Essex Association of Change Ringers Registered Charity No. 292250 July 2005 District does well in Striking Competitions Intermediate Practices th On the 4 th June, a lovely Saturday Of our District teams Coggeshall came The next practice is 6 August , at evening, 50 ringers descended on All 5th , tied with last years winners Wethersfield . This session will focus on Saints Church, Rayne for the District Chelmsford Cathedral; and Rayne came Little Bob & Kent Treble Bob Minor 6-bell Striking Competition heats. 9th , just behind regular winners - starting as usual with a short theory session at 7pm with ringing from 7:30 The Judges were Andrew Brewster and Dagenham. A very good effort by both teams – Well Done! to 9pm. Everyone welcome! – but Christina Fleckney from Writtle. please let the Master know if you are Andrew congratulated the District on The 8-bell competition featured a test coming during the week before… the turnout as 8 teams entered – only piece set by the Association Master - a one team entered in his SE District. touch of 240 changes of Double Future Sessions: rd The Winners were Coggeshall, with 20 Norwich Court Bob Major. 3 September, St. Clements & Double faults; 2 nd were the “Home” team from This produced some very good ringing Court at Halstead , Rayne with 25½ faults; and 3 rd were on these “challenging” bells! 5th November, Double Oxford & Bocking with 29 faults. All received The SE team came 1 st with 9 faults, and Oxford Treble Bob at Witham, Certificates from the District Master to the Southern team 2 nd with 9½ faults – 3rd December, Cambridge & Ipswich hang in their towers, and Coggeshall you don’t get much closer than that! Surprise Minor at Sible Hedingham took away the District Shield to display Best of all our Northern District team, in their tower for the next twelve including 2 junior members, came 3 rd months. with 25½ faults, beating the SW team! Advanced Practices Our best result for many years: Keep These continue on the 3rd Saturday of it up everyone - the District last won in each month at St. Michael’s Braintree: 1993…. please come along if you can ring Many thanks to Marian Wood for Treble Bob hunt, Surprise minor or organising everything so well, major, or Stedman triples or better. including selecting the 8-bell team, and Please contact Maurice Downs on thanks also to her supporting team of 01376-330412 if you are coming on helpers providing both food and tea 20 th August as it may become a QP if service on the day. too many are on holiday! Also contact Maurice if you want to practice a th (Andrew, Christina, & Brian Meads) particular method on 17 September. The team from Halstead came 4 th ; As others hear us….? followed by Witham 5 th ; a joint team Overheard outside one of the churches Situations Vacant from Pebmarsh and Gestingthorpe 6 th ; a being used for the recent Essex Ringing th Newsletter Editor combined team of young ringers 7 ; course, from mother to child, in broad and the Wethersfield team 8 th . accent. Due to her impending move out of the This sort of event not only fosters good "Ooh! Listen, 'Chelle, listen to the nice area our current editor Gill Musto has striking, is also a great social gathering church bells. Ain't they pretty? resigned - many, many thanks to Gill for all the wonderful Newsletters we with other District ringers. Do you hear how they go? have enjoyed over the last 3½ years. This year the Association Finals were Ding Ding -- Teding Ding Ding, Thus this latest edition has been put also held in our District; the 6-bell Ding Ding -- Teding Ding Ding" competition at Stebbing, and the 8-bell together by the District Officers…. final at Great Bardfield. Both As the Celtic Bard almost said, but we are sure that there’s someone competitions were judged by David "O wad some Power the gift tae gie us, out there who could do a much better Salter (Ringing Master of the Suffolk to hear oursels as ithers hear us!" job – please get in touch with any District Officer to discuss! Guild) and his wife Katherine – a 6- hour marathon effort by them! Note that the Newsletter needs not be The 6-bell competition provided some District Officers for 2005 : produced single-handed either! It could interest and upsets with a new winners Master: Alistair Donaldson (01787-463106) be put together by a team from a Tower or, by e-mail, from anywhere across or name on the Trophy – Downham. This Deputy: Marian Wood (01371-856382) was particularly poignant for one beyond the District. Secretary: Ian Hamilton (01371-850965) ringer: Ann Dorking is the daughter of We presently publish 3 issues a year, Frank Lufkin, who presented the Treasurer: Di Carpenter (01279-870414) broadly Spring, Summer and Autumn. Trophy to the Association in 1961. 