once considered completely normal felt like a dream and I pray that we never take the freedom to get out to ringing wherever we like, with whoever we like and with as many as we like is never taken for granted again.

For all that this dreadful period felt never-ending, it did eventually end and mercifully this 16th March was entirely free and normal as I rang some Stedman Doubles on the front six and call-changes on the eight of Woodbridge half-muffled for Lent before the boys and I went downstairs to attend the worship that followed. Even the simple pleasure of tea and biscuits after that are a freedom taken away from us precisely half a decade ago and with that anniversary in mind felt that extra bit more pleasurable today.

Not that I did anything much this afternoon that we couldn't do back at the depths of the lockdowns, but Ruthie was out and about singing with the Jubilate Singers for Evensong at an apparently packed church in Tattingstone. Although sadly there was no ringing, so she was deprived of the unique sound of the 10cwt six there.

My primary viewing this afternoon was of the League Cup Final between Liverpool and Newcastle United (just two of the many teams we have watched in person soundly beat Ipswich Town this season) on the TV, but I also got to watch a brilliant video on YouTube that featured two ringers from Suffolk. It is 22 minutes and 50 seconds of tremendous coverage from St James Garlickhythe in London that covers lots of ground which is excellently explained by Dickon Love - as you would expect - without getting bogged down in technicalities and showcases ringing on the 9cwt eight rung by a diverse band of many ages, including former Great Baron ringer Alex Tatlow (who incidentally yesterday conducted a quarter-peal of Bristol Surprise Maximus at another of the rings mentioned St Magnus the Martyr) and Guild PR Officer and North-West District Chairman Neal Dodge.

And on the radio I listened to an interview twenty-three minutes into 'Broadcasting House' on BBC Radio Four with a young ringer called Thomas who was at All Hallows in Twickenham whilst what sounded like the front six of the 18cwt ten were rung in the background in another good bit of publicity for the exercise. Both pieces are well worth sparing the time to take in.

Perhaps many of the county's ringers were already doing just that as there were no quarters or peals rung within our borders noted on BellBoard today, but someone who learnt to ring here was ringing his 500th quarter-peal and in impressive style, as Philip Moyse pulled in the 50cwt tenor at St Mary Redcliffe in Bristol to a 1282 of Cambridge Surprise Royal. He has come a long way from his first at what was then his home tower of Reydon when he trebled to a 1260 of Grandsire & Plain Bob Doubles in 2007. Congratulations Philip, whose five hundred are all on BB!

It is all a lot more positive than this time five years ago.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Saturday 15th March 2025

This morning's Surprise Major Practice at Debenham is a timely reminder that it is precisely six weeks until the Suffolk Guild AGM is due to be held there.

Of course the actual AGM is only a small part of a day of activity that - if all goes to plan - will start with a peal at Stonham Aspal for a number. For others a quarter-peal at Coddenham, Framlingham, Stowmarket or Worlingworth. Some may begin it at Winston where the plan is for open ringing from 11.30am-1pm. Others could choose to head straight to the lovely 21cwt ground-floor eight to ring there from 1.30-2.45pm ahead of 3pm service. Not obligation to attend obviously, but an important reminder of why we have the opportunity to ring bells in such beautiful locations.

Then just a few minutes walk through this village of half-timbered and multicoloured ancient cottages, shops and pubs in the depth of our rural county to the United Reform Church for the tea and then the meeting.

And I imagine many will end up in either The Lion or The Woolpack for post-ringing refreshment. That's the beauty of the day. You can do as much or as little of the day as you wish, but your presence would be greatly appreciated, however much of it you can make.

We were unable to go along to the aforementioned octave this morning, as not unusually football took over our Saturday, with varying degrees of success. Mainly it was Alfie and his teammates winning their match on the other side of Ipswich that prevented us joining in with some Bristol and Double Dublin Surprise Major, even without the logistics of then getting into the county town to watch it's professional men's footy team lose it's latest Premier League match.

As ever, much like the Guild AGM day it wasn't just about the reason that took us there though. Alfred and I met the rest of our household in the usual haunt of The Mermaid for dinner, along with Ruthie's sister's fiancé Chris and her mother and Ufford Ringing Master Kate Eagle and where we were also met by my brother and Bury St Edmunds ringer Chris.

No Simon Rudd before kick-off as he was coming straight from conducting the peal of Cambridge Surprise Maximus at The Norman Tower, where Norfolk ringers Stephen Rabong was ringing his first of Maximus. Well done Stephen! We did eventually meet him at half-time though, by which point the Tractor Boys were already 3-0 down against our visitors Nottingham Forest and Simon was perhaps wishing that he'd stayed for a post-peal drink with his bandmates on another dismal day for us Ipswich Town fans.

Hopefully 26th April at Debenham for Guild AGM Day will be a better day for us.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Friday 14th March 2025

It's been a quiet week of ringing in Suffolk on the BellBoard front with just a handbell peal for the Norwich Diocesan Association and a couple of quarters since Sunday, compared to eight QPs and a Guild peal across the corresponding period last week. And so it continued today, with nothing from within our borders noted on BB.

Nor were we helping with those figures today, but for those who are interested and could make it, things could be different on Thursday 3rd April. This is when the DAC Bell Advisers Conference is due to be held in Leeds and which I came across today on the Central Council's website. At an important time with churches - where of course the vast majority of our ringing is carried out - closing down there will be many interested in this I'm sure and if you are it is important to note that it isn't only open to DAC members. Anyone is welcome. And if you do go along, the programme is slated to feature Suffolk connections with SGR Chairman Mark Ogden booked to speak, as is Deborah Thorley whose father the late Martin Thorley was Guild Ringing Master from 1981 to 1983.

All being well it should be an interesting occasion and busier than Suffolk's BellBoard output of this week!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Thursday 13th March 2025

As is typical for a Thursday there was no ringing for Ruthie or me, but the exercise was still occupying my time this evening whilst Mrs Munnings was out singing with her choral colleagues.

There is the organising of a peal for a start, but also trying to work out the logistics of ringing in two quarter-peals on the same day as one of the boys has been invited to a party. Although the discovery tonight that one of those quarters has been cancelled eases that challenge!

I was also intrigued by Suffolk Guild Ringing Master Katharine Salter's request on the SGR's Facebook page for anyone with a background in App design as she would like to explore the idea of using one to help coordinate extra support for practice nights. If you are skilled in that area then please do contact Katharine.

And in between all of that I was adding some more photos to The George W Pipe 12 Bell Competition FB page, this time taken by some of the Bishop Stortford ringers which are due to accompany the report in The Ringing World.

Elsewhere in the county meanwhile, a peal was rung for the NDA on handbells in Bacton, whilst a quarter-peal of Lessness Surprise Major was successful at Horringer. Well done to Alan Moult on ringing his first in the method.

Plenty of ringing in action, as well as in thought.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Wednesday 12th March 2025

After neither of us could go along last week, once I'd returned home from Alfie's football training, Ruthie was able to represent our household at Pettistree's practice this evening. Like many places we could do with more ringers to get numbers back up, but this ground-floor six remains a place that attracts those who want to progress their Surprise Minor ringing in particular and tonight showed again why that is as my wife reported ringing Alnwick, London and Surfleet. All done in a sociable atmosphere that continued on to the Greyhound Inn for post-ringing refreshment that rounded off a night that began with a quarter-peal of Cambridge Surprise Minor.

I imagine it is activity that they will be hoping to participate in at Drinkstone soon, where the new six there are now up in the tower as demonstrated by a photo that Suffolk Guild Ringing Master Katharine Salter shared on the SGR Facebook page. They're not finished yet, but it is another landmark in the project, so well done to all concerned.

God willing both Ruthie and I will be able to ring on them in the near future.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Tuesday 11th March 2025

We've been a little unfortunate with numbers at Ufford on Tuesday nights in recent weeks, to the extent that a number of practices have had to be cancelled due to a lack of those numbers.

However, numbers weren't a problem this evening, helped by the presence for the first time of Martin, a ringer who has recently moved to Hollesley, although he used to ring in Suffolk. He was a welcome and useful addition, good at standing behind people and able to ring Cambridge Surprise Minor really well considering he reckoned he hadn't rung it for about thirty years! And he was able to witness the belated awarding of Mary Garner's Monthly Plate from Elaine Townsend to Peter Harper which had been awarded to him at the recent Pettistree Dinner but which Elaine - the previous holder - had forgotten to bring along on the night!

Martin and others present tonight may be interested in Saturday morning's planned Surprise Major Practice at Debenham, where the focus is intended to be Bristol and Double Dublin Surprise Major, but where I expect there will also be opportunities for ringing methods like Cambridge and Yorkshire. These do need people to go along and support them and that they are being held on different days is aimed at making them as accessible as possible, so if you can then please do support it.

Whilst on the subject of focus practices, for those looking to progress their Stedman and Surprise on ten and twelve The Norman Tower are looking to hold their advanced practice on Thursday night. I'm sure they'll appreciate the numbers, as we would at Ufford!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Monday 10th March 2025

I was welcomed to Ipswich Minster tonight by the sound of the back bells booming over the town centre, a lit doorway cutting through the darkness of the bottom of the tower and at the top of the stairs by a man carrying a guitar case. Not an easy task on those stairs!

We sometimes get visitors off the street here and they often seem to be the worse for wear from drink and/or drugs, but are usually not nasty, as was the case on this occasion. However, although we never like to turn people away, it can be distracting as we try to keep an eye on them, lest they do something that inadvertently puts them or us in danger, such as trying to step into the rope circle while we are ringing.

There was none of that this evening though, as he patiently sat there, looking up in awe as non-ringing visitors typically do and so whilst he was there and after he left we were able to get on with our ringing. In fact, our biggest challenge this evening was lack of numbers, especially of the more experienced. I counted at least seven Surprise Maximus ringers who could be considered regulars who were away for reasons like recovery from operations, work and stag dos and so unlike last Monday when we rang spliced Surprise Max, this week the theme was more like Plain Hunt which was useful for Gavin Edwards, Erin Caters for Claire Haynes, Grandsire Caters for Sonia Docherty to treble to (very ably with no one standing behind her) and Cambridge Surprise Royal for David Lugg to ring inside to, whilst before I arrived Ivan Culham apparently also did well with some Cambridge Surprise Major. Lots of endeavour and focus led superbly by Hal Meakin (with Ringing Master David Potts one of those absent tonight), but also much humour. Hal's muddled attempts to designate bells to ringers saw me asked to ring behind to the Cambridge Royal whilst also asking Paul Bray to ring the eleventh (try working out elevenths place Royal!) and James Smith got the Pied Piper effect down to a tee when he rang the treble (or the third of the twelve!) and was surrounded by people wanting to watch him!

That jovial atmosphere continued on into the Halberd Inn, where despite the low attendance in the ringing chamber there was still a double-figure turnout for the post-ringing refreshment, completing a lovely evening out that began with that welcome.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Sunday 9th March 2025

With the anniversary of her birth approaching later in the week, we paid my father Alan's sister Marian a visit this afternoon.

Much was discussed, including the passing of Max Page, as announced in this week's edition of The Ringing World. It mentioned that he was a ringer from Ipswich and had been Secretary of the Suffolk Guild, but he wasn't familiar to me and I couldn't find him in the list of former SGR Secretaries. However, I wondered if my aunty would remember him and it transpired that she did and was able to fill in some more details, such as that he rang at St Lawrence and eventually moved to Switzerland. My curiosity aroused, later in the day I found myself doing some light research on him and discovered that although he wasn't a Guild Secretary, he was listed in the 1951 report as the Secretary of the Ipswich District, whilst he rang in seventy peals, including sixty for the SGR, three with my Grandad Jack and conducting Neville Whittell's first. He certainly left his mark on ringing locally and I'm pleased to have found out more about him. I imagine there are others with memories of him and I expect will be - as Aunty Marian was - sad to hear of his death.

Our visit was preceded by our morning's activities, which for Ruthie was singing at St Mary-the-Virgin church in Woodbridge where the bells are now half-muffled for Lent, whilst the boys and I were doing our biweekly ringing circuit, starting with Ipswich Minster where I was thrust straight into calling some call-changes on twelve for Chris Birkby's first ringing at his home tower since injury stopped him before Christmas, as his careful recovery continued on a morning when we also rang some well-rung Stedman Cinques.

Talking of recoveries, it was nice that my mother Sally met us all after ringing as she continues hers. Unable to ring, she was still able to join us in Costa Coffee for refreshment, where it is great to hear that the training bells are already being used and earning money.

From there we made our way to Grundisburgh where another decent turnout enabled some Grandsire Triples and rounds on ten.

And after our family visiting, we took advantage of the glorious weather (before it is apparently due to get cold again from tomorrow) by going down to the local park for a game of football with Alfie & Josh and then retired with a drink outside The Coach & Horses.

Throughout all of that, other of Suffolk's ringers were ringing elsewhere in the county. The same band rang a brace of 1260s, one of Doubles at Pakenham and one of Minor at Troston, whilst at Aldeburgh the monthly second-Sunday peal was rung of Floccinaucinihilipilification Surprise Major. A first for all the band and the Guild, but not the first time it has been rung in the county, as it was rung by a visiting band to a quarter-peal at Fressingfield in 2019, when I noted that Floccinaucinihilipilification is an "action or habit of estimating something as worthless." Well done to Mary Dunbavin, Mary Garner, Jed Flatters, Mark Ogden, Mike Cowling, Tom Scase, Richard Rapior and conductor Alan Mayle, who hopefully didn't come away from their 2 hours and 55 minutes of ringing with a sense of floccinaucinihilipilification!

It may also give us something to chat about with Aunty Marian on any future visit.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Saturday 8th March 2025

This week's issue of The Ringing World arrived this morning and was one of the most interesting reads for some time personally and I think probably for a lot of Suffolk ringers.

For example, there is a fantastic article by David Brown about the seventy consecutive Christmas Eve peals rung at Long Stratton just over the Norfolk border which has featured many ringers from our county and was for many years organised by twice past Guild Ringing Master David Salter.

Further along in the edition, Bures ringer Evelyn Reeve was remembered with an obituary written by SGR Public Relations Officer Neal Dodge with help from former Guild Peal Secretary Christine Knight and John Loveless, who learnt to ring on the 21cwt anticlockwise eight. Alongside that, North-East District Ringing Master Philip Gorrod had written an obituary about Sonia 'Sonic' Tucker, who he'd rung with in Winchester and we'd met once or twice on the treasure hunts he and Maggie used to host, but who sadly died tragically young last year.

Meanwhile the death of former Ipswich ringer Max Page at the age of 90 was announced on p203.

On a happier note though, there are several names from within our borders that appear in the report by Editor Will Bosworth - who spoke at the Guild's Centenary Dinner two years ago - about those who rang over a hundred quarter-peals in 2024.

There is further reading material about the exercise in The Telegraph, although it is going in from an unusual angle. Primarily it focuses on the decline in peal-ringing. It is something I believe needs reversing if at all possible, a vital element of ringing to hold the interest of ringers, something to aspire to, but not - I imagine - something that grabs the attention of non-ringers as much as elements they could relate to such as striking competitions and outings for example. Also, I'm not convinced we want to be pushing the "we're desperate for recruits" headline as much as we ought to shout about what the art can offer people. Still, here's hoping that the "all publicity is good publicity" adage is true!

There were examples of just a fraction of what it can offer here in Suffolk today. Photos by Claire Whiting from the North-East District Practice at Wingfield were very kindly shared on the SGR Facebook page, whilst from earlier in the day those who are friends with Barking ringer Phil Day will have seen a couple from the North-West District Practice at Gislingham.

We couldn't feasibly make either though, with Alfie playing for his football team in the morning and then going swimming as his classmate's guest at their sister's birthday party this afternoon.

Further afield there was another handbell peal from the path of Cyclone Alfred in Brisbane, but the big ringing occasion of this glorious spring day was the marriage of Alan Reading and Lucy Warren at Yatton in Somerset, an occasion marked by peals across the country, mostly to compositions of the groom's and including one at the venue beforehand conducted by him. Alan has rung eleven peals for the Suffolk Guild - conducting ten of them - over the last fourteen years and Lucy three, with the latest for both being the 5008 of Double Norwich Court Bob Major rung at Aldeburgh in November 2023 and they have ringing friends from here, so I'm sure I'm not alone in wishing them all the best from this part of the world on their big day.

God willing we'll read about it in a future issue of The Ringing World.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Friday 7th March 2025

Having written off the the ASCY Country Meeting Tour of Australia off yesterday, I was pleased to see that a handbell peal was rung today, by four members presumably hunkered down in Royal on the Park Hotel in Brisbane whilst they awaited Cyclone Alfred!

Also featuring on BellBoard today and in much more tranquil circumstances were two quarter-peals rung in Suffolk, as a 1280 of Kent Treble Bob Royal was rung in hand in Hasketon and a 1320 of British Scholars' Pleasure Treble Bob Minor at Tostock. Well done to Andrea Alderton, David Steed, Lesley Steed, Maureen Gardiner, David Howe and conductor Stephen Dawson on ringing their first in the method in the latter.

