Very big congratulations to Mandy Jones who this evening secured her first Quarter Peal at Bletchingdon, ringing tenor behind to Plain Bob Doubles, achieving some very nice striking.
Teresa, Hugh Deam, Jeremy and Judy provided excellent support, forming a secure team for the quarter. We were joined at the end by Mandy’s husband Ian and two daughters Becca and Louise who brought fizz and cake to celebrate the achievement.
Mandy said later: ” I’m beyond chuffed and so grateful to the help and encouragement from Steve, Teresa, Jeremy, Hugh and Judy and all the local bellringing community.”
The record on Bellboard is to be found at: https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1642548.
Very big congratulations to Gerald Bushby, who achieved his first Quarter Peal on the treble and third overall, on Thursday evening at Weston, supported by a strong band of Bicester and Oxford Branch ringers.
This also marks Gerald’s completion of the requirements for ART Learning the Ropes Level 3, which is a great achievement for himself and the Weston team in only a few years, with COVID lockdown as well.
Many thanks to Mandy for providing refreshments in the church afterwards.
Very big congratulations to Julie Penny, who achieved her first Quarter Peal today, trebling to Grandsire Doubles at Bletchingdon. There was some very nice striking, especially for a first Quarter, well done Julie!
A big thank you as well to the band of Hugh, Michael, Alison, and Lisa for helping achieve this!
Very big congratulations to Sally Cross who achieved her first Quarter Peal today at Bletchingdon! There was some very nice striking during the quarter peal. Many thanks to Emma, Lisa, Sue and Alison for making a strong band.
Last night, eight ringers from four branches, including Guild Master Katie Lane, gathered at Islip tower to ring a very nicely struck quarter peal of Grandsire Triples, excellently conducted by Graham Clifton. This was dedicated to the memory of Willie Haynes, especially appropriate as it was one of Willie’s local towers, with a peal board bearing Willie’s name on the ringing chamber wall.
The Bellboard record is at: https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1553538
St Marys Church, Charlton on Otmoor was packed for the funeral service for our late branch president, Willie Haynes on 4th October. Ringers who knew Willie were out in strength, including several from neighbouring branches and from further afield. Naturally, there was plenty of ringing both before and afterwards which I think Willie would have approved of.
In a moving service, which celebrated Willie’s long and active life, ringing played a significant part. Not only was Belfry Praise included in the hymns, but Kathryn Grant, Branch Secretary gave an address concerning Willie’s ringing career and related involvement with Branch and Guild, while vicar Lisa included many ringing references in her address, as well as Willie’s pivotal role in Charlton Church and community and which spoke of her and Willie’s strong friendship.
That evening, officers from Bicester Branch, including Branch Ringing Masters Jeremy Adams, Richard Haseldine, Treasurer Anne Martin, Vice President Teresa Carter and Kathryn Grant and myself gathered at Charlton tower to ring a nicely-struck quarter peal of Grandsire Doubles. It was really nice to meet afterwards with Teressa, Willie’s daughter and family who were listening just outside the church.
Three quarter peals have now been dedicated to Willie’s memory with the expectation of at least one or even two 8-bell Quarter Peal Attempts to celebrate his life.
On the evening of 27th September, six Bicester Branch ringers including Ringing Master Jeremy Adams, Teresa Carter, Kathryn Grant, Vice President and Secretary, plus Anne and Graham, met up at Souldern Church, probably expecting a larger turnout and to take the opportunity to reflect with others on the life of our recently departed Branch President, Willie Haynes.
Kathryn and Teresa had brought two bags of books, photos and papers to sort through, which we did for 20 minutes or so, while waiting for others to arrive.
As we stayed at the magic number six, it was suggested we might attempt a Quarter Peal of Grandsire Doubles in Willie’s memory, which we duly did. We had heard of an appropriate number attending a practice and ringing a Quarter Peal, but never had the actual experience.
After one restart at the first 60, the team achieved a nicely-struck Quarter Peal in 45 minutes. The feat is now on Bellboard and is associated with Willie’s In memoriam record. We hope to add more Quarters and maybe longer lengths to his memory in the next few weeks.
A big thank you to Kathryn Grant, Jeremy, Celia, Teresa and Graham for ringing a quarter peal this afternoon at Islip in memory of John Hadfield, a Bicester and Islip ringer who sadly passed away last month.
Five branch members, including one Launton ringer, and Alison Merryweather-Clarke from Witney&Woodstock met up at Launton on Sunday 21st November to ring a Quarter Peal commemorating the life of Eric Ball, former ringer of Launton, Middleton Stoney and Lower Heyford, who sadly passed away on 5th November and whose funeral was held on 18th November.
We rang a nicely-struck quarter of Grandsire Doubles on the fine light ring of Gillett and Johnson bells, the first ringing there since March 2020. I think Eric would have liked that.
Big congratulations to Gerald Bushby of Weston on-the-Green for achieving his second Quarter Peal on 7th October 2021, and the first at Weston since the improvements to the ringing chamber and rope circle as well the first there by a member of the team re-formed in 2018.
In the team for this special occasion were appropriately ringers representing the Oxford Guild: Tony Crabtree, conducting and ODG Deputy Master, Lesley Belcher, Chair of ART, Susan Read, head of the ringing school at Abingdon, Jeremy Adams, joint Ringing Master Bicester Branch and Steve Vickars, Branch Training Officer.
Many thanks also to Mandy Jones for laying on some wonderful refreshments after the event and taking the team photo. Thanks also to Jeremy, Lesley and Susan for staying on afterwards for some ringing practice with the Weston Team.
The new team at Weston is a real recent success story of a band reforming and there appears to be a prospect of re-starting handling practice for the Weston recruits that started early 2020 just before the Pandemic.
There have been many very favourable comments about the improved ringing facilities at Weston. I hope you get the chance to ring there soon.
