News from the belfry

Bell Ringing, Other Activities

Wimborne Tower Outing to Oxford – January 2023 

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The much-delayed Wimborne band outing took place on Saturday 6th January. The event had first been postponed by Covid and then by the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.  

For those not familiar with ringing in Oxford it presents an opportunity to ring at a significant number of towers, many of which are of great historic or architectural interest and all within walking distance. A number of towers are part of the College buildings and some are existing or former city centre churches. 

Our first tower was St Ebbe’s where the very light bells gave us some challenges. We then moved across the road to the completely different surroundings of Christ Church College where the bells are in one of the college towers but are rung for services at the Cathedral which is part of the same complex. These bells are a 12 of a similar weight to Wimborne but very much an old style ring in tuning and surroundings. We rang some successful touches of cinques and surprise maximus and enjoyed seeing some of the Harry Potter locations around the college on the way out. 

After lunch we met up again at Magdalen College where the beautiful perpendicular tower contains a fine ring of 10 where we enjoyed more good ringing including some London Royal.  

At Lincoln College the former church of All Saints is now the college library but the light ring of 8 remain and are available for ringing. We managed to just about fill the ringing chamber and everyone was able to say that they had rung in a library. 

From here it was a short walk in the rain to St Mary Magdalene, a light 10 where amongst general ringing we managed two separate touches of caters, one by a ladies band and one by the gentlemen! 

Our final tower was at Carfax which is all that remains of the former church – apparently demolished in the early 19th Century for traffic improvements. Although our energy was flagging we managed some good ringing on this surprisingly heavy six to conclude our day before stopping on the way home for a welcome pub supper. 

Our thanks should go to Katie Child who organised the event for us using her local knowledge as an Oxford graduate and also to our escort from the Oxford Society who accompanied us throughout the day.  

Article by Tim Martin, photos by Katie Child

Belfry News

Service of Thanksgiving for the life of of Eric Hitchins

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The Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Eric Hitchins was held in the Minster on January the 23rd. attended by many friends and family.

Eric was born in 1930 in Bradford on Avon and learnt to ring in 1942, aged 11, on the six bells at St Nicholas North Bradley, Wiltshire. Four young lads from the choir were ‘herded’ up the tower by Percy Harding the Tower Captain and taught on silent bells because the wartime ban was still on. They were Eric, his older brother Laurence, Fred Slatford and Donald Lee. The first time he rang open was on November 15th 1942 for victory at El Alamein when the ban was temporarily lifted for a few hours.

The four who learnt together were elected to the Salisbury Guild in November 1943 and all remained active ringers throughout their lives. Eric was a loyal and stalwart member of the Guild and was looking forward to celebrating 80 years membership in 2023. He held many posts in the Guild including General Secretary and
Treasurer in the 70’s, Central Council representative for 25 years and he was the longest serving Vice President with 43 years’ service. His allegiance to The Guild was such that throughout the 22 years he lived in Norwich he always tried to attend the annual Guild Festival in May despite the distance involved. Many will remember his 90th birthday challenge when he walked 90 miles in 90 days to raise money for
the LEBRF, the Salisbury Guild Bell Restoration Fund, which he established as a charity in the early 70’s.

Eric met Trish when they were both in the band for a peal at Inveraray in 1979, they were married in 1981 and had two daughters. After many years living in Wiltshire and Norfolk they finally settled in Wimborne where they soon became part of the ringing scene locally. For Eric it was a return to the territory covered by his beloved Salisbury Guild. He was a member of the College Youths for over 60 years and rang 289 peals during his long ringing life. His service of thanksgiving was a wonderful demonstration of the strong ties that bind the family of ringers together with representatives from many parts of the country.

Immediately before the service, a Quarter Peal of Stedman Cinques by the local band and family members. The Quarter Peal was Composed by Lucinda Woodward for the occasion, comprising 1292 changes to mark Eric’s 92 years of life, and rung for the first time that day. A full Obituary for Eric was published in The Ringing World.

The recording (above) is a short extract from the Quarter Peal.

Bell Ringing, Peal Ringing, Quarter Peal, Video

Ringing for the late Queen Elizabeth II at Wimborne Minster

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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.

Extract of the Quarter Peal of Stedman Triples

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.

Bell Ringing

Branch Bonanza at Shroton

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The East Dorset Branch Bonanza at Shroton on July the 30th included 2 striking competitions, a cake competition and another for Limericks, as well as a traditional Ringers’ Tea.

The Novice Shield was claimed this year by Witchampton, a brilliant result for this newly-trained band. Well done!

The Novice Shield

The main competition was won by the Wimborne P team, with the Q team coming second, by just one point!

Competition Winners – Wimborne P team
2nd Place – Wimborne Q team
Bell Ringing

National 12-Bell Ringing Contest

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There are various Ringing contests every year, but the peak of them all is the National 12-Bell. To put it into context, there are over 5000 towers in the UK with a ringable set of 6 or more bells. Of those, only 136 have 12 (or more) bells, of which Wimborne is one.

Of those 136 12-bell towers, only around 20 put in a team for the National 12-bell, so the Wimborne band is very proud to have taken part.

The Eliminators were held in 3 locations, and Wimborne was allocated to St Magnus the Martyr in London, on March the 26th, and was placed 5th.

St Magnus the Martyr
The Wimborne Team enjoy a drink after ringing in the National 12-bell Competition Eliminators in London March 26th 2022
Bell Ringing, Uncategorized

Ringing for Royal Events at Wimborne Minster

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This presentation was displayed in Wimborne Minster as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend in June 2022. To watch on FULL SCREEN, click the 3 dots in the bottom of the window and follow the instructions.

 

Research by Kathy Bentley and Gillian Richards
With thanks to the staff of the Dorset History Centre
Photos of peal boards and peals by Alan Bentley

Belfry News, Bell Ringing

Striking Success

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Wimborne Minster win the Salisbury Guild 8- bell Striking Competition.

Following a two-year gap whilst the competition was suspended, the Wimborne band regained the Guild Trophy at the competition held at Broadchalke on Saturday 14th May. Ringing the test piece of 160 changes of Plain Bob Major the band beat teams from Calne, Melksham, Dorchester and West Dorset to gain first place for the fifth time in the last six competitions.

The team had practised the test piece each Tuesday at Wimborne for the past few weeks, but the bells at Broadchalke provided an extra challenge and with only a five-minute practice slot immediately before the performance it took a while for the band to settle into a steady and regular rhythm. The judges commented that the ringing improved considerably during the second half of the touch, and finished in good style.

The photograph shows the band displaying the trophy with the Rector before ringing for the Parish Eucharist the next day.

(l – r) Max Knight, John Riley, Hilary Child, Robert Child, Reverend Andrew Rowland, David Warwick, Rosemary Duke, Harry Blamire and Flick Warwick.