The closest we got to ringing though was Ruthie bumping into Mike Whitby in Woodbridge taking photographs. I expect some may appear on the Facebook profile he set up for his many wonderful photos (separate from his personal account) and which of course pictures taken whilst on his ringing adventures. Well worth following if you aren't already.

Otherwise though, it was a typically quiet Friday for us from a ringing perspective, hunkering down at home with a mercifully more placid Alfred!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Thursday 6th March 2025

World Book Day saw the boys off to school and their mother to work dressed for the occasion.

Nothing as exciting for me, although I am currently reading 'Notes From The Green Man' (the pub in question being one I knew very well when I lived in Tunstall!) and former Ipswich Town footballer Jason Dozzell's autobiography. And we have got a couple of ringing books on our shelves with The Core Seven and Beyond by Simon Linford and George Pipe's biography Shake my hand and I'll show you the ropes by John Loveless, both of which I would highly recommend if you haven't already read them.

No actual ringing for me today though for the usual Thursday night reasons, but others in Suffolk were with a 1269 of Grandsire Doubles rung on the 11cwt ground-floor six at Chediston.

And the College Youths Country Meeting Tour in Australia continued with a peal of Cambridge Surprise Maximus at Brisbane Cathedral. However, with Cyclone Alfred approaching the area it appears that might be the last ringing of the visit. This peal was brought forward before "the biggest cyclone in a generation" makes landfall and apparently others in the forthcoming days have had to be cancelled.

It is a sorry way for what sounds like has been a hugely successful trip, but I guess it'll leave them with a bit more time for reading.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Wednesday 5th March 2025

It is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent.

Most immediately that meant we couldn't get out to any ringing as Ruthie was singing at St Mary-the-Virgin church in Woodbridge, whilst once I'd returned from Alfie's football training I was at home getting the boys to bed on this school night.

Longer term though, it is due to end with Holy Week when a lot of towers cancel their practices, so it is worth checking before heading out to any ringing, lest you have a wasted journey or somewhere that is still ringing misses out on your presence! Then God willing the Easter weekend will hear church bells ringing out joyfully and the following Saturday the Suffolk Guild AGM is due to be held at Debenham, with a lot planned that means it is more than just a business meeting. And if the weather is anywhere near as nice as today (when my lunchtime walk saw me briefly lost on the Ufford Park golf course but was also the first time this year I'd left the house for any great period without my coat!) then it should make the day even nicer in such a beautiful part of the county. Please do get names for tea to South-East District Secretary Liz Christian by Tuesday 22nd April.

Meanwhile in the here and now, George Pipe was remembered five years after his passing with a 1312 of St Clement's College Bob Major at The Barn Owl Ring in Norton, which was one of the two quarter-peals rung there on this sunny day with the other being a 1260 of Erin Triples.

They weren't the only quarters rung in the county today either, with a 1272 of Norwich Surprise Minor rung before the practice at Pettistree, where they don't seem to have suffered from our absence on this Ash Wednesday.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Tuesday 4th March 2025

No Ufford practice this evening as a large proportion of the regular band were involved in a pancake event on this Shrove Tuesday.

Pity as it was for there to be no ringing tonight, it did at least give us plenty of time as a family to enjoy some pancakes ourselves, complete with fruit, chocolate spread, syrup and even ice cream in a rare spot of indulgence.

There was ringing elsewhere in Suffolk though, with the weekly session at Offton preceded as it often is with a quarter-peal on the 8cwt ground-floor eight, which on this occasion was a 1260 of Plain Bob Triples. And I imagine there will have been other Tuesday night practices at places such as Bramford, Debenham, Halesworth and Woodbridge.

Further afield other ringers from the county were also ringing, with Bardwell Ringing Master Ruth Suggett conducting a 1344 of Cornwall Surprise Major at North Lopham in Norfolk that fellow North-West District member Martin Kirk also rang in.

Nothing else within our borders was noted on BellBoard though. Perhaps they were all making pancakes too.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Monday 3rd March 2025

I had a dilemma this evening. As Ipswich Town's men's FA Cup match away to Nottingham Forest was being broadcast on ITV and therefore available for us to watch at home, I had been tempted to stay at home to view it. For all the woes of ITFC this season, watching them with Ruthie and the boys is still a joyful thing to do, a collective family experience we rarely get at any other time.

However, it was of course also practice night at Ipswich Minster and especially knowing a number were travelling from the west of Suffolk to help ensure that we could attempt Lincolnshire Surprise Maximus, I felt it wouldn't be a good look if a regular from ten miles away chose to sit in front of the television instead of coming in to help out! Which would I choose?

In the end I got the best of both worlds and I'm glad I decided to travel to the county's heaviest twelve tonight as there was some tremendous ringing. Despite myself and another on the trebles inexplicably swapping in a plain course of Erin Cinques (which was spotted very quickly to much amusement but allowed to continue until a "magic single" at the end as it was still going alright), we rang some really good Stedman Cinques, Cambridge Surprise Maximus, Lincolnshire Surprise Maximus and the two of those spliced with Yorkshire, in between keeping up with proceedings from the East Midlands. And with the session finishing a few minutes early it allowed me to get home to not only catch the end of the ninety minutes, but with the score finishing 1-1 also the extra-time and then with no further goals the penalty shoot out too. Sadly that ended with defeat, but logistics for me personally couldn't have worked out much better.

Earlier in the day it was lovely to see a peal of Otley Surprise Major successfully rung at Grundisburgh in memory of Tony Soames. Although not a ringer himself, as conductor Stephen Pettman says in the footnote Tony drove and provided coaches for numerous ringing outings and Stephen's ringing trips to Italy over the years, so it is nice that he has been remembered by ringers.

That 5088 wasn't the only success from within our borders today to be noted on BellBoard though, with a quarter-peal of Little Bob Royal rung on handbells in Moats Tye.

I don't imagine that presented the band with any dilemmas!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Sunday 2nd March 2025

Our morning was very foody.

Breakfast as you might expect. Then chocolates kindly given by the Woodbridge ringers to Alfie & Josh for their patience whilst I rang. Not surprisingly pancakes with junior church for the boys with Shrove Tuesday due to happen in two days time. The usual post-service biscuits in St Mary's House. And unexpectedly nibbles and a glass of fizzy for the choristers and their hangers on like me and our sons, laid on as a thank you.

I did get some ringing done at the aforementioned tower before the brothers received their sweets as we rang all eight, which isn't always possible. On such a bright and sunny spring morning (and it is now metrological spring so that's good enough for me!) the spectacular view from the tenor box and down the River Deben was particularly lovely!

Elsewhere there was more ringing, as you would expect on a Sunday. In fact it was a busy day in the exercise in Suffolk with four quarter-peals rung within our borders. One of those was at Pettistree where a 1260 of Doubles was rung to welcome the Reverend Charlotte Wallington for her first service and which pairs up nicely with one rung on Thursday on the other ring of bells under her care at Wickham Market. Meanwhile at The Norman Tower another member of the clergy was being welcomed with a quarter-peal as a 1296 of St Simon's Bob Caters was rung for the commissioning of Acting Bishop Graeme Knowles, whilst at Halesworth the QP of Plain Bob Triples was rung as farewell to the retiring Reverend Gini Williams. And although the quarter at Rougham wasn't rung for any clergy, it did see Sally Veal ring her most methods inside. Well done Sally!

It's all enough to make me feel quite hungry again though, so I'm off to eat something else.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Saturday 1st March 2025

Our waking hours today were divided into three distinct sections - football in the morning, family visit in the afternoon and ringing in the evening.

The footy was Alfie's team and despite defeat was a pleasant way to spend a morning in pleasant conditions.

Our family visit was to my Mum Sally who as a birthday present earlier this week had cataract surgery. It means she can't get out and about as much as she usually does as she needs to wait until she can drive again and she can't pull, meaning she isn't able to ring of course, so we thought we would pop over to see how she's getting on. Which is fine as it turns out, with neighbours helping her with shopping and the like and her eye recovering well. God willing she'll be back in ringing chambers soon.

For now though she was unusually not present at the South-East District Practice at Grundisburgh tonight. We were though, as were a lot of others I'm delighted to say. At any one time the ringing room was packed whilst there was a crowd down in the church enjoying the refreshments very kindly laid on by local ringers Joanna Crowe and David & Gill Twissell. Fantastic to see so many from across the district of a wide range of ages at all stages of ringing progression and as usual the young and enthusiastic Ringing Master Hal Meakin fashioned a suitable practice from all of that as he used the experienced twelve-bell ringers to help those less experienced on these numbers and indeed many who were ringing on twelve for the first time. Although perhaps with a few more regular twelve-bell ringers we may have given it a go, ultimately this wasn't a night for Surprise Maximus. Although I did learn that the change with internal pairs swapped (132547698E0T) is called 'Priory' on a useful night!

Well done to Stephen 'Podge' Christian on ringing his first blows of Lincolnshire Surprise Major in the quarter-peal afterwards. With Ruthie and her mother Kate ringing in that 1344 and Mrs Eagle having given our household a lift out, the boys and I retired to The Dog for a few drinks along with a big crowd that got bigger as the quarter-pealers joined us following their successful efforts.

We thoroughly enjoyed what was a good old fashioned convivial ringing night out and catching up with friends longstanding and new. Such as the Henley ringers who are still enthusiastically continuing to practice at Barham whilst their home bells are out of action due to cracks and falling masonry on the tower. Or exciting family news from Mervyn & Tracey Scase. And that Hal remembered when Queen Victoria died...

Even amongst our busy day we had the chance to read the latest edition of The Ringing World which arrived with us this morning and featured an article about the BUSCR 70th Anniversary Dinner by Stephen Stanford - brother of Clopton Ringing Master David - and another by former Suffolk ringer John Loveless about Worcestershire ringer Michael Fellows, fifty years after his death at a young age. By all accounts he was an incredibly talented ringer who was sadly gone long before I began ringing in the UK's second city, but I did ring fifteen peals with his brother Martin (which could've been about double that as we frequently met one short when he organised them!) who was also a decent ringer, so this was of great interest to me.

There was much done that should appear in a future edition, including the QP of Plain Bob Triples at Fornham St Martin which was Jill Apter's first on eight. Well done Jill! Also worthy of note from (just) beyond our borders is the 18720 at Willingham in Cambridgeshire of the 'standard' 147 Treble Dodging Minor methods with all the inside bells ringing every bit of all the methods, or 'all the work' (ATW). Pretty standard for the band I expect, but still phenomenal.

And it took about the same amount of time as roughly two-thirds of our day!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Friday 28th February 2025

Whilst it was difficult not to watch the political car crash taking place across the Atlantic in the Oval Office between Presidents Zelenskyy and Trump, I was trying to guide my attentions again to Australia, where the College Youths Country Meeting visit continued with Suffolk residents among those ringing a peal at Sydney Cathedral and four quarter-peals. What has been nice to see on this trip is that it hasn't been fancy peals and showing off, although there has been some impressive stuff. Local ringers Inga Griffiths-Hunt and Tracey Gunningham have benefitted from their visitors for example, the former on Wednesday with her first of Stedman in the 1260 of the Triples variation at Geelong and of Yorkshire Surprise in the 1250 of the Major version at Melbourne Cathedral, the latter yesterday with her first of Minor in the quarter-peal of Plain Bob at Wangaratta Cathedral.

Meanwhile, it was the Right Reverend Martin Seeley's last day as Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich and therefore as President of the Suffolk Guild. Although there was no ringing for him today he has been a supporter of bells and of course spoke at the SGR's Centenary Dinner in 2023, so I'm sure I am not alone amongst our membership in wishing him well in his retirement.

Although it's sad that his final day has been overshadowed by those astonishing events in Washington.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Thursday 27th February 2025

There was a Surprise Major Practice at Framlingham this evening, a continuation of the bimonthly sessions organised by South-East District Ringing Master Hal Making on Friday nights last year, but now intended to be monthly and held at different times of the week to allow as many people as possible to join, with the next one intended to be held at Debenham on the morning of Saturday15th March.

That is a great idea, but unfortunately on this occasion it meant Ruthie and I couldn't make it as my wife was practicing with her choral colleagues and being a school night I was at home with the boys.

Hopefully it went well, as it seems other Major ringing elsewhere in Suffolk went as was presumably the first quarter-peal of Black Bourn Bob was rung with the 1312 at Ixworth, whilst on six the Ladies Guild remembered Past National President of the Guild and Norfolk ringer Theo Crowder with a 1260 of Plain Bob Doubles rung at Redgrave.

Meanwhile, whilst on my evening in I got to catch a short but interesting video on Facebook from The Churches Conservation Trust filmed from Croome D'Abitot in Worcestershire whilst yesterday's peal there was rung.

I wonder if there was any video from Framlingham to make up for missing out!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Wednesday 26th February 2025

Happy Birthday to my mother Sally, a generous soul willing to give time and support to family, friends and ringers wherever she can. I've often said that ringing could do with more like her, with her willingness to travel out to ringing practices and events across the local area, the county and often beyond and the depth of her ringing teaching knowledge.

I am blessed to be able to see her regularly at Ipswich Minster ringing, but I was also able to speak to her on the phone today following Alfie's football training and ahead of Ruthie going out to Pettistree's weekly practice, a session preceded with a quarter-peal of Thelwall Bob Minor and followed by some - including my wife - retiring to the Greyhound Inn for refreshment, all whilst the boys and I listened to Ipswich Town's latest depressing Premier League loss on the radio. In between there was apparently a typically eclectic repertoire of methods from Grandsire Doubles & Plain Bob Minor to Ipswich & Surfleet Surprise Minor and some spliced.

Meanwhile there was great news on the SGR Facebook page from Drinkstone where their new six has arrived and will be blessed and on view on Sunday before being hung in the coming weeks and Bardwell where Sue & Loretta were receiving their Guild membership certificates, whilst not far away from either tower a peal of James Smith construction Cooktown Orchid Delight Major was rung at Horringer where Alan Mayle and Simon Rudd completed circling the tower to peals and just over the Cambridgeshire border in Willingham, former St Mary-le-Tower Ringing Master Colin Salter was ringing his first handbell peal on eight with the 5040 of Stedman Triples with Henry, David & Cecilia Pipe.

Well done Colin, congratulations Alan, Simon, Loretta and Sue and Happy Birthday Mum!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Tuesday 25th February 2025

This evening didn't go to plan as we met six for the monthly Surprise Major practice at Ufford. Still, the journey wasn't entirely wasted as 360 changes of Cambridge Surprise Minor and then some spliced Cambridge & Ipswich Surprise Minor were rung. Hopefully more will come out for the South-East District Surprise Major Practice planned for this Thursday night at Framlingham. And the Kaleidoscope Session due to be held at Otley from 7 to 9pm on Friday for that matter.

For today though, some of Suffolk's ringers were busy ringing in Norfolk, with representation from our county in the quarter-peal at Pulham Market and peal at King's Lynn.

I assume they went to plan.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Monday 24th February 2025

There was quantity and quality at Ipswich Minster's weekly practice this evening. Over twenty were present at varying stages of ringing progression, which meant that whilst we rang stuff for those easing into higher number method ringing such as Erin and Grandsire, there was also Surprise Max of the Cambridge and Yorkshire varieties and a couple of pieces of Stedman Cinques and whilst one of those touches of the latter principle was especially well rung there was generally a high standard of ringing. We were helped by the visit of Neil Pasmore, a Writtle ringer who added to our north Essex contingent that included Paul Bray whose reflexes in staying right in Stedman offered some amusement in a typically jovial but focused atmosphere.

That continued on to the Halberd Inn where I treated my mother Sally to a drink and packet of crisps ahead of the anniversary of her birth on Wednesday (I know, I know, such generosity!) and those in attendance impulsively organised a band spring curry!

Meanwhile, mention was made by South-East District Ringing Master Hal Meakin of this Saturday's practice planned for Grundisburgh between 6 and 8pm. It goes without saying that with twelve bells we need lots of people, including those experienced on higher numbers, but it is also a fantastic opportunity for those less experienced on these numbers at a venue less daunting than Suffolk's two heavier twelves may appear. This is for you all!

Hopefully there will be quantity and quality there too!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Sunday 23rd February 2025

Halesworth ringer Jason Busby had an exciting morning. Partway through the service he was leading at St Mary's he suddenly had to attend to a heater on fire in the church! All caught on the live stream and all dealt with so quickly that the worship was able to continue.

It certainly put my morning in the shade, although it was still productive and with the boys in tow very pleasant too.

We made it to Ipswich Minster in time to ring some Grandsire Caters, call changes on ten and Cambridge Surprise Royal before refreshment at Costa Coffee, where it was nice to hear about a successful South-West District Practice at Kersey from my mother Sally who went along.

Hopefully the next one due to be held at Polstead on Saturday 22nd March will be equally well attended.

That is intended to be the last of another packed month of events in Suffolk, with a Surprise Major Practice planned for a week earlier at Debenham, whilst a further seven days prior to that is slated to be a busy day with first the North-West District Practice and short business meeting at Gislingham in the morning and then the North-East District's Ringing Meeting at Wingfield in the afternoon. And most immediately the South-East District's Practice is pencilled in for six days time from 6-8pm at Grundisburgh.

Which is where I was to round off my morning's ringing and where for no reason other than lazy convenience I didn't ring any bell other than the eighth of the county's lightest twelve throughout the various pieces of ringing from call-changes on eight to Plain Bob Doubles.

