Look To! Issue 99 Oct/Nov 2007 Christ's Church Mandurah WAANZAB Sunday 9:20am-9:55am Tuesday 7pm-9pm Roger Lubbock 9537 3004 Swan Bells Perth [email protected]
Saturday St Hilda's Chapel 12noon-1pm General Ringing Mary Townsend 9389 1154 Sunday [email protected] 12noon-1pm General Ringing Helen Silver 9381 4319 Monday [email protected] 12noon-1pm General Ringing Tuesday Branch Practice 12noon-1pm General Ringing Christ’s Church Mandurah Thursday 3rd November 12noon-1pm Quarter Peal attempt 4 – 7pm bring and share Dinner (usually arranged during the previous weekend) Holy Trinity York Richard Offen 0423 473 697 Eleanor Weeks 9641 2384 [email protected] [email protected] Vicki Hodgkin 0409 966 990 Sally Boyle 9641 4021 [email protected] [email protected] St George's Cathedral Rockingham Civic Centre Sunday 9:00 – 9:45am Wednesday 6:00 – 8:00pm Monday 6:30pm-8:30pm Josclyn Sloan 9454 6770 (Not 15/10, 19/11, 10/12) [email protected] Ron Chapman 9526 0271 [email protected] Christ Church WAANZAB Contacts: Ringing Master Claremont Sunday 9:15am-10am Tony Murry-Feist 9256 4498 Wednesday 5:30pm-8pm [email protected] Mary Townsend 9389 1154 Secretary [email protected] Callum Crofton 9328 3462 [email protected] Coordinatior Sue McCarte 9337 8369 [email protected] Well it’s that time of the month, and if The five farthings owed to St. anyone has been following the Martin's have been paid. numbers they will have seen that this A lady wrote to us from the Isle of is the 99th edition which makes next Wight, England letting us know she month the big one yes that’s right had really enjoyed her visit to the 100 , you can nearly hear the bells tower. She enclosed five farthings in and whistles going off (of course no her letter to pay back the bells of St. pun intended). Martin's. "You owe me five farthings This month out meet and greet said the bells of St. Martin's" She person is Jos Sloan, I found it really also enclosed some interesting very interesting reading her story information on the history of the and I’m sure you will too. I do hope farthing. The farthing was a coin of you enjoy this Look Too and I’ll see the realm for 682 years and was you at the end. Sue worth ¼ of an old English penny. There were 970 farthings to 1 pound. I took this off an email that Introduced in 1279, the farthing was came through during the week, last minted in 1956 and withdrawn I’m sure most of you would from circulation in 1961. have received it but just incase From the Friends of the Swan Bells I thought I should put it in. Oct news letter
This is a notification to let you CHRIST CHURCH, CLAREMONT know that a file has been Once again, it's been a very quiet uploaded to the Files area of the month at Claremont with very little to St Martin Society Perth group. report. There haven't even been any quarter peals rung. The wedding File : /Committee Minutes/St season has well and truly begun with Martins Minutes 111007.doc bells rung for eight weddings in Uploaded by : r_offen1 October and requested for ten
It is a rather strange coincidence that I came back to St George’s at 4pm I was born in Mullewa, one of only a and met Laura – need I say more! handful of places in Western Laura took me up to the belfry and Australia to have 7 bells showed me the bells, which were all (unfortunately not of the change in their “Up” position (which always ringing type though). When I was 18 looks so impressive) She gave me a months old, we moved to Dowerin. number of books on bell towers, Due to the teacher’s accommodation explained about the new bell tower in the town being too small for a for the bells from St Martin-in-the- growing family, we moved to a larger Fields and told me that I could stay house on a farm about 25kms from for practice if I liked. Who knew that town. It was here that we lived for 17 the one bell tower I picked in the city years. I went to boarding school in for information, had strong links with Northam for years 11 and 12. In this new tower that was to be built! I 1998, I came to Perth to live with my was still a bit unsure but decided to grandparents so that I could study stay for the practice. For someone Building Design and Drafting at who had never heard change ringing TAFE. before I was captivated with the Around the beginning of 1999, unique patterns of sound that the advertising appeared of different bells made. I had my first go at elevations of a building designed to ringing a week later in February of house some bells that had come 1999 and have been ringing ever from England. My lecturer at TAFE since. thought it would form a good basis In the December of 1999, to try and for an assignment in sketching and educate the public about the Swan designing spaces. We were Bells and tower, three of the old bells encouraged to put all sorts of spaces from St Martin’s were put on display into our designs from art galleries to at three shopping centres around cafés. I was curious as to what the Perth. It was at Garden City, where I bell parts or chambers of the tower first saw the bells and it was would need to be. definitely love at first sight. Six As I was waiting at the bus stop in months later they were put into the front of St George’s Cathedral, I tower and not long after that I was noticed that the cathedral had a bell lucky enough to have a ring on them at the tryout and then for the opening Deputy Chair. With ringers in these of the tower. I love the sound and two positions we can be confident challenge of change ringing on 16. I that we will be well represented! know it a long way off, but one day I Congratulations to Ian and Richard. would like to ring a peal on the 16 at Swan.
