When Duncan told us he had to be in Alderney for work at the beginning of February it gave us the perfect opportunity for (another) qtr peal of bob triples on our new middle 8.

https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1931309

Happily Duncan made all the right noises about the sound/weight/circle shape :-):-)

In addition to spending an hour focused on Norfolk S Minor and an hour focused on Cambridge S Minor we also rang a qtr peal of bob doubles @ Wells with one of our latest recruits

https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1932040

An evening of handbell ringing gave us an opportunity to practice St Clements Bob Major and Double Norwich Ct Bob major

Hurry back please Duncan:-)

Sunday morning Jan 25th saw the second qtr peal rung by the Alderney band with our new flat 6th

https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1928597

We weren’t entirely sure what to expect of our new bell but it is absolutely lovely:-)

To practice triples and major we had sometimes been (naughtily) ringing 1 – 8 so 2- 9 (with flat6) is not only musically far more pleasing obviously, but also just a tad heavier so has more ‘substance’ but the unexpected benefit is that the rope circle is tremendous:-):-) the 9 has always been a bit more forward/closer to the middle than the 8 & 0 so having it as the tenor of the middle 8 works VERY well indeed, and as flat 6th is also forward of the old 6 the circle is doubly improved. Our old middle 6, 3-8 has 3, 4, 5 & 6 in almost a straight line but 4-9 with flat 6th is VASTLY more circular.

Now we have 2 eights and 3 sixes – affording us a huge variety on a practice night.

Whole band very upbeat about it, watching the hoisting and cleaning the tower afterwards – we even had an Indian to celebrate – attached

The Alderney band is delighted to report that the new flat 6th has been installed. It handles beautifully and is pitched perfectly with its new companions. The rope circle of our new middle 8 is great – all in all a huge success

Tonight we had some general ringing and then our first qtr:

https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1928478

Tomorrow morning we are ringing a qtr of doubles on the back 6 of the middle 8, with 4 more of the local band who weren’t in tonights qtr – Helen & Peter will ring again

Helenx

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