That was it for my ringing for the day, but there was more ringing going on elsewhere within our borders. At the tower where I'd earlier finished my day's ringing, well done to Anna White on ringing her first quarter-peal of Grandsire and to her and Max Meeson on ringing their first on ten in the 1259 of the Caters version, whilst there was also a 1260 of Cambridge Surprise, Single Oxford & Plain Bob Minor rung at Rougham and Happy Birthday to Pat Lees.

All great to see, but not as exciting as Jason Busby's morning!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Saturday 22nd February 2025

Football was the bumper filling of our day, but it was liberally seasoned with ringing connections and sandwiched with chunky slices of content about the exercise.

Indeed when we awoke, a peal had already been rung Down Under at Adelaide Cathedral by the College Youths and video of its ending shared on the Bellringers Facebook page. The usual Saturday morning email from Ringing Forums came through, directing me to subjects as diverse as Ringing 2030, bookstalls and job descriptions for ringing jobs. This week's edition of The Ringing World arrived with us with further analysis of peal ringing by Pealbase founder Andrew Craddock (apparently Richard is one of the leading names of peal-ringers since 2000, with myself being one of 243) and news of updates to Dove's Guide including the addition of the unringable three at Cavenham, north-west of Bury St Edmunds. And the day was rounded off by viewing some typically mesmerising handbell ringing from the Henry Johnson Dinner in Birmingham.

In between, I watched Alfie and his teammates win their match before we caught the train into Ipswich to join the rest of our household in The Mermaid after they had caught an earlier train with our usual driver Kate taking full advantage of the hospitality from an executive box at Portman Road. This was our first pre-match visit to this venue since its recent refurbishment and it was a typically enjoyable place for us (and especially the boys) to enjoy food, despite or because of constantly being brought drinks we hadn't ordered!

Again, it wasn't just us three ringers present at the game afterwards. With Mrs Eagle safely ensconced in her box enjoying the good life, the rest of our party met as we usually do with Norwich ringer Simon Rudd, fresh from his team's victory a week ago at Bishop's Stortford in The George W Pipe 12 Bell Competition and impressively making it to the Fanzone for a drink with us after massive issues on the trains from his way this afternoon.

Sadly the match again was the only downside, albeit again watching some of the best players around on Suffolk soil as Tottenham Hotspur beat us 4-1, but otherwise it was a tasty filling complementing the ringing slices of our day's sandwich.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Friday 21st February 2025

The President of the Suffolk Guild of Ringers was interviewed on the local BBC radio station this morning. Of course that wasn't an actual ringer, but rather the Right Reverend Martin Seeley as he prepares to retire as Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich and therefore from the aforementioned role of the SGR. Just at the end of his interview with Sarah Lilley (which begins at 1 hour, 37 minutes and 35 seconds into her show) there was a mention of bells as the story is recounted of when the only way he could dedicate some bells was from below with a super-soaker! I do recall hearing it before, but can't remember where it was. I'm sure someone will though!

Meanwhile, members of the organisation he is president of were busy ringing on both sides of the county, with a 1320 of King Edward and a 1272 of Bourne Surprise Minor rung at Tostock and Wissett respectively. Well done to David Howe on ringing his first in the method in the former and Erika Clarke and Chrissie Pickup on doing the same in the latter.

It was a quieter day from a ringing perspective for us though. And I suppose there may well be quieter days ahead for our President too.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Thursday 20th February 2025

The College Youths Country Meeting in Australia continues, having moved from Perth to Adelaide, with performances in the latter area yesterday and today.

The Cumberland Youths visit to The Tulloch Ringing Centre continues, with a trio of peals rung there twenty-fours ago followed up by a peal and a quarter-peal on this February Thursday.

A visit to Lundy with a group featuring Suffolk ringers past and present continues, with now three peals and three quarters rung.

No ringing for us though as Ruthie was choral practicing, the closest we got being watching the familiar bellringing episode of Midsomer Murders on a relaxed evening in.

Meanwhile, if you are a young ringer or know a young ringer, it is worth looking at the interim Young Ringers Hub, particularly if you feel you could help them out in any way at all. And hopefully help young ringers to make the most of the endless opportunities that ringing offers, much like those in Australia, Tulloch and on Lundy.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Wednesday 19th February 2025

There is now a Facebook page for the George W Pipe 12 Bell Competition. I know this, as with the permission of instigator and organiser Ian Culham, I have set it up! Ian is unable to get onto FB anymore and therefore has been unable to maintain the original page and so there was no longer a reference point for what has become a huge event, which seemed a big pity. Therefore, between finishing work and going out to Pettistree, whilst cooking tea I created the page, added a photo of the winning Norwich band and some of my own from the day and invited those from my friends list who I could recall ringing in the competition and attending, plus others like PR Officers and Ringing World editors that it might be of interest to, but I would welcome anyone who is interested in joining the page, so do take a look and let others know about it! Additionally, there are apparently plans for a website, so watch this space!

It is hopefully a positive bit of news to join two other bits of positive news involving Suffolk's ringers and bells today. Congratulations to Clare ringer Alan Mayle who today rang the tenor to a peal for the 1000th time in the 5040 at Inworth in Essex, only the 33rd ringer to reach that landmark according to Pealbase. It points to a ringer that can be relied upon to ring the tenor to a peal, a vital bell in a peal, who sets the pace of a performance and can make or break a peal.

Some of those peals were rung at The Wolery in Ipswich, a once very familiar name in the peal columns of the Guild and indeed for myself, but which haven't been pealed for exactly five years to the day. At the time it was a fairly unextraordinary event, just one of the useful monthly efforts at this venue, but obviously the pandemic put paid to meeting up to ring these from the following month and by the time we were allowed to gather together again David Salter was very ill and sadly died not long after. It was wonderful therefore to see that today the first peal on the bells since 19th February 2020 was rung, appropriately to one of David's compositions called by his son Colin and with a band full of friends, family and people who have rung many on these bells previously. Congratulations to Abby Antrobus on ringing her 50th peal and to conductor Colin on ringing his 500th in the medium.

Ruthie and I were very kindly invited to ring, but these days Alfie's football training means that we couldn't commit to this, which made it all the more frustrating that in the end that this was cancelled, albeit entirely understandably due to a lack of numbers. It isn't just ringing that can struggle on this front! Still, at least we had the evening completely free to go to the weekly practice on the aforementioned ground-floor six as a family and enabled Ruthie and me to contribute to a couple of courses of Westminster Surprise Minor (with my wife and me calling one each), Norwich and Bourne, as well as Plain Bob of the Doubles and Minor varieties and Grandsire. And an entertaining touch of St Clement's College Bob Minor where for the benefit of the watching Julie Brown, SGR Chairman Mark Ogden on the treble was asked to call out when he was leading, which was also very useful for the more lazy of us to know when to dodge!

A session that was preceded by a quarter-peal of Ipswich Surprise Minor was followed by a sizeable crowd - including us - to the Greyhound Inn next door where they had very kindly saved us a table alongside one for the local ping-pong group and where topics of conversation included the appearance of the village's bells on BBC Radio 4's 'Bells on Sunday' over the weekend and the Facebook page that has appeared for the George W Pipe 12 Bell Competition.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Tuesday 18th February 2025

We've had a run of bad luck in recent weeks at Ufford with getting the numbers for the weekly practice and that continued tonight. Like so many places I suspect, the numbers are on a knife edge. One or two extra on top of the regular core and we can do quite a lot, even up to Surprise Major, but if a couple of the usuals can't make it then Ringing Master Kate Eagle can't justify bringing people from across the area (sadly there is no one from the village currently ringing) for what wouldn't be a particularly useful or worthwhile experience. It can't be helped with illness, holidays and life in general, but it meant that for the fourth Tuesday evening running we were at home, albeit that is a very happy alternative, especially during this half-term when the usual routine is a bit more flexible and we get to spend a bit more time with the boys.

It looks like they were having better luck at Offton though, at least judging by what was presumably a pre-practice quarter-peal of Plain Bob Triples on the 8cwt ground-floor eight, with another QP under young Elizabeth Goodchild's belt a big positive.

Meanwhile, some important dates for Ipswich Minster ringing that were imparted at last night's practice were shared via email to us Minster ringers today, but may be of interest to a wider ringing audience to varying degrees. One is that on Monday 14th April we are planning our annual spring clean during Holy Week, followed by our AGM, so please don't turn up that week! More generally, as with every year I urge you to check before you do or don't go to a practice that week, as most places won't be ringing but many will intend to. On Sunday 25th May the training bells are due to be blessed during the 10.30am service and so the hope is to get as many of our regulars along to that as possible, but of course anyone is welcome. However, the main event of interest for other ringers though is the Open Day to formally launch the training bells, which is slated for Saturday 14th June between 1-4pm and for existing ringers to come along and take a look.

Hopefully we'll have better luck with that than we have had with practices at Ufford recently.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Monday 17th February 2025

A couple of landmarks were mentioned on the local BBC radio station this morning. One is that it is 100 days until the Suffolk Show is due to open, the other that it is 80 days until the 80th anniversary of VE Day. It is a long time since the Guild had any official presence at the former unfortunately, but the latter is an important (perhaps never more so than currently) occasion to mark and again mention of the bells was made when plans for 8th May were spoken about. More information can be found on the CCCBR's website, but it would be great if the county's ringers could respond as magnificently as they have done for previous big national events such as Queen Elizabeth II's jubilees and King Charles III's coronation.

There is much going on in the exercise currently too, with a quarter-peal rung on the ground-floor six of Easton - where incidentally it is planned to hold the South-East District Striking Competitions on Saturday 7th June - in memory of Brandeston ringer John Garrett and having mentioned the ringing that has been going on in Australia for the College Youths and continues, the Cumberland Youths have also been on a trip. Maybe not quite as far as they are 'just' in Scotland, but they have been doing some pretty impressive stuff too. Yesterday they rang the longest peal of ORABS - Orion Surprise, Rigel Surprise, Avon Delight, Bristol Surprise and Strathclyde Surprise Maximus spliced - at the Tulloch Ringing Centre and today at the same venue they rang the first peal of Orion Maximus (the principle rather than the aforementioned Surprise method) rung outside of St Philip's Cathedral in Birmingham and for good measure David Pipe's 'Classic' composition of six Maximus methods.

Nothing quite as complex as that for us, but after missing last week's practice at Ipswich Minster it was great to return tonight and with Ruthie and the boys with me! It is half-term and the boys are at the age now that during the school holidays at least an early bedtime isn't quite so crucial, which opens up the opportunity for both of their parents to go ringing together, even if it means we can't go to the Halberd Inn as it understandably - as a full-on town centre drinkers pub - won't let children in after 8pm. It did allow us to contribute to a session that included a couple of nicely rung touches of Stedman Cinques and a pretty decent bit of Cambridge Surprise Maximus as we welcomed Cambridge ringers Lynne Hughes and Barry Johnson.

It was all a nice evening out, but there was nothing worthy of mention on the local BBC radio station.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Sunday 16th February 2025

Today the ringing community woke to news of an astonishing complaint from Leicestershire, where a resident has complained about the 16cwt eight of Hugglescote ringing so early on a Sunday morning - at 9.30am! Even putting aside that us ringers are maybe more used to earlier starts on the Sabbath morn to much of the general public, 9.30 doesn't really seem that early in a society when probably most people will be up and about by 7/7.30am for school-runs and work throughout the rest of the week. And when the main point of bells is famously to ring on a Sunday morning, I find it staggering that anyone would live next door to a church with a bell tower and complain about them for ringing on a Sunday. It's not even as if they seem to have put up with lots of extra ringing, with no quarter-peal here noted on BellBoard for over two years and the last recorded peal being back in 2019.

Despite my slightly dismissive tone though, I hope that rather than getting into a "ding-dong" with local residents over this, the ringers are able to engage with those living nearby to raise awareness and understanding of our wonderful art. As is usually the case with such incidents it appears the support - or at the very least general apathy - of residents far outweighs the small number of vocal complainants and its worth noting that considering the number of towers that must ring on a Sunday morning alone (never mind the rest of the time) and often much earlier than at Hugglescote that there are so few complaints about change-ringing, but we really shouldn't be complacent. None of us wants to upset our neighbours and so we always ought to be looking at ways to maintain good relations with them. Get to know them, invite them along, hold open events, be involved in the community, even if it is just supporting the village pub after practice night and although I really feel that bells should be able to ring out for morning worship as they were designed, more towers need to consider sound control to allow for extra ringing like training, outings, quarters and peals to help ringers and ringing to progress and thrive without disturbing people nearby.

I found myself ringing at the apparently unseemly hour of 9.30 this morning as I rang at Woodbridge where I rang the second to some Grandsire Doubles that after a shaky start improved, with Robin Townley on the tenor behind on the front six doing really well by the end, whilst my Godson young Jonathan occupied himself playing with the rope of the downed tenor of the eight as his mother Susanne watched over him. That was it from a ringing perspective for today for me though as Ruthie went to Raydon south of Hadleigh where there are no bells hung for change-ringing, as she made her latest outing singing for the Jubilate Singers at the Evensong there, but other ringers in Suffolk were still ringing as a quarter-peal was rung on the front six at Stowmarket for the Afternoon Tea event being held for the Organ Restoration Fund and was hopefully being rung late enough in the day for the local residents.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Saturday 15th February 2025

Six days after travelling over to Bishop's Stortford to practice for the George W Pipe 12-bell Striking Competition, we made the same journey to participate in the contest itself. And what an occasion it has become. When it first began in 2018, it was competed for by four teams and only open to bands from the twelve-bell towers of Essex and Suffolk, both of which needed a shot in the arm from a twelve-bell perspective. The results were announced in a chapel in a corner of the vast cathedral, sparsely populated by a decent but relatively small crowd. Even that exceeded my expectations. At the time, I was only aware of regular twelve-bell ringing in Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich and a seemingly struggling scene in Chelmsford, but everything has to begin somewhere and the inaugural outing of this fledgling competition was rightly considered a success. Despite still being in its infancy when the pandemic hit though, it has grown to such an extent that when rounding proceedings off today, the organiser and instigator of this event Ian Culham requested help with the organisation of a competition that he has been arranging on his own ever since he started it seven years ago.

Such a plea is understandable on the basis of the behemoth of an event it was today, as a record number of seven teams from four counties - including for the first time Hertfordshire where we were today - competed for a trophy that had only been won by teams from within our borders until Norwich added Norfolk to what is now a list of victorious counties today. As Ian spoke, he was addressing a packed hall in The Windhill Churches' Centre beneath the tower and spire of St Michael's where Waltham Abbey, Norwich, Saffron Walden, Chelmsford, the hosts, The Norman Tower and finally us had rung the same touch of Erin Cinques across a day of a high standard of ringing. Even Waltham Abbey who came seventh were only 18 percentage points behind the winners from north of the River Waveney, which I think is quite close across a whole field of teams. Quite apart from the eighty-four competitors, there were numerous hangers on and interested attendees including a decent smattering of youth amongst the many familiar faces, a lot of whom found themselves watching the live feed from the bells and ringing chamber.

Across the participants the spirit of the competition was in evidence too, with opportunities given to a number of ringers who had never competed in a twelve-bell striking competition, including for us with George Heath-Collins and David Lugg. George only began ringing two or three years ago, whilst David has only been ringing on twelve with us regularly over the last year or so and even then his job means that he can't always make it on Monday nights, so that they were both able to ring in a piece of ringing on twelve of this quality is hugely impressive. Well done to them and to all who competed today, especially our friends from Norwich.

Well done and thank you also to the judges Ian Bushell and Jadd Virji who delivered kind and constructive comments and managed to pick a winner from a top three separated by only three percentage points and most of all to Ian for his organisation of today and the locals for their superb hosting. It was a great day and wonderful to people like former Guild Treasurer Gordon Slack, his son Jonathan who was one of my young ringing peers in Suffolk and in turn his son Jamie who is apparently also learning to ring. So many chats with so many people from across the eastern region.

That wasn't end of our activities for this cold February day though, as following a tense return home listening to Ipswich Town holding on for a 1-1 draw at Champions League participants Aston Villa despite only having ten players for most of the match after a sending off, we then walked in the snow to The Wilford Bridge where we were met by Mason, Alfie and Josh after their Granny Kate had generously taken them there following a day of looking after the younger two brothers whilst we competed in Hertfordshire.

The main reason we were at one of our local pubs tonight though was for the annual Pettistree Ringers' 'Christmas' Dinner, this time kindly arranged by Chris McArthur. A couple of long tables were full of more of the ringing friends we are blessed to have, enjoying fantastic company, some really nice food and drink and speeches by Mary Garner and Mike Whitby, with Mary's 'Monthly' Plate deservedly awarded to Peter Harper. Or at least it will be when last year's winner Elaine Townsend brings it from home! Well done Peter!

Meanwhile on the other side of the world, the first performances of the ASCY's Country Meeting in Australia were being rung, even featuring ringers from our county. As a College Youth and someone who transformed ringing in the antipodes I imagine the late, great George Pipe would be absolutely delighted that this event has started so successfully.

