Category: Branch Practice

On Wednesday 6th November 9 ringers from 5 branch towers and 1 W&W tower banded together for the branch practice at Bletchingdon. We were met by the tower captain who didn’t ring due to a back injury (get well soon Sue), and our President came along to ring looking healthier than he has for a long time.. Glad to see you back ringing Willy 🙂

After ringing up we started with plain courses of Grandsire Doubles (a favourite at Bletchingdon which is why we host so many Grandsire special practices there), and then we followed that with plain courses of Plain Bob Doubles. More Grandsire followed and a touch of Grandsire where Anne stood behind to make sense (hopefully) of the observation bell… Won’t be long before Anne will be showing us how that is done! We finished with more Grandsire Doubles before ringing down.

All in all a pleasant evening on some lovely bells. The next practice is the special practice at Islip on Tues 19th Nov – Grandsire Triples and Oxford Bob Triples. Not sure we will have the ringers to ring them, but we can at least try.

On Monday 7th October it was Bicester’s turn to host a branch practice.  The turnout was worse than at Stratton Audley in July.. only 4 ringers.  However we did ring….

We started chiming tunes (twinkle twinkle little star, oranges and lemons, kum by yah). We then decided to ring up which Anne did really well. We then progressed to Plain bob minimus. We failed at Stedman minimus and then rang more plain bob minimus before ringing down (again well done to Anne).

Having booked a baby sitter so Sarah and I could both go we weren’t going to miss out on the pub!

Next is the branch outing – please do support that and have a fun day out around Newbury.  The next special practice is again at Bicester in two weeks time..hopefully we will get a better turnout then (Oxford bob minor and Plain bob minor).

On Tuesday 3rd Sept 14 ringers from 7 branch towers met at Launton for the September Branch Practice. As in previous years it was a lovely summers evening which is good given the cosy nature of Launton tower!

We started with a request – ringing up in peal practice for Jean – we made sure we had enough so I could stand behind and whisper advice, but it still wasn’t the best “up” – not all Jean’s fault though!

We moved on to plain courses of Grandsire Doubles which several bands tried.

About half way through the evening we rang down, and back up again to give more practice at “up” and “down” – the tenor proved a little tricky on the “up” and least said about that the better. However, it highlights that a ringing up and down course is needed – something to add to next years diary!

More Grandsire Doubles and Plain Bob Doubles followed with Elaine being persuaded to have a go on the treble to Grandsire. As darkness fell so our time was nearly up, but we managed to have a quick (eventful) touch of Plain Bob Minor before ringing down. A good evening get together with some ringing interspersed, and also a chance to plug the Branch BBQ and Striking Competition on Saturday (5:30pm, Islip) – hoping to see lots of branch members and their families for that – and here’s hoping I get to sample the winning champagne again (it is the taking part that matters though!)

Anthony Cole

On Friday 2nd August Ludgershall hosted a branch practice.  There hadn’t been a Ludgershall practice for 6 months so it was a treat for 5 locals to be joined by 7 others (including my two little darlings aged 9 and 6 who don’t ring properly yet).

We started with plain courses of Grandsire which was abruptly halted when the treble rope slipped wheel and the treble set itself. Val went upstairs and resolved that with the careful application of a broom.

We then rang call changes follwed by a touch of Grandsire.  Next we tried some plain hunt on 5 before moving on to a touch of plain bob doubles. After more call changes Peter suggested Stedman Doubles which we managed a touch of (with the single being whispered between 4 and 5). The observer watching the treble had spotted the numbers for the second course were different so we explained what had happened.. well spotted!

More plain hunt was followed by more call changes before a fairly well struck down ending in Weasels (14235) followed by applause!

Samuel quickly demonstrated how to chime and tie up a bell rope without help – well done Sam. Then it was home & bedtime for all.

Next practice is the special practice at Caversfield on Monday 19th August – please do support that if you can.

Advanced notice – the branch striking competition and BBQ will be on Saturday 7th Sept and once again will be hosted by Islip so please put that in your diary.

“I’m in Dubai”

“Wimbledon calling”

Excuses abound for the lack of turnout for the branch Practice at Stratton Audley on a warm and sunny Thurs 4th July.

Despite these excuses we did get 5 ringers (3 Stratton ringers, one from Launton and me) and we rang call changes, and plain hunt on five.

There was a chat about a locally haunted house and then how many ringers they would have for the following Sunday service which triggered comments of Jeremy needing to ring two bells and him saying how easy it was! When called to demonstrate he declined, but egged on I duly did ring the treble and two to show that it was possible (years of fooling around teaches many things about what is possible with a bell rope). Intrigued Debs then rang the treble one handed to see how easy it actually was though she didn’t venture as far as ringing two. Jeremy then felt he had to show willing and rang one handed on treble and then the two, but didn’t ring two bells together.

After this “showing off” session we rang some plain courses of Grandsire Doubles which Debs hadn’t tried before and with a little help talking her through it she managed the two ok and seemed pleased she had tried something new. Very well done also goes to Ann who managed the treble without any guidance.

Our next event is the special practice at Islip on 16th July – Stedman Doubles and Plain Bob Major if we get enough. Hopefully I will see many of you there.

