Bellringers in action

All the Bells – Were You There?



On Friday 27th July 2012 everyone in the country had the opportunity to be part of one of the largest pieces of performance art ever created. Entitled ‘Work number 1197: All the bells in a country rung as quickly and as loudly as possible for three minutes’ and dreamt up by artist Martin Creed it asked that all of us should ring a bell – any bell – for three minutes from 08:12 to 08:15 on the opening day of the Olympic Games. It formed part of the Cultural Olympiad.
Our church organist, Maxine Mott, started the ball rolling in our local parishes and so it was that early on the morning of Friday 27th July a group of us gathered in Henham church ready to play our part. I was keen to involve the wider community, not just the local bellringers, so we had invited anyone who wished to join in to come along. Instead of ringing the bells full-circle in our usual manner we chimed them. This means we swung them like they do on the continent and as this is a safe way to make a noise on the bells anyone can have a go. We all took turns and I think we succeeded in making quite a jolly sound.
After all our exertions the ringers served bacon rolls and hot drinks and there was plenty of animated conversation on what the next couple of weeks had in store. You probably saw some of the news coverage of the event on the BBC. My favourite bit had to be Jeremy Hunt’s bell parting company with its handle as he swung it energetically!

Those who took part at Henham were – in no particular order: James Pimblett, Cavan Roberts, Frances Roberts, Felicity Nadauld, Willa McFrederick, Clodagh McFrederick, Helen McFrederick, Emma Kaye, Isobel Brooks, Neil F Pimblett, Jo Pimblett, Sheena Bigland, Michael Hughes, Jerry Platt, Jill Smales, Maxine Mott, Liz Griffith-Jones, Bill Griffith-Jones and Ken Nash.

My thanks to all of them for making it such a fun morning.

Liz Griffith-Jones



We are very grateful to Sheena Bigland and her fellow ringers for permission to reproduce her series of articles originally written for 'The Dragon'

 

RING THE CHANGES (November 2006) (A001)

Learning the ropes

Have you ever thought of becoming a bellringer? I was encouraged to do so by Jill Smales when I mentioned in passing one day that I thought it would be nice to be able to ring at a wedding in the Henham Church.

"Sheena" she said. "It would be so good. We need new ringers to ring on Sunday." 

That was it! There was no retreating. I'm now a fully fledged member of the band and graduated to ringing for a wedding last week. We still are still on the lookout for new ringers for Sunday because sometimes we can only just muster a band to ring all six bells and though we can manage with five it isn't the same at all. So why not come and join us? It's good fun, quite aerobic and stretches the little grey cells too. We practice on Thursday nights beginning at 8pm. You'll find a friendly group of ringers only too pleased to show you the ropes. 


Not persuaded it's for you? Let me answer a few questions you might have.


Do you have to be a churchgoer?
No. Some of the band worship at Henham, some worship elsewhere and some like me are not religious in the traditional sense of the word at all. I have been known to send up a silent prayer that I won't make a fool of myself but religious credentials of any kind are absolutely not required.

How long does it take to learn?
It depends. It is a bit like learning to drive or fly. It really depends on your natural ability, how much practice you can get and the quality of your tuition. We are lucky at Henham as our Tower Captain, Liz Griffiths-Jones, is an excellent teacher and at the very beginning she arranged sessions when I could go through the basics with her on my own. I needed that because I am the least co-ordinated person you could hope to find, a slow learner and my natural ability is absolutely zero. I was pretty nervous ringing for the first time with the band at a Thursday practice night but everyone is very supportive and I went on a course last Easter so I got four days of concentrated practice in several different churches around Essex and rang lots of different bells and that helped me a lot.


Will I be able to do it?
If I can, anyone can. Some ringers begin as young children but many start, like me, later in life. There were times when I thought I would never get the hang of it. I considered giving up and wondered how I could back out gracefully. My strategy, subconsciously, was to forget that I rang bells at all. Early on I just couldn't get it into my head that at 8pm on a Thursday night or 11:15 on a Sunday morning I should be ringing bells. I kept forgetting and either I had a mad dash to get there or I remembered way too late. Out of politeness I would phone Liz Griffiths-Jones, our long suffering Tower Captain, to explain – "I forgot" sounded so weak but it seemed better to come clean! And everyone wants you to do well. You will get lots of encouragement. The smallest progress is rewarded with such positive support that I kept going and I am glad that I did. 

What can go wrong?
Learners will always make mistakes and I have I have done some pretty daft things but there is nothing really that can go wrong. At the drop of a hat, bellringers happily tell you about their mistakes and I have found this very reassuring because after all they have lived to tell the tale. The cardinal sin is to let go of the rope. Unless you are being pulled towards the belfry in which case you absolutely must! So far this has never happened to me. So no need to worry!


Interested and want to know more?
Come along any Thursday around 8pm. We look forward to seeing you there.


RING THE CHANGES (December 2006) (A002)

Getting the hang of it

Last month I spoke about the fun of bellringing and here I relate a few of my own experiences while learning to give you a clearer idea of what you might expect if you take it up.

What is the first thing you learn?
At the risk of putting you off I should tell you that pulling a rope, which at first sight appears to be a simple skill, is not as easy as you might think. There is a special technique and even before you get to pull any ropes you will learn some new terms. For example: down, up, the stay, the tail end, the sally, the hand stroke, the back stroke and the balance. When not being rung bells hang down. To ring a bell it is necessary to get it up. It is the swinging of the bell through a complete revolution that makes the clapper hit the side and the bell to ring. Once the bell is upside down ie in the up position if you are not going to carry on ringing you will let it tip over slightly. It will then rest on the stay, a piece of wood that stops the bell from swinging right round and coming back down again. The tail end is exactly that - the end of the rope, its tail. You have to hold this in a very particular way, in your left hand if you are right handed and vice versa if you are left handed. The sally is the fluffy part of the rope, several feet in from the end. The hand stroke is when you pull the sally and the back stroke is when you pull the tail end and the balance is the point when the bell is safely resting upside down after each pull of the rope be it a backstroke or a hand stroke pull. 

Why is pulling the rope not as easy as you might think?
Because pulling involves a hand stroke and a back stroke and it's not just about pulling, catching is also involved. That's three things to think about. Two more than I was capable of dealing with at any one time when I began! Luckily you learn each bit at a time. You start by learning to pull the rope all the way through and straight down, imagining you are aiming for a hole in the floor at your feet. That's not too hard when you begin because someone else stands by you to do the catching (of the sally) until you are ready to do it yourself. And you don't get to do that bit until you have learned how to pull the rope just the right amount at both hand and back stroke. This is important because it is possible to pull too hard and the bell will go up too quickly. Conversely you might not pull hard enough and the bell doesn't get all the way back up and try as you might you cannot rectify your mistake by pushing the rope up. And whether you pull too hard or not hard enough the bell will come down rather faster than you expect and then it seems you have no time and you snatch at the sally in desperation as it flies past your nose. Even once I'd mastered a steady long pull, straight down with the bell behaving nicely, catching the sally didn't come naturally to me. I caught it too high or too low or horror of horrors missed it altogether. If that happens the rope will go all over the place and your bell will do very odd things. Mostly it won't go back up, which means it will come down. It's pretty heavy you see and gravity has that effect. Luckily it doesn't; actually come tumbling out of the belfry and land in that imaginary hole at your feet. Just as well because if it did the hole wouldn't be imaginary any more. Even if you don't quite catch the sally and the rope is going everywhere and the bell is coming down keep hold of the tail end of the rope because it is an absolute cardinal sin to let go of the rope unless someone commands you to do so as they leap in and save the day. 

How do you know you are getting better?
Everyone tells you and that's really great! Your fellow bellringers are always positive and that is very encouraging. For me mastering how to balance my bell whenever I want to was a real achievement and marked a personal transition from complete beginner to novice ringer. Since then I have progressed to ringing different bells, being able to ring in time with others in rounds and manage call changes as well.

Rounds and call changes?
There are six bells in Henham Tower. From lightest to heaviest they are called the Treble 2, 3, 4, 5 and Tenor. Ringing them one after the other is known as rounds and you are aiming for a nice even rhythm so that each bell sounds distinctly separate from its neighbour. Call changes is when the bells are rung in a different sequences – hence the phrase "ring the changes". For example if 3 to 4 is called, and there you are happily ringing in third place as bell number 3, you now have to control your bell to delay fractionally when you pull the hand stroke so you swop places with bell 4 and ring in fourth place and they equally pull a bit sooner and arrive to ring in third place. You do not physically move yourself, nor does the bell move in the belfry. The change refers only to the numeric sequencing of the bells.

Have I lost you?
I hope not. I want to whet your appetite to become a bellringer. It's all much easier to do than to read about. Why not come along to a practice any Thursday night at 8pm to find out for yourself? We look forward to seeing you there.

 

RING THE CHANGES (January 2007) (A003)

What an experience ?

If you have read my two previous articles you will now I am a recent convert to bellringing but still very much a beginner. It's good fun meeting up with friendly people and earlier this year I fulfilled my ambition to ring at a wedding. That was the height of my ambition when I started but now I am well and truly bitten by the bug. I am motivated to keep going partly because Henham is still very short of ringers to ring on Sunday. I feel genuinely needed. Even a relative beginner like me makes a difference and we are still looking for new members to strengthen our numbers. Come along any Thursday evening at 8pm to find out more.

I am also motivated to keep going because I can clearly see I am improving. A few weeks ago I was invited to ring at Saffron Walden. Lovely though Henham is there are only six bells, easily accessed from the back of the Church. In contrast the marvellous Church at Saffron Walden has twelve bells and the Ringing Chamber is a long climb up a very, winding stone staircase. Hearing the bells being rung up in peal as I made the climb was quite awe inspiring and as I stopped half way up (yes I know I could be fitter) I wondered how many over the years had made this climb and what occasions had been marked on all the other days when bell ringers gathered here? What had others felt who had come here for the first time to ring? I was both excited and nervous. Thankfully I managed to ring as well as might be expected of such a novice but how I did I do not know! I wasn't at all prepared ringing on twelve rather than six bells for the amazing noise or for the very different timing.

Just being able to do it has boosted my confidence. Having rung rounds and calls changes on twelve bells, back on Henham bells everything is now just that bit easier than before and I am getting to grips with more new things, including Bob. But you will have to wait till next month to hear more about that.


RING THE CHANGES (February 2007) (A004)

Getting methodical with Bob

I have been making steady progress with my bell ringing and can ring rounds and call changes reasonably well now. Just to remind you, in rounds, all the bells ring in sequence, beginning with the treble (the lightest and highest sounding bell) and ending with the tenor (the heaviest and deepest sounding bell). With call changes the striking order varies according to a sequence called by the bandleader. Only two bells ever change their place in the ringing sequence at the same time. So, as long as every ringer listens and is ready to ring a bit quicker or slower, depending on what change has been called, all is well. It is of course possible to do the wrong thing, and then you will hear an ugly clashing sound as two bells ring too close to each other or, worse still, attempt to ring at the same time. However when all goes well we all maintain a nice steady striking rhythm and you will hear the bells ringing smoothly in a different order. 

There are, however, a finite number of changes that can be called and so over the years experienced ringers decided to add more variety and create new challenges by devising with more complicated ringing sequences. These are known as methods and it is a bit like choral singing where, without a conductor and unaccompanied, a small group of singers can produce lovely harmonies. Of course it takes a lot of practice and a prerequisite is everyone must know their part by heart. In method ringing this is the pre-determined ringing sequence for the bell they are ringing.

