Band clockwise from front right: Lucy Warwick, Hilary Child, Rosemary Duke, Bill Perrins, Flick Warwick, Ben Duke, Philip Rioch, Rob Child, David Warwick (C), Harry Blamire, Nigel Woodruff, Alan Bentley
On Saturday 12 October, Wimborne ringers took part in the second South West 12 Bell striking competition, held at South Petherton, Somerset.
Competing against 7 other teams (Bristol Redcliffe, Bristol St Stephen, Exeter, Chilcompton, Cirencester, Llandaff & Monmouth and Truro).
The test piece was 264 Grandsire Cinques. You can listen to our ringing here:
Wimborne placed 4th in the competition, with 72 points, with the two Bristol teams placing in 2nd and 3rd, and Exeter (reigning National 12 Bell champions) taking pole position.
Comments from the judges: “This was a good start to the day with some strong ringing especially at the end of the touch. Nevertheless, there was an unsettled feel to the overall rhythm of the piece which did detract from what we felt could have been an even more competitive piece of ringing.”
We look forward to taking part again next year and (hopefully!) doing even better.
On a beautiful late summer’s day the Wimborne Minster ringers went on our annual tower outing accompanied by several of our ringing friends. This year our destination was the Trowbridge area of Wiltshire with a little foray into Somerset. Ben and Rosemary had spotted the potential of this area for an outing when driving through on the way to see their new grand-daughter. We were missing a few of our number for a variety of reasons, from family commitments to being in Zambia teaching IT skills and soap-making! We ranged in age from 15 to quite a bit older.
Our first stop was at the ancient church of St Peter and St Paul’s in Longbridge Deverill. We arrived early after after a drive with splendid views across Salisbury Plain and waited for 10 o’clock in the warm sunshine. Alan began his role as ‘official photographer’ finding the best views of the church and tower. Some of us found the bells here a little tricky with long low ropes and had difficulty hearing calls as the bells were quite loud, so we stayed with plain courses. We enjoyed ringing Stedman Triples and Cambridge Major. We were grateful to Kathy for being our ‘leader’ at this tower.
Our next stop was All Saints’, the imposing 14th century church in the centre of Westbury next to the market-place, its churchyard edged with cottages. With its 35 cwt tenor it is the 3rd heaviest peal of 8 in the world and many thanks go to Hilary for organising us here. We rang call changes, Grandsire Triples and Spliced London, Bristol and Superlative, fully appreciating these beautiful bells.
You can listen to some clips of the ringing at Westbury below:
Stedman Triples
Spliced Surprise Major
We crossed the border into Somerset to visit St George’s church at Beckington with its 16 cwt peal of 8 in its fine Norman tower. As we awaited our turns to ring many of us looked at the beautifully worked collage panels around the church telling the story of the town and the importance of the wool trade in its development. We appreciated Trish organising us at this tower where we rang more Stedman Triples and a variety of Surprise methods.
Back in Wiltshire our next stop was lunch at The Farmhouse Inn in Southwick. Before we left Alan grouped us together for a photograph but doesn’t appear in it himself. No passers-by in the car-park offered to take a photo for us, perhaps being intimidated by the expensive-and-complicated-and-breakable look of his camera. Well fed and watered we continued on to St James in the county town of Trowbridge. This was a 24 cwt 12 and very enjoyable although the ropes are set much more cosily together than we are used to with our 12! One of our number, Eric, grew up in Trowbridge, learning to ring at nearby North Bradley. This is his leading peal-ringing tower, where he rang 21 peals (3 of Maximus, 10 of Cinques, 3 of Royal and 5 of Caters) and we were pleased to see 3 peal boards with his name on them in the tower. Our thanks go to Flick for organising all our ringing there. When we were not ringing we enjoyed standing out on the walkway on the roof which leads from the internal stairs across to the ringing chamber. We could see down into the streets and see people stopping and looking up, listening to the bells. We entertained them with Grandsire Cinques and Cambridge Maximus.
Next was the 19th century Christ Church at Bradford-on-Avon. It was built to accommodate the worshippers of the expanding town who, apparently, objected to going down the hill to worship at Holy Trinity in what they thought was a ‘bad area’! It has beautiful stained glass windows, wall paintings and wood carvings and was built on a hill so its splendid spire can be seen for miles. Here is a 12 cwt ring of 8. Rosemary had agreed to be our organiser in this tower which we appreciated, getting us to ring a touch of Kent Treble Bob amongst other fare.
