Bellringing Weekend - July

Its that time of year that there is a lot of bellringing for weddings - yesterday we rang at Hollesley Church - one of my favourites as it is near the coast and has a rather windswept air about it, lovely on a summer's evening. We rang the bells before the wedding, then rang a quarter of Grandsire Triples after the wedding. Alan McBurnie was the conductor. The bells go even better than they did, as the tower has been strengthened and the bells all have new gudgeons. Some of the bells have new headstocks. An expensive business, maintaining bells.

The wedding had some good musicians - a string quartet, three professional singers...and the flowers were very beautiful. The bellringers usually get paid, in this case we each got the princely sum of £10 each.

Today, I spent the samesaid £10, as a donation at the annual fundraising BBQ held by Brian and Peta Whiting at their farmhouse in Moats Tye, hear Stowmarket (you know,..Delia Smith lives just around the corner...) All profits to the Guild bell restoration fund.




Here's a photo of Brian at his work, cooking the meat and veggie food.




And here's a photo of George Pipe, Maggie Ross and Philip Gorrod ringing handbells.

And here's a photo of the Guild mini ring - not much like actual church bells, but easy enough for the children to have a "go" and portable enough to take to fetes, fairs and other events as PR. Bellringing seems to be a dying art with fewer and fewer youngsters taking up the art.

Finally, here is a photo of my new business cards, complete with quilt photos on the reverse! I am rather pleased with them.....tomorrow - posting quilt to FOQ...