Each method has a specific name and Bob appears in a good few of them. For example Bob Minimus, Bob Doubles, Bob Minor, Bob Triples, Bob Major, Bob Caters, Bob Royal, Bob Cinques and Bob Maximus. Essentially these are all the same method - dear old Plain Bob - but rung on a different number of bells. Then there is Little Bob. I am not sure what that involves and to add to the confusion every now and then during any method someone might call Bob. This does not mean we all bend our knees and move up and down. But it does mean that the ringing sequence changes. So just as I thought I knew what I was doing it is all different. This is where ropesight comes in but that will have to wait till next time. 

 

RING THE CHANGES (March 2007) (A005)

Some interesting facts
As you read this winter should be just a memory and spring well advanced; but at the time of writing the village was a winter picture postcard scene, people were making snowmen. Some found their way to the Cock and I was asked some questions about bell ringing!

Why can't I hear the bells where I live?
The prevailing wind direction tends to waft the sound of the bells towards Little Henham. But fears about the strength of the tower in 1985 when the bells were re-hung meant they were sited lower than before and are now below the vents so the sound does not escape as well from the tower as it might.

How many bells does Henham Church have? Is there a big difference in their weights and how old are they?
There used to be five bells but the largest bell was melted down in 1985 and two smaller bells struck from it at the Whitechapel Foundry in London. They weigh 2 hundredweights, 3 quarters and 12 pounds, and 3cwt, 0q, 24lbs respectively. It is not known who cast the next biggest bell. It dates back to the 18th century and weighs 4-0-22. The 4th and 5th bells, both cast by Miles Graye 11 of Colchester, in 1641 and 1636 weigh 4-3-1 and 5-1-24 respectively. And finally the tenor bell cast in 1478 by Thomas Harrys of London by weighs 8-2-2. If you never knew or have forgotten all about imperial measures you might like to know that prior to the 15th century in England, a hundredweight used the old hundred of 108 lb, giving a ton of 2160 pounds. In some industries (notably forges) this old hundred was retained somewhat longer. The London hundredweight of 112 pounds eventually replaced the old hundred. 14lbs = 1 stone, 2 stones = 1 quarter and 4 quarters = 1 cwt. However you look at it the bells are quite heavy. They are tuned, from highest to lowest, to ring F, E flat, D flat, C, B flat and A flat.

Don't you have to be musical?
No but to get your timing right it does help to be able to be able count to six, hear when your bell rings and have a sense of rhythm.

Is it true that there is a bottle of champagne half way up the tower?
Yes! The band that rang in the Millenium had a celebratory drink and it seemed like a good place to store the empty bottle.

 

RING THE CHANGES (April 2007) (A006)

Seeing the ropes

I have been especially lucky learning with an experienced band of ringers. With everyone else knowing what they are doing it is easier for me to work out my place in the ringing sequence. Now I've moved on from ringing rounds and call changes to ringing a few of the easier methods, I appreciate having someone to stand by me to remind me what to do. They can usually tell by my worried frown or because I am desperately looking around to see who is about to ring next or, even worse, am confidently ringing completely out of time! "Lead now!" shouted very loudly helps gets me back on track. "Up! Up! Up!" is also a clear instruction I understand; I've got to get up over another bell making its way down to ring in front of me. "Pull in" or "move up the rope" are calls to do the opposite, that is to ring a bit quicker. Of course I always want to obey but my bell doesn't always do what I want it to. But as my handling skills are improving that is no longer my major problem. Just as well because a new learner is catching me up fast!

I am pleased to report that I have recruited a new ringer to join our Henham band. I was snail-like in my progress in the early days but compared to me she is taking to it like a duck to water.

My current challenge is to get the hang of ropesight, to see the pattern of the ropes going up and down in sequence. This means that as long as I know my ringing sequence I do not need to memorise which bell I ring after because I can just look to see which rope is pulled immediately ahead of when I pull and then I know it is my turn. Well that is how it is supposed to work but it is a bit of which comes first, the chicken or the egg. You see if you are not sure what bell to ring after you can be looking at the wrong bell and by the time you realise that all is lost. And if you know what bell to ring after you do not need to see the ropes to tell you. I'm told the trick is to use peripheral vision. It is difficult to describe but it is a bit like freeing up part of your brain. Instead of thinking who should I follow, I just relax, count my place, and then I see the bell I have to follow. It's the bell ringing equivalent of catching the bullets at the end of The Matrix. You have all the time in the world and it's easy. Well it will be when I get the hang of it!

 

RING THE CHANGES (May 2007) (A007)

Hang Loose

As I reported last time I have managed to recruit a new ringer to our band. She is continuing to make rapid progress and fast catching me up. I think this has may have prompted Liz, our Tower Captain to pick up the pace of my tuition. At the last practice night she said: "We'll get you ringing inside next week". 

Let me explain this bell ringing jargon. The treble and the tenor are the lightest and heaviest bells and all the other bells are inside them. Ringing inside means ringing an inside bell and specifically ringing a method on an inside bell. A method is where each ringer follows a specific ringing sequence in relation to all the other bells. It is not harder because you are ringing an inside bell - I learned to ring on an inside bell, Number 3, because it is a good bell for a beginner as it is neither too heavy nor too light and I got used to ringing rounds and call changes on it. It is harder because the ringing sequence on an inside bell is more complicated and therefore harder to learn, remember and then ring in time and rhythm with everyone else. 

When I began to ring different methods (for example, Bob Doubles and Grandsire to name two of the easier ones) I learned on the treble. It follows a ringing sequence known as Plain Hunt, which is relatively straightforward. I took a while to get the hang of it, but eventually everything clicked into place and I really am beginning to feel I know what I am doing and can call myself a bell ringer.

Having a go at ringing inside has been great fun and I have now rung both Grandsire and Bob Doubles on an inside bell (Number 2 to be precise). Of course it all sounded dreadful at first but I am getting there and rather quicker than it took me to get to grips with the basics. So if you hear the bells on Thursday evenings (practice night) or on Sunday mornings you should hear a tuneful sound and if it isn't, it isn't always my fault now.

 

RING THE CHANGES (June 2007) (A008)

About the ringers

This month I would like to introduce the regular ringers who make up the Henham Band. 

Over the years the membership has obviously changed but one person remains from the very first group who started learning when the bells were rehung in the tower in 1985. Margaret Smith remembers how everyone went over to Manuden at the beginning until the Henham bells were formally inaugurated. At this ceremony, conducted by the Bishop of St Albans, Margaret and the other learners each took a turn at ringing a bell. In those early days, learning wasn't easy as all the new band members were complete beginners but enthusiasm made up for inexperience and under the tuition of Fred Bone and Ian Roper, the band became steadily more accomplished. When Margaret's daughter Geraldine joined the band little did anyone guess that it would lead to wedding bells! But it did and Ian and Geraldine married in Henham Church in 1990. On the day, a quarter peal was rung in celebration before the wedding and Margaret and Ian's dad (another experienced ringer) both joined in ringing the bells after the service!

A quarter peal is a real ringing milestone. You need an experienced band where everyone can maintain concentration and has the stamina to keep going for around 45 minutes. A full peal, taking 4 times as long, is obviously an even greater accomplishment. Pat Platt, who joined the Henham ringers in 1990 hasn't any plans at present to ring a full peal but she was proud last year to ring her first quarter peal to celebrate her 7th decade. She had thought this was something she would never be able to do but she decided to give it a go after ringing at one wedding, when the bride was over 20 minutes late. The band rang for nearly 40 minutes with only a very short break and for all that time Pat had been ringing the tenor –the heaviest bell. So Pat knew that a quarter peal on the lighter 2nd bell was within her grasp.

When a peal or a quarter peal is rung it is important to prevent distractions that might break the ringers' concentration. So it is a strict rule that only those actually ringing are allowed in the ringing chamber. No one else, not even other regular band members wanting to give moral support, can be present. So while Pat was inside ringing Bob Doubles, Pat's husband, Gerry, had to walk around outside. Pat says that ringing the quarter peal shows that no one is ever too old to learn. And indeed no-one is ever too old to be a bell ringer. When she attended the Essex Bellringing course at Easter she heard about a chap who was still ringing regularly at 99. 

Gerry Platt joined Pat in the band in around 1995 when he retired and he is now another stalwart without whom regular Sunday ringing would not be possible. Like Margaret he regularly rings the tenor. Keeping a steady rhythm in sixth place is vital while others are ringing complex changes on the inside bells. Ringing the heaviest bell is not for the faint hearted and it does require a bit more skill and strength. When Gerry was first learning, however, he wondered if he would ever achieve the basic skills. Gerry has the dubious distinction of breaking more stays than anyone else.

A stay is the piece of wood that prevents the bell rotating through 360 degrees. When ringing, each bell completes a half rotation and, under the ringer's control, it is checked and is pulled back down and so on until the ringer stands the bell. Then the bell just tips over the balance and rests on the stay, upside down. If the bell has been pulled too hard, and is not fully under the ringer's control, it can hit the stay. Usually the bell then bounces back and comes down rather fast. This is not good, but the alternative is worse; the bell can break the stay and carry on round. When this happened to Gerry he had the presence of mind to release his hold on the rope. This would be obvious you might think but when you begin learning it is impressed upon you never, ever to let go of the rope and there was a recent report of a young ringer in Loughton Church who found to his cost that this is the exception to prove that rule.
So Gerry was not carried up to the belfry but he felt very humble as a new stay was carved and put in place. He felt even worse when it happened again and on two more occasions. Then, when four others also broke the stay for their bell on the same evening people began to suspect there might be something wrong with the stays themselves! And so it proved. They had been made from the wrong kind of wood. The timber had not been seasoned correctly and so was unduly brittle!

Margaret, Pat and Gerry Platt have for many years been part of the regular Sunday ringing core band and they are most usually joined by Jill Smales, Bill and Liz Griffith-Jones. More about them and the other Henham ringers next time. 

 

RING THE CHANGES (July 2007) (A009)

About the ringers

Last month I introduced Margaret Smith and Pat and Gerry Platt, three of Henham's longest serving ringers, and this month I'd like to introduce the rest of the band.

Liz Griffiths-Jones, our Tower Captain is also a long serving ringer. She too began ringing at Henham when the bells were first installed in 1985, but she was already quite an experienced ringer. She began her ringing career in her early 30's when she lived in East Kent and, after moving to Henham in 1979, she rang fairly regularly at Stansted. However, she says that it was only after she retired, when she had more time, that her bell ringing really came on. In 2005, to mark its 125th anniversary, the Essex Association of Change Ringers (EACR) wanted full peals to be rung in as many towers as possible and this gave Liz the impetus to ring her first peal in Henham Church. Part of the band that day was Martin Scott, an Elsenham resident and Tower Captain at Stansted. Since then there has been no looking back. She regularly rings peals and quarter peals in many different towers to mark many different types of occasion. In an average year she might ring between 150 and 200 quarter peals and 30 or so full peals. As her interest in ringing has grown so have her ringing responsibilities. She succeeded John Locke, Henham's first Tower Captain, in the early 1990's and more recently she became District Secretary of the Essex Association of Change Ringers (EACR). She also gives quite a lot of her time training up new ringers, a role which extends beyond our Henham Tower. For example she is currently running special sessions on Sunday afternoons to help a group of complete beginners who want to start a band at Farnham. 