I currently work in Cannington in a small building design office. I recently started selling Nutrimetics which I really enjoy as it is allowing me to meet all sorts of new people. When I’m not ringing, I enjoy swimming, reading and computers. I am a VERY tragic Formula One racing fan – go Maclaren! One day I hope to get to a live race. I am the proud owner of a labrador called Nara who keeps me my toes (or should I say – constantly sweeps me off them!). One of my favorite places is a bush reserve near where I used to live in Dowerin. It is the one place Richard Offen and Ian McLeod. I missed most while overseas and if I need to escape the city, this is where Ringers’ Evensong I like heading for an afternoon of This is an annual service held on quiet contemplation. Sunday 11 th November at St George’s Cathedral. It starts with I’m so excited about the restoration open ringing from 4-5pm (all of St George’s Cathedral nearly standards are welcome) with the being completed. On Tuesday we service starting at 5pm. This is a discovered our new carpet had gone wonderful chance for ringers of into the ringing chamber. Finally it different church’s to get together for means there is an end in sight! I look one service. The service uses some forward to seeing everyone up there traditional 'ringers' hymns' and is at some stage. usually themed around ringing in one Jos way or another, Richard Offen will be Swan Bells Foundation preaching and the service will be Some of you may have heard that followed by refreshments. Please Alistair Bryant has stepped down as come and enjoy a service with a Chair of the Swan Bells Foundation difference, St George’s Cathedral is (the body which oversees the a beautiful venue and whether you running of the Swan Bell Tower). I normally go to church or not this am pleased to let you know that Ian sounds like a wonderful way to MacLeod has now been appointed spend a Sunday evening with good as Chair and Richard Offen as friends and the wonderful sounds of the bells. Rockingham Civic Centre We would like to welcome Sam, We now have our pigeon ‘safety Ron and Yvonne’s Daughter back nets’ securely in place. All we to the fold after about 4 years; need now is a few Trapeze she has found that it’s all coming Artistes. (Just before I took these back to her. Her daughter Mia pictures there was a kestrel has also joined us and had her perched on the water pipe just first go last Monday. below the nets). Everyone at Rockingham would like to send their best wishes to Roger and Pat and to let them know we are all thinking of them. Get well soon Roger. Zoe Goodwin
Nets to stop the pigeon’s pooing on our bells Now that our bells are sharing their ‘space’ with ultra modern and ugly communications, perhaps we can now try and persuade the council that some louvres on the openings at the top of the tower would protect View from Rockingham Civic Centre Tower their communication Swan Bells Report paraphernalia and of course our During the past month questions bells. Only a couple of weeks ago have been asked amongst ANZAB the rope on the 4 th broke just at members as to exactly who the top of the sally, because the ‘Wizened of Oz’ is and is he a wet from the driving rain we have legitimate correspondent for ringing had this year had run down the matters in Perth?
