The Essex Association of Change Ringers President: The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Chelmsford

Central Council President's November blog

Members will be interested in the November blog by Kate Flavell, President of the Central Council.

Leytonstone ringing again

With immediate effect Leytonstone bells are now back in action. There will be no Monday night practice at Leyton until further notice.

Sandra J Lee
Master, SW District
(6 November 2011)

Olympics update

The 2012 Olympics page has been updated

(25 October 2011)

The "Martin Creed project"

A proposal has been made to have bells everywhere rung at 8am on Friday 27 July 2012 (the opening day of the Olympics). The Association's response to a letter from the promoters is here (.DOC file, 73kB).

Tracey Southgate
Public Relations Officer
(23 October 2011)

Diamond Jubilee

Please see this announcement (PDF, 122kB) and this list of events (PDF, 192kB).

Tracey Southgate
Public Relations Officer
(18 October 2011)

Leytonstone: ringing suspended

Ringing at Leytonstone has been temporarily suspended.  Their Monday night practice will be held at Leyton.

Sandra J Lee
Master, SW District
(14 October 2011)

Annual Dinner report

A report on the Annual Dinner is here (.DOC file, 40kB). Some pictures are here (.DOCX file, 255kB).

Tracey Southgate
Public Relations Officer
(11 October 2011)

17th Century Ringing

AN EVENING OF 17th CENTURY RINGING

ROY THREADGOLD IS HOSTING AN EVENING OF 17th CENTURY RINGING AT WETHERSFIELD ON SUNDAY 16th OCTOBER COMMENCING AT 7pm. DRESS IN COSTUME IF YOU CAN.

PETER SMITH
Northern District Master
(10 October 2011)

Five Rings Triples

Please see the news item on the Central Council website

(10 October 2011)

Change Ringing for the Future

If you are attending the Central Council's "Change Ringing for the Future" conference at Wellesbourne on 12 November, and would like to report back on it to the Association, please let Vicki Chapman know.

(9 October 2011)

SE Call Change Competition: venue change

The South-East District Call Change Competition on 15 October will now be held at Fryerning

(8 October 2011)

Ringing suspended at Felsted

All ringing will cease at Holy Cross, Felsted, with effect from Monday 3rd October, while major re-ordering work inside the church is carried out. It is expected that ringing will be able to resume at Easter 2012.

David Learmonth
(28 September 2011)

Essex Country Show

A short article about the Association's presence at the Essex Country Show is here. (PDF, 152kB)

Tracey Southgate
PRO
(17 September 2011)

Royal Wedding ringing

A letter thanking the Association for the celebratory ringing on the occasion of the Royal Wedding is here. (PDF, 261kB)

Tracey Southgate
PRO
(14 September 2011)

Essex Trophy

This year's Essex Trophy 10 bell striking competition was held at St Peter's church, St Albans on 10th September. The test piece was a plain course of London No. 3 Surprise Royal, being marked from the 5th lead when the tenor becomes 2nds place bell. The judges were John and Cathy Hughes-D'Aeth who gave the results as follows:

The band representing Essex were:

Although the placing was disappointing our ringing was described as "setting a good compass with some nice roll-ups with good leading. Only a few small trips before the major scuffle in the last lead".

Next year's competition will be hosted by the Sussex County Association.

Vicki Chapman
General Secretary
(10 September 2011)

Annual Dinner

Last Call for Annual Essex Association Dinner - Saturday 1st October

The 57th Annual Essex Dinner is only 4 weeks away and time is running out to book your place!

The cost of the Dinner is £32 - I hope you will appreciate that this represents excellent value for money. The evening will take the normal format, gathering at 6.45 for 7.30pm.

To help with the organising it would be very much appreciated if you could book and pay for your tickets by no later than 10th September please.

Join us in the pleasant surroundings of the County Hotel, Chelmsford for an enjoyable evening of good food in good company and in the presence of the Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford and President of the Essex Association and guest speaker Kate Flavell, President of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers - the national body overseeing ringing.