Given her enthusiasm for ringing it is no surprise that in 1995, once he had retired, she persuaded her husband Bill Griffith-Jones to take up ringing. He says he was encouraged to do so because of a shortage of regular Sunday ringers. He remembers learning was a slow process because his teacher (not Liz) was often absent and it was well over six months before he was able to ring rounds. Now an experienced ringer he is a great source of useful hints and tips to help the less experienced understand how they can improve their technique. He li

kes to ring lots of different methods. His current favourite is Single Oxford because, though it is relatively simple, it has a lot of variety and he is enjoying learning Double Norwich. He also has rung many quarter peals but he says he has no interest in ringing a full peal because he does not want to spend over 3 hours doing something when you can show your capability at it in 45minutes! Bill also serves another very important role in the band. With his good head for heights, it is Bill who usually volunteers to climb the steep wall ladder to the belfry when necessary. This can be for various reasons but is most usually to make a fine adjustment to how a bell has been rung up, usually the tenor, to make sure the clapper is resting on the (correct) lower side of the bell. If it is laying on the other side it makes a different sound when the bell is being rung and it just does not sound quite right. Bill reckons it is quicker and less tiring to make the trip to the belfry rather than ringing the bell down and up again correctly. 

Jill Smales doesn't much like ringing any of the bells up or down but she does so very well. I especially envy the way she elegantly flicks out the last coil in the rope as she is rings the bell up. She first thought about learning to ring when the bells were first rehung in 1985 but finally started ringing in Millenium year. She remembers what an experience it was to ring in the new century. Her message to readers is "it is never too late to begin but it is better to begin sooner rather than later!" Jill is the person who recruited me and I am very glad she did. It is the people, as much as the ringing, which makes it all so enjoyable. Everyone acknowledges the progress of others and is friendly and supportive but Jill has been my special mentor. She has a joyful way of greeting everyone by name as they arrive which is very nice. She is more experienced than me by far but, in her modest way, she says we are learning together. As we stand out watching the others ring complicated methods she talks me through what is happening. She has helped me with ropesight, lent me books, provided practical hints and tips and, with every new step forward that I take, is generous with her praise. She'll be embarrassed at all these comments but they are all true.

I am not attempting to provide a complete list of everyone who has ever rung in Henham Church, especially as I might inadvertently give offence by omitting someone accidentally. However, in addition to everyone named so far, I would like to mention just a few others whom I have met while ringing at Henham: Lin Hodgson and her twin daughters; Peter and Wendy Upson and John Metcalfe. And finally, our newest recruit – Jo Pimblett whose bell ringing prowess is coming on in leaps and bounds. It has been a great joy to see her have fun learning and progress so quickly. She is now ringing rounds and call changes proficiently and will very soon be part of the regular Sunday ringing band.

 

RING THE CHANGES (August 2007) (A010)

Am I making progress?

I have been ringing for quite a while now and as we reach the summer holidays I thought an end of term report on my progress might be of interest.

Bell control - Being able to stand the bell you are ringing, at will, at both hand and back stroke, and consecutively 10, 20 and more times, is a significant milestone. It took me months and months to master this basic requirement but it was great when I did. The next challenges were learning to "castle" and "dodge", nifty names for changing your place in the ringing sequence. I found this great fun and it is essential preparation for ringing call changes and method ringing.

Experience on different bells - Beginners learn on a medium weight bell but the mark of an experienced ringer is their ability to ring any bell. I have now rung all the bells at Henham though I am not yet fully used to the tenor. Ringing it the other week I found it a bit hard to keep it in place and then when I switched back to ringing the treble I forgot about the weight difference. Luckily as it is a light bell it bounced against the stay but did not break it! Attending the ringing course run by the Essex Association of Change Ringers in Easter 2006 gave me the chance to ring at several different towers. This not only helped improve my bell handling but also made me feel much more confident ringing different bells. I was unable, due to other commitments, to attend this year but hope I'll get a place next year.

Ringing rounds– This is the staple of Sunday ringing and requires more concentration that you might imagine. I still have to pay full attention to ensure I ring in time – neither too late or too early. Now and then I feel the bell is fully under my control as it swings up and down with minimum effort expended by me and in perfect rhythm with everyone else. More usually, however, I am still trying a bit too hard. tend to pull harder on the rope than is necessary and then I find I have to work harder than is ideal to check the bell to stop it swinging too high. Ringing on the tenor, where I have not fully adjusted to the weight, I am finding the opposite. I'm getting there, but could still do better.

Call changes – This is rounds with variations. As a change is called two ringers swap their place in the ringing sequence. Mostly I am clear about this and manage it smoothly but there is plenty of scope for making a mistake. For example, it is possible not to hear the call, to imagine the call does not affect you, to know you are required to do something but you do the wrong thing, to do the right thing but not quite at the right time ! Whatever the mistake the end result is always the same – two bells trying to ring at the same time! Not a good sound.

Ringing up and down – I was delighted to master this, though I am still working on making it look effortless and graceful. I'm still so nervous that I use far too much energy and my heart is beating 19 to the dozen by the time I'm done! When you ring a single bell up and down on your own there is no need to worry about timing; you ring at your own speed and take as long as it takes. I ring up much more often than I ring down because often on both Thursday practice night and Sunday the ringers ring the bells down together in peal. Essentially this means the ringers are ringing in rounds as the bells are or lowered (or raised if ringing up) which is a lovely sound if everyone keeps in time. I'm not yet proficient enough to do so but I'm setting my sights on being able to ring up and down in peal.

Method ringing - I feel a great sense of achievement to have progressed to this stage. I am not quite so proficient that I can ring any method perfectly without a more experienced ringer standing by me to gently remind me whom I should be ringing after but I am getting there. Part of the problem is that just as I am beginning to get the hang of something Liz adds in something extra. Counting my place and acquiring rope sight are all helping but then I can't make a practice night for some reason or other and I think I have forgotten everything. I have got as far as ringing the treble to a few different methods. This means I keep doing something relatively straight forward - known as Plain Hunt - while the other bells (the inside bells) do more complicated changes. I'm looking forward to mastering ringing a method on an inside bell. That will be a significant improvement for me.

Looking forward - I just want to keep improving. It will be nice to ring in some more different towers and at towers with more than six bells. But most of all I look forward to ringing with more new ringers at Henham. A little bird tells me that one or two people have expressed an interest so I look forward to seeing you at Thursday practices sometime soon. 


RING THE CHANGES (October 2007) (A011)

Finding the words

It is not always easy to think of what to write each month so I am encouraged when every now and then people tell me they like reading my column. Last month someone said they always turned to it first and this wasn't a bell ringer! At the risk of disappointing those who like my usual ramblings, I have tried something different this month. I hope you enjoy looking for the XX hidden words in the Wordsearch below? They are all bell ringing terms but, just to help you, all the words you have to find are listed below and the answers below that 


Bell ringing Wordsearch

 

C

A

P

T

A

I

N

X

R

E

A

D

Y

Z

B

E

R

I

N

G

E

R

D

C

H

A

N

G

E

A

E

X

T

T

S

N

R

E

O

K

J

C

O

B

F

B

L

T

Q

E

U

O

W

X

U

P

A

B

L

D

H

K

L

O

T

V

N

L

D

P

B

N

O

Y

L

L

A

S

M

W

W

E

A

S

F

S

L

O

W

T

I

I

X

Y

E

E

T

O

N

E

I

R

E

T

B

E

R

S

C

P

T

R

U

N

A

E

E

O

S

C

Q

D

A

B

E

Y

H

N

N

G

H

A

R

A

N

H

B

K

C

A

L

L

O

C

E

O

D

P

F

I

V

A

C

A

L

C

Z

V

D

E

E

Y

H

S

F

T

N

N

H

Y

N

K

W

A

L

I

L

E

A

R

N

E

R

G

R

A

N

D

S

I

R

E

G

U

N

G

N

M

S

E

D

V

D

H

C

U

O

T

N

T

D

P

L

A

I

N

B

S

T

A

N

D

G

B

I

R

H

Y

T

H

M

B

D

L

G

S

A

B

N

E

S

T

O

P

E

C

N

E

I

R

E

P

X

E

P

O

 

 

Look for: Back, Band, Bell, Bob, Call, Captain, Carillon, Change, Doubles, Down, Experience, Fast, Grandsire, Go, Hand, Learner, Method, Peal, Plain, Ready, Rhythm, Ring, Ringer, Sally, Single, Slow, Stand, Stop, Tenor, Tension, Tone, Touch, Tower, Treble,Tune, Up


If Wordsearch is not for you, look out for next month's article when, reverting to my usual style, I'll address the important question of what the well-dressed bell ringer wears! 

 

RING THE CHANGES (October 2007) (A012)

Wordsearch Answers

Number the Columns 1-16 and the Rows A-P and you will find the words as follows

Columns:
1G – 1J = Tune; 1P – 1K = Single; 3K – 3N = Hand; 7B – 7H = Doubles
8E – 8I = Notch; 8I – 8L = Hang; 11I – 11B = Carillon; 12H – 12K = Back
15A – 15D = Bell; 15E – 15J = Method;16C – 16G = Tower

Rows:
A1 - A7 = Captain; A9 -A 13 = Ready; B1 – B6 = Ringer; B8 – B13 = Change;
D7 – D8 = Up; E14 – E10 = Sally; F6 – F9 = Slow; G1 – G4 = Tone; I11 – I14 = Call
L1 - L7 = Learner; L8 – L16 = Grandsire; M16 – M12 = Touch; N4 – N8 = Plain; N10 – N14 = Stand; O2–O7 = Rhythm; P1 – P4 = Stop; P14 – P5 = Experience

Diagonals:
IC – 7I = Tension; 1G – 5C Tenor; 5I – 8L Ring; 5J – 8G Fast;6B – 9E; Rope;
6K – 11P Treble; 7E – 9G Bob; 9I –12L Band; 12B – 11C Go; 14G – 11J Peal;
16K – 13H Idle

 

 

RING THE CHANGES (November 2007) (A013)

What the well-dressed bell ringer wears

It's always important to learn the jargon when getting to grips with any new activity but getting the dress code right also matters. With bell ringing it's easy – there isn't one! However though no one will be judged for sartorial elegance there are real pitfalls if you dress unwisely. It pays to listen to the sage advice of experienced ringers. They won't tell you what to wear but they have very good advice about what not to wear.

Comfort and practicality are the bywords. Remember bell ringing involves raising your arms up and down while holding onto a rope attached to a large bell. Ease of movement is essential, so nothing too tight and layers help to regulate body temperature. Also you want to make sure nothing can get tangled up in the rope. Trousers are therefore recommended over skirts and hats, frills, scarves, loose belts and dangly jewellery are all best avoided for the same reason. 

Nothing too skimpy is also a good idea. If your top is too short, your midriff might accidentally be exposed. That might be fine for you if you are proud of your svelte torso but, even if you do present a pretty picture, ringers need to concentrate, so best not! It goes without saying that if your midriff would be better not seeing the light of day then make sure it is kept well covered. Luckily longer line tops are now in fashion so modesty can be preserved and blushes spared quite easily.

When I started I needed to feel steady on my feet so I was careful to wear relatively flat shoes with a sturdy heel. I was also worried that if I changed the heel height it would affect my ability to catch the rope correctly so kept with the same pair. Now I am more experienced I can wear different shoes with different heel heights without it affecting my ability to catch the sally but high stilettos are not ideal! I imagine male ringers may not ordinarily give much attention to what they wear on their feet but I did hear about a chap who discovered it was a bit too hot to ring for a long period while wearing his biking boots.

