Helmdon Bellringers 2010 -posted 16 April 2010

Our current team is Joe Glenham (Tower Captain), Chris Klein Wassink, Julian Partis, Lynn Gartside, Denise Green, Ross Vicars, David Powell, Derek Morris and Brian Morris.

Learning to ring is a long process, but we are making progress. Our Saturday morning practices are lively and enjoyable, and we now aim to ring for Sunday Service as often as possible. Helmdon is one of twenty-one Churches in the Culworth Branch of The Peterborough Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers, and at the A.G.M held in Brackley in January this year, we were delighted to be awarded the President's Cup … both for the work by Joe and Chris in teaching seven new ringers, and for the enthusiasm and achievements of the whole team.

The new ringing balcony is a joy and we are gradually perfecting it …. Joe has hand crafted the blackboard, and a personal donation has provide a carpet plus various fittings. Last year we were grateful to HYHO who donated a full set of made-to-measure muffles which we used for the first time on Remembrance Sunday. The window has been enhanced with six small stained –glass bells which were hand made by Denise’s cousin in the U.S.A.

We have recently taken delivery of six urgently needed new bell ropes at a cost of just under £635. We very much appreciated a donation of £100 from Helmdon Parish Council, two personal donations of £50 each and a wonderful sum of £227.60 from a recent Bring and Buy coffee morning organised by Dorothy Micklethwaite and a large group of very willing helpers. Our thanks to all who helped. So far, we are unable to hang all the new ropes as some work has to be done in the ceiling to enlarge some of the “bosses” (holes through which the ropes pass!). Julian enjoys helping Joe with all this mechanical side of things.

Forthcoming Events

1. On Friday 23 April (St Georges Day) it is hoped that every ringing band in the Country will join in “Ring for England” at 6pm for approximately half an hour …. so listen out for us!

2. On Saturday 15 May 7:30 – 9pm there will be a Culworth Branch Practice at Helmdon. Such practices are held monthly throughout the year with rotation of venues at the twenty-one churches involved.

3. In July the Culworth Branch will celebrate its 60th Anniversary, and it is hoped that each church will arrange for a Quarter-Peel to be rung during the week 12-17 July. We hope that at least two of our new ringers will be proficient enough to join Joe and Chris by then …. but there is a lot to learn!

David Powell