Essex Trophy - Sussex achieve 3rd place!

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Published: Monday, 16 September 2019 13:54

This year the Essex Trophy 10-bell Striking Competition was hosted on Saturday 14th Sept by the Middlesex County Association and London Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers on behalf of the Essex Association at Southgate Christ Church (24–3–7).

Six teams entered the competition this year and were drawn on the morning to perform in the following order:

1) Surrey
2) Kent
3) Essex
4) Guildford
5) Sussex
6) Hertfordshire

The test piece was 327 changes of Stedman Caters, and the competition was judged by Paul and Kate Flavell, ringers at Kingston upon Thames.

Sussex have won the competition for the past two years running.

This year we took the opportunity to include five members of the Association in our band, who regularly ring on higher numbers but haven't previously competed in this competition. Two out of 10 from the @rwyouthringing team and 4 under 25! Practices for the competition were held at East Grinstead and Horsham; these allowed the band to get used to both ringing the test piece and ringing with each other.

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Central Council Annual Meeting & Mini-Roadshow 2019

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Published: Saturday, 14 September 2019 22:06

The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (CCCBR) met in London 6-8th Sept 2019 for the 122nd Annual Meeting, the first in a revised format since the introduction of the Council Review Action Group (CRAG) CRAG reforms voted in unanimously by Council Representatives at the meeting last year in Lancaster.

Based at Goldsmith’s College, London, this was a relatively local meeting for the Sussex Reps, and an opportunity for ringers to participate and ring locally.

Friday ringing had been organised afternoon at several churches within the City of London, and at other towers around the capital where there is often not a full band. A tour of the belfry and ringing room at St Paul’s Cathedral was very popular.

A buffet supper was provided in the refectory at Goldsmith’s on Friday evening and immediately followed by a quiz, a good icebreaker and a chance to network with other council members and ringers who were attending, as it was open to all. Expertly led by Phil Barnes of the Kent Association, teams were named after famous ringers; the Sussex Reps being known as Team Carter. Ably assisted by a ringer from Hampshire and the two Scottish Reps we came a respectable joint third!

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Mini-Roadshow (6-8 Sept 2019, Goldsmiths College, London)

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Published: Monday, 12 August 2019 21:23

Interesting and entertaining talks, trade and retail stands, training bells to try, mini-rings to have a go on, real ale, and the opportunity to ring at iconic City of London churches - what more could you wish for from a day out?!

Whether you’ve been ringing for six months or sixty years, you’ll find something new at the Roadshow! Registration is open - just £12, and FREE for under-18s.

The programme of 21 talks and interactive discussion sessions brings together expert speakers on a diverse range of subjects. Talks and discussion sessions (Sunday 8th September):

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Sussex ringer Alison sets a fine national example

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Published: Thursday, 25 July 2019 22:42

Alison volunteered for a neighbouring Guild hosting the annual Central Council meeting in 2016, to find out more about the wider world of bellringing. She answered the call ‘the future of bellringing needs you’ and found herself involved in more than PR for Sussex! Now on the Central Council Executive, her story is about the journey, the collaborations and the opportunities for everyone to be involved and help shape and preserve the future of bellringing.

Rising to the challenge

Little did I realise three years ago, when I volunteered as a helper at the Central Council Annual Meeting, hosted by the Winchester & Portsmouth Guild, that I would find myself writing about taking on a role as an Executive Trustee within that reforming body. I didn’t know what the Council was, I asked around and was met with a variety of opinions. It seemed the only way to find out was to immerse myself in it. I applied to join the team called for after said 2016 meeting – ‘the future of bellringing needs you’ caught my attention in an ‘email to all’ from our Association Master.

Having not long ago discovered this immersive hobby I was sufficiently intrigued to investigate further why it might be in danger and once I’d started digging I was hooked.

Read the full story on the Central Council news feed