Category: Guild News

Guild Festival and AGM 2024 – revised arrangements

This year’s Guild festival and AGM will bo held on Saturday 11th May 2024.

Please note the new arrangements below

There will be open ringing at the following towers en route to the AGM at Eardisland. Everyone who turns up will get an opportunity to ring at their level.

10:00 – 11:00 Presteigne, St Andrew

Number of Bells: 8
Tenor Weight: 13-2-21

 Presteigne
11:00 – 1200 New Radnor, St Mary

Number of Bells: 6
Tenor Weight: 7-2-18

 New Radnor
12:00 – 13:00 change of venue

Unfortunately Old Radnor is no longer available so instead we’ll go to …

Kington, St Mary

Number of Bells: 6
Tenor Weight: 11-0-23

 Kington
13:00 – 14:00 Lyonshall, St Michael & All Angels

Number of Bells: 6
Tenor Weight: 11-0-0

 Lyonshall
14:00 – 15:00 Pembridge, St Mary The Virgin

Number of Bells: 5
Tenor Weight: 16-0-0

 Pembridge
15:00 – 16:00 Eardisland, St Mary

Number of Bells: 8
Tenor Weight: 12-2-26

 Eardisland

Ringing will be followed by a Service at 4pm, with Tea and the AGM from 4:45pm

 

Guild Competition Day 2024 – results!

We hope that the good news about the Guild Competition Day has spread far and wide! We had a really positive day, holding three competitions, but more importantly, we met together, made friends and celebrated ringing at all stages.

The results of the day were as follows:

Novice Challenge

      • Bronze was awarded to Kington A, Kington B and Coalbrookdale
      • Silver was awarded to Dorstone and Wellington
      • Gold was awarded to Hereford Cathedral

 

Wellington
Kington A&B

Call Change Competition – The Osbaldiston Shield

        • 1st Hereford
        • 2nd Bridgnorth
        • 3rd Bromyard 
Hereford

Method Competition – The Thomas Cooper Trophy

      • 1st Church Stretton B
      • =2nd Clifford & Kington
      • =2nd Church Stretton A
      • 4th Ledbury
      • 5th Hereford
Church Stretton B

The atmosphere was warm and friendly, we were very pleased to welcome ringers who were not taking part, and non-ringers to the occasion, it was great to see non-ringers stood outside listening to the ringing as intently as the ringers who were competing. We estimate there may have been around 100 people in the church at some points, and the wonderful refreshments kept flowing all afternoon.

Wombel

Thanks are due to all who helped to make the day a success, especially Gareth Jones , Master of the Shropshire Association, who acted as judge and undertook the mammoth task of judging 14 teams, and whose judging and comments reflected the positive and encouraging atmosphere we were aiming for; John Clayton, tower captain of Kington, and all the ringers and helpers whose hospitality made the day; Dan Jones who ran a handbell workshop, it was great to hear the ringing in the church; and to Ledbury District, and Frank Seabright in particular for the loan and transport of the Wombel which created such interest during the day. Most importantly, thank you to all the teams who took part – you were fantastic!

We received some lovely comments after the event, and would like to share some of them with you:

‘I really enjoyed taking part in the competition…top marks for creating such a lovely afternoon of ringing fun.’

‘Thank you for putting on such a great day on Saturday! It was wonderful to walk into the church and find it full!’

‘We all thoroughly enjoyed it and were very pleased with ourselves afterwards. We all benefitted immensely from the experience, and are keen to return next year!’

‘It was excellent. So much enthusiasm amongst the newer ringers.’

‘Really enjoyed the day. A chance to catch up with other ringers and a new tower grab! It was great to feel part of the ringing community.’

Any stress of competing seems to have been quickly dispelled as the genuine happy smiles on the face of bands leaving the tower were a joy to see!

Let’s build on this positive day, it would be great to see you all again, and meet even more ringers we don’t yet know at the Guild AGM.

Guild Quarter Peal Festival

Have you ever rung a Quarter Peal before?

Would you like to try?

We would like to encourage ringers new and old to take up the challenge to ring a quarter (or maybe more!) for the Guild Quarter Peal Festival.

Maybe you would like to have a shot at your first quarter or try out that method you’ve been learning.

A whole fortnight of Quarter Peal ringing will be taking place …

August 10th – 25th

For more information or to get involved email Nicky Aubrey at peo@hdgb.org

 

The Osbaldiston Shield

We are very pleased to announce that we have a new trophy for the Guild Call Change Competition.  At the request of the Striking Competition Committee the new trophy has been designed and made by Lynn Scales and we are very happy with the result.

Alec Osbaldiston
Alec Osbaldiston

Lynn made the very fitting suggestion that the trophy be named the Osbaldiston Shield in recognition of the many years of the service that Alec Osbaldiston gave as a member of the Thomas Cooper Striking Competition Committee.  Alec joined the committee in the mid-seventies, becoming Secretary in 1985, and served in this role until 2018.  The Striking Competitions held during Alec’s tenure were always meticulously organised and ran without (any noticeable) hitch.

Alec’s family have been approached and they are delighted and touched that the shield will be dedicated to his memory.

We would love there to be a good number of challengers for this new trophy, so please consider entering a band.

The Call Change competition will be held at Kington on Saturday 9th March.  All district secretaries have details and details can also be found  here.