And I expect he would feel likewise about how successful the competition that bears his name has become.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Friday 14th February 2025

Valentine's Day is never an occasion Ruthie and I have ever gone overboard on, as much as we love each other of course. The odd meal out here and there and the occasional gift, but normally it's been spent as we did today, with cards exchanged and cooking a meal that isn't just convenient. Nice, but not extravagant, although it is notable that the 14th February is one of the sixty-five dates I haven't rung a peal on yet!

Peals were the big topic in this week's edition of The Ringing World which arrived with us this morning with Andrew Craddock - who runs the superb Pealbase and spoke at the Guild's 90th Anniversary Dinner in 2013 - analysing 2024's peal totals with former Central Council President Simon Linford, Sheffield University ringer Hanna Booth and former Bures learner and Master of the Cumberland Youths John Loveless invited to offer their thoughts. It really is fascinating reading, even if you aren't a peal-ringer. Personally I believe the art needs all its elements to be at their best, whether that's outings, practices, quarters striking competitions or indeed peals. They are frowned upon by some as selfish and indulgent, but they offer something aspirational to those who want to fully take advantage of what the exercise offers and along with the other aspects mentioned retain the interest of so many. So that numbers of peals and ringers ringing them have been falling has been a worry for some time and only exagerated by the pandemic. However, much like the numbers for the SGR, there seems to be an encouraging slight upturn of those numbers as the art has recovered from the lockdowns, including the number of first-pealers and to varying degrees seem almost up to pre-pandemic levels.

However, as Mr Loveless alludes, more perhaps needs to be done by peal-ringers to help ringing from its entry point as it were. That's not to say that they don't already and locally the best examples of recent years have been Stephen Pettman and David Salter who were both leading peal-ringers and conductors in the county yet also did much for ringers at grassroots level and Jake's point is mainly aimed at what he describes as the "top 100." Us peal-ringers (if I can still count as such with my low levels of recent years!) need to make sure we engage with district and Guild events, Surprise Major practices and local sessions where and when we can to enable us and aspiring peal-ringers to meet to allow ambitions to flourish.

John features further into the issue with a letter bringing the attention of the readers to the 75th anniversary of the first peal of Bristol Surprise Maximus which falls on 22nd May, but there isn't anything else Suffolk-related apart from QPs and peals, including the 5040 we rang at Pettistree for Mason's eighteenth birthday recently.

Meanwhile there was ringing within our borders that all being well should appear in a future edition of the RW as a 1260 of St Clement's College Bob Minor was rung at Earl Stonham.

Which seems as good a way as any to spend Valentine's Day!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Thursday 13th February 2025

This Thursday evening was unusually busy for the boys and me.

It began with a very positive parents evening for both Alfie and Josh which of course Ruthie and I went along to before we dropped their mother off for her usual Thursday night choral practicing and our evening then took a different spin. Recently our go-to pre-match venue of The Mermaid in Ipswich has been closed for refurbishment into more of a sports bar, but as regulars(!) we had been invited by means of beer mats distributed to us on one of our previous visits that we could also use to purchase free drinks on this special reopening evening. There has been quite the change and with just about every wall now bedecked with screens showing different sports the boys didn't know which way to look!

A drink with mother-in-law Kate, sister-in-law Clare and fiancé Chris and her daughters plus unexpected puddings for Joshua and Alfred and we returned home where ahead of picking my wife up there was even time for me to indulge in a spot of eBell practicing. Once I realised that my brain wasn't capable of wrapping itself round Bristol Surprise Major at this late stage of the evening, I gave myself a blast of Plain Bob Minor on 5-6 and then 3-4 and even a course of Little Bob Maximus on 11-12 in my first handbell ringing on twelve.

I can't say that the standard was particularly great, but I imagine it was a lot better in the three quarter-peals rung in Suffolk today. They featured a number of achievements and landmarks. Congratulations to North-West District Ringing Master Joshua Watkins on ringing his 75th QP with former NW Chairman David Steed in the 1260 of Cambridge Surprise & Plain Bob Minor at Hinderclay and his 100th as conductor in the 1344 of Turramurra Surprise Major at Horringer where he was also ringing his first in the method. Congratulations also to one of Joshua's predecessors in the RM role Ruth Suggett, who in the latter performance rang her 50th with Sally Crouch and her 100th with Martin Kirk and congratulations of course also to David, Sally and Martin! And for good measure the band also rang a quarter of Plain Bob Minor at Rickinghall Superior.

Thursday wasn't just busy for us!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Wednesday 12th February 2025

There is much excitement amongst friends of ours fortunate enough to be going to Australia for the College Youths Country Meeting, with photos of thrilled members going through airports and messages of anticipation from others about to leave for the antipodes appearing on my Facebook feeds.

My travels this evening were less exotic but almost as long-winded. The short journey to Pettistree from Melton has been bedeviled by not just one set of traffic lights for roadworks but two for weeks, but as if that isn't enough the road into the village was also closed tonight!

Still, I was mightily glad I made it, immediately rewarded with a sausage roll made by Wickham Market ringer John Horsnell's wife Chris for his recent birthday and then having popped my head into the ringing chamber to bring the tower's copy of The Ringing World in, I was thrust straight onto the tenor to call a 240 of Ipswich Surprise Minor. Despite low numbers tonight, that was part of a repertoire that also took in Carlisle and Norwich, as well as Doubles of the Grandsire, Plain Bob and Stedman varieties, which was followed by a drink in the Greyhound Inn and preceded by a 1260 of Grandsire Doubles.

That success was one of two quarter-peals rung in Suffolk today, with the other at Bramford being a particularly notable one as not only was Eric Falla ringing his first QP of this millennium, but Janus van Helvert was ringing his first in the medium altogether. Well done Eric, but especially to Janus!

Meanwhile, beyond our borders but for the Guild, a peal of Earl of Shaftesbury Surprise Major was rung at Fulbourn in Cambridgeshire. It may not have been as exciting as going to Australia, but hopefully the journey wasn't any longer than they expected!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Tuesday 11th February 2025

Occasionally I have a read back of some of my blog entries of a few years ago. It has been going for so long that we have now reached some of those distant dates in the future that I once mentioned that seemed eons away. Such as precisely a decade ago when I read an article in The Telegraph (which is now behind a paywall) that rather sensationally claimed that rural churches could disappear within ten years when we reached the futuristic-sounding 2025. Well, ten years on, even with a pandemic in between that most of us couldn't have foreseen and which accelerated much decline, we mercifully still have rural churches, with the opportunity to ring in some truly beautiful places on our doorstep and beyond remaining open to us. That's not to say this isn't a concern anymore, it very much is, but the enlarging of some benefices and the redesignating of some places of worship as 'festival churches' means that I'm not aware of any rings of bells in our most rural of counties that have been lost because of a church being closed down since this article was written.

One rural church still going strong is that of Ufford, but unfortunately unlike most Tuesdays we weren't ringing on the 13cwt eight here tonight as a lack of numbers made holding a session unviable. It did at least give Ruthie and me a relatively rare opportunity to spend a midweek evening in together with the boys, although that went on a lot longer than expected as we all sat up watching the match on TV to see if it would be Exeter City or Nottingham Forest that Ipswich Town are due to play in the next round of the FA Cup as the fixture suffered from lengthy injuries and went all the way to penalties.

At least other ringers in Suffolk were participating in the art though, most particularly at Offton where the weekly practice there was preceded as it often is by a quarter-peal. Well done to Caroline Goodchild on ringing her first of Yorkshire in the 1312 of the Surprise Major variation.

And well done to former Ipswich ringer George Salter who conducted a peal of Roderick Horton's four Surprise Major methods of Belfast, Bristol, Glasgow and London spliced in the 5024 at Edgbaston in the West Midlands today. This is a challenging composition to ring with lots of points, wrong hunting and going in different directions in a short space and is even more difficult to conduct, something that is born out by George being only the 66th ringer to achieve this, according to Pealbase.

George has undoubted talent and has also generated a lot of his opportunities in what is a wonderful example to all local aspiring young ringers, but I imagine he was also helped by the ringing opportunities afforded him on bells in Suffolk's rural churches. Which despite that warning of ten years ago are still there, thank God!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Monday 10th February 2025

Following my busy day of twelves and Erin yesterday, there were no twelves or Erin today or indeed any ringing at all as Ruthie got stuck at a work's meeting that ran too late for me to get out to Ipswich Minster for the weekly practice.

There is lots of ringing planned for the future that came to my attention whilst I was busy not ringing tonight though. Most immediately on Saturday when the George W Pipe 12-bell Competition is due to be held on the new twelve of Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire. This is the striking contest organised by Ipswich ringer Ian Culham open to twelve-bell bands in the east of England including the weekend's hosts and towers from Essex, Norfolk and here in Suffolk and has become a real highlight of the ringing calendar for us and others. It is a really relaxed social occasion and judging by the itinerary for Saturday sent to us today, the 2025 one should be the same, with the plan being that bacon, veggie and sausage baps are served in The Windhill Churches' Centre nearby the church from 8.30am up until the 10am draw, a lunch of jacket potatoes with cheese & beans, chilli con carne and veggie chilli served between noon and 2pm, tea, coffee and biscuits served throughout the day and a licensed bar and soft drinks available. It should be exciting. Since its inception the trophy has only been won by teams from within our borders, shared between Ipswich and The Norman Tower, with the latter the current holders, but could this be the year that someone else wins it? If you can, please do consider coming along to find out and support the bands, especially the ones from our county!

Meanwhile, a message popping up on the 'Nabbers' Facebook page reminded me of an event that I imagine will be of interest to many Guild members. The Tower Open Day to raise funds for the Little Bromley Bell Restoration Fund south of the River Stour is scheduled for Saturday 22nd March taking in twenty-one towers in the north-eastern area of our southern neighbours. As I've said before these can be really fun events and God willing by that time spring will have sprung and daylight hours will be long and making for a really pleasant day out. Further details and tickets are available from Gavin Edwards.

Another ringing event I received a message about on this damp February Monday was twice past Ringing Master of the SGR Stephen Pettman's week to Italy planned for the autumn of this year. This is due to begin with a coach pickup on the evening of Friday 17th October, take in lots of fantastic hospitality, plenty of food and drink, opportunities for a unique ringing experience, demonstrations of local styles of ringing and a visit to the eight and ten at Dordrecht in the Netherlands on the way back before the coach is due to drop everyone off in the early hours of Monday 27th October. Level of ability is unimportant as ringing on the bells in Italy is safe but a real leveler - there won't be any Surprise Major rung on this trip! Indeed, Stephen would be just as interested to hear from non-ringers who want to experience this busy, though fun and fascinating holiday. Please do get in touch with him for more details via the contact details for Grundisburgh and/or spread the word amongst family and friends!

Nothing quite as interesting for me, as instead of ringing I had a lads night in with the boys watching football on the TV and enjoying the delicious chocolate & ginger muffins that Josh had made at school!

It was a wonderful alternative to more twelves and Erin!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Sunday 9th February 2025

Four twelves. Ten pieces of Erin. 160 miles. That was my Sunday.

It all began at St Mary-le-Tower. Or Ipswich Minster as the boys quite rightly corrected me on before we set off, although I believe the full title is Ipswich Minster Church of St Mary-le-Tower, so I don't think my slip of the tongue was entirely erroneous!

Whatever its name, we were there for me to ring in my first two bits of Erin of the day, albeit the only two of Caters and after refreshment in Costa Coffee, we were then off to our second twelve of the day and star of the big screen Grundisburgh where there was no Erin, but plenty on six and eight.

Ruthie was picked up from her choral duties in Woodbridge, the boys were dropped off at their Granny's and a spot of lunch grabbed at home and my wife and I were both on our way to Bishop's Stortford, my third and newest twelve of the day. It is also the planned location of the 2025 George W Pipe 12-bell Competition due to be held on Saturday and where the test piece is due to be Erin Cinques, thus why we were in this near corner of Hertfordshire and why we were ringing so much Erin today!

When committing to a competition where one has to travel considerable distance to, it is always useful to visit the venue beforehand, especially somewhere as unfamiliar as this ring of bells augmented from ten only three years ago were to most of us. Usually the chance to get to grips with the foibles and individual quirks of 'your' bell's striking in and around the others in the competition touch is invaluable, which is why some of us were slightly disappointed that we were ringing with simulated sound this afternoon. Nonetheless, I could understand why it was so and we still had a really worthwhile hour and a half here getting a feel for their go, which is important as at 15cwt they are quite a bit lighter than our own twelve, as well as getting used to the surroundings both inside and out so that the potential for unsettling surprises on the competition day is reduced! Plus it was a fascinating experience, a first for most of us on twelve especially. And although extensive sound control could do the same (and there may be reasons why they can't have that), ultimately if it wasn't for the simulated sound preventing the neighbours being disturbed, we wouldn't have been able to practice here at all, so we were very grateful for our welcome and their hospitality. As was my mother Sally when she had left her rollator in the church not realising it was going to be locked up! Many thanks to the local Anne for finding someone to release it despite two keyholders being in Egpyt and Portugal! Although some of us were perturbed by one of the pealboards for reasons that will probably jump out to most!

Understandably it was here we rang the most Erin Cinques - including an attempt to replicate competition conditions - but we did also attempt some Cambridge Surprise Maximus before we continued on to Chelmsford Cathedral. This is somewhere better known to a lot of our party, including my wife and me, with Ruthie having rung two peals here and me five. I am even on a pealboard here! Still, it was a useful experience for less experienced ringers such as Claire Haynes and George Heath-Collins, both of whom rang really well here and indeed at both towers. It also made it even more worthwhile travelling such distances rather than just making a 120-mile long round-trip for an hour and a half session. Thank you here to local Colin Chapman - who recently kindly conducted the peal of Grandsire Cinques to celebrate the designation of St Mary-le-Tower as a Minster - for welcoming us and ringing with us as more Erin was rung.

I expect some retired to a pub after our afternoon's ringing, but we returned to mother-in-law Kate's abode where she had generously cooked us some tea having very kindly looked after Alfie and Josh, taking them to Rendlesham Forest whilst their parents traversed the landscape south of the River Stour on a day when there was much ringing within our borders. Well done to Juliet Griffiths on ringing her most methods and to Judith Raven her first on eight inside in the quarter-peals of eleven Doubles methods at Bardwell and Plain Bob Triples at Southwold respectively and to Mary Garner, Mary Dunbavin, Mike Cowling, Jed Flatters, Alan Mayle, Mark Ogden, Richard Rapior and conductor Tom Scase on ringing their and the Guild's first peal of Lincolnshire-variation Z Battery Battersea Park Surprise Major in the second-Sunday peal at Aldeburgh, whilst there was also a 1320 of Erin Cinques rung at The Norman Tower.

It wasn't just me ringing lots of Erin or at twelve-bell towers today!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Saturday 8th February 2025

It was great to see the Suffolk Guild's peal-ringing on twelve beyond our borders continuing into another year with the 5042 of Cambridge Surprise Maximus at Leicester Cathedral rung today. I rang a peal there myself conducted by Stephen Pettman in 2001 but that was for the Leicester Diocesan Guild and as far as I can tell today's was the first SGR peal there.

No such ringing adventures for us on this Saturday, though we still had a pleasant enough day, with the main activity from our household being a family trip to watch Alfie perform superbly (he even kept up his 100% record of defending penalties!) in his team's football match but end up on the losing side and Mason travelling to Coventry to watch Ipswich Town win in the FA Cup.

Hopefully the North-West and North-East District events at Brandon and Rendham respectively went well too and SGR members were also having a successful day within our borders!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Friday 7th February 2025

Even in this day of saturation screen time, it still feels odd seeing somewhere familiar to you on TV. We are used to Portman Road and even Ipswich itself appearing on the televisual box since the men's football team put the club and town on the world map, but local places away from the Premier League gaze are rarely seen on the big screen.

Framlingham will be familiar to Ed Sheeran obsessives from across the planet and millions of fans of Detectorists which is predominantly filmed in the town as well as other locations round here and the castle here plays a big part of Mary I's story, so we weren't surprised that Lucy Worsley - who we are big fans of - visited there during her programme about the queen often dubbed 'Bloody Mary' or even to see brief shots of the tower that holds the town's 16cwt eight. When filming cut to Westminster Abbey that wasn't surprising either and nor was the sound of bells ringing, although it didn't sound like the Abbey's bells or ringers!

We were therefore hooked, but caught completely off guard by the historian suddenly popping up in Grundisburgh, sat in the churchyard within view of Jim & Sylvia Pipe's gravestone and then walking beneath the tower that Ruthie, myself and so many of you reading this will have done much ringing at, filmed as she walked past the door to the stairs up to the ringing chamber on her way into the church. And then spoke with a fellow historian in The Dog where many a drink has been had after ringing on some or all of the 10cwt twelve opposite, as she followed the story of Alice Driver, a protestant woman from the village who was one of the last to be burnt for her faith under Mary's reign in the sixteenth century.

There was also reading material for us to enjoy tonight as this week's edition of The Ringing World arrived in the post for us and ultimately the Pettistree band. In it are lots of interesting articles including one from Pettistree ringer and Chairman of the Guild Mark Ogden about his first peal and his first as conductor in November and December 1974 at Stretford in Greater Manchester. They both featured lots of first pealers from a very young band and he writes a nice piece on the celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of the performances marked by a quarter-peal at the same venue with some of the same ringers just before Christmas.