So there you have it, the well-dressed bell ringer wears just whatever they want. Subject to the cautionary points above anything goes.



RING THE CHANGES (December 2007) (No Article)

 

RING THE CHANGES (January 2008 ) (A014)

Ringing a quarter peal
When I started ringing I looked forward to ringing on Sundays and hopefully weddings. Of course Sundays come round every week, without fail, but weddings at Henham Church are a bit like buses. There isn't one for ages and then two come along together! And that is what happened in October. After a very long gap since I rang for the first time at a wedding, I had a chance to ring at two although, as luck would have it, I was only free to ring at one of them. Ringing at weddings is nice not only for the obvious reason of being part of a special occasion but also because you ring without a break for some 20 minutes. It couldn't have been better timed for me.

Why so? Because a few weeks ago, one Thursday practice night, just as I was about to pull the treble to begin ringing in rounds, Liz Griffiths-Jones, the Henham Tower Captain casually said"Sheena I have ambitions for you to ring a quarter peal!"

I was staggered. That's what good, experienced ringers do and it takes 40 minutes. On Thursday practice nights and Sundays we never ring for more than about 10 minutes at a time; I would never manage it. As all these thoughts were whirling around in my head, I lost concentration. I pulled the treble too hard, it bounced off the stay, I lost my sense of timing and I rang very badly, clearly demonstrating that I was not at all ready to ring a quarter peal! Actually I was so bad that Jo (Pimblett), who rang the treble for the first time that evening, made a better fist of it than I did!

Luckily this was just a temporary blip and week-by week, with Liz's patient instruction, and the unfailing encouragement and support of all my fellow ringers, I steadily gained experience and confidence at ringing the treble to Bob Doubles. The big moment was set for 2:30 pm on Sunday 28 October. Obviously I was nervous but, thanks to the extra practice at the wedding, I could control my butterflies sufficiently well so they were at least flying in formation. I also had a very experienced band around me and with helpful comments every now and then like "lead now" and "3 is your next bell" and nods and winks when I was supposed to ring after or before someone we got through without any major mishap. For those of you who like the details, it took 43 minutes, fractionally longer than is usual apparently when a quarter peal on Bob Doubles is rung at Henham. 


RING THE CHANGES (March 2008) (A015)

Quick Quiz 

1 Who is the Henham Tower Captain?
a) Liz Griffith-Jones 
b) Bill Griffith Jones
c) Dick Farr
   
2 How many bells are there in Henham Tower?
a) 6 
b) 8
c) 12
   
3 How much does the heaviest bell, the tenor, cast in 1478 by Thomas Harrys of London weigh?
a) 2 cwt, 2 quarters and 2 lbs
b) I only know metric weights
c) More than me!
   
4 What is the sally?
a) The red and white striped fuzzy bit of the rope
b) My aunt
c) The corner where bell ringers stand when they make a mistake
   
5 When were the bells re-hung in the Tower?
a) 1985
b) 1995
c) 2005
   
6 When was the tenor bell cast by Thomas Harrys of London?
a) 1478
b) 1578
c) 1678
   
7 What are the bells tuned to ring from highest to lowest?
a) F, E flat, D flat, C, B flat and A flat.
b) E flat, F, D flat, B flat, A flat and C,
c) D flat, B flat, C, F, and E flat
   
8 Where can you hear the bells best?
a) In the ringing chamber
b) Outside the Church
c) Little Henham, as the prevailing wind direction tends to waft the sound there
   
9 What is ropesight?
a) Ability to see the ropes going up and down so you can judge when its your turn to ring
b) It's like foresight – you know what you have to do before you do it!
c) It's like hindsight – brilliant if you had it!
   
10 What does ring up mean?
a) Preparing the bell to ring, so it rests upside down.
b) It's how our bell ringing subscription is registered
c) It's another way of saying I'll phone you
   
11 What is a bob?
a) It's how bell ringers greet each other
b) It's a short haircut
c) It's a term used to change the ringing sequence
   
12 How many bell ringers can you get in a tower?
a) Depends on how many bells there are to ring
b) Not that old joke – it's 2008 after all
c) Come along on Thursday practice nights and see!

 

 

In memoriam

Bells are rung to signal church services, celebrate weddings, anniversaries and other joyous occasions and occasionally for funerals. Towards the end of last year there was a spate of funerals and we rang the bells at one of these services, for Colin Smales.


RING THE CHANGES (April 2008) (A016)

Learning new things

Bell ringing practice night in Henham Church is every Thursday evening. We usually begin around 7:45 pm and stop punctually at 9pm. Do come along if you want to know more and/or have a go – visitors and new learners are always welcome! I am delighted to report that since the start of the New Year three people have tried their hand for the first time and they all got the hang of it really quickly. Much more quickly than me! I remember how long it took me to grasp the basics of catching the rope, pulling it smoothly and steadily in rhythm. I spent weeks and weeks, (stretching into months!) receiving 1:1 tuition from Liz before she suggested I attempt ringing with anyone else let alone attend practice nights. But after a few lessons they have progressed to ringing in rounds with the full band. One is still making music but with a different band -he decided he preferred to give the time to mastering the saxophone. The remaining two are coming on in leaps and bounds. 

Their rapid progress is not only a result of Liz's excellent tuition but also because of the time, she, they and other helpers have been able to give to helping them move forward. The great advantage for me is that, as one of the helpers on the extra Sunday afternoon session, I have had a change to fine tune my technique and practice raising and lowering the bells which I do not always get a chance to do on Sunday mornings or Thursday evenings as they are usually rung up and down in peal and I cannot do that yet. 

I can ring a bell up and down but as I do not do it often I feel a bit nervous when I do it and it is by no means second nature yet. I have to think very hard what to do with the rope and when to catch the sally and when – more importantly not to. I have been taught that it is a good idea to get in the habit of testing the bell I am about to ring by pulling it gently first. If it is down it will sway slightly and nothing much else happens. If it is already in the "up" position it will come down! This can be quite a shock if you are not expecting it especially if you had prepared to ring up – as I did last week! 

More next month on the art of ringing up and down.



RING THE CHANGES (May 2008) (A017)

Ringing Up and Down

At the time of writing I am anticipating an action packed three days on a bell ringing course. OK I know it wouldn't appeal to everyone but it does obviously appeal to bell ringers. Indeed this annual course run by the Essex Association of Change Ringers is so popular it is always oversubscribed. There is lots of ringing in different churches and a social side too - meeting other ringers and enjoying a nice pub lunch in the middle of the day. In addition there are special classes. This time I shall sign up to learn how to ring up and down in peal. That means I have to listen to the other ringers and make sure I keep in time as we all raise (or lower) the bells together. 

As I do not yet feel entirely confident when ringing up or down in my own time this could prove quite stressful! Certainly I shall make sure I choose one of the lighter bells. When previously on the course, learning how to ring bells up and down, I didn't think and chose one of the heavier bells to have a go on and it was very hard work. Good technique helps but simple strength gives an added edge!

The tenor bell in Henham Tower is quite heavy at 2 cwt, 2 quarters and 2 lbs and it is not easy to ring it up correctly, that is to get the clapper to rest on the correct side of the bell. Consequently, Bill (Griffiths-Jones) often has to climb up to the belfry to place the clapper correctly by hand. However, he may not have to do it much more as luckily one of our new ringers is so strong and adept at ringing up that he can ring even the tenor bell up correctly. 

Just give it a strong pull he was told the first time he tried and hey presto up it went. His technique on that occasion was not perfect but it hardly mattered as the end result was so well achieved, so smoothly. He didn't realise his prowess at first but as I keep telling him maybe he has taken it on board now! With practice I am getting steadily better but there is still room for improvement. When raising a bell there is a finesse to flicking the last coil out that I haven't fully mastered and when lowering a bell I can still get muddled up when to catch the sally and when to leave it alone. It's not as if I don't hear Liz's good advice or want to do exactly as she says but nonetheless out went my hand the other week to grab the sally not once, not twice but three times as Liz kept calling out "Leave the sally alone!"


RING THE CHANGES (June 2008) (A018)

When the cat's away…the mice will play!

Not that I wish to describe our revered Tower Captain, Liz, as a cat but, Jill Smales has persuaded her that our small band of regular Henham ringers will be able to manage ringing on Sundays without her and Bill while they are away for a few weeks visiting family in Australia.
Encouraged by Jill's confidence, Liz had to decide who to appoint as "person in charge", to cover during her absence ie who conducts the band and calls the changes. I was very surprised when Liz suggested I could do it. I wasn't so sure but I was pleased to give it a go. My fellow ringers have been very supportive and the last few weeks has seen us all practising with especial diligence.

It would be too dull to mention how many times I got it wrong before eventually I got the hang of it but I do want to thank my fellow ringers for their patience and we did have some laughs on the way.

At the very least we now can muster good clean striking when ringing rounds and I have memorised a series of calls to change the ringing order of the bells and get them back into rounds. It just requires me to call them at the right time in the right order and we'll be fine.

One other little thing is getting the bells up and down safely. We have ambitions to perfect the art of ringing the bells up and down in peal before Liz and Bill return but we still have some way to go at the moment. So if you hear a real cacophony you'll know what we are practising!

You should however hear some excellent ringing over the next few weeks as some visiting bands will be ringing at the Tower and a Striking Competition Finals will take place there on 5 July.

 


RING THE CHANGES (July 2008) (A019)

More bell ringers wanted. Come and join us!
We had high hopes that we would ring every Sunday while Liz and Bill were away. Without them we had the numbers to muster a band but as it turned out we were not all available each Sunday and so were only able to ring on the first and last of their four week absence.

Hence the title of this piece! We really do need more ringers to join our merry band.

Our first (solo) Sunday session was great - a visiting band had rung on the previous Saturday and the bells had been left up. This made our life a lot easier. But in the last week we had to ring the bells up as well. Scary!

On both Sundays we played safe. We agreed a series of calls and stuck to them. However on Thursday practice nights we tested ourselves a bit more. I added a few extra calls without telling my fellow ringers in advance and we managed to make the changes quite smoothly. They are all brilliant. My problem is being able to do more than one thing at a time. As I am calling the changes I have to remember the new order of the bells, keep in time myself and call the change at the correct moment.

The annual Striking Competition begins while Liz and Bill are still away so we naturally thought we would not enter. However our progress has been such that we actually discussed whether we might give it a go! It seemed a nice idea not least because Henham Tower is hosting the Finals on 5th July. Assuming we had got through to the finals, we would have had a real home advantage to win. I'm ever the optimist! So it wasn't little faith in our own prowess, or abject cowardice, which made us in the end decide against entering this year but we have a target now to aim for next year.

Meanwhile listen out on 5th July and judge for yourself who are the best ringers. And if you want to learn more about ringing feel free to pop into OSCAs where refreshments will be being served to sustain all the competitors and supporters in their endeavours.



August 2008 No article September 2008 No article


RING THE CHANGES (October 2008 ) (A020)

The bells! The bells!

I wonder what you think when you hear the Henham bells ringing out. That is if you hear them at all as the prevailing wind usually wafts the sound towards Little Henham which it did on Saturday 5th July. This was a pity as Henham hosted a Striking Competition and there was some really good ringing that day. If you are not an expert it is not easy to differentiate between the good and the very good but anyone can tell when the ringing is not quite right. On Sunday mornings we are not too adventurous so hopefully you will hear a nice tuneful, rhythmical sound. Our standard on Thursday practice nights is naturally more mixed. You may also hear the bells from time to time on a Saturday morning when more experienced band members practise something quite complicated but it is not usual to hear the bells at other times. If you do it is a visiting band and/or for a special reason. So it can be of quite a high standard and maybe a quarter or full peal.