60 th Anniversary of the end of Tom will always be remembered as an WW2 Obituary accurate, neat and tidy man - both in Bob Lindsell ringing style and lifestyle. He first The MoD asked that all church bells be worked as a shepherd for Frank Nott, rung on Sunday 10 th July at 5pm to Bob learned to ring in the late 1940’s and then went to Bulmer Brickyard commemorate the end of the Second together with the likes of Terry Earle where he stayed long after normal World War – just as the Queen took the and Howard Egglestone and was retiring age. Not many know that he flypast at Buckingham Palace. ringing master at Braintree during the was also a keen cricketer. He rang (The Lancaster & escort fighters also 1970’s. He dropped out of ringing in many peals of spliced surprise major, treated the ringers at Gestingthorpe, Rayne, the early 80’s. He was largely particularly at Lavenham, and rang the Pebmarsh and Halstead to an early flypast!) responsible for the augmentation of 7th to the record time peal of Double Well done to: Black Notley, Braintree, Braintree bells to 10 in 1972, when his Norwich Major at Clare with Walter Colne Engaine, Earls Colne, Felsted, father offered to purchase one of the Perry, conducted by Frank Lufkin. He Finchingfield, Great Dunmow, bells on the condition that the ringers also rang in the peal of Original Major Great Yeldham, Pebmarsh, Rayne, raised the rest of the necessary money. conducted by John Peverett – including Shalford, Stebbing, Wethersfield, Bob was District Secretary and also 400+ bobs! Witham for ringing at 5pm; District Master of the Northern District. Many ringers will also remember his Well done to Bocking, Gestingthorpe, wife Bertha knitting while waiting for As well as being a talented ringer, he and Halstead for ringing a Quarter Peal him to finish ringing..... was also very interested in music, and a at that time, and Coggeshall for ringing qualified teacher of the clarinet, and (Please send any other reminiscences of a full Peal at that time. taught many locals, including children Tom or Bob to the Master for the Report) of ringers, to play the instrument to a Alphamstone was chimed. high standard. He was a builder by District Quarter Peal Week trade. What’s On After dropping out of ringing, Bob This annual event has been timed to District Events coincide with the 60 th commemoration became a Freemason, and became a nd th well-respected senior officer. of VE/VJ day – the end of the 2 Sat 30 July: District Practice at World War. Feering, 7:30 to 9pm Sadly, he had been ill for the past few th years, and passed away at the end of Quarters were attempted in 11 towers Sat 13 August: District Meeting at January aged 68. (2 outside the district), with 13 scored, Coggeshall starting at 7pm; and 2 lost. with District 10-bell practice afterwards On 6th February, a commemorative Co-ordinator Maurice Downs writes from approx. 7:30 to 9pm quarter peal was rung at Braintree. I th was surprised how many had been “All the ringing I know about was of a Sat 29 October: Service and affected by Bob’s work in ringing, high standard, and I am sure that also District Meeting at Halstead. Service at music, as well as other acquaintances. applies to the other quarters rung.” 4:30pm with ringing from 3:30pm; We rang a good quarter peal of “I was pleased to see how ringers Meeting at c.6pm. Evening ringing is Grandsire Caters, and as well as the 10 reacted to the terrorist bombs in at Sible Hedingham from 7:30 to 9pm. who rang, others would have liked to. London, and the attitude they took in Association Events When I sent the quarter to the Ringing condolence for the families affected, th World, I had an unexpected reply from and the determination to carry on.” Bank Holiday Monday 29 August: “Liz Admin.” at the Andover office As is the tradition with this kind of Tower Open Day in the North Eastern who said that Bob had taught her to event, there were a number of firsts: District – 22 towers open for ringing! ring, and that her mother and Bob’s Braintree : Jake Suett, 1st of Yorkshire. Starting at Harwich at 9am, and mother were good friends. Her name is finishing at St. Peter’s Colchester at Rayne : 1st Treble Bob, David Learmonth. actually Liz Lewis, neé Wigley. 6pm it promises to be a fun day of Maurice Downs . Wethersfield : 1st on 8, Libby Laurence, ringing on a variety of bells.