News

Chester Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers
East Cheshire Branch

Last Update: Sept 22nd, 2008
Please send any suggestions for improvements & articles / photos for inclusion on the website to the Webmaster

~ News ~

What's Happening Around the East Cheshire Branch?!

2008

How unlucky can you get?!
East Cheshire pipped into second place in the Guild 8 bell striking competition by 1 point.
Results: 
1st    Mid Cheshire     46 
2nd   East Cheshire   47 
3rd    Wirral                61 
4th    Chester             118

All who attended the Tower Maintenance Course pronounced
it a huge success. All credit to George Lee of Dunham Massey
who gets an overwhelming round of thanks from the Branch for all 
his hard work and skill.

Brillaint job! Cheadle win the Guild 6 bell for East Branch.
RESULTS  
Position  Rang    Tower         Faults  
1st             1       Cheadle        48  
2nd            5    Weaverham     67  
3rd             3    Port Sunlight    82  
4th             2     Handbridge    102  
5th            4        Nantwich      145

June - Results of Branch 6 Bell:
1 Cheadle - Grandsire Doubles - 10 faults
2 Macclesfield - Plain Bob Minor - 15 faults
3 Norbury - Plain Bob Minor - 16 faults
4 Dunham Massey - Call Changes - 26 faults
5 Mobberley - Plain Bob Doubles - 29 faults
5 Mottram - Plain Bob Doubles - 29 faults
Judged by Rob and Anne Pettifor.
So Cheadle win over all and Dunham win the call change competition!!

May - Congratulations to our secretary Rebecca Glen who with her colleagues from Peakdale  
Molecular who (with significant sponsorship from Branch members) raised £1300 
for a local hospice (Blythe House) by running as a team in the Great Manchester Run. 
Peakdale also came third in the Business Challenge in this event.

May - Fabulous Branch outing. Weather, ringing and beer couldn't be bettered. Thanks to Clive for
his organisation. Hope he "volunteers" to do it again next year!!

April - Great quarterly meeting. Lots of fun and many, many, many challenges at Gawsworth.

March - The very astute amongst you will have noticed that the Sunday ringing times for Poynton have 
changed. But changed in an interesting way (see practice nights or map). I asked Peter Dyson 
why the difference in ringing times depending on BST/GMT. His reply went:
I'm glad you asked that! We have two morning services at Poynton, since we had a new Vicar 
about 2 years ago. He had settled on services at 9:15 and 11:00 and we used to ring between 
the two at 10:30. Then the early service people complained that they wern't getting the bells to 
call them in. So this year when the Vicar moved the services to 9:30 and 11:15 (GMT) and 9:15
and 11:00 (BST) we took the opportunity to satisfy both congregations for half a year! 
(or disappoint them!!). I bet you're glad you asked?
I was actually. Are there any more such stories out there? (Webmaster)

March - Quarter peal festival huge success. 32 1st's!!! See below. How did you do? Let us know! Any 
problems/difficulties? Let us know! Then we can do even better next year.

March - HYDE RINGERS ON THE RADIO - Andrew Mays writes - On Monday March 24th during our 
practise night some of the ringers of St George Hyde were interviewed by our local commercial 
radio station TAMESIDE RADIO.
The bells were recorded both inside and outside the tower. The results can be heard on 
Sunday March 30th in "WEEKEND WIRELESS" which goes out between 5 & 7pm. ( if I get a closer
time I'll let people know)
I hope it proves to be OK, the interviewer & presenter of the programme, Gareth Cottrell, is a lapsed 
ringer. He is also a worshipper at St George's Hyde so hopefully he will produce something that 
shows "the exercise" in a good light. 
Tameside Radio is on 103.6 FM  or online at www.tamesideradio.com

March - Quarter peal festival in full swing. Already Cambridge max, 4 spliced surprise major, plain bob
royal scored. So many quarters from Dunham the branch secretary cannot cope.
AND
Still a whole weekend to go! What are you doing on Saturday!!!!?

