Ringing for the late Queen Elizabeth II at Wimborne Minster

Ringing for the late Queen Elizabeth II at Wimborne Minster

21st April 1926 – 8th September 2022

Wimborne Minster has a long history of royal connections. Edward the Confessor founded a college of canons to live and worship here in 1043 (some twenty years before he founded Westminster Abbey), and in 1318 Edward II declared the Minster a Royal Peculiar. Later, in 1562 Queen Elizabeth I appointed twelve Governors to be responsible for the property and prerogatives of the Minster and Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School – a role they continue to exercise today.

As the news broke on the evening of Thursday 8th September that Her Majesty had died in Balmoral Castle, the Minster bellringers reacted quickly, fitting a double set of muffles to the top 11 bells, and a single muffle to the hand stroke side of the tenor clapper. A band was hastily arranged to ring at 11.00am the following morning (as decreed by Operation London Bridge). A sombre quarter peal of Stedman Triples on the back eight was rung whilst a short service of Remembrance was held in the Minster.

Friday, 9 September in 52 minutes  

                                                   1        Trish Hitchins

                                                   2        Hilary Child

                                                   3        David Hilling

                                                   4        Flick Warwick

                                                   5        Max Knight

                                                   6        Robert Child

                                                   7        David Warwick (C)

                                                   8        David Coates

Rung fully muffled with the tenor open at backstroke in memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

After discussions with the Rector and the Bride and Groom, it was decided that the wedding ringing on the following day should also be fully muffled. After the marriage service we rang three courses of stately Grandsire Caters on the back ten.

Sunday morning offered the opportunity for the ringers to get used to fully muffled ringing on the whole twelve, and then a quarter peal was rung for Evensong.

Sunday, 11 September in 55 minutes

1265 Erin Cinques

Composed by John Hyden

                                                   1        Hilary Child

                                                   2        Trish Hitchins

                                                   3        Rosemary Duke

                                                   4        Graham Duke

                                                   5        Kathy Bentley

                                                   6        Alan Bentley

                                                   7        Max Knight

                                                   8        Flick Warwick

                                                   9        David Hilling (C)

                                                   10      Robert Child

                                                   11      David Warwick

                                                   12      David Coates

Rung prior to Evensong with the bells fully muffled and tenor open at backstroke, in affectionate memory of our late Sovereign Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

As a mark of respect, we decided to cancel our normal Tuesday evening practice, but instead invited our younger ringers for 30 minutes of ringing on the front eight to allow them the opportunity of ringing in memory of The Queen.

Tuesday, 13 September

500 Various Triples

Rounds, Call Changes and Plain Bob Triples

Lila Hickman

Charlie Goldie

Ben Avery

Esther Davey

Kathy Bentley

Hilary Child

Flick Warwick

Max Knight

Robert Child

David Warwick

Fully muffled (with the tenor open at backstroke)

Sunday ringing the next week continued as usual in the morning, and then a quarter peal was rung for the Civic Service in the afternoon. BBC South Today filmed this service, and the fully muffled ringing featured prominently in the report.

Sunday, 18 September in 54 minutes

1254 Grandsire Cinques

                                                   1        Graham Duke

                                                   2        Rosemary Duke

                                                   3        Lucy Warwick

                                                   4        Trish Hitchins

                                                   5        Kathy Bentley

                                                   6        Alan Bentley

                                                   7        David Hilling

                                                   8        Flick Warwick

                                                   9        Harry Blamire (C)

                                                   10      Louis Suggett

                                                   11      Nigel Woodruff

                                                   12      Max Knight

Rung fully muffled with the tenor open at backstroke, for a Special Service of Commemoration marking the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

A full peal was organised to be rung after The State Funeral on Monday – the first fully muffled peal on the bells. Starting at 2.00pm, the sound of the bells was appreciated across the town and brought many people into the Minster, which had been kept open during the day – streaming the funeral from Westminster Abbey and allowing opportunities for quiet reflection.

Monday, 19 September 2022 in 3h 26 (29–2–20 in D)

5005 Stedman Cinques

Composed by Shirley Burton

                                                   1        Max G Knight

                                                   2        Patricia M Hitchins

                                                   3        Lucy S Warwick

                                                   4        David P Hilling

                                                   5        Felicity S Warwick

                                                   6        Philip A L Rioch

                                                   7        Adam W Kilgour

                                                   8        Louis P H Suggett

                                                   9        David A Warwick (C)

                                                   10      Harry E Blamire

                                                   11      Nigel R Woodruff

                                                   12      Robert T Child

Rung fully muffled with the tenor open at backstroke in memory of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, following her funeral at Westminster Abbey.

First of Stedman Cinques – 1; 300th peal together – 5 & 11.

Altogether, 23 different ringers took part in the various sessions of ringing, and a peal board will be made to record the Funeral Peal. We were very grateful to the steeple keeping team who had placed the muffles on the bells – not a single one slipped throughout the many hours of ringing during the mourning period.