Category: Belfry News

Audio, Belfry News, Quarter Peal

Wimborne Minster Ringers’ Summer Outing 2025

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The Wimborne Minster Ringers’ Summer Outing 2025 was a weekend affair based in St. Columb Major. Fourteen members of the band headed to Cornwall at different times and from different directions, firstly for a peal attempt at Phillack on the Friday afternoon. Sadly, a surreptitious swap caused the attempt to fail, but there was time to complete a successful quarter of Cornwall Surprise Major on these delightful Taylor bells – followed by even more delightful refreshment at The Bucket of Blood. The area has plenty of attractive and varied accommodation available after the summer throngs have departed, and everyone found somewhere to suit their preferences.

Saturday’s ringing began at the lovely six in St. Erme, followed by the two towers in Truro – Kenwyn and the Cathedral where we were joined by locals Jo and Andy, and a very accomplished ringing quartet who happened to be holidaying in the area. After quickly getting accustomed to the long draught and distinctive acoustics of the Cathedral ringing room we rang some pleasantly fluent Stedman, Cambridge and Bristol Maximus – and a helpful foretaste of the bells for the 2026 SW 12-bell competition.

Lunch was enjoyed in several places around the city, before we all headed to Probus, St. Stephen in Brannel and finally St. Columb Major for three excellent eight-bell towers where we were able to practise a special touch of Grandsire Triples for the forthcoming Guild Striking Competition as well as exploring a variety of other methods – including a successful attempt at a ‘scat’ raise. The evening was rounded off with a lovely relaxed supper at The Ring O’ Bells and a presentation to Harry as thanks for organising a wonderfully efficient, enjoyable and successful outing. 

Belfry News, Bell Ringing, Other Activities, Video

Wimborne Ringers’ Day in Devon

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The Minster bell ringers took their skills to Devon for their annual outing on Saturday with ringing at six churches.  An early start was made at St Nicholas Sidmouth where the ten melodious bells cast by the Taylor bellfoundry in 1972 were rung well.  Following ringing the nearby cake shop offered a tasty allure.

The centrepiece of the day was Exeter Cathedral which like the Minster has twelve bells although Exeter’s are heavier providing a deeper tone, the largest bell, the tenor, weighing 72 cwt.

Visits followed to St Mark’s Exeter (10 bells), Ottery St Mary (8) one of its famous sons being Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Sidbury (8) and finally Axminster which has ten bells that are untypically loud in the ringing chamber.

Most of the 24 Minster ringers rounded off the day with dinner near Axminster and on Sunday morning were  back in action on the Minster ropes for pre Eucharist ringing – and later for Evensong ringing.

Videos of ringing at Sidmouth and Axminster and in the ringing chamber at Exeter Cathedral.

and the Sidbury churchyard entrance.

Sidmouth

Exeter Cathedral

Axminster

Band photo at Exeter Cathedral

Belfry News, Bell Ringing

Branch Striking Competition Results

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The Wimborne Band entered 3 teams into this year’s East Dorset Branch Striking competition.

Team X included 2 of our recent recruits (Ben on the treble, Ewan on the tenor) and rang Grandsire Doubles with only 24 faults. They achieved 4th place.

Team Y also rang Grandsire Doubles and were given 12 faults and good feedback, achieving 3rd place overall.

2nd Place was secured by the team from Blandford with only 7 faults.

Wimborne Z rang a very elegant 120 of Grandsire Doubles and were given only one fault overall, and won the competition.

Wimborne Z in ringing order
Belfry News, Other Activities

Minster Fair pictures

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The Minster Fair on June the 10th and once again we had perfect weather for it. The Bellringers provided regular tower tours and a teddy zipwire. Both were again popular – several tours sold out and there was a steady stream of teddies (and other stuffed creatures) being hoisted up to the top of the tower and then descending on the zipwire.

The fair from above
The team at the top of the tower
Bertie (Go Bellistic’s bear) completed his third consecutive year of zipwire adventures.
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.

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.