We remained in Bradford-on-Avon for our final ring of the day which was at the medieval Holy Trinity Church in the centre of the town. As none of us in our car had read the instructions we had been given, telling us to use the footbridge over the water linking the car park with the churchyard, we enjoyed a circuitous walk through the town, admiring the splendid stone buildings and the ancient bridge in the centre spanning the Avon. Eventually we passed the footbridge and our car a few metres away across the water and arrived at the tower where the others were already ringing! Although this was the last ring of the day we were still enthusiastic and keen and were pleased to have Sue organise our final efforts. These were a 29 cwt ring of eight. We did justice to the bells, ringing Grandsire, Stedman and some Bristol and finally went to Il Ponte to do justice to our well-earned meals!
We were very grateful to Ben and Rosemary for arranging such a memorable outing with a wonderful collection of bells in such a beautiful part of the country. Our thanks go to our car drivers with their packed cars (saving the planet and parking) and to all those people who met us and let us into their towers. We enjoyed visiting new towers, revisiting towers we knew, meeting old friends, the challenge of ringing on heavy and unfamiliar bells, the glorious sound of the bells and the wonderful late-summer weather! We had an excellent day.
On Saturday 6th July 2019 one of our younger members, Ellana, went to Liverpool with the Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers team – Go Bellistic! – to take part in the Ringing World National Youth Contest (RWNYC).
She had a great day and was even able to ring at the Cathedral (Tenor 82cwt). You can read the full story here.
Fourteen members of the Wimborne Minster Band arrived bright and early last Saturday morning to man the tower tours for the Minster Fair. Some forty or so visitors to the ringing chamber were given illuminating talks about the history of bells in Wimborne Minster, tales of falling spires, explanations of change-ringing, demonstrations of tower-bell ringing (including a projected view of the bells turning from the camera above in the belfry), and a chance to try out plain hunting on six on handbells. Especial appreciation is due to those three intrepid ladies who braved the sudden downpour outside mid-morning whilst selling tickets for the tours to the sodden public. An extra feature this year was the original portrait of the ringers who died during the Great War, grandly displayed below the tower entrance in the Baptistry. Upstairs, members of Wimborne X and Wimborne Y took the opportunity to practise their touches for the………..
East Dorset Branch Six-Bell Striking Competition later that afternoon at Spetisbury.
120 Grandsire Doubles was the chosen test piece for both bands who had practised for the competition over the past two weeks. Spetisbury bells proved something of a challenge – 17cwt in weight, with springy ropes and a dropping third (and not easy to strike), most bands had to work hard to find a decent pace and consistent striking.
Bands from Blandford, Hampreston and Lytchett Matravers joined the two Wimborne teams in the main competition. Wimborne X retained the trophy with Wimborne Y coming a close second place, so that both Wimborne teams will go forward to the Guild Six-Bell Competition in September.
Bands rang as follows: Wimborne X: Rosemary Duke 1, Hilary Child 2, Flick Warwick 3, Ben Duke 4, David Warwick (C) 5, Robert Child 6.
Wimborne Y: Max Knight 1, Susan Riley 2, Trish Hitchins 3, Alan Bentley 4, John Riley (C) 5, David Coates 6.
Additionally, John Riley won the Haiku competition, and Trish, John and Susan won one of the quizzes.
8 bell competition band (L-R): Gill Richards, Hilary Child, Alan Bentley, Susan Smith, Rob Child, Kathy Bentley, Harry Blamire (C), Trish Hitchins
On Saturday 11 May, 9 Wimborne ringers took part in the Salisbury Guild 8 bell striking competition at Whitchurch Canonicorum. The competition formed part of the Guild festival and attracted teams from branches and towers all over the SDGR.
Over the past few weeks, 8 of the team has been practising the touch, trying out different ‘8s’ on practice nights to try and replicate the weight of the bells at Whitchurch. On the day, we rang a very respectable touch with no method mistakes, very few trips and at a confident, brisk pace.
The 9th Wimborne ringer, Max Knight, also took part in the competition, joining the Young Ringers team, ringing call changes for their test piece.
Despite best efforts, the Wimborne band just missed out on a top 3 position, with Salisbury branch coming overall first in the competition.