No actual ringing for us today though, unlike others in the county with Cambridge Surprise and Plain Bob Minor at Tostock and Wissett respectively. Well done to Judith Raven on ringing her first of Minor in the latter.

Perhaps we will see both places on TV soon.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Thursday 6th February 2025

A wander alongside the River Deben at lunchtime and a sight of the tower that holds Woodbridge's 25cwt eight was as close as I got to ringing today, as I stayed in this evening with the boys whilst Ruthie was practicing with her choral colleagues.

That was in contrast to North-West District Ringing Master Joshua Watkins who celebrated his birthday by ringing - and achieving - in three quarter-peals in Suffolk. The 1320 at Horringer was his first of Bourne Surprise Minor as conductor and a first in the method for Juliet Griffiths, the Doubles at Old Newton his 250th in the medium and 1260 at Wetherden his first of Pinehurst Bob Minor as conductor and Sally Crouch's first in the method. Well done Juliet and Sally, but particularly well done, congratulations and Happy Birthday to Joshua! And thank you for making my blog more interesting from a ringing perspective today!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Wednesday 5th February 2025

I've never been asked to ring something "sympathetically" before, but that's what we attempted with a couple of courses of Kent Treble Bob Minor at Pettistree practice this evening. Whether we managed that I'm not really sure, we got to the end of it during a session where we also rang a couple of touches of spliced Surprise Minor, once of Durham & York and once of seven methods called by Mark Ogden. All accompanied by a visit from former Ipswich St Margaret's ringer and fellow Rambling Ringer Sue McCouaig and some lovely chocolate cake brought along by Chris McArthur made by his wife Mary-Jane and followed by a drink in the Greyhound Inn.

Earlier today meanwhile, I was listening to BBC Radio Suffolk when a report on the eightieth anniversary of VE Day on Thursday 8th May was played about 3 hours and 47 minutes into Wayne Bavin's Breakfast Show. Its main focus is on a planned singalong at 9.30pm, but around three minutes into the piece mention is made of church bells and is a timely reminder that plans are afoot for ringing at 6.30pm that day. Further information can be found on the Central Council's website with a link to a BellBoard event set up for the occasion and to more details on the day as a whole.

God willing it'll be a busy day of ringing, but today was fairly busy for Suffolk ringing too. Although neither of us could ring with Alfie's football training clashing with it as it normally does, this evening's pre-practice quarter-peal on the aforementioned ground-floor six was the first success here for three weeks and was one of three QPs rung on the county's bells for birthdays, with the other two rung at Norton as a 1312 of Double Norwich Court Bob Major and 1376 of Yorkshire Surprise Major celebrated Andrew Stone's big day. Happy Birthday Andrew and Chris!

Hopefully the ringing was done sympathetically.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Tuesday 4th February 2025

I have been continuing my lunchtime walks most days, with the weather in 2025 thus far conducive to wandering through the countryside we are blessed to live, work and ring in. It's just I haven't given daily updates, partly because with the time limitations I long ran out of new walks a while ago, partly because there has been enough ringing to mention without getting into my meanderings. Today though, my walk as far as Foxburrow Farm during my break from work was pretty much the only thing of note from my day, beyond the usual delightful time spent with my family. That was because there was no practice at Ufford this evening, with numbers sadly too low to justify people travelling out to the 13cwt eight.

Not so at Offton, where the quarter-peal of Double Norwich Court Bob Major was presumably followed by the usual weekly session on the ground-floor octave.

Nice as that part of the world is though, it is too far to walk from ours.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Monday 3rd February 2025

If you would like to receive emails through the Suffolk Guild about news, events and calls for help, then please contact the SGR Webmaster Chris Garner.

Those who already do should have received an email today from the Treasurer Tim Hart and the rest of the Trustees Chairman Mark Ogden, Ringing Master Katharine Salter and Secretary David Everett with news of a phenomenal legacy left to the Guild by Adrian Knights who died in December 2023. He has left the organisation a staggering amount of money specifically for the purpose of helping fund augmentations to eight or more bells. I know some quite rightly feel that we haven't got enough ringers to ring the bells we already have, but of course ringers aren't evenly distributed across the county. Some places may have a large thriving band for whom augmentation would help their progress, whilst if done right and the local community is engaged in a project to augment a ring, it can incorporate a recruitment drive. I don't imagine the plan is for everyone to suddenly to start pitching augmentations or putting forward proposals to turn Benhall into a twelve and the like, but hopefully it can help projects that may come up for many years to come. This is an extremely generous gesture that could help many, from a lovely man who is much missed.

Arnie spent many years ringing at Ipswich Minster - which of course was 'just' St Mary-le-Tower throughout his life - and it was there that I was this evening for what was one of those nights when much didn't go. Sometimes it goes that way and it was still impressive that we rang what we did and with a number of those just feeling their way into methods on this number. When I arrived a band was about to pull off for some Stedman Cinques including not just my reluctant mother Sally (she really doesn't like ringing Stedman!), but also three learning to ring this famous principle, each with someone stood behind them, including Amanda Richmond who still can't ring as she recovers, but remains useful! There were also pieces of Cambridge and Yorkshire Surprise Maximus, as well as Erin Cinques with the George W Pipe 12-bell Competition due to be held at Bishop's Stortford in twelve days time.

Our evening's ringing was rounded off with ringing all the bells down for the second week running with new ropes fitted onto some of the bells immediately afterwards and an inspection from Taylor's planned.

And it was all topped off by a drink at the Halberd Inn where the main topic of conversation was probably the same as in many other pubs across the country after ringing tonight, the loss of the Cumberland Youths Master's badge as we mused where it might be.

Meanwhile earlier in the day a quarter-peal of Little Bob Royal was rung on handbells in Moats Tye.

I imagine there may be more things going on in the SGR, some of which might be shared via the Guild's emails.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Sunday 2nd February 2025

For the second morning running it was an unusually leisurely start to the day, with a bell from Melton New Church chiming away as we got ready, this time because it is the first Sunday of the month and therefore a later service and ringing time at Woodbridge. And for the second morning running, before we'd even woken up a peal had already been rung on handbells in Risby.

That village's three is mentioned in the draft minutes of October's BAC meeting in Tostock which was shared on this website on Tuesday but read by me today. An inspection of the 10cwt ring was undertaken and sadly decided that due to "potential structural issues" full circle ringing isn't possible at the moment, but it is one of many reports from towers good, bad and in between. The latter category includes the 9cwt six at Bedfield where due to excessive frame movement and a cracked tower the bells are now unringable. A project driven locally to restore them is ongoing but apparently not imminent. In the middle the news from Sudbury Arts Centre - formally known as St Peter's isn't great. Seemingly the bells can't be heard from downstairs where only the front six can be rung and are very noisy from upstairs. Among the first category meanwhile it is wonderful to hear that the community of Hoxne are fundraising for the new eight from the Keltek Trust to be hung there. As ever a really interesting insight into what is going on at towers across Suffolk.

Eventually I did get to ringing and I was pleased to have done so as I made the sixth ringer before going to the service downstairs, but that was it for my ringing today.

Not so for other ringers in the county though. Thoughts are with Mendham ringer Erika Clarke on the loss of her mother Hazel who was remembered in the footnote to the quarter-peal of Plain Bob Triples at Halesworth that Erika was to have rung in. Meanwhile at The Norman Tower a 1320 of St Martin's Bob Cinques (which as you might expect of an extention of the Doubles version involves lots of places on the front!) was rung for the farewell Evensong for the Right Reverend Bishop Martin Seeley, the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich and therefore President of the Guild.

Our day continued with a visit from Ruthie's best friend Fergie and then a quiet evening in with not such a leisurely start planned for tomorrow morning.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Saturday 1st February 2025

With Alfie's match this morning called off last night, we had a leisurely lay-in as February dawned. In fact so leisurely that a peal had already been rung in Suffolk before we woke up! Although that peal was rung on handbells in 1 hour and 57 minutes as two Pipes and an Earis got up early to ring a 5760 of the 'standard' 147 Treble Dodging Minor methods in Risby before setting off on a parkrun!

That wasn't the only ringing performance within our borders to appear on BellBoard today though. At Stowmarket the 1260 of Plain Bob Doubles was Ricky Paterson's first quarter-peal away from cover, whilst the 1320 of Norwich Surprise Minor at Woolpit was Astrid Gale's first in the method. Well done Ricky and Astrid!

Meanwhile, there was hopefully a big crowd at Offton for the South-East District Practice, but we weren't there as we were at Portman Road for what turned out to be probably the most depressing men's Ipswich Town game for some years as we lost 2-1 against the bottom team Southampton who many have labelled one of the worst teams in Premier League history. Congratulations though to James Croft and Maggie Ross, ringing Southampton fans with Suffolk connections!

However, the rest of our afternoon out was typically fun although slightly different to the norm as with our usual pre-match venue of The Mermaid closed for refurbishment we went to the Chestnut Tree Farm on the outskirts of Ipswich for our dinner and then caught the park & ride in to town. We still saw other ringers though, apart from ourselves and mother-in-law Kate, bumping into Hollesley ringer Sam Shannon on the bus both in and out and of course enjoying a pint with Norwich ringer Simon Rudd in the Fanzone before kick-off and then again at half-time.

Nonetheless, I think a lot of us were wishing this match had been called off too!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Friday 31st January 2025

Usually Friday evenings are quiet affairs at home for our household. Or at least as quiet as one might expect with a household of five. It is a brief moment in the week to unwind in amongst work, ringing, football and the children's activities, but occasionally there are things that we like to go along to on the first night of the weekend.

Such as the Surprise Major practices that South-East District Ringing Master Hal Meakin has been running on a bimonthly basis for the last year. The plan is for them to be monthly in 2025 and held on different nights of the week so those who go to a regular practice on a Friday can come along too. For example, the next one is penciled in for Thursday 27th February at Framlingham. January's was held tonight though at Ufford as the first of a SE two-parter that is also due to take in Saturday afternoon's practice at Offton.

Rare as Friday night activity is for us therefore, that we don't usually get a clash of events on such nights, but on this occasion I did as I was invited to the farewell drinks of my work colleague Phoebe, whose final day for John Catt Educational - or rather Hachette Learning as we're a part of now - was today. Whilst the timing was frustrating and I like to support ringing ventures such as that happening a mile and a half away on the 13cwt eight if I possibly can, it would've been sad to miss Phoebe's send-off, especially as it was being held in walking distance at The Bull Inn in the shadow of the tower that holds Woodbridge's ring of eight.

Ruthie and the boys did go to the ringing though, where she rang Cornwall Surprise Major on a productive evening, although sadly a quarter-peal attempt beforehand was lost.

Others in the county were having better luck with their quarter-peals though, as Julia Brown rang her first of Grandsire in the 1269 of the Doubles variation at Theberton, which hopefully made up for the loss of the attempt at Pettistree on Wednesday.

Talking of Pettistree, it was mentioned in the latest edition of The Ringing World which arrived with us this morning, as it is on a list of towers that are slated to appear on BBC Radio 4's 'Bells on Sunday' during the forthcoming month, with its slot set for the 16th.

Also in this issue is a plea for people to look out for the lost Cumberland Youths Ringing Master's badge, with even a £1,000 reward being offered for information that may lead to its recovery. If you don't know what it looks like then there is a picture of it on the SRCY's website accompanying a copy of the statement in the RW which includes a detailed description of the badge. You are encouraged to contact the Honorary Secretary David Bath on secretary@srcy.org.uk with any information or anything you think may help.

Also looking for help is Jacky Savage who emailed Guild members today via the SGR's email system asking for ringers to ring at two weddings due to be held at Felixstowe in the summer. One is on Saturday 7th June, the other on Thursday 31st July. Do help if you can (Jacky alredy has enough ringers for both weddings. Ed.).

Although it's a pity neither is on a Friday evening which are usually so quiet for us.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Thursday 30th January 2025

The Case of The Missing Cumberland Badge sounds like some kind of lighthearted period mystery like a Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple tale. Intriguing, full of gentle jeopardy, but lighthearted. As a member of the the SRCY's 'rivals' the Ancient Society of College Youths, one might imagine I'm supposed to find the loss of the Cumberland Youths Ringing Master's badge amusing and I have to admit that when I first heard about it recently I chuckled, albeit more out of disbelief than anything else. I was once a Cumberland myself, so I am actually quite sad to hear about this and indeed bar the odd joke and spot of friendly mockery on some corners of social media, the general reaction of ringers of whatever their persuasion or none has been one of sympathy and concern. For being older than the SRCY themselves the badge is part not just of the society's history and heritage, but of ringing itself, so its loss is distressing to all concerned and the wider ringing family. That its loss actually occurred back in July but only imparted more widely over the last week or two seems to have caused some understandable discontent too.

A heartfelt email sent today to those on the Cumberland's email list - including Ruthie - from the clearly upset Ringing Master Jack Page explains the background to its loss. The bag it was in seems to have been left on a railway station platform on his way back from the Ringing World National Youth Contest via some drinks at a pub and was gone when he went back realising he'd left it behind, which must have been an absolutely horrendous moment for him. A tantalising call from someone claiming to have the bag and offering to meet to return it wasn't fulfilled by the other person and then in a mysterious turn of events the bag was retrieved by a hotel in Acton (London, not Suffolk!) after it had been fought over by a couple of homeless people, but the badge was gone. The whereabouts of something that has been the centrepiece of the society's activities since its formation 278 years ago is now unknown and reported stolen.

There is also an explanation that the delay in letting the wider membership know was nothing malicious or part of an attempt to cover things up, but seemed to genuinely be done in the hope that it could be retrieved.

For all that Jack's carelessness will infuriate some, most of us have left things on journeys, often after a few drinks and sometimes very important or valuable things. He just seems very unfortunate that when he has left his bag behind as so many others will have done at some point in similar circumstances that it was carrying what it was. Jack is clearly full of remorse and has not only offered to contribute to its replacement but says he intends to step down as RM in May. Although as it isn't anything to do with me and of course I'm not privy to all the behind-the-scenes discussions and knowledge that may put a different slant on things, personally I hope he continues. I may not know him, but I do know he is one of the best young ringers in the world who has done so much for them from the peal-ringing exploits in their name to leading them to victory in the National 12-bell Striking Contest last year and it would be a shame for him firstly not to finish his stint in this position he has worked up to and secondly for it to end like this. From the outside at least, he doesn't deserve to simply be 'the master who lost the badge.' Hopefully the Cumberland Youths and ringers generally will rally round and support him, as I'm sure most already are.

It all made for sorry reading, but mercifully there was something cheerier for me to read whilst my wife was out practicing with her choral colleagues as the latest edition of Tower Talk is now available, published as ever by Bardwell's Ruth Suggett. Apart from the announcement that Felixstowe's Jacky Savage was one of December's 50/50 Club draw prize winner, there wasn't anything featuring Suffolk's ringers or towers, but it is still packed full of upbeat, inspiring and important content and as usual is well worth taking the time to read it.

Hopefully there will also be an upbeat ending to The Case of The Missing Cumberland Badge.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Wednesday 29th January 2025

Though not in a bad or sinister way, there was a slightly strange feel to Pettistree practice this evening. I arrived after Alfie's football training to a sizeable crowd slightly subdued following the loss of the pre-practice quarter-peal attempt, which this week was of Grandsire Doubles. If one QP loss here is rare then two in a row is practically unheard of! When a tired Mike Whitby (as I guess many accountants are at this time of year!) left early though, it seemed to prompt an unconnected mini exodus. And yet bizarrely the last couple of pieces of the session and the lower with those left were probably the best of the night!

That's not to say the ringing had been poor before that though. As soon as I arrived I was thrust straight into a very decent course of Westminster Surprise Minor (Norwich start) and then a couple of bits of Norwich Surprise Minor (Westminster start!), whilst we also rang a touch of spliced Surprise Minor conducted by Guild Chairman Mark Ogden and sung Happy Birthday to Chris McArthur. Lovely as well to see Hilary Stearn back ringing after she been laid low for weeks by illness.

Lovely also to meet Gavin Edwards in the Greyhound Inn afterwards celebrating his birthday with his other half William, with them joining us after their meal for a convivial ending to the evening.

Meanwhile, despite the loss of the quarter on the ground-floor six tonight, there was ringing success in Suffolk with a 5184 of Yorkshire-above method Xian Surprise Major at Felixstowe. Following a slow start to the Guild's 2025 peal totals that saw us get to 12th January before one was rung in our name, that is now five thus far this year, with three of them rung in the last four days.

The SGR's peal totals are now taking on a less strange feel!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Tuesday 28th January 2025

There was no ringing at Ufford this evening and so I found myself at home and searching through the peals on BellBoard rung on Saturday for something to do. In the process I came across a couple of performances with Suffolk connections.

One was the 4500th in the medium for one-time Bures learner John Loveless when he pulled the tenor in to the 5088 of Bristol Surprise Major on the back eight at Northfiield in Birmingham. As far as I can make out from Drew Craddock's superb Pealbase, he is only the fifteenth to reach that total, so it is a phenomenal achievement. Congratulations Jake!

