4 of the Alderney band are spending a week in February in Tulloch pursuing Level 5 ART Minor Stepping Stones programme. We didn’t feel quite ready for the challenge so invited 5 friends to join us in Alderney for a pre-course week. Starting on Friday Jan 2nd with Cambridge minor (one lead at a time to knock the rust off), we concentrated on lead end and half lead dodges and rang some touches. This was then followed by Ipswich on Saturday, Bourne & Hull on Sunday, Beverley and Berwick later in the week and also a session on London. It was certainly the case that the more surprise minor we rang the easier to learn/understand/see the lines it became:-) We scored qtr peals in Cambridge, Ipswich, Primrose, Primrose & Norwich, and finally one of Bourne.

We even managed a plain course of Double Norwich Ct Bob Major when Storm Goretti delayed departure so we could squeeze in a bonus session on 8. Everyone agreed it had been educational and fun and that we were now ready to throw ourselves into Level 5 next month:-)

HMMcG

The Alderney band are delighted to announce the safe arrival on-island of the flat 6th. At 3-3-23 in E. This bell will give us a true front 8 (bells 2 – 9 with flat 6, tenor weight 6cwt). Co-incidentally it will therefore also give us a third true 6 (bells 4-9 with flat 6 ). We’ll be spoilt for choice 🙂

Photo attached shows HRH Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh GCVO in the centre with left Mr William Tate, the President of Alderney & right Lieutenant General Sir Richard John Cripwell, KBE, CB, CStJ

Photo taken at The Homecoming Service on 15th Dec:

https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1914301

this was the 80th anniversary of The Homecoming, 5yrs after the entire Island population was evacuated during WWII

Matthew Higby will come to install in the middle of January

Peter and I set out to ring a couple of courses of Belfast Minimus –
which can be achieved with the treble taking the lines for 5, 6, 7 & 8 just like Bristol Minimus – but we couldn’t do it:-( we needed to be wrong hunting and our pesky bells/brains just wouldn’t oblige. Here we are instead with a quick qtr of bob minimus 🙂

https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1904903

9 ringers from Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey took part in the annual ‘Reading & CI fortnight’ @ Tulloch in October 2025

With ringing ranging from bob doubles to Zanussi S Maximus there really was ‘something for everyone’:

https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/event.php?id=21983

We also had dog walks, jigsaws, poker and board games, superb catering & loads of fun

Matthew Higby of:

https://www.bellhangers.com/

the man responsible for installing Tulloch Bells, Wells Bells and the augmentation of St Anne’s had offered to arrange our annual outing.

We arrived in the area on Thursday lunchtime (Sept 25th) and then visited 2 towers ( a 19cwt 12 and a 4cwt 6) before heading to Matthew’s works. There we were given tea & biscuits 🙂 and a very interesting tour which included seeing how bellropes were made, how bells were tuned, different clapper designs etc and a chance to ring on their very musical peal of 12 where the tenor weighed just 1 3/4 cwt. in addition we were delighted to sample Matthew Higby’s ‘Peals on Wheels’ – what a triumph:-) The future of mobile belfries?

Matthew recommended we ate supper in a local Italian restaurant -it was delicious. See photo clockwise from bottom left – Peter, Alexis, John, June W., Jenny, Nick, Heather, June B., Donald & Helen

On Friday we rang at Kilmersden (where Jack & Jill went up the hill…)

https://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/magazines/somerset/25100767.jack-jill-nursery-rhyme-originate/) and Mells – our heaviest bells 26cwt 8 & where little Jack Horner sat in a corner….

http://www.house-historian.co.uk/tag/little-jack-horner/

Lunch in a most beautiful walled garden was followed by Nunney, Marston Bigot and Buckland Dinham. We then returned to Matthew’s works for what for some was the highlight of the trip – watching a sally being incorporated into a bell rope – fascinating

Mathew had invited us back to his house for a delicious meal and an opportunity to ring the Pig Sty mini-ring (43lb 8)

Such variety – towers with 6, 8 & 12 bells, varying ceiling heights and very different weights – ranging from less than 1/2 a cwt to 26cwt –
gave everyone an education (or at least a reminder) of the importance of the backstroke ‘flick’ and the need for a long pull not a strong pull.

Missing from photo = Gail. Intending to accompany us but thwarted by Alderney Ferry = Aileen

We had 7 teams compete for the 6 bell trophy on Sat 6^th Sept 2025 TC(a), TC(b), EC(a), EC(b), Ay Puffins,  Ay Ringed Plovers & Scratch (3 from Jsy, Tim from the Guild , plus 2 x TC). The judges were Estella Haynes and Alex Riley

Puffins rang first, Cambridge minor – scored 79%, placed 3rd. A measured and controlled pace. Striking good when adjacent bells were together less so when not. Consistent leading would have helped

EC(b) rang call changes, strong tenor , very clear calls. 6th place with 60%

Ringed Plovers rang plain hunt on 5, very disciplined leading, a few hesitations but rounds and back rounds were very good. The slowest piece of ringing. 5^th place 69%

Scratch team rang spliced – very good piece of ringing. The fastest. Unplaced as scratch

TC(a) rang bob doubles. A few minor inconsistencies but no major faults – 1^st place with 85%

TC(b) rang grandsire doubles, disagreed on the speed and better leading would have helped 70% in 4^th place

EC(a) Plain bob doubles, excellent piece of ringing but making 2nds was weak. Placed 2^nd with 82%

General ringing @ St Annes included Stedman triples, caters & cinques. 8 spliced, DNCBM, Single Oxford bob triples, Kent major, rounds on 12

General ringing at Wells, focused on rounds and plain hunt, also grandsire doubles & cloisters doubles

15 Guernsey ringers took part in the event, 3 from Jersey, Tim Philips represented the Guild, 10 Alderney ringers turned out & together with 2 judges we scored a number of excellent qtr peals over the weekend:

https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/event.php?id=21674

No Service, no meeting just 100% ringing (& cake). The date for the zoom AGM has been set as Saturday Sept 20^th @ 4pm. A link will be circulated to all towers beforehand

HMMcG

The Alderney Band have just hosted 40 ringers here from UK to help celebrate Helen & Peter’s 45^th wedding anniversary (Sapphire) & 70^th birthdays (Platinum)

https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/event.php?id=21423

Notable events by local band = peal of Belfast S Major for Helen & Peter, peal of Cambridge S Major for June (first peal of surprise & not going to be her last!), Ines first peal on 12 (Stedman Cinques), Alexis rang not 1 but 2 qtrs of Kent TB Major, & Aileen rang a very confident qtr of mixed Ipswich & Norwich after losing a peal when she had already rung beautifully 720 changes each of Bourne, Hull & Norfolk, Arthur’s qtr peal of treble to bob triples was his first on 8. Some great local practices where we were supported by very friendly visitors.

Photo is of birthday BBQ

Now looking fwd to July 2026 for ‘same again’

Chris & Judith Frye left Alderney on the morning of July 8th after a fortnight of tremendous help & support. They worked hard advancing our repertoire, our styles, our understanding & in addition we had a lot of fun 🙂

https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/search.php?from=24%2F06%2F2025&to=08%2F07%2F2025&place=Alderney & we had LOADS of extra practices – local band qtr Kent major is within our grasp:-)

Looking forward to the Anniversary Week