Ship of Fools: Bellringers shipmeet

Thread: Bellringers shipmeet - unrest for ken? Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Chamois (# 16204) on :

Ken's church, St John's Deptford, is an eight.

So first I thought, ringing for ken's funeral. But ken, like a lot of evangelicals, couldn't see the point of church bells. When I knew him IRL, way way back in our long-ago student days, we had some entertaining arguments about the ministry of ringing (don't get me started).

But I've been mulling it over and I'd like to ring for ken some time. So are there any other ringers on the Ship who'd like to meet up some time for a ring, in the sure and certain hope of triggering a classic, ken-style rant in the heavenly realms? Maybe a quarter, if we've got the right crew, or just some general ringing and of course the traditional pub visit afterwards?

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :

Celtic Knotweed and I are both ringers, though issues with my family mean we may not be able to commit to anything for a while, plus we are on holiday for the second half of June. Plus I haven't asked her and I don't think she'll have seen this yet. But I think it's a possibility.

We are both 6-bell ringers, though I could probably plonk behind a simple triples method with a bit of prompting.

We both drink real ale.

So let's see what can be done...

AG

Posted by Chamois (# 16204) on :

That's great! I'm sure we can sort out a mutually convenient time, if enough people are up for it.

Posted by Spike (# 36) on :

I don't ring much thee days but I'd be up for it

Posted by Celtic Knotweed (# 13008) on :

Just to confirm that I'm up for this. Mainly a doubles ringer, with a couple of quarters inside in Bob Minor. If we're ringing triples, the most I've done is treble for a touch before service whilst visiting one Sunday.

Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :

Count me in, as well.

Have PMd Sarum Sleuth too, although I'm not sure how close to London he is these days.

Posted by Spike (# 36) on :

SS is based in Derby these days and works most weekends

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :

Is anyone in touch with The Great Gumby?

AG

Posted by Deputy Verger (# 15876) on :

Definitely up for it. Is there any real reason why we can't actually ring for the funeral, or after it, to pass the time before the close friends and family get back from the burial? I'm also not much above doubles or a simple assignment (treble or tenor) on triples.

Posted by Deputy Verger (# 15876) on :

Spike said this:

quote:
I don't ring much these days but I'd be up for it

I am very keen on anything that gets him back on the end of a bell-rope! I'd love to ring for (?) Ken with Spike.

Posted by Carys (# 78) on :

In principle up for it, but not sure whether logistics will work (Verging in Bristol these days)

Carys

Posted by Chamois (# 16204) on :

Great! If I've counted correctly that makes 7 of us so far - provided we can agree on a date that suits everyone. I'll wait a bit longer and see if anyone else pops up. I was thinking maybe some time in early July, before school holidays start.

Deputy Verger, please go ahead and ring for the funeral if you can organise a band. Unfortunately I can't make it.

Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :

DV I'm expecting to be at the funeral. But maybe PH and the family wouldn't like bells if ken didn't? There's also the local band to bear in mind. Or maybe he might just be tolled in and out?

Q.

Posted by Sarum Sleuth (# 162) on :

Is the funeral to be at St John's Deptford? I am around for a few days this week, but am otherwise unavailable. Be warned, the bells are a pretty tough proposition: I rang a few peals there back in the 80s and they were difficult then. I don't think there is a band and I imagine they are even more neglected now.

SS

Posted by busyknitter (# 2501) on :

Yes, St. John's Deptford.

I'll try and find out about the condition of the bells, but it may take a few days.

Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :

Contact details here.

Posted by Persephone Hazard (# 4648) on :

You're very welcome to from our perspective. Dad didn't at all *dislike* them, and I rather like the idea! I'll see what I can find out.

Posted by Deputy Verger (# 15876) on :

Thanks for that. I'm pleased to know that the bells would be welcome.

How many would be available to ring either before or after the service? It's possible that one or two of the local ringers might also pitch in to make up six or eight. I'm hoping to speak to the tower captain this evening.