The booking form can be downloaded from the website, select your menu choices, add your name and send your completed form, SAE (for tickets) and full payment (payable to 'EACR') to Andrew Brewster at the address below.

Please come along and support it!

Andrew Brewster (Hon Treasurer)
16 The Priory
Writtle
Essex CM1 3JE
01245 421166
(1 September 2011)

Great Dunmow

Ringing has returned to it's normal pattern.

Peter G Smith
Northern District Master
(23 August 2011)

Kelvedon

Practice nights will commence on Tuesday 30th August at 7.45pm

Peter G Smith
Northern District Master
(23 August 2011)

Peter Laws

We regret to announce that Peter Laws, of Waltham Abbey, died suddenly on Tuesday 9th August.

The funeral is arranged for 12 noon on Monday 22 August at Waltham Abbey. There will be open ringing from 11.15 until the service and afterwards. The bells will be half muffled. There will be refreshments after the service at the Abbey Church Centre.

Fred Bone
(17 August 2011)

Kelvedon

There will be no practices on 9th, 16th and 23rd August due to the ringing chamber being decorated.

Peter G Smith
Northern District Master
(28 July 2011)

Chigwell Ringing School

Please see the general announcement and first course announcement (PDF; 195kB and 265kB)

Tracey Southgate
Public Relations Officer
(23 July 2011)

Oliver Walton

I am very sorry to report the death of Oliver Walton of Tendring. His funeral will take place on Wednesday 20th July at 1.00 pm at St. Edmund K&M. Tendring.

Gill Sparling
NE District Secretary
(15 July 2011)

Leytonstone

The Leytonstone ringers have now returned to St John's Leytonstone.   They have a recruitment presentation on 18th July and normal practices will resume after that.   There will not be a regular practice at St Mary's Leyton until further notice.   All visitors should telephone me first.  The bells are however available for visiting bands and quarter peals etc if required.

Sandra J Lee
SW District Master
(12 July 2011)

Great Dunmow

Due to building repair work to the tower ringing is suspended until further notice. Weekly practice will be at Great Easton.

Peter Smith
N District Master
(7 July 2011)

Striking Competition Finals Results

Thank you to the Northern District who hosted this years 6 and 8 bell striking competitions at Rayne and Great Bardfield respectively. The judges for both competitions were Richard Munnings and Ruth Eagle from Suffolk.

Thank you to everyone involved in the arrangements for the day, and to those who rang in each team to make the competition worthwhile.

Vicki Chapman
Hon General Secretary
(3 July 2011)

Striking Competition Finals — 2nd July

6 Bell @ Rayne — Draw at 1.45pm.

Car parking at Rayne is in Shalford Road, in a farmyard with a hard standing 200 yards from the traffic lights at the Swan Pub on the same side as the church.

Tea and results will be held at Stebbing Village Hall. Tea will be available at £4. Directions from Rayne will be available on the day.

8 Bell @ Great Bardfield — Draw at 6.30pm.

Parking at Gt Bardfield will have to be on the road outside the church or as near as a safe place can be found.

Vicki Chapman
Hon General Secretary
(26 June 2011)

Renée Armstrong

We regret to announce that Renée Armstrong passed peacefully away in her sleep on June 20th 2011.

Renée’s cremation will take place on Tuesday 5th July 2011 at 11:45am at Chelmsford Crematorium. This will be followed by a service of thanksgiving at St Mary’s, Shenfield at 1pm and then a wake at Heybridge House, Mill Hill, Shenfield. Family flowers only please.

Please contact Paul Bloomfied (01708 443409) if further information is required.