Feb - Barn Dance and Hot Pot fabulous success. Thank you Rosemary.

Feb - From our roving crrespondant - Feb CDG Exec mtg, very exciting. 
Newly elected Bell Advisor threatens to resign.
Bunbury still in the Sth. Br. having wished to join Chester Br. after vote at above meeting.
It is rumoured that at least one other tower in the Sth. Branch has murmurings in its fold 
about defecting to the nearest Branch with a 10 and 12 bell tower.
 
Jan - St Michaels Macclesfield service ringing now 10.30 to 11.00..........
Peal of Max. was rung there on the 26/1, big improvement on the striking front, 
rollups now easier to produce (except for intermittent deafness) since twiddle pins fitted by 
Hayward Mills in November 07.
Kevin and Clive have done a great job in their further efforts to improve the acoustics of 
the little bells since the last 12 bell practice on 15th Nov.   
Amplifier no longer in use, George Lee (Dunham) 1st to make a claim on said piece of equipment!!

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2007
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~  AGM resounding success. 
    Clive Calton elected Vice-Chairman/Chairman elect
    Fabulous social programme for next year. Walks, dances, ringing (see draft programme)
    Guild master Pam Thomson visited us - 
         Impressed by excellent tea produced by Knutsford ringers
         Don't forget the Cheshire Show, Tabley 17th, 18th June.  Lichfield mobile 
            belfry will be there and needs to be manned.
         Presented Cheadle with their certificate for coming 3rd in the Guild 6 bell 
         striking competition. 
    Keep watching this space for more news of the Ringing Foundation
    We have 3 simulators in the Branch
           8 - Dunham;  6 - Poynton;   6 - Norbury
         Please use for training new ringers and bringing on those wanting to progress
    Please send pictures of your tower to Simeon (or webmaster if easier)
    Calender date - 5th and 6th September - Ringing Road show

~  Snippets heard after the 12 bell practice:
    Rumours of inter-branch movements abound. The latest speculation 
    is around Bunbury moving from South to Chester 
    and what is happening to Congleton? 
    Keep watching this space!
    Is it true that Kevin has made such a good job of the improving
    the audibility of the bells at St Michael's Macc, that he has been hired
    by the Dean and Chapter of Liverpool Cathedral?

~ Vice-Chair (Chair elect)  - Nominations to Simeon directly or via secretary or 
     Web master

~ Our chairman has just entered into training as a special policeman.
   Let that be a warning to all dissenting voices at the forthcoming AGM!
   (The AGM is on Saturday 24th Nov, - Knutsford, Rostherne, Mobberley)
 
~ We are trying to revive the "Soundbow" concept as a more informal online medium 
   for news, views, discussion. If you have any thoughts about this as a concept or 
   anything you would like to see posted please send them to the webmaster and 
   they will be passed on to Christine.

~ East Branch just pipped into second place in the 8 bell striking competition!

~ Monthly branch practices at Norbury - great success for ringers at all levels, 
   do come along to meet other ringers, and generally improve your ringing! ~

~ South Branch 10-Bell Practice. South are really keen to keep Crewe bells ringing. 
    Please give them as much support as necessary. First Wednesday of every month 
    this year. 7.30-9.00

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2006
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~ March - 13 Quarter peals were successful during the Branch Quarter peal festival. ~

~ May 6th - Branch 6 Bell Striking Contest held at Poynton ~
Results: 
1st Poynton (Cambridge Minor) - 9 faults
2nd Macclesfield (Plain Bob Minor) - 10 faults
3rd Norbury (Plain Bob Minor) - 10.5 faults
4th Sutton (Plain Bob Doubles) - 13 faults
5th Cheadle (Call Changes) - 22.5 faults
6th Mottram (Plain Bob Doubles) - 28.5 faults
7th Wilmslow (Call Changes) - 33 faults

Poynton will now represent East Branch at the Guild contest on July 8 in the South Branch

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2008 - Quarter peal festival report