Meanwhile on the same day Andrew Stone marked the fiftieth anniversary of his first peal at the same tower of Huntington in North Yorkshire and on the same bell, although back then it was the treble of a six rather than the third of an eight as it is now! Since he returned to ringing a few years ago after a substantial break, he has been a huge boost to ringing at places like The Norman Tower and Offton, as well as the quarter-peal and peal scene in Suffolk and has been extremely active in peal arranging for the Guild, so I'm delighted that he has been able to mark this landmark. Nice too that Peter Sanderson - who has his own links to Suffolk - was able to mark the anniversary of what was also his first peal as conductor.

My extra free time tonight also allowed me to read Maureen Gardiner's email to members about the ART Module 2C Teaching Course due to be held at Stowmarket on Saturday 22nd February. Recent correspondence in The Ringing World has highlighted that ART isn't necessarily for everyone, but I believe it has generally shown to be a successful way of engaging and progressing those who wish to make their way as far as possible into this almost limitless pastime, so if you feel you could benefit from this course then further details of this event are on the ART website.

Hopefully it will help ensure there aren't too many evenings like ours without ringing.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Monday 27th January 2025

Today Mason turned eighteen. That fragile newborn with feet turned inwards, who throughout his younger years was subjected to operations and even wheelchairs and yet took it all on cheerfully is now an adult. All of us around him have tried to prepare him for this point and thus far I think we've all done a good job as he is a polite young man who is happy to work and keen to help and please, but of course he isn't suddenly on his own and indeed I doubt he will notice much difference. Like most his age now and in the past he isn't yet ready to have his own place, driving lessons have been put on hold for the time being and he has already made a start in the world of employment, whilst he is continuing to learn at college. And as he has never touched alcohol and has no intention of doing so (and more power to him!), there was no ceremonial drinking of his first legal pint of beer. Yet this is still a significant birthday, a sign of him growing up and being seen as more responsible by society. It also makes me feel very old!

I did speak with him on the phone today, but I didn't see him as it was quite a busy day for him and me, as he spent the day in education and then went out this evening, whilst I was working all day and was then out myself as I went along to the weekly practice at Ipswich Minster on a night that was extremely quiet. Apart from the bells of course, but there was lots of Caters and Cinques rung with low numbers in attendance and several regulars away. That continued on into the Halberd Inn where only a handful of us retired to an unusually quiet pub.

There was further ringing activity in the county though and not just from the usual Monday night practices, as a quarter-peal of Little Bob Royal rung on handbells in Moats Tye, whilst there was Suffolk representation in the peal at St Philip's Cathedral in Birmingham that was rounding off the 70th Anniversary Dinner Weekend celebrations of BUSCR, with former learners from within our borders John Loveless and Jimmy Yeoman ringing in the 5070 of Stedman Cinques.

Congratulations to a society that I was never a member of but often socialised with and Happy 18th Birthday to Mason!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Sunday 26th January 2025

Usually when I ring at St Mary-le-Tower and then Grundisburgh on a Sunday morning for the services there we will typically ring on all twelve at the former with Stedman Cinques and Surprise Maximus often rung, whilst at the latter we normally have enough to ring on six or maybe eight if we're lucky. It has been that way for some years, sadly so for the latter, but this morning the norm was reversed at Suffolk's oldest twelves.

At Ipswich Minster we had the numbers to ring on eight and so with all the bells needing to be rung down we lowered the back four (very well as it happened) and rang on the front eight before ringing them down too and retiring to Costa Coffee for refreshment. And then when the boys and I arrived at the county's lightest twelve they were already ringing call-changes on eight, with my arrival allowing call-changes on ten and then rounds on twelve to be rung.

Later in the day there were just the right number for a peal attempt at Pettistree, which was a relief as I had been arranging this for several weeks and suffered a dropout due to illness in the last few days. For this was the latest effort to mark Mason's birthday with a peal of an appropriate length and/or number of methods (hence the eighteen methods) and the last one at that as I decided several years ago that I would only arrange the boys' birthday peals whilst they were children and then God willing if they wished to have birthday peals after that they could be free to organise it themselves! I can't keep arranging them forever and the start of adulthood seems a good point to stop! With Mason due to reach that next stage in life tomorrow this completed a collection of peals that I hope he can look back on with a sense of fondness that I arranged these performances specially for him and that so many were happy to travel (sometimes considerable!) distances to ring for him. We have got him presents of course (although it's got harder to find something for a teenager earning and spending his own money!), but this is something different that I can offer him and even if he never rings again he hopefully appreciates that his name is recorded in the history of the exercise through BellBoard, The Ringing World and the Guild Annual Reports for as long as people are still looking back over peal records.

Sadly I couldn't ring one for every birthday. The pandemic lockdowns put paid to that with my handbell ringing not up to celebrating his fourteenth birthday, but nonetheless ever since we rang a 5040 at Monewden (where I had intended to return today until correspondent Brian Martin very kindly let me know of rope issues, so thank you to him for that and to Kate Eagle and Mary Garner on getting me Pettistree bells at relatively short notice) four days after his birth that also celebrated the arrival eighteen years ago today of Ruthie's cousin Freddie who offered my son a peer at family gatherings, there have been seventeen further peals in his honour. Like so many peals there are memories attached to each one. Such as his third birthday peal when I hadn't realised I had got both Jim & Yvonne Towler so Nigel Newton kindly stepped down and we were able to ring a 5003 of Yorkshire Surprise Royal at Grundisburgh that also celebrated the third birthday of the Towler's grandson who is presumably also celebrating his eighteenth birthday. Mason's eighth birthday in 2015 was marked with a peal of the 'standard' eight Surprise Major methods spliced at Debenham with a band that not only included one of the best tenor ringers in the world in Andrew Mills but also the superb Susan Marshall who very kindly agreed to ring after I discovered she was at a loose end in the area! The one for his eleventh birthday in 2018 which started out as a 5011 of Stedman Cinques at Grundisburgh with a band including Tom Griffiths and Chris Woodcock ended up being a 5040 of eleven Minor methods at Burgh over a fortnight later following two losses and a false start.

Eleven of the eighteen peals were conducted by Stephen Pettman, but he was unable to call today's attempt and so I was out of my comfort zone for the fifty-third time in my peal-ringing 'career' as I stuck the calls in and tried to keep track of where everyone should be. Not that I really had to do the latter with this band as we produced a pretty decent 2 hours and 39 minutes in a worthy climax to eighteen years of ringing peals for Mason's birthday. Thank you to those who came out to ring today and indeed anyone who has ever rung in an attempt successful or otherwise over the years for my eldest son!

Nice as well to ring another peal with my brother Chris who did well on the fifth which is the bell that works the hardest here and he was one of those who joined me in the Greyhound Inn afterwards, where we were met by Ruthie and tomorrow's birthday boy's younger brothers, with Mason himself busy working today.

Our efforts weren't the only from the county that featured on BellBoard today though. Our thoughts are with Lynda Rochester, with her husband Barry remembered by a quarter-peal rung at her home tower of Stowmarket, which impressively was rung silent and unconducted. And congratulations to young Max Thomson on ringing his tenth QP in the 1260 of Doubles rung at Bardwell!

Meanwhile, we enjoyed listening to the bells of Stoke by Nayland on BBC Radio 4's 'Bells on Sunday' which was taken from the quarter of Grandsire Triples rung there in September 2022 and as ever there is a longer recording on the tower's page on this website.

Suffolk's bells on the national airwaves is something I'm pleased to say is very much the norm, even if my morning wasn't!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Saturday 25th January 2025

Last weekend's making of St Mary-le-Tower into Ipswich Minster already feels a strong contender for a potential highlight of 2025, so I was pleased to see a peal arranged to mark this historic occasion this morning was successfully rung with a 5060 of Grandsire Cinques which was also Ivan Culham's first on twelve. Well done Ivan!

However, we were unable to ring in it as we were watching Alfie and his teammates winning an under-11s football match before we popped into the county town afterwards for a spot of shopping with the anniversary of Mason's birthday in mind.

Hopefully February will be busier from a ringing perspective though, with a lot packed into the shortest month of the year if all goes to plan, starting with the South-East District Practice lined up at Offton in a week, which is combined with a Bake Off. Should be a tasty afternoon! Seven days on from that both the North-West District and North-East District are hoping to hold events with the former looking to have a practice at Brandon from 10am-noon and the latter a quarterly meeting and bring and share tea alongside ringing at Rendham. Should be another tasty afternoon! On the 15th the George W Pipe 12-bell Competition is slated for the new twelve at Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire with hopefully representation from The Norman Tower and Ipswich Minster and on the evening of Wednesday 19th the intention is for a ten-bell practice to be held at Beccles in what is hoped to be the first of a bimonthly practice on the 3rd Wednesday of the month (apart from in April). On the 22nd the South-West District are planning on running their monthly practice from 3-4.30pm at Kersey and on the following Thursday there is a Surprise Major practice penciled in at Framlingham. A reminder that this month's Surprise Major practice is still to come, being lined up for Friday at Ufford with an intended focus on Cornwall and Lessness. And in amongst all of that there are plans for the GMC to meet at Stowupland Church Hall on the afternoon of Sunday 16th and a Bellringing Exhibition to be held at Little Cornard on Tuesday 18th.

Lots of potential for 2025 highlights in February.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Friday 24th January 2025

House!

No money won, but still a great night out enjoyed by Ruthie with her work colleagues as I stayed in the house with the boys.

With Storm Eowyn raging in the north of the country and especially Northern Ireland and Scotland, staying indoors was pretty much essential with red warnings, huge amounts of damage to buildings, felled trees, destroyed sheds and the usual sight of news reporters telling everyone to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary, whilst standing outside in the dangerous conditions to show us what we could all already see. It showed on BellBoard too with the most northerly performance in the UK noted on BellBoard being the 1296 of Stedman Triples (incidentally composed by Suffolk ringer Richard Weeks) at Over Kellet in Lancashire, as far as I can tell anyway.

Further south a ringer from this county was achieving as Sproughton ringer Tristan Shaw rang his first peal inside in the 5040 of Doubles at The Mount Without in Bristol where he is studying - well done Tristan!

And well done to Josephine Beever, Andrea Alderton, Maureen Gardiner, David Steed, Stephen Dawson and conductor Lesley Steed who rang their first quarter-peal of Mendip Treble Bob Minor in the success at Tostock, while a 1260 of Grandsire Doubles was rung in memory of Jill Rood at Thurston.

All performances that should appear in future editions of The Ringing World, but this week's arrived with us this morning and through the annual report on the Keltek Trust's activities in 2024 features towers within our borders. Bells from St Paul in Truro and St Chad in Rochdale have gone into Fornham St Martin to create the new eight there, the intention is for bells from Bishop's Stortford and St John's in Windsor to make up the new trebles of an eight at Felsham, whilst there is no further news on Hoxne which were included in the 2023 report.

It was very interesting stuff to read in our house whilst those around Ruthie were shouting 'House!"

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Thursday 23rd January 2025

Come Dine with Me - the show which pits four members of the public against each other in who can host the best three-course dinner party - is apparently twenty years old today, a topic that came up on BBC Radio Suffolk whilst I was listening to the local BBC radio station this morning. It prompted listeners to send in amusingly named spin-offs from the show, including 'Dave from Aldringham' (no idea if there is a ringing Dave from Aldringham!) who suggested "'Come Chime with Me' for Suffolk's bellringers."

That was as close as I got to ringing today though as Ruthie went out practicing with her choral colleagues as I stayed at home with the boys, including a happy Josh after he'd been round a schoolfriend's house straight after school.

Not so at Ixworth where 1344 of York Surprise Major was a first quarter-peal in the method for all the band. Well done to Andrea Alderton, Louise Whitehead, Deborah Blumfield, Lesley Steed, Martin Kirk, David Steed, Joshua Watkins and conductor Stephen Dawson and congratulations to Martin on his wonderful family news!

And I suppose happy anniversary to Come Dine with Me. I'm looking forward to Come Chime with Me though...

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Wednesday 22nd January 2025

The Greyhound Inn at Pettistree was open on a Wednesday evening for the first time since New Year's Day following its usual January break.

Completely coincidentally, Ruthie went along to her first practice on the ground-floor six in St Peter and St Paul church next door for the first time since New Year's Day.

In all seriousness though, as I've ended up going out lots recently it's good that my wife had the chance tonight. It enabled her to join a session that was attended by ringers from ten different towers including the local ringers, from as far away as Orford and Theberton and which was preceded by the loss of a quarter-peal attempt of Westminster Surprise Minor, but she got to ring a course of it herself and even managed to avoid ringing in her nemesis Stedman by hiding behind some shelves!

And of course it was rounded off by a drink in the reopened Greyhound Inn.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Tuesday 21st January 2025

A big focus at Ufford's weekly practice tonight was handling as those nearer the beginning of their ringing progression look to take the next step. One was attempting to pull the tenor in to Plain Bob Minor, so how to adjust their place on the tailend was imparted. Another was panicking when it came to handstrokes, which was impacting on their control when trebling to methods, so we focused on them pulling their hands all the way down at backstroke to avoid the mad scramble to grab the sally that they were having. Along with getting the tailend round the back of the sally at handstroke, avoiding taking your hand off the rope any longer than necessary, pulling the rope straight down at backstroke and other things, these will not necessarily prevent progression (there are one or two super ringers with an appalling handling style!), but failure to get them licked early on will make life harder for you. Lots of ironing out was done this evening and progress made during a productive session.

Progress was also being made at Offton where Elizabeth Goodchild was ringing her first quarter-peal as she trebled to the 1260 of Plain Bob Triples with a band featuring her mother Caroline. Whenever I see Elizabeth ring she always seems to be enjoying it which is wonderful to witness and it is marvelous that she has achieved this. Well done Elizabeth and Happy Birthday!

She is also the second young ringer in less than a week to ring their first quarter following Edith Wankowska's at Bramford last Wednesday. After a slow few years for the Guild with youngsters it is great to see signs of improvement with that situation.

No doubt helped by excellent handling!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Monday 20th January 2025

Amongst the coverage of preparations for Donald Trump's inauguration later today as President of the USA for the second time, one of the first things I heard on BBC Radio Suffolk whilst I overseeing the boys getting ready for school this morning was an interview with Griff Rhys Jones outside Ipswich Minster yesterday to the backdrop of us ringing Grandsire Cinques, which can be heard at 2 hours, 1 minute and 57 seconds into Wayne Bavin's Breakfast Show.

It was those same bells I was ringing on this evening as I joined the first weekly practice in the Minster era along with twenty-three others, a potential recruit and briefly a deacon at a session that saw us squeeze in plenty including Stedman Cinques and Surprise Maximus of the Cambridge and Yorkshire varieties before we retired to the Halberd Inn for refreshment.

Among our number there was David Stanford who earlier in the day had rung 7-8 to a quarter-peal of Little Bob Royal on handbells in Bury St Edmunds as that particular medium of local ringing continues strongly in 2025, but there was nothing further to report from BellBoard within our borders.

God willing not so on Sunday when an extract from the 1260 of Grandsire Triples at Stoke by Nayland in September 2022 is due to be broadcast 'Bells on Sunday' on BBC Radio 4. It's not just Ipswich Minster bells appearing on the airwaves at the moment!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Sunday 19th January 2025

It was the day of the letter M for the Melton branch of the Munnings mob. Minster-making, Mermaid, Manchester City.

Most will be aware that this morning was the morning that after centuries of being 'merely' St Mary-le-Tower church, the home of the county's heaviest ring of bells became Ipswich Minster, one of just thirty-one in the country. It is a momentous event and as such the last few days has been a mass of media with events like yesterday's Bell Ringing Workshop, but the service today was the main show. And what a show! The choir are renowned for their excellence and were magnificent, comedian, actor & local resident Griff Rhys Jones made a lovely speech and the Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich - and therefore President of the Suffolk Guild - the Right Reverend Martin Seeley was undertaking one of his last official duties before he is due to retire next month, all in a packed church. Or minster as it ended the service being.

Bells played their part too as we rang beforehand and then as the service processed to the Cornhill round the corner afterwards, with a couple of courses of Grandsire Cinques bookending the Minster-making.

With our subsequent plans this afternoon, the later ringing afterwards presented challenges which were solved by the later ringing beforehand. That allowed the boys and me to catch the first train of the day from Melton into Ipswich and a walk across the town centre that highlighted the abundance of churches, towers and bells we have in the town, albeit not all ringable. St Nicholas which was once the HQ of the Diocese is currently empty and the tower where a ring of five hangs is in scaffolding. Round the corner St Peter's was visible down the street named after it, but of course only has a 7cwt five hung for chiming with the treble of the original six removed in 1983 and recast as the trebles of the then newly augmented eight at Offton. St Stephen's is now a concert venue with the three long unringable, as now for over a year has been nearby St Lawrence where work continues to assure the flintwork on the tower is safe. And of course finally Ipswich Minster.

Training it in also meant we could make our way to meet Ruthie for our pre-match meal at The Mermaid after she'd been collected from her morning of music in Woodbridge, without having to worry about what to do with the motorcar. Although that also meant more miles for the boys it also enabled us to take in another of the town's ring of bells as we passed the six of St Matthew's.