Entries should be submitted by 2nd March.

Everyone is most welcome to come along to Kington on Saturday 9th March to enjoy listening to the ringing, to meet friends old and new, and to take part in the other activities in the church during the afternoon.

Guild Competition Day

The 2024 Thomas Cooper Striking Competition is taking place as part of the Guild Competition Day on Saturday 9th March at Kington. We are hoping, after the cancellation of last year’s event, that the new date in the spring will prove more popular and we are trying to do something new with the event.

You can  download the rules for the event which I hope will be self-explanatory. There are some changes to the requirements for the competition, following your feedback. Firstly, the test piece for the method ringing section will now be 120 changes of any doubles method. For the call change section, the ‘two year rule’ has been relaxed to three years.

As in 2019, the last time the competition was held, there will be a method ringing and a call change section to the competition. This year, we are going to add a third element to the event, which will be a Novice Rounds Challenge. This will be open to individual towers or cluster bands to enter, and constructive feedback will be given positively and in an encouraging manner! Please see the rules for further information.

The aim of the Novice Rounds Challenge is to encourage new ringers to develop their engagement with the Guild and to aspire to good striking. It is hoped that the Challenge will encourage networking and sharing good practice amongst developing bands, learners and teachers of ringing.

Throughout the afternoon, tea, coffee and cake/biscuits will be available in the church and we are arranging various stalls and activities to be available while ringing takes place. There are toilet facilities in the church. Access to the tower is via an external stone staircase and the bells are an easy-going, clear ring of six with little odd-struckness.

I look forward to receiving entries by Saturday 2nd March 2024 please.

If you have any questions, please do get in touch.

Best wishes,

Tim Hollinghurst (email timhollinghurst@hotmail.com)
On behalf of the Committee (Fran Watkins, Nicky Aubrey and Tim Hollinghurst)

 

Second Learner’s morning held at St Peters Bromyard

We were delighted to host a second session for some more eager learners at St Peters Bromyard on Saturday 20th January 2024.  Like last time attendees could practice their handling skills, continue getting to grips with rounds and call changes, start their plain hunt journey and for some practice their doubles methods. This time we welcomed 17 enthusiastic learners from Cleobury Mortimer, Knighton, Eardisley, Bredwardine, Almeley, Kington & Bromyard. In between tower bell practice sessions there was an opportunity to have a go at handbell ringing.

Many thanks must go out to the helpers, Chris Kippin, Ed & Sarah Lupton, Tim Hollinghurst, Stella Smith, Elaine Wilkinson, Karen Parker, Sue Robinson, Ady Taylor & Nicky Hudson who allowed us to give people the experience they came for. And to Bill & Clare Evans for running the handbell workshops.

Bromyard learners

Sue Robinson 21.01.2024

Hereford Ringing Course 2024

Update from Adrian Moreton on 3rd February …

Hi!

We’ve just finished processing the student applications for this year’s course, and with their acceptances we’ve included a clothing order form. We have a special 60th logo  – similar to the 50th for those who remember it!

If you want to order anything,  the price list and  form can be downloaded here: Ringing Course clothing order form 24

Looking forward to seeing you in April.

Best wishes,

Adrian

A three day course: Thursday 4th – Sunday 7th April, 2024

Royal National College, Venns Lane, Hereford

  • Groups ranging from Rounds and Calls to Surprise Major
  • 6 Practical sessions
  • Additional opportunities to practice
    • Conducting
    • Listening and timing
    • Change ringing on handbells
  • Saturday evening celebration of 60 Hereford Courses

For more information, a full programme and application form visit
www.herefordringingcourse.org.uk
Or contact the course secretary enclosing a self addressed stamped envelope:

Alison Moreton
1 Silcoates Drive
Wrenthorpe
Wakefield
WF2 0UR

Closing date for applications is 31st January, 2024

Prices: Resident: with all meals: £505
Basic (non-resident, no meals) : £150 (£100 for under 18’s) Individual
meals may be ordered as required.

Learner’s morning held at St Peters Bromyard

We were delighted to host a session for some eager learners at St Peters Bromyard on Saturday 28th October. With attendees learning to ring a bell, getting to grips with call changes, starting their plain hunt journey through to doubles methods, we welcomed 15 enthusiastic learners from Chetton, Coalbrookdale, Wellington, Broseley, the Cathedral & Bromyard. In between tower bell practice sessions there was an opportunity to have a go at handbell ringing.

Many thanks must go out to the helpers, Kris Perruzza, Ginette Pardoe, Darren Swancott, Ady Taylor & Nicky Hudson who allowed us to give people the experience they came for. And to Bill & Clare Evans for running the handbell workshops.

There are a few snaps from the event below and the consensus is that we will do it again!

St Nicholas, Hereford

There is an evening practice at St Nicholas, Hereford on the 3rd Wednesday in the month; from 1830-2000, the next of which will be Wednesday next week, 20th September.

All methods and abilities will be catered for, but I would like us to concentrate specifically on Double Oxford Minor, (plain hunting treble), and Stedman Triples. Any ringers who might be interested to look these methods up; learn them, and we will have a go at ringing them.

Please come along and support this practice to help us out.

Yours sincerely,
Stu Swift (new Tower Captain and Steeple Keeper at St Nicholas, Hereford – initially for a trial period.)