One Tuesday evening recently I heard the bells wafting over to the Henham tennis courts in Carters Lane and I wondered for a moment if I was supposed to be there. (When I started bell ringing I did have a problem getting into my head when I should turn up) but I felt sure I was OK on that so then I thought "who might it be and what are they ringing?" With my attention now diverted from tennis my normally poor performance dipped even lower but I am keener on bell ringing than tennis so I confess I continued to think about the bells! Is it a practice session or are they going for a quarter peal? Can I recognise what is being rung? Oops missed the ball again! Clearly I cannot listen to the ringing and watch the ball and move my feet to get it at the same time!
It's sounding good; nice pace and everyone seems to be in rhythm quite complicated and not something I recognise. Not that I actually recognise much by sound alone yet even if I can ring it but I could tell it was beyond my as yet still humble ability. All's going well for some ten to fifteen minutes and then it stopped. Ah not going for a quarter peal then. Must be a practise. Oops missed the ball again! Definitely an accomplished band though because after another ten minutes or so they rang the bells down crisply in peal and that takes good individual and team working skills. It's much harder than ringing a single bell up and/or down on your own I can assure you but more of that next month ….

 

RING THE CHANGES (November 2008 ) (A021)

Making progress - new milestones

There are many ringing milestones. At the very beginning it is all about controlling your bell and then doing that in time and harmony with others, learning how to ring call changes and then methods, and I felt a real sense of achievement ringing my first quarter peal. I also felt I'd taken another step forward when Liz asked me to lead the Sunday ringing when she and Bill are away.

There are however always new challenges. I have been lucky while learning often to have been the least accomplished ringer with an experienced band supporting me. Sometimes now I am not the least experienced and I feel on my metal not to go wrong! 

Also Liz has been encouraging Jo (Pimblett) and I to "call the changes" ourselves. You'd imagine this would be easy but grasping this new skill feels like patting my head and rubbing my tummy. I lose all sense of timing and struggle to remember the instructions in the correct sequence. One Sunday it took me so long to get everyone back in rounds we were still ringing when the service began. Sorry folks!

Another challenge is ringing up and down in peal. I am getting to grips with this in easy stages ringing with just two other bells. When I did have a go with all six I did not keep my place very well. Like everything else though practice makes perfect and what is scary at first does eventually become second nature. But I am not there yet and if you have recently heard a cacophony now you'll know why.

I've also been getting to grips with new terminology, learning how to "run in", "make the bob" and triple bobbing which you might like to know does not involve dodging around the bell chamber or genuflecting. It's all about where you are in the ringing sequence and more often than not now I am actually in the right place. 

RING THE CHANGES (December 2008 ) (A022)

What a question!

As some of you may know my husband Gerry has organised a few quiz evening in aid of the Stop Stansted Campaign. So, back in the summer, when Liz casually asked me if Gerry would like to organise a quiz for the Essex Association of Change Ringers annual fund raising event in aid of the Bell Restoration Fund, I accepted on his behalf. It was scheduled far in the future on 1st November so that made saying yes even easier!

In case the day is not imprinted in your memory, the 1st November dawned wet and miserable and the evening was even worse and torrential rain flooded the railway line at Bishop's Stortford; but that's another story entailing a midnight drive after the quiz to fetch some friends visiting us who had got stranded in London and had managed to get to Cambridge (instead of coming home via the Church House in Sawbridgeworth, where the quiz was being held!) 

We did our best to get a good mix of questions excluding, by special request, any references to TV soap operas. (I can only presume the dedicated ringers attending the quiz just have no time to watch them.) We had some challenging ones for bell ringers and some more fun ones for any non bell ringers who might be attending. We knew there would be at least four - Karen and Ali Lafferty and Sian and Dave Reynolds having been persuaded to make up a team with Jo and James Pimblett. The runaway leaders, appropriately named Prima Mensa, were veritable clever clogs but all the remaining scores were very close. With our other regular ringers also fielding a team, Henham showed its strong commitment to the cause and emerged in a credible third and fourth in the final rankings.

Overall the event raised £262.50 and a good time was had by all.

Gerry and I took it in turns to ask the questions and give the answers and as you can imagine some were challenged. This is not unreasonable. I can be quite argumentative myself if I think the quiz master is wrong! It all played out in the best of spirits. On some we stood our ground but two generated heated discussion!

How many points does the second placed driver get in a Formula One race?

What sport can you not play left handed?

 

 

With "ask the audience" turning into a lively debate, some decided to "phone a friend" and others resorted to searching Google on their mobiles for the correct answer. Note to self – if you commit Gerry to doing another quiz all mobiles will have to be confiscated for the duration!

Luckily, despite some pleas for leniency on the interpretation of the answer to questions 3, the accuracy of the answers to the bell ringing questions was not challenged. Here they are for you to test your knowledge.


Quiz

1. Who wrote "For whom the bell tolls"?

2. Which London-based ringing society, founded in 1637, is still at the forefront of ringing today?

3. What metal is the main constituent of most church bells?

4. What is the name for changes rung on twelve working bells?

5. Who was married to Mary Hayley Bell?

6. Which famous seventeenth century ringer gave his name to a method or principle that is still rung today?

7. To the nearest hundredweight, how heavy is the tenor at Liverpool Cathedral?

8.What was Big Ben's distinctive chime derived from?

9.Which year was the first recorded true peal of more than 5000 changes rung?

10.What was the name of the actress who found fame playing the Oxo mum?

 

Just a hint - though Bob features a lot in bell ringing parlance this is not the answer to question 6!


Answers to Quiz

1. Earnest Hemmingway

2. Ancient Society of College Youths

3. Copper

4. Maximus

5. Sir John Mills

6. Fabian Stedman

7. 82 cwt

8. Handel's 'I Know That My Redeemer Liveth' from the Messiah

9. 1715

10. Linda Bellingham

 

RING THE CHANGES January and February 2009 No articles published


RING THE CHANGES (March 2009 ) (A023)

My brain is scrambled 

Cast your minds back to New Year's Day. It dawned crisp and clear. Well I imagine it did. I can't be sure because I wasn't awake myself at the time; but that isn't the point. The point is that New Year's Day was a Thursday and Liz Griffith Jones phoned in the morning to confirm that there would be a bell ringing practice as usual that evening. She went onto say that she was organising a band to ring a quarter peal before hand and would I like to ring the treble?

Yes, was my immediate answer. This would be my third quarter peal and I thought it would augur well for my bell ringing progress in 2009. However, as I was still feeling the after effects of the previous night's celebrations (I was quietly eating my breakfast cereal at the time) I wasn't sure my affirmative response was a wise decision! I arrived at the church at the appointed time and the quarter peal was duly rung without hiccup. However, I had been concentrating so hard that, by the end, my knees had locked and I felt quite disoriented. Just as well I had brought some refreshment - a thermos flask of black coffee and several slices of Christmas Cake. (Once a Girl Guide, I find the motto "Be Prepared" has served me well over the years).

Since then I would like to report that my ringing has gone forward in leaps and bounds but I cannot quite get the hang of ringing Bob Doubles inside. I appreciate that sentence might conjure up rather odd images for non bell ringers but it seems to me that I have the bell ringing equivalent of writer's block. I know what to do and want to do it but somehow it is not happening! I start OK but then halfway through my mind goes completely blank and I forget what I am supposed to do. Everyone is still very encouraging but I can see them wincing as my bell clashes and clangs its way round.

Despite my struggles, Henham Band is flourishing. With our recent recruits we now have 10 regulars and we shall soon be accomplished enough to do more than just rounds and call changes on Sunday mornings. There is even talk that we will be up to entering a striking competition. This isn't fisticuffs at dawn but a chance to test our ringing prowess against other local bands. I'll keep you posted.


RING THE CHANGES (April 2009 ) (A024)

Doing what comes naturally

This morning I saw a duck with, presumably, her mate (Donald perhaps) on our outhouse roof. I wondered if she was checking out where to nest this year because she has done so for several years now and she chooses a different spot each time. 

She chose the top of the compost heap last year which I didn't think would be a good idea but amazingly all the eggs hatched (for the first time I think) and I caught the moment when she negotiated their descent down the compost heap and escorted them safely across our back garden, down our gravel drive, across the long grass on Woodend Green, all the way back to the village pond. I didn't see her carrying a handy manual of duck nesting and parenting so I guess she just knows what to do. She has a natural instinct you might say. 

I can't say I have a natural instinct for bell ringing and rather worryingly far from all coming together and seamlessly clicking into place I have discovered a black hole in my brain. Not literally of course. Well I hope not. But, as with the galactic variety, my brain appears to take stuff in but it then appears to sit forever frozen at the event horizon. All the pieces of the jigsaw are there but they are stuck and not fitting together properly. Somehow there remains a lamentable gap between what I want to do (heart), what I know in principle how to do (head) and my ability to put it all into practice (body). And worst of all sometimes my brain just gives up entirely and I lose the plot completely – the bell ringing equivalent of wanting to go to Elsenham station but turning right at the bottom of the hill instead of left! 

I am continually fascinated to see how thinking too much and trying harder usually means less, not more success. I once heard a world class skier say, after her gold medal winning run, that she had she felt like a waterfall. She hadn't been consciously thinking or trying at all. It had been effortless. She had literally flowed down the mountain. 

So how might this help my bell ringing? Shall I imagine I am the rope or the bell? Somehow I think this might create more problems! 

 

RING THE CHANGES (May 2009 ) (A025)

Hang em high!

Heavy and old! Henham belles? How very dare you! I mean the six Henham bells, restored and rehung in the Tower in 1985. No mean feat you can imagine and some photos, taken at the time, give a flavour of what was involved.

First, they must come out …one by one …. steady … steady … 
bell 02 bell 04
Then off they go to be restored …
bell 06

 

 

The two lightest bells were cast in 1985 from the largest of the five original bells. Not so old perhaps but one hundredweight equals 8 stone,. So at 2 hundredweights, 3 quarters and 12 pounds, and 3-0-24 respectively, they are pretty heavy. The 3rd bell dates from the18th century and weighs 4-0-22. The 4th and 5th bells are much older (cast in 1641 and 1636) and heavier (at 4-3-1 and 5-1-24) and the tenor, cast in 1478 and weighing in at 8-2-2, is both venerable and mighty. The bells are tuned, from highest to lowest, to ring F, E flat, D flat, C, B flat and A flat.


Heave ho! back they go….

1985 bells return
1985 the bells return
bell 08

…all shiny and new, engraved with the names of the then vicar (Brian Green) and the two churchwardens (Betty Pimblett and Albert Lafferty). 
bell 10
1985 dedication of the new bells

1985 Dedication of the new bells
 

 

 

June, July and August 2009 - No articles published

 

RING THE CHANGES (September 2009 ) (A026)

La Girondala in Seville

When on holiday I am keen to do all the usual tourist things so when Gerry and I visited Seville just before Easter I was keen to do three things. Firstly to visit the bull ring (when there was not a fight going on! – been there, done that in Portugal, and it was, to me, more animal baiting than spectacle). Secondly to wander around the Cathedral and thirdly, to go up the The Giralda. I had read there were no steps and that sounded interesting! The first two sights were great and most enjoyable but as this article is inspired by my interest in bell ringing, and not a tourist guide, I'll just tell you about the Giralda. 