Food and drink consumed, we then walked to the Fanzone to meet Norwich ringer Simon Rudd (fresh from ringing a peal yesterday at Great Yarmouth dedicated from one minster to another!) and then into the stadium to watch the Tractor Boys take on a team that despite their relative difficulties this season are still the reigning the club world champions, Premier League champions for the last four years (last time they didn't win the English title we were a poverty stricken mid-table League One side) who are led by the best manager of modern times and some real superstars of the biggest sport on the planet. Not surprising therefore that we were beaten and beaten well by our multi-million pound megastar visitors, but whilst the result was miserable, watching some of these players was mesmerising.

Meanwhile there was ringing going on in Suffolk beyond Ipswich Minster. Congratulations to Sally Crouch and conductor Joshua Watkins on ringing their one hundredth quarter-peal together in the 1260 of St Nicholas College Bob Minor at Hartest in a performance that also saw them and Pat Lees ring their first in the method and Deborah Blumfield her first blows in it altogether. Well done Sally, Joshua, Pat and Deborah! Then three miles away at Glemsford, the same band also rang a QP of two Doubles methods, whilst nationwide celebrations continued of the tercentenary of the first peal on twelve on the precise anniversary. That included a 5060 of Grandsire Cinques at Trowbridge in Wiltshire with former Reydon learner Philip Moyse on the eleventh and one-time Bardwell ringer Louis Suggett conducting it, a day after a truly magnificent performance in conducting a 5009 of Stedman Cinques at St Paul's Cathedral. Although more peals are rung there nowadays, there still aren't a huge number of people who have rung one on these famous bells, let alone called one, so very well done Louis!

Marvelous stuff to report on a marvelous day (maybe football result aside!) with a capital M!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Saturday 18th January 2025

This morning Alfie saved a penalty. The first he has ever faced in a match. It was a momentous moment for him and us and I reminder why Saturday mornings are not a time I can really commit to ringing. I wouldn't have wanted to miss it and I think it made it even more special to him that we were there to see it.

Therefore we weren't sorry to be late to today's Bell Ringing Workshop at St Mary-le-Tower, but we were nonetheless really pleased to eventually make a substantial amount of what was a hugely successful occasion. This was a part of a weekend to mark the making of Ipswich's civic church into a Minister, which is due to happen tomorrow, but actually for us ringers the greatest point of interest was the new training bells installed this week. They are aren't fully ready as the electrics need to be plumbed in - as it were - but they were there, the ropes hanging down into this famous old ringing chamber. And they were usable and were very much used today. We'd missed one tour but still got there in time for some handbell ringing and to see two further tours which included former South-East District Ringing Master Jonathan Williamson giving a fantastic talk which was entertaining and informative but not too heavy on the technical side. That was followed by some rounds on twelve and Plain Hunt on Eleven (the clapper on the second has now been sorted  thanks to Neil Thomas from Matthew Higby & Company) and then trips up to the bells with George & Lucy Heath-Collins where the heaviest bell in Suffolk was turned over for them, whilst visitors - and Alfred - were given a go on the training bells. Ruthie and Alfie enjoyed their first trip up to the bells, dozens of visitors discovered ringing and many potential recruits left their email address. This seems to have been an extremely successful event and well done to all involved in arranging and running it.

St Mary-le-Tower wasn't the only place in the county where ringing was happening though. In fact it was rather busy elsewhere too as four quarter-peals and a peal were rung. Well done to Juliet Griffiths on ringing her first QP of Surprise in the Cambridge Minor at Campsea Ashe and on ringing her most quarters in a day, with her also ringing in the 1260 of five Doubles methods at Benhall, 1320 of two Minor methods at Marlesford and finally six Minor methods at Bredfield.

Meanwhile the peal was at The Norman Tower and was part of a wider celebration of the tercentenary of the first peal on twelve, which was rung on the now gone ring at St Bride's, Fleet Street in London on 19th January 1724 (apparently before the moving of New Year's Day from 25th March to the 1st January) which was a 5060 of Grandsire Cinques, which was what was rung in Bury St Edmunds today amongst an unusual number of peals in this method in the modern age of spliced Maximus and Particles, with lots of performances dedicated to that groundbreaking success of three hundred years ago.

That was a momentous day in ringing history, but not as momentous as today was for Alfie!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Friday 17th January 2025

This is the start of St Mary-le-Tower's big weekend. Or Ipswich Minster, as it is due to become officially on Sunday. As such it was very much making the news - with the BBC at least - as the event featured on their news website and in a report on Sarah Lilley's show on Radio Suffolk. Parts of both reports were also dedicated to the installation of the training bells and indeed former Guild Ringing Master Amanda Richmond - who along with Jonathan Williamson has driven this project from the beginning - is interviewed about four minutes into the piece on the wireless which begins an hour and forty minutes into Sarah's programme.

As alluded to in yesterday's blog there is also the possibility of something about it featuring in a future edition of The Ringing World and this week's edition arrived today packed with lots of interesting stuff, including an article about the one hundredth peal on the 28cwt six at Hoar Cross in Staffordshire, a ring of bells on which I rang one of those one hundred peals when I rang the treble to a 5040 of Stedman Doubles in 2001 when organiser and conductor Richard Grimmett brought the entire band in his people-carrier! Suffolk connections this week are tenuous, with Southwold pupil Peter Blythe mentioned as the teacher of Norfolk nonagenarian Michael Gooderham, Lord Suffolk featuring in a page about the celebrations for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the restoration of the bells of Charlton in Gloucestershire (which is also due to include a world record attempt for the greatest number of ringers through a tower in twelve hours on 10th May!) and a piece about the composition of the first ever peal rung on twelve was written by former ringer at the aforementioned heaviest twelve in the county Mark Liebenrood.

Meanwhile more potential future content for the RW was being generated within our borders with a trio of quarter-peals. One was at Bredfield which remembered local ringer Mike Tyler. I was very sorry to hear of his passing recently as I enjoyed chatting with him and although for a long time he wasn't in the best of health he always supported ringing at Woodbridge if he could. RIP Mike. I'm sure he would have been pleased to see Trevor Boyd ringing his first QP in the 1260 of Grandsire Doubles - well done Trevor! Well done also to Chris Graham on ringing his first quarter inside in the Plain Bob Doubles at Tostock, whilst there was a 1280 of Kent Treble Bob Royal rung on handbells in Hasketon.

No ringing for us though with the day mainly taken up by work for me and going to the funeral of the husband of one of her choral colleagues for Ruthie, but God willing we shall do some ringing over this big weekend in Ipswich.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Thursday 16th January 2025

Thursday is a strange day for football but now Ipswich Town's men are in the Premier League, tonight was just the latest day of the week that we have found ourselves down at Portman Road to watch the Tractor Boys play. Although the result was a disappointing 2-0 loss to our visitors Brighton & Hove Albion, it was still a fun night out with the family and as we don't normally do any ringing on the fourth day of the working week we weren't missing any, albeit Ruthie had to forsake her choral practicing.

Still, we did spend time in the company of ringers with dinner at The Mermaid with Ufford Ringing Master Kate Eagle, a drink was had with my brother and Norman Tower ringer Chris in the Fanzone before kick-off and we met with Simon Rudd at half-time as he impressively made it having begun the day in France!

Meanwhile, across town at St Mary-le-Tower, the six new training bells are now installed, hopefully ready for their first outing during the 'Bell Ringing Workshop' as part of the Minster Making weekend on Saturday and this evening we received photos of them, whilst there is also the potential of something on it all in a forthcoming edition of The Ringing World, so watch this space!

It was a positive note to end a strange day for football.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Wednesday 15th January 2025

It was a day of quarter-peal achievements in Suffolk.

Congratulations to Edith Wankowska on making her debut in the medium when she trebled to the 1260 of Plain Bob Doubles at Bramford in what is hopefully the first of many and well done to Gavin Edwards on ringing his first of Norwich Surprise Minor in the 1320 at Pettistree before the weekly practice there.

The session that followed was one I could join at a relatively leisurely (or at least what constitutes leisurely in our household after a day at work and school!) pace with Alfie not going to football training as he had hurt his ankle. That allowed me to join in with a typically eclectic range of methods from Grandsire Doubles to Cambridge Surprise Minor for Vince to reinforce what he'd done at Ufford last night to as much Stedman Doubles as we could squeeze in at the end before ringing down. And there can't be too many six-bell practices nationwide that will have rung Westminster Surprise Minor as well as we rang it this evening. Meanwhile, Mary Garner was showing everyone her photo in the East Anglian Daily Times which was unfortunately placed alongside the headline 'Driver arrested' but of course referred to the article below about the £23,000 impressively raised for the refurbishment of the parish rooms!

With the Greyhound Inn still closed for its traditional January break though, there was no opportunity to round the night off with a drink in this lovely ancient tavern. Or to toast today's quarter-peal achievements.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Tuesday 14th January 2025

After Ufford's weekly practice this evening, Alan McBurnie suggested a drink in the pub. However, with the White Lion seemingly packed out for a quiz night we decided to retire to The Coach & Horses for what still turned out to be a pleasant post-ringing drink with Mr McB, mother-in-law & Ringing Master Kate Eagle and Bredfield ringer Vince Buckman. I really enjoy a good pub quiz, but I don't imagine it would've been overly conducive to catching up.

Still, it seemed apt today. On occasion I have wondered if one could pitch a ringing themed round to non-ringing quizzers, but what you could ask stumped me to an extent. What you do when you pass the treble on the way up in seconds in Plain Bob Doubles or who was ringing the fourth to the 1280 of spliced Surprise Major at Sheldwich in Kent in July 2018 didn't seem overly fair or engaging questions for the general public! However, this afternoon on BBC Radio 2, Henrik Hansen from Maidstone showed the way forward as he asked the questions in a competition seemingly devised by presenter OJ Borg. The general gist seems to be that OJ invites a listener to come on to ask questions about a subject unfamiliar to him, once he has done as much research as he can over the period of a song. Therefore, about 1 hour and 28 minutes into the show Henrik is introduced and then from 1 hour 31 minutes and 11 seconds he pitched a trio of questions, all of which OJ got wrong but which I thought were quite clever inasmuch as I believe a layman could work out the answers. Well worth a listen.

Many thanks to my resident spotter of ringing and ringers on TV and radio Ralph Earey who originally brought my attention to this unexpected bit of ringing PR, but by this evening there was lots of excited chatter from ringers on social media about the piece, by which point I was at a productive session on the 13cwt eight at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Amongst talking about stands for mobile phones in the ringing circle for those looking to follow a line in something unfamiliar, Alan's presence enabled us to ring Surprise Minor of the Cambridge & Ipswich varieties for Margaret Weeks and Vince to treble to, as well as some Grandsire Triples for the latter to try inside and Plain Hunt on Five and call-changes on eight for another Hollesley learner Mary Leaming. An example of how just one single extra ringer of Alan's calibre can make a difference to a practice such as this where without him we wouldn't have managed Surprise Minor, at least not with someone standing behind Margaret and Vince.

Earlier in the day I had been on another lunchtime walk that took me to Melton St Audrey's where a hospital once stood and a chapel now stands abandoned with a single bell hung in a turret which could only be viewed from afar, so I was glad to get in some actual ringing a mile away later in the day. Meanwhile at the same time they were practicing at Offton where they preceded the session with a quarter-peal of Cambridge Surprise Major, which is great to see but may not be prime material for a quiz topic.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Monday 13th January 2025

This is the start of a potentially a big, historic and exciting week for St Mary-le-Tower and there was definitely a different feel about the weekly practice this evening.

That wasn't entirely down to what is planned to change here in the coming days. The new ropes had been put on eleven and twelve and offered some entertainment and with the clapper of the second which is usually rung in the twelve still playing up, Ringing Master David Potts chose to focus on ten-bell ringing apart from some rounds on twelve for Neil Thomas from Matthew Higby & Company Ltd to help him hear for himself the problem with the clapper. It was also the first time I had heard it and I can definitely tell why we can't practically ring it at the moment as it is extremely late at backstroke and quite quiet.

Norwich ringer Neil's presence with his work colleague Julian Ferrar (who had a good catch-up with my mother Sally when he recalled her from their days ringing in Northamptonshire) wasn't for our clapper troubles though, but rather for one of the big changes occurring this week, that of the installation of the new training bells. There were plenty of signs of the work they had done today, which mainly involved get the materials in which included a couple of planks of wood leaning up downstairs, and the training bells themselves and their ropes and their Ipswich Town blue & white sallies (in contrast to the Norwich City yellow & green at the Mancroft Ringing Discovery Centre!) resting around the ringing chamber before the serious work of constructing everything is due to take place over the next couple of days. It was strange to think as I glanced around this evening that this was the last time this famous old ringing chamber will look like this, largely unchanged bar the occasional added pealboard for decades.

God willing it'll all be set up by this weekend when it is planned for the church to become Ipswich Minster with a number of events. That includes the 'minster-making' service on Sunday where we have been requested to ring beforehand at the slightly later time of 9.45-10.30am and then afterwards too, whilst we ringers are slated to give a 'Bell Ringing Masterclass' on Saturday from 10.15am to 1.30pm and preparation for our contributions to that were part of an anticipatory buzz tonight that continued on into the Halberd Inn.

Meanwhile a quarter-peal of Kent Treble Bob Major was rung on handbells in Moats Tye as handbell quarters in Suffolk got underway for 2025 at the start of a potentially big, historic and exciting week for St Mary-le-Tower and also the county around it.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Sunday 12th January 2025

Excluding lockdowns and the Second World War, the latest that the Guild has rung it's first peal in a calendar year is on the 23rd February in 1963, presumably due to the big freeze of that winter. I thought it unlikely that it would be that long before the first of 2025, but even so it is unusual in recent years for us to be this far into the New Year without at least one peal on the board for the SGR.

Nonetheless, I had a sneaking suspicion that the 'drought' wouldn't last longer than the second Sunday of January when one would expect the monthly attempt at Aldeburgh to happen and so it was today with a 5008 of Double Norwich Court Bob Major which was also conductor Alan Mayle's 250th peal on the 11cwt eight. Congratulations Alan!

The Munnings peal totals for 2025 remain at zero though, with no time this afternoon to squeeze in three hours or so of ringing as we were at Portman Road for Ipswich Town's first match this season in the famous FA Cup. It all felt unusually relaxing as we comfortably beat Bristol Rovers from two divisions below 3-0, but much else was familiar including the pre-match meal at The Mermaid with mother-in-law and former South-East District Ringing Master Kate Eagle and meeting with Norwich ringer Simon Rudd just before kick-off and at halftime.

And I did do some ringing this morning, first at St Mary-le-Tower and then after refreshment at Costa Coffee at Grundisburgh. At the former we were ringing on the back ten whilst we await a diagnosis on the clapper for the second of the twelve and saw me call some call-changes on ten and then ring in a touch of Grandsire Caters. At the latter the numbers were lower but repertoire similar as we rang call-changes on six and Grandsire Doubles, as well as Plain Bob Doubles.

Meanwhile a 1320 of Plain Bob Minor was rung on the 15cwt six at Rougham and was the sixteenth quarter-peal in Suffolk thus far this year.

Peals have a spot of catching up to do!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Saturday 11th January 2025

On TWTD which I regularly frequent for Ipswich Town news and discussion, someone announced that they were in London for a challenge. That challenge was that whichever team scored the first goal of the 3pm kick-offs this afternoon, the (presumably young, footloose and fancy-free) member of the forum would travel up to the place that team came from to go out on the town tonight. For those interested and equally those not interested, it transpired to be Stoke with their fourth minute opener in Sunderland.

If bellringers were to undertake a similar challenge on the basis of where the first peal was scored today then they would be boozing in Reading this evening. For that was where the first peal of this bitterly cold Saturday was rung, with a 5040 of seven Treble Dodging Minor methods rung on handbells which was also the first rung at the address. Indeed it was the first of six 5040s of seven Treble Dodging Minor methods in the same house today, as a peal was rung in every "pealable" room.

No such ringing activity for us though. Or much activity at all to speak of bar leisurely knocking around the house doing necessary chores, watching footy on the TV and briefly popping out to the shops as Alfie's match this morning was called off due to a frozen pitch.

Elsewhere ringing was happening in Suffolk though with the North-West District holding their first event of the year at Stowmarket and then the Shepherd & Dog in Onehouse and not far away at Bardwell a quarter-peal of Plain & Little Bob spliced was rung in what was Max Thomson's first of Major. Well done Max!

Now, off to Reading for that night out...

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Friday 10th January 2025

It was a rock 'n' roll Friday. Oh no it wasn't! Oh yes it was! Four quarter-peals in the county, the arrival of The Ringing World and an evening of pantomime.

Well done to Andrea Alderton, David Steed, Maureen Gardiner, David Howe, Stephen Dawson and conductor Lesley Steed on ringing their first QP of Cotswold Treble Bob Minor in the 1272 at Tostock, whilst there was also a 1250 of Cambridge Surprise Major at Horham, 1296 of Plain Bob Major at Helmingham and 1260 of Grandsire Triples at Debenham on a busy day of ringing within our borders.

