Author: Steve Vickars

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Ring for Peace Recruitment event Kirtlington 18 Feb 2018

On the afternoon of Sunday 18th February 2018 Kirtlington hosted a recruitment event for the Ring for Peace 2018 initiative culminating in ringing commemoration events later this year. We had an excellent turnout of helpers including Sue from Bletchingdon, Judith from Kirtlington, Alison Merryweather-Clarke from Witney and Woodstock Branch, as well as Hugh Deam and Paul Lucas from Oxford City Branch. Presiding over the whole proceedings was Willie Haynes.

We had three interested recruits including Rory from Bletchingdon, and Judy and David from Kirtlington, who all had a go ringing part up as well as back stroke and hand stroke, making great progress.

Having a good team of ringers we were able to demonstrate Plain Hunt on 5 and 6 as well as a some plain courses of Grandsire Doubles.

A very promising start for hopefully some new members of the “1400” for 2018.

 

Judy and David having their first ringing lesson
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ART Module 2C Teaching Course 10th February 2018

I arrived at St Peter’s Kineton, Warwickshire on a cold and wet Saturday morning. Kineton is an ART (Association of Ringing Teachers) teaching centre; in fact, it is the home tower of Graham Nabb, the Chair of ART itself.

Seven delegates attended this event, coming from as far afield as Essex and Wiltshire, several having many years’ ringing experience.

The aims of the course are to cover the teaching of key skills from Rounds through Plain Hunt (Foundation) to learning doubles and minor methods (Change Ringer).

The course, led by Graham, comprised a number of slides covering topics including:

  • Challenges facing ringers and towers today
  • How people learn
  • The importance of combining theory, handling with practicing methods and having fun.
  • Building an effective ringing team, including the importance of identifying and reviewing achievable objectives
  • Placing the team for practice and service ringing.
  • Duties of a tower captain and the importance of delegating key roles
  • Health and Safety and Safeguarding

The theory sessions were interleaved with very useful and fun practical sessions. These included:

  • Practicing rounds and leading using hand bells. Practicing whole pull and stand, then moving to next bell.
  • Foundation skills, including standing the bell at hand and back stroke (Twinkle Twinkle little star, whole pull and stand, ring for n blows and stand, ring alternate hand and back stroke), turning while at back stroke, handing over rope to neighbour at hand stroke, switching hands on sally and tail end.
  • Kaleidoscope ringing, Mexican Wave, call changes by places, dodge and change at each call
  • Plain hunt on 3 – 6 bells, starting on back as well as hand stroke
  • Techniques for those standing behind learners to encourage timely and correct striking, as well as the need to understand place and providing timely, specific and positive feedback.
  • Mini-methods such as Cloister Doubles, Bastow Little bob and Churchyard bob to develop Plain Hunt skills
  • Mini-touches of Plain Bob Doubles and Plain Bob Minor to encourage learners to treble and ring inside without the need to dodge
  • Original Minor, developing the Band’s awareness of place and reaction to bobs and singles called.
  • Touch of Grandsire Doubles with four consecutive singles, aka Reverse St Bartholemews Doubles.

All in all, this is an excellent course, which has given me many ideas to put into practice at my next ringing practices. I would thoroughly recommend the ART ringing scheme to any ringing learner or teacher as a structured, graded programme that breaks down handling and ringing techniques into smaller elements, enabling the student to progress. Learners and teachers are well supported through a comprehensive set of learning and teaching resources.

The ART teaching modules comprise Module 1 (handling), Module 2F (Foundation – Rounds to Plain Hunt) and Module 2C (Methods).

For further details, speak to me or visit the websites at: https://smartringer.org/ or http://ringingteachers.org/

Steve Vickars

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Branch Practice 5th February 2018 Kirtlington

St Mary's, Kirtlington

A more select seven came to Monday’s Branch Practice, including Helen, who had practice time beforehand and got a reasonable amount of rope time during the group session. Helen’s later turns on rounds with a team of 4 were definitely showing improved control.
Derek from Kidlington also came and had a good amount of practice, led by Jeremy and Richard. 
We continued with Plain Bob Doubles for Judith and Sue, fresh from their Quarter Peal on Sunday, Derek covering on tenor. We also rang a few plain courses of Grandsire doubles before trying out Cloister Doubles, which went quite well.

We also had Derek ringing call changes with named pairs to swap, to build awareness of which bell to follow, before we rang down in Peal.