What an experience. It was a long way up but quite an easy climb up the sloping incline. There is a series of 35 gently inclined ramps that are wide enough to allow two guards on horseback to pass. The long climb is richly rewarded with glimpses of the cathedral's buttresses and gargoyles on the way up and a dazzling view of Seville at the top. On the way up it is possible to stop and look out across the town through the windows cut in the tower and opposite each window, on the inner core, interesting artefacts relating to the building of the tower were displayed for example, the clock mechanism, and lots of different bells.

I know it sounds silly to say I was surprised to see the bells but I was. You see I am not a very organised tourist. I don't often do much, if any, research before I travel about the "must see" sights and I had actually thought the Giralda was just a tower, with nothing up there, other than the finest view across Seville of course. The view was good, yes; but, there were all these bells too! There were so many of them and they were so big and all the paraphernalia around them was just so impressive. I called out "Gerry! Gerry! Get a picture! Here! Here! Look! Look!" I doubt the Tower has ever seen a happier tourist. So let me tell you a little bit more about it.

The Giralda, named for the giraldillo or weather vane on its summit, dominates the city skyline. The tower took 12 years to build (1184-96) and was the culmination of Almohad architecture. It is considered the finest of the three great Almohad minarets: the others are in the Moroccan cities of Rabat and Marrakesh. La Giralda was so venerated by the Moors that they wanted to destroy it before the Christian conquest of the city in 1248. This was prevented by King Alfonso X, who declared that "if they removed a single stone, they would all be put to the sword."

The Giralda thus preserved, became the bell tower of the Christian cathedral (begun 1402). Topped with four copper spheres that could be seen for miles around, the Moorish tower was used both to call the faithful to prayer and as an observatory over the city.

bell 12 bell 14 bell 16
La Giralda The weather vane on the top Some of the bells


 

  
Several additions were made to the Giralda in the Renaissance era, following an earthquake (1356) that destroyed the original copper spheres that topped the tower. Christians replaced the sphere with a cross and bell. Four more levels were added at the top for the belfry (1560-68), which was topped by an Italian bronze sculpture of "Faith." The statue stands 4 m (13 feet) in height, 7 m (23 ft) with the pedestal). Balconies were also added. 

The tower structure beneath the bells is that of the original minaret. Its simple beauty derives from the shadows formed by blocks of brick trelliswork, different on each side, and a succession of arched niches and windows. Despite the Renaissance additions, La Giralda remains one of the most beautiful monuments of the Islamic world. 


October, November 2009 December - No articles published


RING THE CHANGES December 2009 (A027)

What's the connection?

The Essex Association of Change Ringers held a fundraising Quiz Night on November 14th event in aid of the Bell Restoration Fund. It was a very wet and windy night, which I only mention because the weather was truly awful when this event was held last year!

Liz asked me to provide a question round and here it is for you.


1. What in the field of drama in the 1940s and 50s, was popularized and taught in New York City by famed teacher Lee Strasberg.
2. What is the title of the 2005 movie which focuses on the attempts of a psychiatrist to prevent one of his patients from committing suicide, while trying to maintain his own grip on reality. It was directed by Marc Forster and included Ewan McGregor, Ryan Gosling, Kate Burton and Bob Hoskins in the cast.
3. Who was born on February 21, 1986 in Llandaff, Cardiff.
4. David Theile is the only Australian ever to have won an Olympic gold medal in this event What was the event?
5. Whose 47th album is called "Christmas in the heart"
6. What is the name of the younger sister of Charlie Brown in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles Schulz.
7. Who famously said "Mr. Watson--Come here--I want to see you."
8. What was the first structure to surpass 300 metres in height?
9. In four-part choral music, which voice is the second lowest?
10. What is the connection between all these questions?


Answers to December 2009 Quiz
1. Method acting
2. Stay
3. Charlotte Maria Church
4. 100m backstroke He did it twice back to back (1956 and 1960).
5. Bob Dylan
6. Sally Ann Brown She was first mentioned in early 1959
7. Alexander Graham Bell in March 10, 1876
8. Eiffel Tower. It was the tallest structure in the world from 1889-1930
9. Tenor. It is above the bass and below the soprano and alto
10. Bell ringing

 

 

 

RING THE CHANGES (February 2010) (A028)

Can I manage the responsibility?

I was encouraged to take up bell ringing mainly because I wanted to ring at weddings and I have now rung at a few. Each time I feel a little nervous as naturally it is important that we ring as well as possible because we want to ensure we make a tuneful, rhythmic sound while the guests are milling round outside the church, as the photos are being taken, they hear. Christmas Eve and Christmas day are also special occasions when there are more people than usual to hear us. But Liz (Griffith-Jones) our stalwart Tower Captain and her husband Bill, both very experienced ringers, are always there to provide credibility and give us confidence.

I have previously coordinated Sunday ringing and a few Practice evenings, on a few occasions when Liz and Bill have been away and, notwithstanding the very important duty of taking charge of the keys both to the ringing chamber and to the Church (which is a very big key!), all seemed to be OK. No doubt this is why Liz felt sufficiently confident to ask me to take charge of the keys again when she and Bill went to visit their family in Australia.

That's fine I thought until I realised they would be away from mid December to mid January – not only during all the Christmas services but also on 30th December when we had been asked to ring for a wedding. And not just any wedding but one where a relative of the bride wanted to ring!

I can happily report, that with the support of all the regular Henham ringers, all went well. And the wedding was especially good fun. I spoke with the aforementioned relative before hand and learned she was called Sandra, was an aunt of the bride and a keen but not very experienced ringer. That made us all feel a lot better! Having rung at weddings herself she knew that it was not usual to ring before hand and what she mostly wanted to do was to ring while the bride and groom left the Church. So we agreed she should have a short practice before the service to get a feel of the bells and to choose which one would give her the best view of the bride and groom as they walked down the aisle.

The practice before hand went very nicely. We rang rather longer than planned because, after Sandra's husband had taken a photo, the official photographer got in on the act. This led to a dodgy moment when I saw him kneeling at my feet with his camera, thrust into the centre of the ringing circle and turned upwards. No doubt he just though this would be a interesting angle but this is not a recommended position for onlookers and I found my mind wandering as I imagined my rope catching his camera and whisking it, with him all the while holding on grimly, up to the belfry. Luckily he removed himself before anything untoward happened and we ended our little ringing practice smoothly. 

So now all we had to do was to time when we began ringing after the service. Usually, the ringing begins as the bride and groom leave the Church; but as this was my first time in charge and perhaps because of Sandra's involvement, I forgot this and in my keenness to get going, I started as soon as the bride and groom left the altar and we rang as they walked the length of the aisle. After several minutes of nice rounds and once the bridal couple had left the Church we stood the bells to release Sandra and then we carried on with an all Henham band of ringers.

We were all prepared to ring lots of different changes and an exciting variation known as "kaleidoscope" but we did not ring for very long once the congregation had left the Church because as the weather was truly dreadful, very cold, windy and rainy, everyone left as soon as possible for the Reception and there was no one left to hear us.

So as it turned out, though rather unorthodox, it was just as well we rang before the wedding and started rather sooner than is usual after the service.

The wedding itself was lovely. The Church still decorated for the Christmas celebrations, and with the extra wedding flowers and lit candles all around glowing warmly, looked marvellous and so did all the guests. Ladies always look lovely at weddings but on this occasion they were outshone by the soldiers in very smart uniform and the many gentlemen in their kilts, with the red stripe in the tartan being picked up in the flowers and bridesmaid dresses and (I think) the mother of the bride's outfit. I might be wrong of course my mind naturally was on bell ringing throughout!

Henham bellringers have made a new friend in Sandra. We thank Natalie and Chris for asking us to ring at their wedding and we wish them both every happiness for their future together.



RING THE CHANGES (March 2010) (A029)

Tuesday night at the Cock
This month's article, you may be pleased to read, has only the merest connection with bell ringing. The connection being that the Cock is opposite the Church and it has been known that bell ringers visit the pub after practice on Thursday evenings. However a few of us have also been there on Tuesday nights in January supporting the weekly quiz night, each run by a different local quizmasters/mistress. They have done an amazing job reading out all the questions and answers amid a very nosy, joyful, babble of voices and the evenings are great fun.

The Pimbletts (Jo and James, with help from Ali Lafferty on sport) ran the last quiz in January and introduced some question categories I personally had not come across before, with rounds on "farming" and "next song line." These were low scoring rounds for everyone I understand but especially for yours truly's team! However my team did get one question right that no one else did. This was the first question of the opening round on "Henham". It was easy for me! "How many bells are there in Henham Church Tower? Six of course! There was a good-natured challenge from the, eventually winning, team who had answered there were 5. This was true up to 1985, when the largest bell was melted down and two smaller bells struck from it at the Whitechapel Foundry in London. Obviously not enough attention has been paid to my previous articles and, as James had also been closely involved in re-hanging the bells, this challenge did not succeed!


Some other questions from the Henham round are included below for your interest. 

1. If your post code was CM22 6AD, where in Henham would you live?
2. Who is the Chairman of the Parish Council?
3. Add the number of houses in Wrights Piece to the number in Hall Close and then subtract from the number in Vernons Close?
4. How many days a week is Henham Post Office open?
5. After 10 in the morning there is an hourly train service from Elsenham to Liverpool Street, how many minutes past the hour is it?
6. When was the Village Hall built?
7. What's the name of the pub dog?
8. What is the name of the Parish magazine?

 

Answers

1. Mill Road
2. Nick Baker
3. 57-5-6 = 46
4. 6
5. 19
6. 1928
7. Molly
8. The Dragon


 

RING THE CHANGES (April 2010) (A030)

Bells are like people

Reflecting on what to write this month it occurred to me that bells are rather like people and it might be interesting to review the similarities and differences. 


Bells, like people, come in different shapes and sizes and every bell, just as every person, is unique. Some are easier to handle than others but all respond well when the person interacting with them recognises each bell's own idiosyncrasies and, rather than fight the bell into submission, has the confidence and skill to work with them in a smoothly controlled way. Wouldn't it be nice if, in our everyday lives, the people we deal with had such insight and the confidence and skill to get the best from us? 


But does this not highlight an important difference between bells and us (human beings)? We are not inanimate objects and surely we have to take some responsibility ourselves for our own nature and actions. Can we not, should we not, exercise personal control in our interactions with others? I believe we need to understand that we are all connected. We cannot always know the impact we have and the consequences that ensue but we always need to be alive to feedback arising from our actions and moderate what we do accordingly.


But then again I have met people who stubbornly refuse to acknowledge the part they play in what is going on around them, the cause and effect of their own actions, who say "Nothing to do with me. Not my problem." I'd call them dumb bells.


And finally, how have people and bells come into being and what is their purpose? Is the universe the product of intelligent design or random chance? Have we free will or is our path predestined?


For people this is a matter of ongoing debate, but for bells the answer is straightforward. Bells do not happen by chance. Each one is individually designed and cast by skilled craftsmen to become part of a ring of bells hanging in a specific Tower. Their path is predestined. Bells make music - sometimes good and sometimes less so. Just like people really!

 


RING THE CHANGES (May 2010) (A031)

Hobbies: blessing or curse?