Half way through 2013 already, and Middleton Stoney hosted the June Branch Practice on Wed 5th – for the 3rd year running it was a beautiful sunny summer evening so those not ringing could sit outside and listen. We started very slowly with 2 learners (who had yet to handle a bell) and 5 others (1 Launton, 3 locals and myself) . We rang up 5 and gave the new recruits a demonstration of plain hunt on 5 before giving them tower safety instructions (don’t touch ropes as you cannot tell if they’re up or down!) and then letting them have a little go. Hopefully the next time I go Graham and Anita will be fully capable ringers.

More ringers (2 Islip, 3 Charlton) arrived at about 8:10pm enabling us to do much more of what a branch practice is about – helping teach the locals so they can make progress! We started with plain courses of Grandsire Doubles before moving on to Plain Bob Doubles as two of the locals had looked it up. A shaky start, but we got to the end of the course and ran through a few times with helpful hints from the conductor. More Grandsire Doubles and (really must get Anne on an inside bell soon!) and then multiple goes at Plain Bob Doubles for the locals again – they were getting it by the end 🙂

We finished with a well struck ring down (apart from the catch at the end!).

Next branch event is the Grandsire Doubles special practice at Bletchingdon so hoping to see lots of keen Grandsire enthusiasts & learners in 2 weeks time.

On Wed 1st May 10 ringers from around the branch (4 locals from Piddington, 1 from Bicester, 2 from Launton, 1 from Charlton on Otmoor, 1 from Ludgershall, 1 from Ambrosden) met at Piddington for the branch practice. Last years practice was a good fun meeting and this years (though with less locals) was no less an event.

We started off with call changes, followed by call changes , followed by call changes…. nothing wrong with call changes you understand – that is just what the locals tend to ring. The striking was mostly very good and loud 🙂 The conductors voice is always challenged here as there isn’t a “deadening chamber” between the bells and the ringers (usually taken up by a church clock). We did try some plain hunt with a couple of the locals joining in before more call changes. We did manage both Double Court Minimus and Double Canterbury Minimus through the course of the evening, but without the ringers knowledge as we rang the methods as call changes 🙂

Nosy that I am I went for a quick peek at the organ only for word to get around tht I was interested and a key was duly produced! I asked the ringers to ring something (to drown me out) whilst I had a go, but they finished before I did so they heard me and there was a little applause when I finished.. how embarrassing! Anyway, we finished with more call changes, but unlike last year, we did not venture to the pub this time as the village’s only pub closed last year 🙁

The next branch event is the special practice at Islip in 2 weeks time – Little Bob Minor (far easier than it sounds – plain hunt on 4 for the treble and essentially the treble from treble bobbing for the rest) and Grandsire Triples – hopefully we will get a lovely warm evening to encourage lots of ringers to come along – see you all soon!

On Fri 5th April the word had been spread that Ambrosden bells we to be rung for a branch practice so the village were expectant! Silence is golden as they say, and sadly that is what Ambrosden received as only 4 ringers turned up. However it was good to have a short chat with the only ringer in the village and it is encouraging that she is able to get practice elsewhere in the branch.

Those disappointed by the silence will at least be appeased today as there is both a visiting band and a wedding at Ambrosden when the bells will be rung.

The next branch event is the special practice at Bicester on Mon 15th April – Reverse Canterbury Doubles and St Clements Minor so hoping to see lots of keen ringers for that 🙂

On Tuesday 5th March 9 ringers (1 Launton, 3 Islip, 3 Bicester, 1 Stratton, 1 Woodeaton) went along to Islip for the Branch practice.

We started off with plain hunt on 7 which Anne did really well with 🙂 We then pushed ourselves and rang a couple of courses of Grandsire Triples! (First time in the branch for a while). We then moved on to Grandsire Doubles with Sally ringing the observation bell.. would have been better if the conductor hadn’t thought he was ringing a different bell (how embarrassing – sorry Teresa!) … thanks to Sarah the mistake was discovered and the next attempt was successful.

We rang more plain hunt on 7 (Anne on a different bell) and again Anne did really well. We had another couple of courses of Grandsire Triples with different ringers inside and finished with a course of Stedman Doubles.

All trips to Islip require some apres-ring (if there is such a term) so we headed off to the Swan for some drinks and prawn crackers :9

Next branch event is the special practice (Grandsire Doubles) in Bletchingdon, shortly followed by the branch outing – looking forward to them both 🙂

“PLO” you say? Palestine Liberation Organisation?? Err.. no. In days gone by when I went on ringing weeks a “PLO” was a “Potential Lock Out” and Friday 1st Feb was one of those. 7 ringers met at Kirtlington with instructions that we should get the key from the church warden as the tower correspondent was away. Unfortunately when I visted the church wardens house she was not at home either! We stood by the church gates and chatted (whilst some rapid phone calls were made), and were just about to give up and go to the pub (or home) when we spotted a car arrive in the churchwardens drive. Success!! We then had a key 🙂

With not enough to ring all eight bells we elected to ring the front six (not quite in key, but didn’t sound too bad). We rang plain courses of Grandsire Doubles, some plain hunt on five, a touch of Plain Bob Doubles, and finished with a short touch of Grandsire Doubles with Sally “observation” – didn’t quite get to the end, but it wasn’t Sally’s fault.

A good evening, but a few more ringers would have made it better. Well done all those who came out (especially Willy who wasn’t really fit to ring – we all really hope Willy will be back fighting fit very soon).

Next practice is the special practice at Bicester on 18th Feb – Plain Bob Major and Stedman Doubles, shortly followed by our Branch AGM on Saturday 23rd Feb.