At the General Committee Meeting last November, everyone was surprised when Christine Baldock announced that she would not be standing again for re-election as the Association Master. As the then Western District Ringing Master, I had no idea who would want to take on the role. I began phoning round the District Secretaries, and many other people who I thou

What I didn't bargain for was quite a few people contacting me, and asking if I would be prepared to be nominated at one of the ADM's. After almost a month of shall I, shan't I, I decided that I would allow myself to be nominated, and here we are. I took up the post of Association Master at the AGM in May, at Hastings.

I started ringing at Goring in 1962, became a member of the Association in 1964, and I still ring at Goring. In 1966 I went to college in Southampton, where my trusty moped took me round to several towers. It used to take me almost 2 hours to get home and once again my moped was used every Saturday to get me round to as many Sussex meetings as possible. I remember feeling quite pleased when Reg Johnson used to personally ask me to ring. I then spent 10 years at sea, but I remained a member of the Association and would always go ringing when home on leave.

After I left the sea, I worked in the family motorcycle business, and of course, this meant working on Saturdays, so it has only been for the last 6 years, since I retired, that I have been able to get out and about doing more ringing, and meeting more ringers. I expect most of you know that I have been the Bell Restoration Fund Secretary for the last 5 years.

I hope to carry on getting out and about more, and meeting many more of you, but please don't forget that there is a lot happening, and if you want to get on with ringing, then you can't always expect it to come to you. Please go to any of the ringing practices, socials etc., you will always be made welcome, and you will learn a lot.

Graham Hills (published in Soundbow Summer 2015).