July 2013

The bell ringers have had a good patch of ringing recently!  We have had quite a few ringers ringing their first quarter peals in certain methods and we have also rung some methods not rung, or rarely rung, at Swanage before.   On top of this the ringing, for the most part, has been of a good standard. 

 

During May we attempted five quarter peals and scored four. These four were all “firsts” for someone.  In June we attempted six quarter peals scoring all six, and of these four of them were “first in methods” for someone.  Particularly pleasing was the quarter peal traditionally rung for the Civic Service. The method we chose this year was Erin Triples. This was a “first in method” for all the ringers and for the conductor and only the second time it has been successfully rung at Swanage, the first time being more than 25 years ago.  What a shame then, and hugely disappointing, to discover later that the Town Band had been playing on the church lawn at the same time.   It must have been a cacophony of sounds - and I understand they carried on playing regardless.  A councillor who was there when the Mayor of Bournemouth arrived for the service tells me that the Mayor said to him “How unusual to have both the Bells and the Town Band at the same time” to which he replied “Swanage in an unusual place”! 

 During the Parish Fete we had the tower open from 12 to 4 and were very busy. I estimate we had over 100 people come up to see us and to have a go at ringing a bell.  Of particular note was an elderly lady whose father had been ringer here in the 1940’s and 50’s.  She remembered vividly being made to sit quietly in our window seat while her father rang.  What a pleasure it was to get her to have a go too - the smile on her face alone made the whole day worthwhile. 

Our next “extra-curricular” ringing will be for the Flower Festival.  On a personal level it was the highlight of my year two years ago and I can’t wait to see what will surely be another stunning display of flowers.