Vicki Chapman
Hon General Secretary
(21 June 2011)

Essex Country Show, Barleylands - Sat 10th & Sun 11th September

I have just heard from the Show organisers that we have again been successful in obtaining free trade stand space for this year's show. Please step forward all volunteers, whether you can just do a morning, afternoon or all day I would be extremely grateful for the help. As we did last year, we will use a mini ring and some handbells and I will be putting on a small display. I have also secured complimentary show entrance bands for participants, so please don't worry about the cost of admission. I could also use with some help on the Friday evening with assembling the mini ring and display, so if you could help with that too, I'd love to hear from you. Those that came last year know what to expect, and if you're not sure please ask (bags of enthusiam, mostly). As the saying goes, many hands make light work, so please step up. We managed to secure recruits for each of our six districts last year, so its well worth the effort.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Tracey Southgate
PRO
(21 June 2011)

Ridgman Trophy

A wet and windy Saturday afternoon on 18th June saw an intrepid band of ringers form the EACR band participating in the Ridgman Trophy 10 bell striking competition at St Mary Le Tower, Ipswich. The test piece was 180 Grandsire Caters.

The Essex band were:
Vicki Chapman; Christina Brewster; Steve Waters; David Sparling (c); Roger Collins; John Harpole; Jon Waters; Colin Chapman; Brian Meads; Steve Nash

The results were as follows:

1. Norwich - 75 faults
2. Bedford - 96 faults
3. ESSEX - 108
4. Peterborough - 135
5. Suffolk - 156
6. CUG - 183
7. Lincoln - 194
8. Ely - 223

Thanks to everyone who took part, especially David Sparling for organising the band, practices and conducting the touch.

Vicki Chapman
Hon General Secretary
Essex Association of Change Ringers
(19 June 2011)

North-West District outing: video

36 people from the NW Essex District went on an Outing to London in May; we had a tour round the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, then rang on the 8 bells at St Botolph's in Aldgate, and then went on to St Magnus the Martyr - the beautiful new ring of 12 near London Bridge. You can see a short video of this here, and it's worth noting that many of our ringers were new learners who had never rung on 12 before.

After a pub lunch near the Monument, we rang on the 10 at St Dunstan's in Stepney, (and finished here with a service touch for a local wedding), and finally to the 10 at West Ham before getting the coach back home. Our thanks to all the London towers for making us so very welcome, and for giving us a GREAT day out!

Carol Wilkinson
NW District Secretary
(12 June 2011)

Doreen Middleton: funeral

The funeral has now been confirmed as being on Tuesday 14th at 2pm at St.Andrews Church, Halstead, followed by cremation for family only.

Roy Threadgold
(11 June 2011)

Maisie Bohannan

We regret to announce the death of Maisie Bohannan, formerly of Pleshey, on 21st May at a nursing home in Wisbech. The funeral will be held at Holy Trinity Pleshey on Wednesday 8th June at 11am followed by committal at Chelmsford Crematorium, North Chapel at 12.45pm. Brightly coloured clothing is preferred.

Maisie originally learnt and rang at Pleshey in the 1960's and returned to ringing when a new band started up at Pleshey in 1998.

She will be sadly missed by all her family and friends.

Christina Brewster
SE District Master
(3 June 2011)

Doreen Middleton

Doreen Middleton long time tower captain of Halstead as died.

I have no other details.

Peter Smith
N District Master
(1 June 2011)

Fred Mansfield

We regret to say that we are informed by Sara Pracy at Nazeing that a former ringer there, Fred Mansfield, sadly died last week. He will have been well known by many ringers in our District and the ringing community, so please pass this on to anyone who may not be on our email list.

The funeral will be at 2.30pm on Friday, 27th May, at Luton Crematorium.

Carol Wilkinson
NW District Secretary
(23 May 2011)

Olympic Torch Relay

The Olympic Torch Relay will arrive in Chelmsford July 2012. Further details are here.

Tracey Southgate
PRO
(19 May 2011)

Royal Wedding Ringing

Two peals and 37 quarter-peals were rung for the Royal Wedding by Association members. A short write-up is here (.DOC file, 2.5MB)

(7 May 2011)

New Rules approved at AGM

The motions to amend the Association Rules, Standing Orders and Striking Competition Rules were accepted at the AGM. The Rules differ slightly from last October's draft and may be found here

(2 May 2011)

Essex Ringing Course 2011: article and photographs

An article about this year's Ringing Course is now available, and some photographs may be seen on this page.