Not so for us, although the first edition of the RW following it's bumper festive issue and it's subsequent three week hiatus over Christmas and New Year brought lots of typically interesting ringing content into our home. Although apart from the peal and quarter reports, there was nothing Suffolk related bar a letter from Woodbridge Ringing Master Bruce Wakefield which brings up some interesting points on ART.
And we did go out with a ringer to watch the actual rock 'n' roll part of our day as we joined Ruthie's mother Kate and other family members in watching the New Wolsey Theatre's RnR panto performance of Sleeping Beauty. Most entertaining it was too, especially when my former work colleague Pete was reluctantly dragged up on stage to make a balloon sword!

It was all very rock 'n' roll.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Thursday 9th January 2025

Another nice day, another lunchtime walk. This time I stumbled across a Christmas tree farm (there is no method named Christmas Tree, but now probably isn't the time to challenge the county's ringers to come up with one!), but no church towers.

Nor did I travel to one, but I did do some ringing as I undertook something else I want to do more of in 2025 - ringing my eBells. Ruthie wasn't out as long as she usually is singing and these days the boys are up later so I didn't have any time entirely to myself free of distractions this evening as I normally get on a Thursday, so I tried a bit in the dining room whilst the boys watched TV in the living room. And I was soon reminded of why I try to do this on my own as partway through a decent attempt at a course of Yorkshire Surprise Major I was called upon to settle a disagreement between Alfie and Josh.

Eventually I did manage a course to the backdrop of the occasional interruption from the other room, but it is unlikely that I'll be bothering Josh Watkins's excellent annual quarter-peal analysis with handbells this year or any year soon! I did enjoy reading his report of Suffolk's QP ringing in 2024 today though. Compared to the previous year the story seems to be of fewer ringers ringing more. However, of course 2023 was a very special year with a flurry of activity and endeavour involving lots of members for the Guild's centenary celebrations, including thirty first quarter-pealers and so it would've been very impressive to beat those numbers. Taking that unusual twelve months out though, 2024 has continued the upward trajectory since coming out of the lockdowns in every aspect with most numbers almost back up to pre-pandemic levels. Encouraging signs as quarter-peals are such a valuable way to progress and engage ringers.

Adding to 2025's figures was today's 1296 at Horringer of Ickworth Bob Major, a first in the method. Well done to all the band.

A nice day for ringing as well as walking.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Wednesday 8th January 2025

If he were still alive, Elvis Presley would've been ninety years old today. Cue regular playing of his hits on the radio throughout the day.

Tomorrow is the seventieth anniversary of the birth of Pettistree Ringing Master Mike Whitby. Cue a box of chocolates very kindly brought along by him to this evening's practice on the ground floor six, a rendition of 'Happy Birthday ' in the ringing chamber and presentation of a card to him from us ringers who are extremely grateful for all he has done for ringing here since the bells were restored and local band started in the mid-1980s.

Despite me almost forgetting to run in to a bob in a 120 of Plain Bob Doubles, the ringing was generally of a high standard and the repertoire eclectic with Surprise Minor of the Cambridge, London and Norwich varieties rung, as well as a touch of Doubles & Minor spliced. We were unable to top it off with a drink in the Greyhound Inn as that is currently closed as it traditionally is over a large part of January, but it was preceded by the first quarter-peal of 2025 at the tower that usually leads the county's QP lists by some distance every year.

Meanwhile, somewhere else within our borders where the first quarter of the year was being rung today was Elveden and as has become the norm it was something impressive as a 1344 of Belfast Surprise Major was being rung as ringing across the country continued through the snow.

Nothing rung for Elvis though.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Tuesday 7th January 2025

I haven't made any New Year's resolutions as such, but I would like to do more walking generally. My work has long seen me stuck indoors all day but without even the walk to the office anymore and miles of open countryside on our doorstep I was conscious of the missed opportunity to get out of the house and do my physical and mental health the world of good.

Therefore today's lovely sunny weather and the boys return to school was enough to encourage me out on my lunchbreak for a wonderful wander. Within minutes of stepping out the door I was in forests, fields and country lanes enjoying views of both Melton Old and New churches and Bromeswell. Only six bells between them and none of them hung for change-ringing, but there is still something I find uplifting about spotting a church tower when out and about, especially from a different angle.

If I had time I would have happily have continued on to another tower, that of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ufford, but I did make it eventually, albeit by car as I went along to the weekly practice.

It was worthwhile finally getting there too with a productive session that saw Mary Leaming improving at Plain Hunt on Five and call-changes on eight was also rung with each member of the band changing a pair (that didn't involve them) in turn, although a work call for Ringing Master Kate brought it to a premature end.

There will have been other practices running tonight, there was nothing else mentioned on BellBoard from Suffolk on this bright winter day though.

Perhaps other ringers in the county have been busy walking too.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Monday 6th January 2025

There was a very disconcerting noise emanating from St Mary-le-Tower at it's weekly practice this evening. Some may even say dreadful. It wasn't the standard of ringing however, although of course not everything went, as you expect at most practices. Rather, before I had arrived to immediately stand behind George Heath-Collins to a touch of Erin Cinques they were pulling off for as I walked through the door, the clapper on the second to the twelve had started to strike late, if at all. What exactly is the matter with it couldn't be definitively identified, so whilst it will hopefully be sorted quickly for tonight we had to use the sharp second normally used for ringing on the front eight. Not a particularly pleasant sound, but actually it was fortunate it hadn't happened to any of the other bells instead or else it would've sounded even worse!

Still, it was a pity especially for our visitor from Cirencester Sarah Ewbank was particularly useful as someone who could help us to pick up Lincolnshire Surprise Maximus again, but at least we were able to ring twelve, which enabled us to ring some Stedman Cinques and Little Bob Maximus with varying degrees of success before retiring to the Halberd Inn.

Meanwhile, well done to Maureen Gardiner and the conductor Stephen Dawson on ringing their first quarter-peal of Rising Brook Bob Minor in the 1260 at Woolpit on Saturday. I imagine it didn't sound  disconcerting, unlike St Mary-le-Tower bells this evening!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Sunday 5th January 2025

Christmas summons up visions of snow covered countryside, despite it hardly ever snowing on 25th December in living memory. Well today Suffolk got it's white Christmas on the final day of this winter's festival.

It was all gone from Melton by the time we looked out of the window for the first time this morning, but by the point that the boys and I had dropped Mason off at work, Ruthie at St Mary the Virgin's in Woodbridge for her choral duties and we were on our way into Ipswich for me to ring at St Mary-le-Tower there was definite white stuff in the fields and hedgerows of the countryside. However, that had been washed away by our return journey by the constant rain that pretty much stayed with us throughout this grey day.

By then I had contributed to some Grandsire Cinques, Stedman Caters and even Yorkshire Surprise Maximus on the county's heaviest twelve before George & Lucy Heath-Collins were presented with a framed certificate of the quarter-peal we rang on their wedding day by Stephen Cheek and many of us retired to Costa Coffee for refreshment.

Elsewhere within our borders meanwhile, a 1282 of Yorkshire Surprise Royal was rung at The Norman Tower for the Plough Sunday Evensong and at Halesworth a 1280 of Plain Bob Major was rung upon the 18cwt ground floor eight.

Meanwhile, if you're planning your holidays, it might be worth contacting Stephen Pettman (his details can be found on the Grundisburgh page on this website) for further details about his Italian ringing trip that he is planning for October. These are fascinating trips and the hospitality is phenomenal, so I can highly recommend it to you.

No more ringing for me though as we spent our afternoon round Ruthie's sister's watching Ipswich Town's 2-2 draw at Fulham on the TV, before returning home to take our decorations down on this twelfth night of a (sort of) white Christmas.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Saturday 4th January 2025

Getting along to South-East District events has become increasingly challenging to get along to over the last year or two, frustratingly so for us as a couple who would like to get to every one if possible and indeed for Ruthie who used to be District Secretary and thus appreciates how much time and effort goes into organising these. Mainly it is down to football, especially Alfie's matches on Saturday mornings, sometimes organised at short notice and which we like to support him with and where he can't get to under his own steam. In our blessed position to have the hottest tickets in town at Portman Road and especially at this exciting time for the Superblues, when a home fixture falls on the afternoon of a first Saturday it typically prevents us getting to any post lunch SE occasions and depending on location evening ones too. Although annoyingly (from the sods law nature of it rather than the wonderful reason behind it!) with Alfred's team's game cancelled and ITFC's game against Bournemouth moved to the following day, we were still unable to get to the ADM held at Framlingham last month as we were in Brighton where my wife was being bridesmaid for her best friend Fergie. We can't expect the District to organise its events around us of course and to be fair they try to schedule them at different times to allow as many members as possible to get along to at least some of them (some work on Saturdays for example or have other commitments), but ultimately it is harder to logistically make as many of these monthly treats as we used to, as hard as we try.

However, with no match for AJM and his teammates this morning and the Tractor Boys not due to play until tomorrow, we had a completely free day to make it to the first South-East District event of 2025, held this afternoon at Orford. Well, not completely free as with our household and their various activities it's almost impossible to get a completely free Saturday. Our arrival at this 10cwt eight was delayed by needing to pick Mason up from work and then an unexpected SOS meant that rather than then just heading straight from ours to the coast we had to negotiate the multiple traffic lights and one-way system of Woodbridge town centre for Mrs Munnings to drop some important choral paperwork off at church before we eventually undertook our journey out to ringing.

Despite getting there a bit later then we would've liked, we still managed to contribute to a session which seemed quite a useful one, with the highlight being how pleased Tracey Scase was with her course of Bristol Surprise Major, as was Gavin Edwards with his Little Bob Major and Claire Haynes with her Cambridge Surprise Major (still in boot protecting her injury!). All of which highlights the benefit of these occasions if supported properly, as it allows ringers to ring stuff with a strong band and people standing behind that is possible with the pooling of a district's talents. Well done to all concerned and to Secretary Liz Christian on ensuring those there were supplied with tea and biscuits.

With Ruthie and her mother Kate ringing in the quarter-peal afterwards, the boys and I decided to hang around for them in The King's Head which backs onto the churchyard and with Pippa Moss waiting for Mike Whitby and thinking along similar lines, we enjoyed a pleasant forty-five minutes or so by a window looking out at the church. Although - despite the otherwise perfectly hospitable barman speaking in not entirely complimentary tones about listening to them in the summer - we couldn't hear them at all inside the ancient tavern and it was striking just how quiet and intrusive these bells are outside. And ultimately my wife and mother-in-law, conductor Hal and tenor ringer Mike joined us in contributing further to their business with some more drinks following their efforts.

Their 1250 of Yorkshire Surprise Major wasn't the only QP rung within our borders as a 1280 of Bristol Surprise Major was rung at Hitcham and an apparently extremely cold 1296 of Beverley, Cambridge & Surfleet Surprise Minor was rung on the 11cwt ground floor six of Barham!

On a busy day of ringing in the county, we were just delighted to have the time to join in!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Friday 3rd January 2025

It's been a quiet start to 2025 for ringing in the county from a BellBoard perspective. Three days in and only two performances can be found on an otherwise busy site - Woodbridge ringers ringing the New Year in and the date touch at Offton. Mind you, our household weren't helping things today, with the closest we got being seeing Grundisburgh ringer Ruth Symington in a group photo accompanying an article about Suffolk Singers on p19 of Woodbridge Talk, one of the free monthly magazines delivered to us.

Meanwhile, this is due to be a big month at St Mary-le-Tower as it is lined up to officially become Ipswich Minster on Sunday 19th at the end of a weekend of events to celebrate this historic moment, including a 'Bell Ringing Workshop' the day before. And in the week leading up to that the installation of the new Training Bells is scheduled to be done by Matthew Higby & Company. God willing these will have a huge positive impact for ringing and ringers locally, for the Guild and beyond, so this final step is an exciting development.

Hopefully it will help ringing in the county pick up the pace in 2025!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

Thursday 2nd January 2025

Guild Handbell & Mini-Ring Trustee Brian Whiting is probably Suffolk's most prolific composer currently, along with Stephen Pettman. It's not just quantity, but clearly quality too, with his compositions regularly used by many different conductors around the world and it hasn't been surprising to see them popping up in recent days. However, in the first forty-eight hours of 2025 it stood out to me that already three of his compositions have been successfully rung and put up on BellBoard, amongst the leading composers this year thus far. One was conducted by Brian himself yesterday at his home tower of Offton on the same day as a 5040 of Yorkshire Surprise Royal composed by him was rung at Ledbury in Herefordshire rung for the Yorkshire Association, whilst there was a 1312 in four Surprise Major methods spliced of his rung at Leicester, St Mary de Castro today. As far as I can tell, thus far this year his numbers are just short of John Warboys and more than the most famous like Alan Reading or David or Rod Pipe. An example of some of the ringing talent within our borders.

None of that talent was ringing anything that made it onto BB on a much brighter, sunnier day and neither Ruthie nor I were contributing to the exercise at all as I returned to work after nearly three lovely weeks of holiday. The time off spent with family and without deadlines and the like has been wonderful, but as I now work from home the first day back isn't anywhere near the depressing shock to the system that it once was, with my wife and the boys only in another bit of the house whilst I caught up with emails and the few independent schools who are back at the moment.

Mrs Munnings had a day off both work and singing with her choirs having a break and so her efforts seemed primarily focused on helping building Josh's model Wembley Stadium (a very long-term project!) as I had a rare evening sofa slumping and others were ringing Brian Whiting compositions.

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

New Year's Day 2025

A perfect New Year's Day is a leisurely start, a walk in the countryside and a spot of ringing. Well, as the late Meatloaf once sung, two out of three ain't bad.

The leisurely start was achieved by most in our household after the early hours finish overnight, with Alfie the only one getting up before 11am.

I hope to get more walking in over 2025, but one today was always going to be challenging with needing to drag a pair of reluctant young boys along with us, but with my pulling of the curtains back being accompanied by the window being absolutely pelted with sideways rain and the sound of powerful winds, even I felt staying indoors for as long as possible would be more sensible.

We did get out of the house eventually when we went to Pettistree for the first practice on the ground-floor six of this year, albeit it was held this afternoon rather than in the evening as it usually is, perhaps sensing after days of overindulgence and particularly last night that we might all be nodding off between 7.30 and 9pm! It was just the ticket as daylight was disappearing and a great way to blow away the cobwebs. It was obviously needed too, as my first bit of ringing was calling a touch of Norwich Surprise Minor from the fifth which didn't come round as I missed two and three swapping over! Nonetheless things got better as we rang Stedman Doubles, Grandsire Doubles and a touch of spliced Doubles & Minor that began with Stedman, Plain Bob Minor and then London Surprise and was really well struck. That certainly got us up and running again! All followed by a drink in the busy ancient candlelit Greyhound Inn next door with a large crowd of us ringers. Lovely also to catch-up with folk and meet Gavin's partner William as we heard about ringing in the New Year last night at Great Bromley in Essex with Suffolk representation and at Aldeburgh to join Debenham, Sproughton and Woodbridge in places I knew were ringing at midnight as 2024 turned into 2025.

There was more ringing done in the county today with a date touch of Double Norwich Court Bob Major at Offton, whilst further afield there were typical Bank Holiday 'big' peals at St Paul's Cathedral and York Minster and the New Year's Day quarter-peal at Westminster Abbey by a 'provincial' band saw Worcester Cathedral ringers ringing a 1289 of Stedman Caters.

God willing it is the start of a good year for ringing here and beyond. Although for better or worse one cannot expect everything to go to plan, hopefully that will include most immediately the South-East District practice at Orford on Saturday and further into the future the Suffolk Guild AGM in what I think should be the South-east District on Saturday 26th April and the SGR Striking Competitions in the what I believe would be the North-east District on Saturday 17th May, whilst district competitions are also planned for the SE on 7th June and the return of the North-West District's on 13th September at Horringer and their outings on 5th July for the former and 9th August for the latter and their ADMs on 11th October and 6th December respectively. There is so much lined up, not least from the NE and SW when they reveal more detail about their plans for 2025. And hopefully there will be a Guild entry to the Ridgman Trophy penciled in for 21st June at Boston in Lincolnshire, a competition the SGR have had great success in over recent years.

Personally I am looking forward to hopefully helping expand our Surprise Maximus repertoire at St Mary-le-Tower which began towards the end of last year, all being well doing more Surprise Major and the Rambling Ringers Tour planned for Herefordshire that we hope to join in the summer and I would like to be able to ring more peals than I managed last year.

That will be challenging with Alfie's and possibly even Josh's footballing endeavours which will quite rightly come first and which Ruthie and I love witnessing, as well as helping ensure Mason can continue his studies and work, plus it doesn't seem fair to leave my wife alone with the parenting duties whilst I go gallivanting off ringing lots of peals! First and foremost therefore, the happiness and health of my family and friends is my main hope for 2025, so any quarter-pealing or peal-ringing I manage will just have to fit in around that somehow! Also though, it would be lovely for Ipswich Town to avoid relegation from the Premier League, although after the last couple of glorious years with them I feel a bit greedy asking for more success!

Whatever the year ahead may or may not hold in store for us, I'm fairly happy with the way it's started today!

Please post any comments on the facebook page.
Top

The views expressed in this blog are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Suffolk Guild of Ringers.

• 2024
• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008
• 2007