Report for August 2005

There has been quite a lot going on the past two months. It started with Liberation weekend. A peal attempt on Saturday, 7th May unfortunately came to grief after an hour. No time was available to start again so a quarter peal was rung. Further quarters were rung on the Sunday (VE Day) and the Monday (Liberation Day). If that was not enough some of us had also rung a quarter peal at Town earlier in the day.

There were over 160 ringers and friends in Guernsey for the weekend of 2nd July attending the third Channel Island Ringing Festival. This included the AGM of the Winchester and Portsmouth Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers - the first time in the Channel Islands in the 125 years the Guild has been in existence. The weekend culminated in the Festival/Guild dinner with His Excellency Sir John and Lady Foley and the Dean of Guernsey and Mrs Mellor as our guests. An excellent weekend only marred by fog on the Friday evening causing around 25 ringers to be stranded in Alderney.

We again ran the tea tent at the Fête. A good result  this year and thank you to all who supported us by baking cakes and drinking our tea.

We are looking forward to our trip to Alderney on 17th September for our annual district meeting. It will be 25 years since the District was formed. Doesn't time fly. The question is can we bring back the striking competition shield?

Mike Bubb, Tower Captain

Vale Bellringers

Winners of the Paul Taylor Shield 2005

At last the Paul Taylor shield, competed for annually by the Channel Islands ringers in our striking competition, has come to Guernsey having spent the majority of the last few years resting in the "other island". It hangs triumphantly in the Church for all to see.

The day of our Annual District meeting dawned bright and sunny and all those travelling to the island were either on time or early. The proceedings started with our District service led by our Rector. An hour of general ringing followed then it was time for the striking competition. With the judge, Rev Canon Barry Fry the Guild Master, hidden in the Rector’s garden, 8 teams put the bells through their paces. Time for lunch excellently hosted by David and Anne Strong and then back to Church for the Annual District meeting and the results.

The main topic of conversation was 2005 when the Channel Islands host the Annual General meeting of the Guild. This will be the first time that the meeting has been held locally. A small committee was elected to co-ordinate the weekend. More will be mentioned in the coming months.

Barry was then invited to give comments and the final placings. Traditional reverse order was used and the final two were left. Ourselves and St Peter's. A whoop of joy from the Vale ringers when it was realised that we had placed first. Next year we will be defending our title at St John's in Jersey - can we make it two years in a row!

We are joining the Town Church ringers on their outing to the Wells area in Somerset. This takes place the weekend of 25th October so more about that next month.

The wedding season is nearly over. Saturdays at last to ourselves. It was a pleasure to ring for Sam and Steve on 11th October. In celebration of their marriage, a quarter peal was rung immediately after the service.

As always we are on the look out for new recruits. Any volunteers? 

Mike Bubb, Tower Captain

Tower Captain takes Shield

The Winning Teams