Tim Filtness
Sherborne Abbey
When Tim took up ringing again in 2020, he would happily admit that his ringing was somewhat rusty and, having not rung since the early 90s when he learnt on a medium weight ring of 6 in Winchester, he found himself confronted by a somewhat heavier peal of 8 in Sherborne with its 46cwt tenor. He has progressed from sometimes dubious Grandsire Triples to being able to ring Surprise Major, and has recently scored his first quarter of Surprise Minor. His most recent achievement at Sherborne has been to turn in the tenor to Plain Bob Major, with a view to ringing a quarter on it later this year.
Tim is a Deputy Headmaster at Sherborne School; his joint enthusiasms for teaching and ringing merged some two and half years ago when he recruited eight first-year sixth form pupils and helped to train them for the King’s Coronation, among other things. On a few occasions, all eight of the Abbey bells have been rung by Sherborne School pupils, including two young women. Some of them appeared on TV in the Channel 5 show Dorset; Country and Coast, when the Coronation Ringing was featured. That group of sixth formers have now moved on, but Tim has recruited a further eight thirteen-year-olds who are now being taught, with one or two showing particular promise, even as far round as the fifth bell.
Tim’s calm, considered, ART-trained approach is certainly reaping dividends. There are plans to encourage some from the Girls School to join and certainly to encourage the next batch of thirteen-year-olds in September. His enthusiasm and gently persuasive, good-humoured manner form the foundation of the success we are seeing.
His confidence has increased in direct proportion to his method ringing abilities, and in September last year, Tim joined a West Dorset band at the Guild Striking Competition at Bishops Cannings and helped the band to win the 8 Bell Trophy.
Tim Phillips
Sherborne Abbey TC
West Dorset Deputy Ringing Master