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80th Birthday Quarter Peal for Branch President 26 Jan 2018

On 26 January 2018, five members of the Bicester Branch and Louise Brown, a former resident of Bicester Branch, rang 1260 Grandsire Doubles in 37 minutes as an 80th birthday compliment to Willie Haynes, President of the Bicester Branch.

The details are:

1 Louise Brown                                4 Steve Vickars

2 Kathryn Grant                                5 Richard Haseldine (c)

3 Teresa Carter                                 6 Michael MacArthur

We rang at Islip where Willie had been ‘temporary’ Tower Captain from 1983-1993.  Apart from being President of the Bicester Branch, Willie has been a member of the Oxford Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers since 1951, as well as serving on many of its committees, and has been Tower Captain at Charlton-on-Otmoor for an impressive number of years.

Willie appeared to be very pleased with the team’s efforts, as he bought everyone a drink at the Red Lion afterwards.

Here’s to the next 80 years, Willie!

The band with the Birthday Boy!
The band with the Birthday Boy!

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Special Practice 15/01/2018 at Bicester

13 ringers from six towers headed over to Bicester to join in last night’s special practice. Oxford Branch was also represented by Ron and Derek. The practice was ably led by Steve Walker and Jeremy Adams.

We rang rounds and call changes for a few times on 8 and 10 bells, giving a long overdue and welcome airing of the full Bicester ring as well as giving Gus and Derek the opportunity to develop a rhythm on unfamiliar bells. Both got well into the swing of things by the end.

For Helen, Sue, Ellie and Judith  we rang several courses of Plain Hunt on 7, improving each time and also 3 touches of Plain Bob Doubles, in preparation for the ladies’ QPA next month. In this we were helped by Steve, Jeremy, Simon (returning after a while away from ringing), Ron and Ian.

After a touch of Grandsire Doubles, Ellie trebling, we rang down the front 4 then the back 6 in Peal, finishing in Queens. A very worthwhile practice.

Hope to see lots of you at the next Branch Practice, at Kirtlington on 5th February. Perhaps a chance to see the new simulator in action?

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Branch Christmas Practice and Social 18th December 2017

There was a great turnout to Monday’s Branch Christmas special Practice. So good to see our regulars plus Ian and Helen from Bicester, Kathryn Grant and Sue from Islip, Roy, our latest group member and U.S. correspondent as well as Richard, Jan, Jeremy, Ron, Jane, Derek, Tim and Brenda. Some 20 ringers all told.

We rang call changes on 8 for Derek, Sue, Caroline, Judith and Louise, Plain Hunt on 5, 7 (for Roy, Caroline, Louise, Judith and Brenda) and 8 for Helen.
There was a nicely struck touch of Plain Bob Minor, Ian on 2 observation, called by Richard, Grandsire Triples and a touch of Grandsire Doubles, with Sue Macready on 5 observation bell.
Finally a short burst alternating between rounds and Queens, before we rang down sort of in Peal, at which point Gareth Miller, Kirtlington rector, joined us as we took some photos and headed back to Caroline‘s for a wonderful apres bell Social (big thank you to Caroline and Louise for hosting, organising and providing mulled wine, and to everyone who contributed food), later featuring hand bell ringing. Definitely improved over last year.

See the  Kirtlington and Bletchingdon Facebook group for some video clips  uploaded by our remote location editing team!

Hope to see  lots of you at Islip on 3rd January for the first Branch Practice of 2018.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Branch practice 6th December 2017 Charlton on Otmoor

Despite (or perhaps because) it being St Nicholas Day, 11 ringers from six towers turned out for the last Branch Practice (excepting the final Xmas practice) of 2017 at Charlton on Otmoor last night. Amongst us were “el Presidente” Willie  Haynes – recovering from a recent cataract operation, Jeremy and Kathryn as well as Roy, visting Bicester from Washington DC for a few weeks.

After ringing up we had a few courses of Plain Hunt, followed by plain courses of Grandsire Doubles, striking improving as courses progressed, with Ally and Gareth inside, Roy trebling with guidance from Jeremy.

Our numbers and capability were increased by the arrival of Richard and Jan from Ludgershall, which meant we could ring some more challenging things.

We rang a touch of Plain Bob Doubles, Gareth on 4 unaffected, and Stephen on 5, affected, followed by a touch of Plain Bob Minor, Ann trebling, Steve on 5, called by Richard.

At Kathryn’s request, we next turned to plain courses of Stedman doubles, including the correspondent’s first attempt at ringing it on 4, helped by Willie. Not a disaster.

We then range a few plain courses of Grandsire again, before ringing a reasonably struck touch of Grandsire, featuring three bobs and six singles, called by Richard.

