The Swanage Bellringers were “out of town” on the first of two outings planned for this year. Outings are a traditional social event for ringers and, apart from being good fun, they give learners an opportunity to experience new towers and handling different types of bells. Usually ringing takes place at 5 or 6 towers with a long lunch and often tea too (I keep telling you that ringers like their food!)
So, last Saturday (4th June) eighteen of us set off to join Gill and Richard Loyd in South Oxfordshire. Gill and Richard have a holiday home in Swanage and ring for us whenever they are down and they very kindly organised this outing for us on their home patch.
We started our days ringing at SS Peter & Paul, Wantage. I’m actually not keen on the town itself as I was unfortunate enough to be sent to school there which, for the record, I hated! However the church is another matter and is particularly significant for me personally as I was confirmed there way-back-when in 1964 and it was lovely to return and remember that day.
Our next tower, St Matthew’s Harwell, was followed by a long and delicious lunch at The Red Lion in the stunning village of Blewbury. This was followed by ringing at St Michael and All Angels Blewbury (rather than a siesta) and then it was off to Cholsey to ring and to have tea. We also visited the grave of Agatha Christie who is buried there. Our next port of call was St Agatha’s in the pretty little village of Brightwell-cum-Sotwell.
Finally we rang at the Abbey Church of SS Peter & Paul in Dorchester-on-Thames, more usually known as Dorchester Abbey. The Abbey is actually the parish church of Dorchester-on-Thames, a small village of just 1000 inhabitants. This is the Dorchester (rather than “our” Dorchester) after which the Bishop of Dorchester is named. I don’t really know the history but it’s all to do with Saint Berin’s mission to the West Saxons in 634 which led to the baptism of King Cynegils in the River Thames close to where the Abbey now stands. Cynegils gave Dorchester to be an Episcopal See. In 664 the See was moved to Winchester, Dorchester having become a bishopric in the Kingdom of Mercia. The seat of the bishops remained at Dorchester until the Norman Conquest.
Anyway, back to why I was shocked, stunned and left virtually speechless – which to those of you who know me will appreciate is a difficult thing to achieve! It was during our stop for tea at Cholsey. I was quietly munching away on some rather delicious cake when, out of the blue, I was presented with a Certificate of Achievement for the Most Improved Ringer Award 2010, an award scheme run by the Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers. To get this award was one thing but to have been nominated for it by my fellow ringers quite another.
You might recall that Kat Clark won this award last year. It speaks volumes for the teaching, but more importantly the learning environment, here at Swanage that the East Dorset Branch nomination for this award has come from our tower two years running. Unless you are a ringer it is impossible to appreciate the talent and high standard of ringing we have here. Well done Swanage!