The competition was followed by open ringing at Lyme Regis, a service, then the Guild AGM, where Max was also recognised as a runner up in the Adult Ringer of the Year competition.
In the early summer of 2017, Max contacted the Wimborne Minster band, saying he’d like to learn to ring. He was given handling lessons prior to the Tuesday practices and most evenings stayed to the end of practice to listen to more advanced ringing. He quickly learnt to handle a bell safely and soon progressed to ringing rounds and call changes, initially on the front eight bells.
He is now able to ring rounds and call changes on up to 12 bells and to hunt the treble to touches of Grandsire on all numbers. He can ring some of the heavier bells and strikes them well, at the moment just in rounds, call changes and plain hunt.
Max has rung one quarter peal, Grandsire Triples on the treble and it is fully expected he will soon ring more; he is currently learning Grandsire triples inside. He regularly attends the Brownsea Island practice, which demands a certain level of dedication, where he is happy to help the less experienced to progress and in a similar vein he has attended some of the young ringers’ practices organised by Hilary Child, although he does not qualify for the national competition.
Max volunteered to join the East Dorset Branch committee at their last AGM and has enthusiastically contributed to their discussions. He is now deputy steeplekeeper at Wimborne Minster and uses his engineering background to good effect: in September he attended the Guild Belfry Maintenance and Steeplekeeping course. On the Wimborne Fair day in the summer he helped erect the Saxilby Simulator and then proceeded to demonstrate it to interested bystanders, mainly youngsters.
Max is among the most regular attenders on Sundays, both morning and evening as well as on practice nights, he is very enthusiastic and has already become a valuable member of the Minster band.
It is with much sadness that we lost Neil Garrard from the ringing team at the Minster on Saturday 20th April.
Neil came to Wimborne in 1975 when he was appointed Chief Planning Officer for the Borough of Poole following Local Government reorganisation. He and Mary quickly established themselves as key members of the Wimborne band as well as important figures in the ringing of the wider area, and Neil was a founder member of the Dorset County Association.
He taught his two daughters, Hilary and Alison, and later his grandchildren Matthew and Katie Child to ring and they have all continued to support ringing at the Minster.
In 2015, Neil was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease and was forced to stop ringing, but he maintained his interest in the tower activities and was able to attend our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Party this year.
The Easter peal was dedicated to his memory. Neil’s funeral was held at the Minster on Friday 3rd May 2019.
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Monday, 22 April 2019 | 5007Stedman Cinques | 3h 27mins
1. Patricia M Hitchins, 2. Katie L Child, 3. Rosemary J Duke, 4. Felicity S Warwick, 5. Lucy S Warwick, 6. Graham A Duke, 7. John G Riley, 8. Matthew A Child, 9. David A Warwick (C), 10. Harry E Blamire, 11. Nigel R Woodruff, 12. Robert T Child
Rung by members of the Wimborne Minster Society of Change Ringers to celebrate Easter and also in thanksgiving for the life of Neil Garrard, ringer at Wimborne Minster since 1975. Neil was grandfather of Katie and Matthew, father-in-law of Robert, and taught Lucy, Matthew and Katie to ring. First of Stedman – 2. 100th peal – 10.
Following the devastating fire at Notre Dame, Paris on 15th April, the Archbishops of Canterbury & York and Prime Minister, Teresa May, asked for bells at churches and cathedrals across the UK to ring out in solidarity on Thursday 18th April (Maundy Thursday).
The ringers of Wimborne did their part and rang a half-muffled quarter peal of Grandsire Caters in the evening.
This year, the ringers at Wimborne Minster notched up a healthy number of ‘firsts’ for the Salisbury Guild Firsts week.
At the practice night, the following rang Little Grandsire Cinques for the first time:
Kathy Bentley, Harry Blamire, Katie Child, Robert Child, Robert Crighton, Lynne Crighton, Gill Curlett, Ben Duke, Rosemary Duke, Keith Fleming, Gill Richards, Trish Hitchins, Max Knight, John Riley, Susan Riley, David Warwick and Flick Warwick (17)
Also, Alan Bentley and John Riley called their first touches of Stedman Cinques and Flick Warwick called a touch of 8 – Spliced Surprise Major for the first time.
Wimborne Minster Bell Ringers 