Last year, the bells were rung for every Sunday service, 13 weddings and 1 funeral. Practices have become increasingly productive, with all ringers making progress in some areas, whether it be calling changes, hunting, handling a bell or more advanced aspects of method ringing. Extra support from the district ringing master and colleagues assisted greatly in recent months. Meanwhile, some ringers attended district training sessions in October and March and 7 went to Chalford one Friday in January to join in the branch ringing practice on the steel bells there; this was an interesting experience and led all to appreciate our own bells!

 

We have a range of ringing abilities but not such a range of ages in the tower and all agree that new, younger ringers are what we really seek at present; a concerted effort is required to find and recruit such people.

 

The 12 handbells have been taken to Whitechapel in London with a view to them being refurbished; they are not used regularly – except by pupils at Eastcombe Primary School each Christmas – but we would hope to practise on them more frequently once we have paid to get them improved.

 

Ralph Davis is the bellringer on the left.

Ralph was born in 1922 and raised in the Forest of Dean, and lived in and around Longhope with his brother Brian. He saw active service during the 2nd World War in the tank regiment and was at the liberation of Arnhem. He married Mary during the war. After the war Ralph became a long distance lorry driver. He learnt to ring as a lad in the Forest at Micheldean. He passed on his love of ringing to his 5 children, together with his love of rugby and cricket and he was involved with scouting for over 20 years. He was widowed in 1982 and married Dorothy in 1984, gaining 2 step-daughters. He had 14 grandchildren.

I first encountered Ralph as a learner at Minchinhampton where he was Tower Captain and he taught all 5 members of my family! He was a wonderful teacher, presenting no stress at all. If we made mistakes (which we did!) he said “it’s lost on the wind”. He was a Christian man, prayers said before and after ringing and was very kind to all up the tower. He stopped ringing several years ago and has been much missed as a ringer locally since. He had been in poor health for some time, and died in September 2012. Catherine Shearman

 

 

We are continuing to look to recruit new bellringers. If you think you would like to find out more about this ancient art, please come along on a Friday evening at 7.30pm or phone me on 01453 833192. No particular experience needed as full training is given.

 

Also, we are appealing to ex-ringers who might no longer feel able to ring, but who could help us out with our ringing. We need people who know how to ring methods (e.g. Bob Minimus/Doubles, Grandsire) and who could therefore stand by those who are learning, so as to guide them.

 

Please do consider if you could assist, perhaps once a month, as this would greatly enhance the progress of our more recent learners.
Angie Ayling
Captain of the Tower

We regularly have 7+ ringers on a Sunday morning and Friday's practices are becoming increasingly focused, with all ringers making progress. We still miss dear Colin Shellard who so sadly died on Jan 1st this year - a stalwart on the tenor bell. As the newer ringers (Jacqui, Sally, Niamh) learn to ring the treble to a method, it is allowing others of us to practise our methods more often; however, we look forward to the time when they too can ring Minimus or Grandsire; it should not be too long now. We are still ever on the look out for new ringers to join us!
Angie Ayling