Some people have been kind enough to say they enjoy reading my articles and encourage me to continue while others (Gerry for one!) say "Don't you think you have exhausted the subject yet?" I don't mind. Hobbies always divide opinion. They can help you meet people, be a pleasant way of passing time and testing your mind and body or both depending on what you choose to do. So, clearly a blessing; and naturally you want to share your enthusiasm for something you enjoy doing. Then, it is all too easy to become a bore. Not that I am easily stopped! I just think that glazed looks and yawns mean I am not expressing myself well enough and so I have a tendency to keep going! Another sign that a hobby might be coming more of a curse than a blessing is when it begins to take up more and more of your time. In the past month or so, I wouldn't say bell ringing had become an all-consuming passion, but I did become a bit obsessed. Gerry got just a tad worried when he discovered my bedtime book of choice was on bell ringing! In my defence I just say that I had been struggling to accomplish something new and I was beginning to wonder if I ever would. Suffice to say I have now managed it. 

 

My recent progress got me to thinking: "What gets us started with a hobby in the first place and then stick with it?" Sometimes we have little choice. Our parents might have a dream for us and start us at an early age, learning tennis or golf. Or they have a hobby they want us to share. We might stick with their choice but I imagine we are more likely to stick with a hobby if we decide of our own volition to take it up. But what is the spark that gets us going? Something inside us tells us we'd like to have a go, if only to fit in with what our friends do. But this doesn't mean we necessarily begin. It can remain just an idea we have. We all have good ideas but do not always do anything about them. They can remain something we'd like to do but never get round to. Or maybe we do start but only for a short while or intermittently. This is not really a hobby – it's more a passing or general interest. Hobbies take more commitment than that and we stick with them because, while they provide a combination of good fellowship, physical challenge and intellectual stimulus, we can usually see our expertise develop.

 

And all that's definitely a blessing. 

 

RING THE CHANGES (July 2010) (A032)

Did you know…?

I have been ringing at Henham church for a while now and have progressed from simple rounds through call changes to ringing a variety of different methods with varying degrees of proficiency, including a few quarter peals. I have even been left in charge on the odd occasions when the Liz Griffiths-Jones have been away. I always have the best of intentions but I find the week often whizzes by and I haven't found time to look at what I am trying to learn to ring. Even if I have, maintaining concentration can be a problem! Bell ringing involves a high degree of multi tasking. It is important to count "places", remember the "order of work", ring at the right speed, know who you are following and who is following you, watch who takes you off the lead and who you take off the lead, know what it means when you pass the treble, and above all keep going even if someone else has gone wrong.

I also still feel pretty much an ignoramus about the bells themselves. Of course I know the treble is the lightest bell and the tenor the heaviest but I can never remember their exact weight and even when told I find the old style imperial measurement of hundredweights, quarters and pounds pretty meaningless. While I only ever rang at Henham this hardly mattered; but I do, now and then, have the chance to ring in different Towers and it is helpful, before ringing it, to know how heavy a bell might be. So I thought it might be useful to exercise my little grey cells and work out how heavy the Henham bells are in comparison to some other meaningful measure. In an attempt to get some interesting comparisons I typed "relative weights of things" into Google. This proved an interesting diversion but not very helpful for the task in hand. Refocusing, therefore, I chose the Ryanair carry-on baggage allowance of 10Kg as my comparitor measure! I thought most people might probably have a good idea of how heavy that feels like.

Weighing in at 2 hundredweights, 3 quarters and 12 pounds, the lightest Henham bell is equivalent to 14.5 Ryanair carry-on baggage allowances. The other bells are equivalent respectively to 16.4, 21.4, 24.2, 27.8 and 43.3 allowances. 

 

RING THE CHANGES (October 2010) (A033)

Getting to know the bells

When first starting to ring bells, you learn to handle a specific bell. Then as you become proficient you progress to ringing different bells in the same Tower. Then you look forward to ringing in other Towers. But maybe not all of the Towers, or all of the bells; stories abound about different Towers and the idiosyncrasies of certain bells. I enjoy seeing our lovely countryside driving to different Towers and looking round the Churches. Finding the ringing chamber is always interesting too. While some, like Henham, are on ground floor at the back of the church and easily accessed through the Front Entrance, other like Hatfield Broad Oak, are a long way up an ancient, narrow, spiral stone staircase. 

One of our Henham Thursday practice nights was recently held there and it was quite an experience. They have eight bells and each one seemed very different and difficult. For a start they were all very much heavier than our Henham bells. Then some of them were set very far back so it was very hard to pull it off the stay and start ringing. Ringing convention means the person ringing the treble (the lightest bell) gets everyone focused and ready to ring by calling "Look to". They check everyone is holding their bell rope and paying attention; then, as they pull their rope to get their bell ringing, they say " Treble's going, trebles gone" and we know to follow in smoothly in turn, which normally happens. On this occasion however the treble was so hard to pull off that it rang after the second and third bell had rung. So "Stand" was called. Everyone managed to stand their bells promptly; but, ringing bell number five, I couldn't! I was having so much trouble I said it might be better if they just started again and I'd catch up with them! Not surprisingly we didn't do that. I did master the bell in the end and, as the evening progressed, I felt less embarrassed as I noted others struggled with it too!

We all got a chance to ring whichever bells we wanted and, though it was a challenging experience, I think we all enjoyed testing ourselves and gained in confidence. A non ringer also got more than they had expected. Quietly reading a book, sitting well out of harm's way, on the spiral staircase right in the centre of the Tower they felt the whole building swaying as we rang the bells; quite literally the earth moved for them! 

 

RING THE CHANGES (January 2011) (A034)

A call to….what?
This year, the annual carol service for Essex and Hertfordshire Bell Ringers was held in Henham Church. The service was well attended and as hosts, Henham bell ringers were out in force, whether we normally attend services or not. For my part, this was no hardship, I like to sing carols and was looking forward to the festive refreshments, which would follow the service. They were in fact most enjoyable but so too was the service itself.

It felt quite special in a way I had not expected. There seemed to be a real spirit of togetherness in the gathered congregation. The traditional service, with bible lessons read by members of the congregation, and enthusiastic carol singing, beautifully accompanied by Maxine Mott on the organ, was uplifting and I felt truly welcomed by Gary Townsend, Henham's new Vicar. With his opening address and sermon, directed to us personally as bell ringers, he shared his belief in a way that was both interesting and thought provoking. He talked about the meaning and purpose of bell ringing and he highlighted the direct connection between the ringing and the service in the church. Having summoned people to worship, he emphasised it was important that that they find Christian Fellowship in the Church.

I have written before that you do not need to be a churchgoer to be a bell ringer but if I understood correctly, I think Gary was asking the congregation to consider if, perhaps, bell ringing, unconnected to calling people to worship, was a meaningless activity. Rather than an attack that I wanted to reject out of hand and repel, this seemed to me to be a legitimate question and a stirring challenge that invited my attention and consideration.

Having reflected, I still feel it is OK to be a bell ringer who is also a non- believing, non church goer. It is good that there is good ringing to call people to worship – no matter who does the ringing. I also feel more reassured that there is a point in my doing so because I believe that if you follow the sound you will find Christian Fellowship within - whether you are already a believer or maybe need to be encouraged to find out more. And that, after all, is important.


RING THE CHANGES (May 2011) (A035)

Ringing World Centenary Celebrations - A great day had by all!

Sunday 26 March was much in the news for a Trade Union March against public sector cuts and anarchist activity/rioting in Oxford Street and environs. Though it attracted much less publicity, you might be interested to know, there was another well attended event in London that day, with a strong presence from Henham. It was a celebration, to mark the Ringing World Centenary Day, with Westminster Abbey as the central gathering point., where there were many stalls and activities offering refreshments and entertainment throughout the day - for example a beer tent, social events, hand bell concerts, exhibitions and mini rings.

Well over 1,000 people, representing Towers from all over the UK and abroad, swarmed into London, stopping off on the way to ring, if they wished, at any of the many churches on the routes into London and in London itself. Journeying in from our neck of the woods, for example, the Towers in Waltham Abbey, Ilford, Leyton, Hornchurch, to name just a few, were all open for ringing. The Henham contingent, however, eschewed the outer venues (not least because they let the train take the strain) and made their way directly to the Wren churches in the City of London. On their way to Westminster, Liz and Bill Griffiths-Jones and Jo and James Pimblett rang at Christchurch, Spitalfields and St Giles-in-the-Fields. Meanwhile Pat and Jerry Platt and Jill Smales, arranged their own visit of St Paul's.

Sadly, no-one from Henham succeeded in the ballot to ring at the Abbey or at St Paul's; but, ill and James were two of the lucky few who won places on a guided tour of the ringing areas in Westminster Abbey. Green with envy are words that you might imagine were mentioned but I am reliably informed that no pressure was applied or incentives offered to make them give up their places to their wives!

The focal activity of the day was Evensong Service at Westminster Abbey. Just picture in your mind's eye the marvellous atmosphere with so many ringers swelling the congregation and singing the hymns with great gusto and you would also have seen the Henham seven, with a great view of proceedings, sat near the front of the south transept (just behind where the Queen will be for the royal wedding).

In the evening Liz went to a handbell concert in St Margaret's, Westminster with Pat, Jerry and Jill while Jo, James and Bill went to St Clement Danes (in Aldwych) and St Mary le Bow (on Cheapside in the City), both of "oranges and lemons" fame. The Henham Seven's Plan A was to meet up again at Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square but fortunately they realised in good time that this was not a good idea and ended up instead in a restaurant near St Paul's

Naturally everyone enjoyed day with the Church visits and ringing but the ramble around the City and on to the Abbey also proved to be an unexpectedly novel and enjoyable experience as, thanks to police precautions for the TUC March, the streets had been closed to all traffic.

The day also ended on a surprising note. While our intrepid bell ringers waited at Liverpool Street Station for their train home they heard an unmistakeable whistle and were lucky enough to see a steam train arrive at Platform 6. It was a Broadlander called the Oliver Cromwell. It had successfully completed its second main line charter since returning to action following major firebox repairs. The 70013 had hauled The Broadsman from Liverpool Street to Norwich and Sheringham on Network Rail and then to Holt on the North Norfolk Railway, returning via the same route. Keen train spotters had turned up at many of the stations along its route to watch it pass – one of Gerry's cousins for example was delighted to get a photo of it as it went through Romford station. The picture below however was taken by Bill Griffith's Jones and see if you can spot James Pimblett in his picture of the group tour of the Ringing Chamber at Westminster Abbey, with the Ringing Boards around the walls.

 

 

RING THE CHANGES (June 2011) (A036)

The Royal Wedding

Where were you on Friday 29th April 2011? I am happy to declare I was at home glued to events unfolding on TV, with my family and friends and only a smidgeon of guilt that I was not ringing the Henham Bells to celebrate the great event. At ringing practice the week before the great day, Liz Griffiths-Jones, our esteemed Henham Tower Captain, had asked her merry bad of ringers if we would like to ring to celebrate the upcoming royal nuptials. Thoughts whizzed through my head:

"Well, yes I would, but.... when would it be possible to fit it in? After all the great and good would be filing into their seats from 8:30 on. There would be non stop activity until the wedding actually began. It would be a shame to miss the anticipated kiss on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. Maybe around2 o'clock? But I didn't want to be drunk in charge of a bell and it was just possible I might have toasted the bride and groom a few times by then."

I looked at Jo Pimblett and Jill Smales and could see my thoughts reflected in their eyes. Seeing our indecision, Liz said she was ringing in three other churches that day and she did not mind if we did not ring at Henham!

