Author Archives: duncanloweth

Ringing master report 2020

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Ringing master report 2020

It was nice to hear how bands were practicing St Simon’s on various numbers of bells in preparation for the April District Meeting and Striking Competition. Unfortunately this year has been extraordinary and not in a good way. Guernsey and Alderney are very fortunate to have been able to return to ringing as normal for a long time now whilst our friends in Jersey and the UK face tight restrictions on how long and how often they can ring.
Our focus has to be first and foremost on keeping our bands together. Whilst we come together to ring we also come together as a community that has to look out for each other.
Moving forwards we are preparing to join the Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers and whilst we can’t get stuck in with them socially and in the tower straight away I hope we can make a conserved effort as a branch (as we will soon be re-titled) to attend Guild events and forge new bonds of friendship. Saying that, we leave the W&P on good terms and whilst we are moving to Salisbury we need not say goodbye to the W&P nor the long standing friendships and connections we have made over the past 35ish years.
Despite the disruption of lockdown we have had a productive year with over 100 quarter peals rung in the district and over 50 containing some sort of first including first quarter and first as conductor as well as many many first in method / variations. Sunday service ringing continues at all towers as well as extra service ringing and other events on top of weddings and funerals. All this shows we are an active, dynamic, learning and progress focused district and it is a credit to all of us, those who are learning, those who are supporting, those who are organising and those who are turning out week by week to ring for all these various reasons. All I ask is please don’t stop, keep pushing yourselves, keep supporting each other and above all keep enjoying your ringing.

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Ringing Master’s Report 2020

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Ringing master report 2020

It was nice to hear how bands were practicing St Simon’s on various numbers of bells in preparation for the April District Meeting and Striking Competition. Unfortunately this year has been extraordinary and not in a good way.  Guernsey and Alderney are very fortunate to have been able to return to ringing as normal for a long time now whilst our friends in Jersey and the UK face tight restrictions on how long and how often they can ring. 

Our focus has to be first and foremost on keeping our bands together. Whilst we come together to ring we also come together as a community that has to look out for each other. 

Moving forwards we are preparing to join the Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers and whilst we can’t get stuck in with them socially and in the tower straight away I hope we can make a conserved effort as a branch (as we will soon be re-titled) to attend Guild events and forge new bonds of friendship.  Saying that, we leave the W&P on good terms and whilst we are moving to Salisbury we need not say goodbye to the W&P nor the long standing friendships and connections we have made over the past 35ish years. 

Despite the disruption of lockdown we have had a productive year with over 100 quarter peals rung in the district and over 50 containing some sort of first including first quarter and first as conductor as well as many many first in method / variations. Sunday service ringing continues at all towers as well as extra service ringing and other events on top of weddings and funerals. All this shows we are an active, dynamic, learning and progress focused district and it is a credit to all of us, those who are learning, those who are supporting, those who are organising and those who are turning out week by week to ring for all these various reasons. All I ask is please don’t stop, keep pushing yourselves, keep supporting each other and above all keep enjoying your ringing. 

Retraction

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In the process of discussing the proposals for change to the 8 bell competition I took some comments to heart and in that frustration and sadness made unfair inferences and accusations toward Richard Hérrissier. In particular I commented on his stepping in at the Town Church Striking Competition to take over as umpire for the competition; I made an unpleasant remark about how he had umpired the competition suggesting that he had purposefully chosen to apply his own rules, disregarding the intended rules, thinking that his interpretation had better outcomes for those involved. Whilst I had no major issue with this at the time, knowing that he had given up his day to run the competition and did so in the best way he could, I drew a parallel with his critique of my proposal to amend the 8 bell competition and alleged that he was only interested in discussing changes that he didn’t agree. On a public platform I described his character in a poor state and made inferences which were not fair. If anyone read my comments before they were removed I would like to publicly retract them. I commented at the Town Church how grateful I was to Richard for his help on the day and I was and still am. I hold Richard in high regard and I appreciate that he takes the running of the district seriously and challenges things he does not agree with.
Richard, I am sorry for what I wrote. I took some comments that were made personally, whether they were intended as such or not, and in frustration I did not consider the implications of my reply. I am sad that I have upset you and I hope that in time we can interact in a friendly manner again.

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