Here we are in November, nearly at the end of the year, the long hot days of Summer seem but a distant memory with the recent arrivals of Storm Austen and Storm Boleo in quick succession. I hope you have not been too affected by these adverse weather conditions of late.
Two notable dates come at the beginning of the month with All Saints Day on 1 November and Remembrance Sunday on 8 November. These two days just happen to fall within our Guild Quarter Peal Week which runs from the 31 October to 8 November and provide opportunities to ring a Quarter Peal. All the details can be found on the Guild website here. I look forward to reading all about your achievements. Can we try and beat last year’s total of 57? Whether your church is dedicated to All Saints or not, why not learn the method and try a QP to consolidate the learning? Remembrance Sunday gives us the rare opportunity to ring and experience the beautiful sound of half muffled bells.
The Devizes Branch has been celebrating its 125th Anniversary this year, having been formed in 1901. The Branch is one of the biggest in the Guild, covering the market towns and surrounding villages of Devizes, Melksham, Bradford on Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury and Warminster. Talking of anniversaries, the Guild will celebrate its 150th Anniversary in 2032. This may be 6 years away but it will soon be here and we need to be thinking about how we celebrate this milestone. We would like you, the members, to think about how you would like to celebrate it. So please get you thinking caps on, discuss amongst your Branch ideas of how to mark the event and let me know your ideas.
The Guild Executive has recently been working on updating the Safeguarding Policy believing that all ringers should feel safe and valued while involved in all aspects of ringing. Frank Marshall & Andy Waring, Guild Safeguarding and Communications Officers respectively, have written an article for the website whose purpose is to update all our members on the latest position of the churches we ring in regarding safeguarding training. Do take time to read the article, further ones will appear in the coming months.
Mention must be made here of Pauline Mckenzie (nee Champion) HLM who passed away on Sunday 11 October after a long and cruel illness which she bore with great dignity and courage. Many of you will have known her or rang with her. She learnt to ring at Salisbury, St Thomas where she rang in July 1976 the first of her many peals. Work was to take her to the Exeter area where she lived for the rest of her life. One of the country’s finest lady ringers she rang a total of 3172 peals, the last one in March 2020. We send our sympathy to her husband, Reg and her brother and sister, Alan and Antonia. May she rest in peace.
We are now at the start of the season for Branch AGMs; Vicki and myself hope to visit as many Branches as we can over the coming weeks.
I look forward to meeting many of you over the coming months and reading about your ringing achievements especially in Q P Week.
Please do send items of news with photos from your tower or Branch to .
Happy Ringing
Pat Davidson
Guild President