rope and it had rotted. Well! I ask you! What have they been doing over East? Clearly not reading their Ringing World or Ringing Towers, otherwise they would have worked out that Wizened is real and that his sole purpose of existence is to save poor David Knewstub from having to put pen to paper. I think some of those Eastern folk are convinced that Wizened is one of Auntie Laura’s Ancient meets Modern knitting projects that’s gone horribly wrong …come to think of it, they’re Now this gutter journalism always probably right! makes Wizened’s blood pressure go up several notches, so this year, as Earlier this month, the Swan Bells well as writing a letter to the West Foundation published its Annual (which, as usual, was not published), Report. For those who don’t know, I actually phoned Ben Franklyn to the Swan Bells Foundation, is a not confront him with his rather for profit, independent foundation misleading way of reporting things. established to manage the running of Swan Bells on behalf of the State “If you add the Bell Tower’s costs to Government’s Department of Culture those of previous years, why don’t and the Arts. you do the same for the Zoo, or WASO, or Film West?” In his introduction to the report, Chairman Alistair Bryant paid tribute “Don’t know really, it just seems like to the huge volunteer contribution a good idea to do it for the Bell made to the success of the tower by Tower!” the ringers and thanked them for the fantastic support. He went on to “Right, isn’t that a little unfair?” report the tower has had an excellent year, with some 85,000 visitors “Spose it is really.” coming through the door, this despite the rise in entrance fee. My conversation did no good, but it Additionally, revenue for the year made me feel better! was up, which enabled the tower to fund 69% of its own costs. Still on the subject of the Swan Bells Compared to many other visitor Foundation, Alistair Bryant has just attractions, this is a very creditable stepped down a Chairman of the performance. Foundation’s Board in order to go off to pastures new. In his place, Arts As has now become customary, in Minister, Sheila McHale, has the wake of the Annual Report, Ben appointed our very own Ian McLeod Franklin wrote his usual ‘knock the to be the new Chairman. Bell Tower’ piece in the West Until his elevation, Ian was Deputy Australian, although, it has to be Chairman, a role which has now admitted it was rather more positive been taken over by Richard Offen. in nature than in previous years. As usual however, Mr Franklin adds the For the first time in the history of State Government subsidy for the Swan Bells these jobs have been tower (a mere $260,000 this year) to filled by ringers. This can only previous year’s deficits and to the further enhance the already superb cost of building the place, cunningly relationship between the ringers of giving the impression that the Tower WA and the Swan Bells is costing the tax payer $7 million. management.
Wizened of Oz 70 th Birthday Wishes to Ted enable him to have a further look and to take a further biopsy. As expected the original diagnosis was pretty accurate. Our course of action is a 10-12 hour operation first, the idea being to cut out everything, then continue with radiotherapy and possibly some chemo at the same time. The survival rate for the operation is 90-95% (he does one of these a fortnight apparently!) and the On behalf on everyone I would like to chances of getting all of it are up to th wish Ted a very happy 70 Birthday 75%. The process will start in about for early November, and so Aunty 2-3 weeks and all in all this lot is Laura doesn’t feel left out it was her going to take about three months, birthday late October (I think she after which my plan is to be back to planed that) and all our wishes go as normal as I’m ever likely to be.. out to her to. I’m sorry to have to give this news
Now unfortunately for some sad but it’s a fact and we have to deal news, Roger and Pat Lubbock with it. I believe that based on what shared this news with Richard. we know at the moment there is a very good chance of beating this and “About a month ago I noticed a lump I assure my intention is to do so. in the right side of my neck when I The operation is planned for was shaving. Saturday 27 October in St John of So I think you can imagine my initial God in Subiaco and I’m expecting to reaction to the lump and the be in hospital for 2-3 weeks.” subsequent diagnosis …….! Late braking news. Richard rang Pat Anyway I had an ultrasound, FNA after the operation and it was a (biopsy) and a CAT scan in fairly complete success the surgeon was quick succession. I have been very pleased. Roger will be in really impressed by the speed with intensive care for several days, and people have acted. Next I went to it will be quite some time before see the ENT surgeon. He had a Roger is well enough to receive look in my throat. His diagnosis was visitors. Roger and Pat please know that the lump is actually a carcinoma that you will be in everyone’s on the inside of my neck. The thoughts and prayers over this time, carcinoma is the secondary and the and look forward in seeing you back primary appears to be in my right swinging on a rope. tonsil. What was a tremendous relief was that the CAT scan did not On that note I will end this month’s show up any other trouble spots, of news letter. Next month’s Meet and course that’s not 100% certain but as Greet will be Mary Townsend, I know far as I’m concerned, probable is I’m looking forward in hearing about good. I went into hospital the Mary. I hope you all have a good following day for a procedure to month. Cheers Sue