Hurstpierpoint looking North East

Autumn Newsletter, October 2011

From the Bell Ringers of Hurstpierpoint

Hello neighbours.

What is it that makes time go by faster as you get older? I don't really know, but I have my suspicions that it's more to do with the speed with which I do things. I only say that as I can hardly believe it was February when I last wrote to you.

The summer has been both good and bad in weather terms . But most of the crops have been pretty amazing and I know that like many of you, I'm getting fed up with picking up the windfalls, making jams and chutneys and freezing the produce. Not that I'm not complaining, only wondering about time!

So, on to bell ringing matters…..

In comparison with other years, 2011 has not been particularly busy. We have continued with our normal practices on Thursday evenings and Sunday services are announced by chiming for the 8.00am service and ringing for the 10.45 service.

Chiming is a different technique from ringing. Our Ellacombe Chiming Apparatus has ropes attached to hammers which are placed beside each bell. Pulling the rope enables the hammer to strike the bell . The ends of the ropes are placed close together in a frame and are operated by one person. This allows the 8 notes to be struck in any order so that tunes can be played. In full circle ringing, each bell can only strike either before the bell ringing in front of it or after the bell ringing behind it. This makes tune ringing impossible. Instead, we ring "methods" which are our equivalent of a tune. If you are interested in this and would like to know more, please come up to the belfry on a Thursday evening between 7.30 and 9.00pm and we will gladly show you more.

Our band now comprises sufficient numbers to enable us to ring all 8 bells on most occasions. Skills are improving slowly for our newer ringers. Two of the band will be attending the Annual Ringing Course run by the County Association on 28th and 29th October, so we are looking forward to further improvements! This year Hurstpierpoint will be hosting one of the training groups, but as in previous years, you are unlikely to know anything about it, as we will be using our simulator. All the groups from across the County will come together for tea and "de-brief" on Saturday afternoon at the Village Centre.

By this Saturday, we will have rung for 12 weddings during the year and we have been able to put a Hurst band together for most of them. There is a good network of local ringers in most areas, so we tend to share out the wedding ringing when necessary.

There have been 2 visiting bands during the year - both giving us some impressive ringing. We have also hosted the tied bell simulator practices for beginners on several occasions. These are now held County wide and are very well attended and popular.

Our quarter peal attempts this year have not been very successful, although we have had some nice ringing in the process. An Association band rang a quarter peal of Cambridge Minor (6 bells) in February in place of the advertised peal (8 bells). This was due to family illness. The planned peal will be attempted again on Monday 17th October at 2.00pm. You may recall that we rang a quarter peal of a new method in June last year, Hurstpierpoint Delight Major. This will be the method rung on Monday in order that it be formally recognised by the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers. As you know, if we are successful it will last for about three hours. Two members of the current Hurst band will be ringing along with David, the composer and other Association ringers.

Did you join us for our Outing on 4th June? Yet again, we had a fantastic day out, thanks to the careful organisation of our Captain, Dennis. We visited 6 delightful villages with excellent bells in Kent. Plans will be underway for next year's Outing soon after Christmas, so put the date in your diary now - 2nd June 2012.

Finally, As many of you will know our Captain, Dennis is currently unwell and in hospital. We would like to send him our prayers and good wishes and hope to see him in the belfry again soon.

As ever, if you have any comments on this newsletter or any other matter, please contact me, Sue Elrick, on 832019 or via this website - on our "Contacts" page

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