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Readers' Articles and News

Here are articles which have been submitted by readers of our website, plus general information which may or may not be useful. If anyone has a story they would like to see here, then please send it to Andy Dunn.

Wanted: Bell Ringers 17-06-08
Are you a bell ringer, or would you like to learn?

Now that the tower of St Mary’s in Garsington has been restored, it would be great for the village to have a local band to ring for weddings and other special occasions. I know that Basil Townsend has served for many years as Tower Captain, but now he has very little free time to spare. I would be happy to teach beginners (supported by the Oxford City Branch of the ODG) and to organise a local band for:

• A practice evening (possibly on a Monday) several times a month (usually followed by the pub, as is the tradition!);
• Ringing from 8.45 – 9.30am before a service (probably the Family Service) once a month; more frequently if there is enough enthusiasm;
• Occasional weddings, funerals and other special occasions.

Tower bell ringing is fun and you will make lots of new friends. To begin, all you need is moderate hand-eye coordination and to be able to count to 6. Depending on the response, I intend to arrange an open-afternoon at the tower one weekend.

Thank you, Richard Jeffery, 01865 368262 (see contacts for Richard's email address)

The 2008 branch striking competition 14-06-08
The competition was held at St Margaret's church in Hinton Waldrist on the 14th June. It was fortunate to be held on a balmy evening that was ideal for the judge and the participants from Headington, Kidlington and Marston to all make the most of the pastoral setting. The bells in Hinton Waldrist are ideal for fluent ringing and the event was keenly contested, with all three teams opting to ring Grandsire. Kidlington emerged triumphant by one fault from Headington in runners-up spot.

Kathryn's first quarter peal 07-05-08
Kathryn Greenwood (pictured 3rd from the right) rang the treble in her first quarter peal on Tuesday 6th May at St Andrew's, Old Headington.  The methods were Grandsire Doubles, Bob Doubles and Reverse Canterbury.  The rest of the band was: Hugh Deam (C), Clare Fairbairn, Paul Lucas, Andy Dunn and John Kentish.

Kathryn, originally from Dalton-in-Furness in Cumbria, joined the band of St Andrew's in September 2006 as a beginner, and has been a loyal and useful ringer ever since then.  She is about to leave Oxford, to study Forensic Linguistics at Cardiff. The Headington ringers would like to thank her for all she's done and wish her the best of luck at Cardiff. She also rings with the band at St Mary's in Dalton-in-Furness, whenever she goes back to see her parents.

A monthly quarter peal at Headington 17-12-07
Richard Verrall has organised a regular quarter peal event to take place at Headington at 17:30 on the second Sunday of each month. So far, we have rung Grandsire Triples on Sunday 16th December, which was actually the third Sunday, but Richard would like to keep the second Sunday as a regular event. Should you be interested, his email address can be found on the contacts page. Assuming enough people are willing to join in, he hopes to ring Triples or [surprise] Major if possible.

The marriage of Hilary and Ian 17-12-07
Hilary Blake and Ian Miller were married at the Wesley Memorial Church in New Inn Hall Street on Saturday 15th December. Hilary, who comes from Godshill on the Isle of Wight, is now an enthusiastic member of the St Andrew's band of ringers in Old Headington. She made her own dress as well as all the cakes at the reception. A motif depicting a church bell, at the bottom of the dress, can be seen in the picture below. Paul, Clare, Wendy and John and Emma Kentish were all present at the wedding. A quarter peal of Grandsire Triples, at Headington on Sunday 16th December at 6pm, was rung in dedication.

Ian and Hilary

A detail on the dress

The City Branch reigns supreme 07-10-07
The City Branch won the Guild 8-bell striking competition at St Mary Kidlington on Monday 7th May 2007. In order of bell number, the Bob Triples band was, except where specified, from St Aldate: David Lane (treble), Katie Lane, Richard Youdale, Simon Edwards (St Giles), Jonathan Cresshull, Leon Thompson, Robin Hall © and David Barrington (tenor). Hear this band practising at the end of April and see the competition result. Unfortunately, it was not possible to record the rather better winning performance itself.

At the Guild 6-bell competition at Spelsbury, on the 6th October 2007, the St Aldate band won by ringing Grandsire Doubles: David Lane (treble), Katie Lane, Jonathan Cresshull ©, Richard Youdale, Paul Harden and David Barrington (tenor). We had 17.5 faults, with Reading 2nd at 20 faults and 3rd Hanslope with 42.5 faults.

Headington St Andrew’s latest recruit 29-10-07
Ten year old Stephen Nichols is currently learning to ring at St Andrew’s in Headington. Stephen comes from a ringing family. His father, Graham, rings at Headington and his grand-parents, Nora and Bernard, were ringers some years ago. In 1945, a certain St Aldate’s church-goer, 22 year old Nora Honey, decided to respond to a plea for new bellringers to join the band.

Stephen and Graham Nichols	Nora Honey in 1946

Although she had never touched a bell rope before, she took to it straight away. A peal in which she rang is recorded by a stone peal board at Marston St Nicholas. From 1948, it reads This is the greatest number of Doubles methods yet rung to a peal. Whilst ringing at St Nicholas, Abingdon in 1948, Nora met Burford ringer Bernard Nichols. A year later, on 17th September 1949, they were married.

A peal board at Marston click to enlarge	The wedding

Because of family commitments, Nora and Bernard stopped regular ringing until 1982, when Nora was approached by Ray Rook from St Laurence North Hinksey, and she joined the band there. Later on, in January 1983, Nora’s son Graham thought he would like to have a go, and soon he was "bitten by the bug" too!

Sadly, Bernard died in November 1984. Stephen was born in 1997, and now at the age of 10, he has also started having ringing lessons. And so a third generation of the Nichols family may be set to continue in the way I’m sure Nora and Bernard would have wished. Nora passed away on the 11th April 2005.

In memory of Terry Gibson
Tower Captain of St Mary the Virgin at Thame, 8th December 1936 - 27th November 2006. A Quarter Peal (3m) was rung in memory of Terry on Friday 15th December 2006 at Chinnor, St.Andrew (6). 1. Caroline Kinchin-Smith, 2. Susan King, 3. Roy Jones (c), 4. Hugh Deam (c), 5. Gordon Smith, 6. Raymond Fergusson. Requiescat in pace.

Ringers wanted
Roy Jones keeps a list of ringers, within the Oxford area, who may be available on weekdays for weddings, funerals and services. This list is now out of date. If you would like to be included, then please email Roy as soon as possible.

The Ringing World
Marston tower has a complete set of The Ringing World magazine, from about 1998, which is surplus to requirements. If anyone would like to take them away, then please come along to the Marston practice on a Friday evening. A donation to tower funds would be appreciated, but is not essential. Contact Hugh Deam if you would like to confirm collection in advance.

Fund Raising
Katie Lane would like to encourage the Branch to increase our contribution to the Restoration and Bell Funds. Graham Nicholls has volunteered to take good items to be sold at Car Boot Sales to raise funds for this purpose. His address is 20 Wick Farm, Headington, Oxford OX3 9SE 01865 765594. He would like books, as long as they are in decent condition - as well as good quality vinyl records, and toys - especially model railway bits and pieces. Almost anything will do - but no 'rubbish'! Please can we make use of this kind gesture to make a bigger contribution to the Guild; we all enjoy the bells so let us be a little more generous in our support!