November 2013

It’s that time of year when, up here in the tower, we get very busy.  November brings us, not only the Remembrance Day services, but the Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers quarter peal week and then December brings us Christmas and all that that entails.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before: the aim of the SDGR quarter peal week is not just to encourage quarter peal ringing in general but more specifically to encourage ringers to attempt to ring something they haven’t rung before.  I organised five quarter peals during the week this year, of which we got four and lost one.  Particularly pleasing of these was a first for Martin ringing a “minor” method and for Mike ringing St Martin’s Doubles up at Worth Matravers. 

 November 2013 also sees the tercentenary of the death of Fabian Stedman on 16^th November 2013.  Fabian Stedman is probably the most famous ringer and he had an enormous influence on the development of change ringing by publishing the first books on the subject;  Tintinnalogia in 1668 and which was a joint effort with Richard Duckworth, then in 1677 he wrote and published Campanalogia.    Publication of these two books was Stedman’s most significant contribution to the development of the art of change ringing, but he is better known to modern ringers as the author of a ringing method that bears his name, and which will feature in much of the special ringing to commemorate his death.  Here at Swanage we will be joining in this National celebrations by ringing a quarter peal on Saturday 16^th November of Stedman Triples.

We’ve been going through a remarkably good patch with regard to quarter peal ringing.  As you know, we ring a quarter peal every Sunday night for Evensong – and since 5th May we have scored them all except for two in July and now one in November.  This is quite an extraordinary record!  Long may it continue!  Despite this some of our Wednesday night practice sessions might have been sounding a bit ropey recently as I’ve been introducing new methods for us to ring as part of our “usual repertoire” for Sunday mornings!

As we head towards Christmas and the New Year, I’d like to thank all of you for your continued support, both to me personally and to all the bell ringers as we continue in our efforts to ring for all the services and special events. 

Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year from all of us in the Tower!