Finally, after ringing down in peal a number of the team retired to the Crown opposite.

Hope to see lots of you at the final Branch event of the year at Kirtlington on the 18th, where we will ring in a shortened practice, followed by apres-bell (but in which handbells may feature) at Caroline’s house nearby.

If not, have a very merry Christmans and a happy New Year.

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Branch Practice Bletchingdon 1st November 2017

Nine ringers from seven towers came to Wednesday night’s branch practice.

After ringing up we warmed up with some plain courses of Grandsire doubles– Ernie could not be tempted to try a different bell from 3, but will try 4 or 5 next week.

We then rang a number of plain courses of Plain Bob doubles with Judith on 2, improving each time.

Next we rang an acceptably struck 120-change touch of Grandsire doubles, called by Jeremy (5), with Ann 4, Steve 3, Kathryn 2, Sue on treble.

We also rang a 120-change touch of Plain Bob doubles Kathryn 2, Jeremy 3, Ann 4, Steve 5, Judith on tenor.

For something slightly different the team attempted a 60-change touch (PBPBPB) of Plain Bob doubles, Anne on 4 making bob and Long 5ths. We had to abort the first attempt due to a bob called at the wrong point. The 2nd attempt went much better.

Finally the team rang more Grandsire plain courses before ringing down.

Next practice is on 20th November at Bicester. Hope to see lots of you there.

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Special Practice at Islip 18 October 2017

Having left ex-hurricane Ophelia behind in the Lake District Tuesday morning, I headed over to Tuesday evening’s special practice at Islip. Not having rung for almost a week, I needed my fix of tower bells.

Our branch president, Willie Haynes and I were initially the only non-Islip ringers to join Teresa, Kathryn, Sally and Sue. The practice had Reverse Canterbury doubles and Plain Bob Minor on the agenda, but for Sue we kicked off with Plain hunt on 5, Sue on 3, which was getting pretty steady after a couple of courses. We later did some more Plain Hunt on 5, Sue ringing 2.

By this time we had been joined by Richard and Jan Haseldine, who formally received the branch striking competition shield from Willie, complete with engraved inscription. We then rang a couple of plain courses of Reverse Canterbury, followed by a touch.

As we were strong enough to provide a stander for Sally, we rang a touch of Plain Bob Doubles, Sally ringing 3 affected, called by RIchard, which went pretty well.

Following the agenda, we duly rang Plain Bob Minor, starting with a plain course, followed by a 120 change touch involving 2 singles at 5th and 10th lead ends, called by myself. However, two calling blemishes to report, the first being ‘bob’ corrected to single – thanks to Richard for putting right a couple confused ringers in the band- the second that I forgot to say “that’s all” immediately after the second single, so we had an extra 60 before coming round again.

Finally, we very nearly completed a 120- change touch of Grandsire doubles, Sally ringing 3 observation, supported by Jan, before we rang down in Peal. All in all a good practice.

Hope to see you at the next branch practice at Bletchingdon on 2nd November.

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Branch Practice Mon 2nd October 2017

Eleven ringers from seven towers came to tonight’s branch practice at Kirtlington, including Willie  our president, Jeremy Adams, ringing master and Kathryn Grant​ secretary,  the band further strengthened by the arrival of Richard Hazeldine.

Ron Burgess​ also came with Derek, who started ringing only 7 weeks ago and is now ringing rounds and call changes with teams of six and eight. We also included Derek in a reducing rounds exercise, which practices standing at hand stroke as well as pulling off ahead of heavier bells when building back up to full rounds.

We rang for our first method Plain Bob doubles plain courses, Sue on 3, Judith on tenor, both nicely rung.

Richard called a number of mini- touches of Plain Bob Minor (3 consecutive bobs), in which the lightest 3 just rang Plain Hunt on 6, while the heaviest rang alternate 5/6 down, 5/6 up and made bob. Judith and Sue alternated on treble, Ellie ringing 3.

As Ellie ​ will be ringing her first quarter this weekend, we rang a touch of Bob Doubles, Ellie on 3, Judith on tenor.

We were then encouraged to ring Plain hunt on 7, then on 8, albeit a bit crunchy, then for Stu ​ we rang Little Bob Minor, Judith trebling.

Finally, a ‘boy-band’ of Willie, Jeremy, Ron, Richard, Steve and Stu rang a plain course of Bob Minor on the back 6 before we rang all 8 down in Peal.

All in all a great practice with something for everyone. Best of luck to Ellie in her Quarter on Sunday.

Well done and thanks to all for attending. Hopefully see lots of you at this month’s special practice on 17th October at Islip.