Ringing Outing and Sunday Walk

Yesterday, we went on a ringing outing with some ringing friends. We went to three churches between Woolpit and Bury St Edmunds. This is about an hours drive down the A14 from Woodbridge, so we had to make an early start!

The first port of call was Bardwell, a newly restored ring of six bells now augmented to eight bells. We had a practice session with some of their new learners here, before going on to the next tower...

Ixworth, also with eight bells.We rang a quarter of Cambridge Surprise Major here....then went on to:

Hopton, another ring of eight bells recently restored. A quarter peal of Yorkshire Surprise Major was rung here. We had lunch at the Mill Inn, Hopton (very large portions!) before returning to Bardwell to ring a quarter peal of Superlative Surprise Major.

Just to show you what actually makes the noise...here are the mediaeval clappers from Bardwell bells. Usually when bells are restored, there is a lot of fund raising to do. Bellframes, headstocks, wheels and other fittings, new clappers and work to the tower structure all has to be carried out as well as paying for any new bells needed. But once installed, the bells should be an asset for many years to come. Thanks to Mike and Ruth for organising this day.

Today we went on our usual Sunday walk - we started at Parham airfield and walked to Great Glemham church and then walked back to the airfield. The airfield is a relic of WW2 when East Anglia had many such airfields. Parham has a small museum in its control tower. The rest of the airfield is now turned over to small businesses and agriculture, but unusually, the runway has not been dug up but remains in situ. The runway is locally popular as a place to introduce teenagers to driving - we had three or four parent/child pairs driving slowly up and down, stalling, bunny hopping, revving the engine and generally mistreating the clutch...brought back memories...

As the walk had not taken very long we went on to Aldeburgh, a local seaside town - all the traffic was heading out of town, weekenders going back to London? Here is the view from the top of Town Steps towards the sea...
And a view along the seafront. The weather here has been once again exceptionally mild after our cold snap - and very dry - the authorities are predicting a water shortage next summer. East Anglia is traditionally a dry area, but we rely on the winter rains to replenish reservoirs and aquifers.

Ringing Weekend to Staffordshire

Mike and I went on a ringing weekend to Staffordshire - an outing arranged by our friend Paul Norris of Norfolk. A variety of ringers from Suffolk and Norfolk came, together with a friend local to the area, Mitch. Paul had arranged a number of quarter peals for the more experienced ringers, while the learners had lots of practice under supervision. I rang in twelve attempts, ten of which were successful, and "grabbed " seventeen new towers. We stayed at The Piano Barn in Newborough - the same place we stayed when we had a similar outing eighteen months ago. But this time Paul hired the adjoining property as well, Poplar Farm. Each sleeps 8 or 9, so are very popular for family reunions, hen parties, and school reunions etc. We were allowed to carry the large kitchen table from one house to the other so that we could all have evening meals together - very pleasant.

We rang Cambridge Major at this tower, Mavesyn Ridware, eight bells 8cwt. This is an estate church and has some fantastic mediaeval tombs inside.

Another church that we rung at - Hoar Cross. This has a lovely heavy ring of six -heavy at 28 cwt but they go very well. This church was built by a wealthy widow in the 1860's and is a perfect example of a Victorian church built in an idealised Mediaeval decorated style. The church interior is stunning as the fittings are very sumptuous in the Anglo-Catholic style.

Having rung a quarter of Plain Bob Minor on the bells last time, this time the ringers went for Cambridge Minor ( more difficult as the bells have to dodge about more - not easy with such heavy bells). It sounded lovely and all were very pleased at the quarter. Here is Mike Clements ringing the backstroke on the tenor bell (the heaviest bell) while Mike is just about to catch the sally for handstroke. You can see the concentration!

We also rang at Abbotts Bromley, another nice eight. This church is famous as the resting place for a set of prehistoric horns, used in the famous annual Abbotts Bromley Horn Dance. I would like to see this - perhaps I'll have to go onto Utube and have a look. Last time we were a day too early. It seems that the dancers wear the heavy headpieces and dance about the village - stopping at each pub in turn and getting mightily drunk in the process. The dance takes an entire day and attracts massive crowds. Scientific research has shown that these horns are indeed authentic survivors of great antiquity, not a later invention. Of course the horns are reindeer horns which are not native to Britain. The horns rest in the church and are not allowed to leave - there is another set of replicas which can be taken to different festivals, though. The dancers positions are hereditary I think. A good example of the church taking over pre-existing pagan customs.

Hanbury, where we rang a quarter of Grandsire Triples. The weather was glorious and you can see that the daffodils were out in force.

Many thanks to Paul for arranging this, I only regret that we lost the Grandsire Caters at Loughborough Parish Church - it seemed to be going so well before it went all very wrong!!

Pettistree Ringing Outing to NE Suffolk

Mike and I had been planning this outing for quite some time, so it was great that the weather cooperated - it was a beautiful sunny, warm day - if only it could stay like this all year! And no airplane noise or con trails - due to volcanic ash, nothing but light aircraft around (we are under the Stanstead flight path here in Suffolk). Our outing was to three churches in northeast Suffolk.

We arrived in Stradbroke a few minutes early, but others had arrived in their shared cars before us - we numbered over twenty. Stradbroke is a large church and has a ring of ten bells. Trevor Bailey and his wife Julie let us in and also had a ring with us . Lots of rounds and call changes as we are a six bell tower - but we did ring two lots of Grandsire Caters. Bell here very old fashioned and the ringing chamber a time capsule. The war memorial outside the church heaped with flowers - a full military funeral held in the village on Thursday for a local boy killed in Afghanistan - so sad.

On to Fressingfield with eight bells- we attempted Fressingfield Surprise Major but not very well. More ringing to suit all, especially our learner from Ipswich and New York State, Shaun, on his first ringing outing. It was a short walk from the church to the Fressingfield Swan where we had our lunch. It is a feature in England that most churches have a pub next to the church.

After lunch, most left their cars behind and walked the short two miles to the next church, Wingfield (six bells). A pleasant walk along country roads and then alongside a stream. Wingfield is a rather grand little church as it is linked to the de la Pole family, later the Dukes of Suffolk; some rather impressive stone monuments here. Two year old Mason enjoyed the model of the local castle in the play corner. After the ringing, some discovered the tea shop and art gallery at Wingfield College (rather a surprise in the middle of nowhere) while others enjoyed another beer on the terrace of the De la Pole Arms. Everyone seemed to enjoy the combination of walking and ringing, so we will have to put on our thinking caps about another outing.

I am including photos of wingfield church and also one of the ringing chamber at Wingfield.