This historic event has been reported on at length, so I am not going to add anything more about how great it all was, the service, especially the Bishop of London's sermon, the colour, the pageantry, the precision timing, the successes and disasters on the fashion front, the dress, the kiss, and...and... I was just happy to watch the the happy couple (albeit from the distant sidelines) pledging their troth in front of the whole world and yet with eyes only for each other. The grand occasion was also a happy, intimate family affair.

As the bride and groom, now man and wife, left the Abbey did you hear the bells ring out? I counted: 1, 2 , 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Perfect Rounds! That was all I managed to hear but the Westminster Abbey Company of Ringers, all volunteers, did much more than that. Taking around three and a half hours, without a break, they rang a full peal, known as Spliced Royal Surprise, comprising 5040 changes rung by memory. Apparently it is rather hard and depending on your point of view a rather brave or foolhardy choice. Only the cognoscenti can tell you if they made any mistakes! An inscribed peal board noting the event, the ringers and other information will be mounted on the ringing chamber walls.


RING THE CHANGES August 2011 (A037)

Living Archive
"Bygone Henham"painstakingly maintained by Nina and Ray Gaubert and easily accessed from the Henham website, provides an excellent historical record of times long ago. However if future generations are to read about Henham today, we need to ensure we record our memories - those stories that begin "I remember when....". Young and old, new to Henham or born and raised here, all villagers have such stories to tell. Our memories and current thoughts about Henham, right now, are our living archive. Many stories have been recorded for posterity in The Dragon's pages but many more have not. Also, in our busy lives we often do not notice how Henham changes around us imperceptibly day-by-day. So when Roger Read, (born raised and long-time Henham resident) returned in July from New Zealand, with his wife Kay, for a short visit to see family and friends, I encouraged him to share his thoughts. I hope you enjoy his reflections as much as I did.

Sheena Bigland

Changing Henham - thoughts on a return visit from New Zealand

It has been interesting to spend a few days around the village and see how it has changed in the four years that have passed since leaving in 2007. In some ways it seems that I have been bullied into sharing my thoughts but in other ways it is one aspect that I had not really thought about until it was suggested and then there is some pleasure in reflecting on things now and then.

The biggest difference I see outwardly is the street parking. As I drove back up the High Street last night I was astounded by the number of red lights reflecting in the headlights, and the number of cars parking in Crow Street whilst nothing compared to school closing time is also growing. The two corners at either end of Mill Road have had their share of serious accidents over the years and, it seems to me that with cars parking at the closet point they can to the Cedarwood bend by School Lane create a hazard that will soon lead to another.

It is a shame to see anther of the old thatches suffer serious fire damage, albeit somewhat less than the other two I can remember burning between that point and the start of Chickney Road. Sill, at least, we care for the cottages now and the retention of history. Funny to think that I remember at least two others being pulled down when I was young to make room for new houses. Midway between those sites it is interesting to see a tasteful extension to Keyham House. At the tine I was writing about the history of Henham houses for The Dragon the then occupants gave me a great deal of information on that house, showing that it had quite an interesting past situated, if I remember correctly, between the village brewery and that shop that sold the alcohol!

On a personal note, I guess that the two houses replacing the cottage I was brought up in was the biggest change I have noticed. That, for those who do not know, was Shamrock Cottage and Elmic beside it, where my parents and Mr and Mrs Parkin lived side by side for many years.

Two other buildings I would like to mention, because I feel very positive about change - the Church and the Pub. I walked past the Church door to visit the site where the ashes of all my grandparents and my father lay and was delighted to find the doors open so that Kay and I could wander inside. Such a lovely building that has special memories for us.

We were married in this Church and walked to our reception which was held in the Pub, which at that time had an upstairs function room. When we left in 2007 the Cock's popularity was on the wane and it has been really great to find it thriving.

Overall I have to say though that little seems to have changed, despite the fears expressed in the copies of the Dragon that have been sent to me on the other side of the world. I often say to those asking that I only really miss people, but this visit has also reminded me that I also miss just a little bit this beautiful village that I have been fortunate enough to enjoy living in for around 40 of my 60 years. I hope it will be equally unspoilt when I next return from my current home in the most beautiful country of them all.

Roger Read
Waikuku. New Zealand (formerly, Cedarwood Henham)


RING THE CHANGES (September 2011) (A038)

Inspiration, signs and changing Henham

This month's article has three inspirations. Firstly, a mystery. Secondly, a new bell and thirdly, Roger Read.

The mystery refers to the (so far) unexplained appearance of new mats in the ringing chamber. If you have ever looked in while we are ringing you might have noticed a selection of carpet samples placed in a circle under each bell rope. They protect the carpet underneath being worn away as the tail of each rope hits it as we ring. These little mats are quite jolly colours but showing signs of age and are hardly a matching set. Imagine our surprise, therefore, on entering the ringing chamber one recent Thursday practice night, to find six new little mats, in tasteful, toning shades of light grey/beige, which co-ordinate nicely with the carpet underneath. We had no idea who might have put them there or why and, having checked with everyone who we knew held a key to the ringing chamber, we still remain none the wiser. In case we never find out "thank you" whoever you are.

While a new bell might appear to be an appropriate inspiration for an article on bell ringing I must report that the connection is not with the Church bells – it is with the old Bell pub, formerly on the High Street. Until recently, the only evidence of the pub's previous existence was the iron work which used to support the pub sign. Now, a small bell hangs in the space where the sign would have been displayed. And so we have an example of how Henham changes in front of our very eyes and yet such changes are often so imperceptible we might not really notice.

Which brings me to Roger Read, erstwhile village stalwart having been born, raised and lived most of his life here with his wife Kay and two daughters until four years ago when they emigrated to New Zealand. Catching up with Roger and Kay, on their recent return visit in July, prompted several "I remember when..." moments, including the times, long ago, when he used to drink in the Bell Pub. He also remarked on changes he had noticed, since his last visit two years ago. I thought others would also find his reminiscences interesting and as a result of my prompting (bullying he says!), he agreed to write something for the Dragon, which I think could usefully be added to the "Bygone Henham" website to bring the excellent historical record, painstakingly maintained by Nina and Ray Gaubert, a bit more up to date!

I hope you enjoy seeing Henham through his eyes as much as I did.


RING THE CHANGES (December 2011) (A039)

Anagrams for Christmas Songs

1 A galactic monsoon untwists
2 Healthily does envy
3 Seafront myths now
4 anagram ya wine
5 gilded goring rhino hymn
6 marshiest witch
7 a garland keels her knights
8 a windsock glee song
9 a referee networking hoist
10 idle tent yolk
11 my hybrid coals
12 feline troths


ANSWERS

1 Santa Claus is coming to town
2 The holly and the ivy
3 Frosty the snowman
4 Away in a manger
5 Ding dong merrily on high
6 White christmas
7 Hark the heralds angels sing
8 Good king wenceslas
9 We three kings of orient are
10 Little donkey
11 Mary's boy child
12 The first noel

RING THE CHANGES (January 2012) (A040)

Making Music

I have BBC 4 to thank for my inspiration for this article. A programme aired on Wednesday 7 December to be precise. What was it about? Bell ringing of course! It was presented by Charles Hazelwood, who, I confess to never previously having heard of. A bit too old to be a wunderkind, but clearly a music maestro, the programme notes described him as a musical innovator, a trail blazer in new ways of approaching music; through talking to his audience live on stage, collaborating with other art forms (sculpture, film etc), and playing in unconventional settings.

He was an excellent presenter. You did not have to any prior interest in bell ringing to be captivated by his quest to see if church bells could be used to make original music in their own right. He explained that his interest to conduct his musical experiment stemmed from the fact that church bells have for over 1,200 years called the faithful to worship, helping people celebrate triumph and commemorate tragedy and because they are one of the largest and loudest musical instruments in the world. Wanting the performance to involve as many bells as possible, he settled on Cambridge Market Square as it provided a large open space for the hand bell ringers and offered three sets of working bells in the surrounding Towers. He also enlisted the help of 30 handbell ringers gathered from across the eastern counties. In his exploration of the world of bell ringing, he visited a foundry to see how bells are made and tuned. John Taylor & Co, a family business since 1784 and settled in Loughborough in 1838 is now proud to be operating the largest bell foundry in the world, continuing a line of bell founding unbroken since the middle of the 14th Century, when Johannes de Stafford was active only 10 miles from the site of the present foundry. When he discovered why church bell ringing sounds the way it does he began to understand that the vagaries of individual bells and sets of bells in any given Tower meant that creating music was not going to be as easy as he had first imagined. Not in any way discouraged, he simply decided to constrain his natural musical ambition in favour of a simple arrangement of Greensleeves. Then with his engaging personality and infectious enthusiasm and passion for music he inspired all the ringers to join with him in his adventure and push the boundaries. For example he persuaded one Tower keeper to tie the bell ropes to the clappers so they could play a tune by ringing a note on each bell without it having to make a complete revolution through 360 degrees. In another Tower, he encouraged the ringers to strike several bells at the same time to achieve the effect of a chord being rung.

The end result was tunefully uplifting!


RING THE CHANGES (July 2012) (A041)

Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant - Sunday 3rd June 2012
I rather stretched the connection with bell ringing, in the last few articles I wrote, so it seemed best to take a break. However on Sunday 3 June, I was inspired to put fingers to keyboard once again by the amazing chiming bells in the floating belfry heralding the flotilla marking the floating celebration of the 60 year reign of Queen Elizabeth 11 and the bells ringing out in reply as the floating belfry passed each riverbank church along the Thames from Hammersmith to Tower Bridge and beyond.


The Pageant Master, in a television interview I heard him give on the day, said he contacted the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in East London to find out how to arrange for a suitable bell or bells bell to herald the Pageant. It is not clear if a new set of eight bells had already been commissioned by the 17th century City church of St James Garlickhythe to mark the Diamond Jubilee or if the Pageant Master's enquiry prompted their commissioning. The first known mention of the church was in a will dated around 1100. The name of the church is derived from the word 'hythe', a Saxon word for a landing place or jetty. The stretch of river close by St James' was London's most important hythe since Saxon, or possibly Roman, times. Garlic, a vital preservative and medicine in the Middle Ages, was unloaded here and probably traded on Garlick Hill, where the church now stands. It is hoped that the bells will feature in the Lord Mayor's Parade, later in the year, before finally being hung in the Church Tower in time for Christmas 2012.

Given the inclement weather, I happily watched the Pageant on TV but I looked out for people I knew to be there. My brother had a great view from just opposite St Thomas's hospital. A staunch Republican, he nonetheless found it all very exhilarating to be part of history unfolding, together with so many others celebrating the occasion. A friend was part of the crew on one of the historic boats which had started out from near Henley on the previous Wednesday to reach West India Dock by Friday evening and then sailed back up river on Saturday to moor overnight, in procession order, on the stretch of river between Hammersmith and Putney, ready for the muster on the Sunday morning. She said it was amazing to see so many boats as far as the eye could see. The boat she was on, the Lindsay 111, had a black hull and was right next to an RAF boat with a large 102 blazoned on its hull. I spotted that several times and finally caught a glimpse of her boat as it sailed past the Royal Barge moored at Tower Bridge. I had hope to see more of it as the captain of the boat had been interviewed on ITN News the previous night and the film crew of "Loose Women" was apparently joining them for the trip. That sounds like a good excuse for watching some daytime TV next week, to find out if they did!

church interior bw

church drawing 1799
1936 induction of rev ormrod
1936 Induction of Rev. Ormrod

 

 




© Henham Parish Website