Frank Southwood: funeral

Frank Southwood's funeral is on Wednesday 4th May, 2.00pm at St Thomas' Church Brentwood and after at the Cremation at 4.00pm.

Alison Nash
Southern District Secretary
(23 April 2011)

Annual Dinner

Please see this page for details of this year's Association Annual Dinner

Frank Southwood

I regret to report the death today (Friday 8th April) of Frank Southwood of Brentwood.

Frank learnt to ring more than 60 years ago in the Devon area.  He moved to Essex and became Church Warden of Bentley Common and then went on to join Brentwood where he has rung for the past 10 years or so.

He will be sorely missed.

Alison Nash
Southern District Secretary
(8 April 2011)

Quarter peal at Kelvedon

The first quarter peal at Kelvedon since the rehang:

For Mothering Sunday  -  Sunday 3rd April 2011
 
1260 Plain Bob Doubles
St Mary's, Kelvedon
 
on the front 6
 
1.  John Elliott
2.  Vicki Bennett
3.  Michael Goodchild
4.  Jon Waters
5.  Jim Towler (cond)
6.  Katie Dunmow *
 
*  first quarter
 
Congratulations to Katie on her first Quarter Peal.

Vicki Bennett
(8 April 2011)

Ringing World National Youth Contest

National Youth Striking Competition Results - 26th March 2011

Well done to the young ringers of the SE District in the first ever Ringing World National Youth Contest.

Congratulations go to Rebecca Steed (Chelmsford Cathedral), Emer Wilson, Becky Pasmore, Ellanor Collop, Neil Pasmore, Adam Sloman (C) (All Writtle) and Andrew Smiley (Little Baddow) who made up the team that came a very creditable fourth out of nine teams in the call change competition and were placed equal sixth overall out of the twelve teams entering the competition held at St. Saviour's, Pimlico to celebrate the centenary of The Ringing World. Congratulations and thanks should also go to Christina Brewster, SE District Master, for organising and encouraging the band.

An article from the day will follow. In the meantime, here are the results of the competition.

Andrew Brewster (Row Counter!)
(31 March 2011

Kelvedon, 5th April

There will be no practice at Kelvedon on Tuesday 5th April 2011 as we will be holding our AGM.

Vicki Bennett
(30 March 2011)

Alan Dixon

I regret to advise you of the death at the weekend of Alan Dixon at the age of 56. Alan was my predecessor as Tower Captain at Stansted Mountfitchet and was also a former Master of the North West District. Although a most able ringer he had done little ringing after leaving Essex. His funeral will be in Southport, close to where he lived, on Tuesday 29 March 2011.

Alan Barber
(25 March 2011)

Reg Dixon

We are sorry to announce that Reg Dixon, of High Easter, died early this morning. The funeral will be held at 4pm on Monday 4th April, at St Katharine's Church, LittleBardfield.

(25 March 2011)

Alan Parrott

I am very sorry to announce the death on Tuesday 8th March of Alan Parrott of Colchester.

The funeral service is to be held at St. Barnabas Church, Abbots Road, Colchester on Wednesday 23rd March at 11.00am followed by burial at Colchester Cemetery.

Gill Sparling
NE District Secretary
(9 March 2011, updated 16 March)

2012 Olympics update

A newsletter about the "London 2012 – Discovering Places Open Weekend Challenge" is now available

Royal Wedding — 29th April

If you are planning any celebratory ringing, whether its general ringing, a Quarter Peal or a Peal attempt to celebrate the royal wedding, please let me have the details as soon as you can. I'm hoping to collate performances from across the county and compile a commemorative booklet to send to the royal couple, with the Association's compliments on their marriage.

Tracey Southgate
Public Relations Officer
(17 February 2011)

Tolleshunt d'Arcy correspondent

Please note that the new Tower Correspondent for Tolleshunt D'Arcy is:
Maggie Reed
40 D'Arcy Way
Tolleshunt D'Arcy
CM9 8UD
Tel. 01621 869750

Jo Elliott
SE District Secretary
(2 Jan 2011)