Otherwise, we need to think about a memorial quarter peal on a different date.

I understand that they are challenging to ring (plain bearings), but that's somehow not inappropriate, to my mind.

Posted by Deputy Verger (# 15876) on :

Good morning,

I've spoken to the tower captain and he will be there to open up and to ring with us. He reminded me that they are challenging bells, and rallied at least two of the local band to pitch in as well.

It would be helpful to have confirmation from any ringers who know they can come, so I can let him know how many more pairs of hands we need. At the moment, I can confirm myself and three of them.

Thanks.

Posted by Persephone Hazard (# 4648) on :

Just had a text from the curate asking my permission. Which I gave, incidentally ;-)

Posted by Chamois (# 16204) on :

Persephone, thank you.

Deputy Verger, I hope you manage to raise a full band and I'm sorry I can't join you.

Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :

I'll be there.

Posted by Deputy Verger (# 15876) on :

And the tower captain texted me to say that Heston the curate was "delighted" we would be ringing. He's obviously a consummate diplomat!

I've no doubt we will raise a band. I don't know what we'll ring, but the local tower captain will run it, I'm sure. I'll be there from 11:00am onwards to get the bells up and make a noise.

Sadly we cannot muffle them for logistical reasons.

Still waiting for a show of hands of Shipmates willing to grab a rope. Don't make me PM you!

DV

Posted by Deputy Verger (# 15876) on :

PS this is all about ringing on Friday 13th. It is separate and distinct from a memorial Quarter Peal one day, which someone else can organise!

Posted by Ecclesiastical Flip-flop (# 10745) on :

I am contemplating going along, but I haven't made up my mind. I have looked up the church on-line, and I found it is the church I know better as 'St. John's Deptford'.

I am a ringer and I rang at this tower on an outing some years ago. I must have coped with these bells, or I would remember if not.

IF I go along on Friday, I will aim to be there in time to ring. It remains to be seen how you are going to be for numbers of ringers; if in the end, you are over-subscribed, it won't matter to me if I don't ring. I am capable of ringing standard methods, but I decline to be included in any quarter-peal attempt, especially on bells I don't know.

Posted by Deputy Verger (# 15876) on :

That's great. Definitely not a quarter peal attempt on this occasion. We can discuss on the day if we want to try for one another time.

I'm thinking that there are probably at least four of us and hopefully four locals, so we should be able to bong all the bells in Ken's memory and honour. This pleases me.

Posted by busyknitter (# 2501) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Deputy Verger:
we should be able to bong all the bells in Ken's memory and honour. This pleases me.

Us too

Posted by Deputy Verger (# 15876) on :

<bump>
Spike?

Posted by Persephone Hazard (# 4648) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Deputy Verger:
And the tower captain texted me to say that Heston the curate was "delighted" we would be ringing. He's obviously a consummate diplomat!

He is delighted! But also a consummate diplomat, yes, and a very lovely person indeed. I hold him in extremely high regard. (You'll meet him on Friday; he's leading the service.)

I really am very pleased this is happening. It will be lovely.

Posted by Deputy Verger (# 15876) on :

I think we could be four: Qoheleth and I are definite, Ecclesiastical Flip flop and Sarum Sleuth are tentative, from how I read the messages. May I please encourage you to come? It would mean so much to the family to know there are shippies up there with the locals, and it would improve our chances of covering all the bells.

A couple of people have expressed reluctance due to the reputation of the bells themselves, but I can assure you that the locals like them. They have moved their regular weekly practice to St John's next week due to a conflict in their regular tower.

See you all tomorrow I hope!

[ 12. June 2014, 16:39: Message edited by: Deputy Verger ]

Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :

And ring we did, with a blended band of locals and shipmates. Call changes on eight and plain courses of Plain Bob Doubles. Other Shipmates told us that they could hear the bells as they came up from the station. Ken was then 'tolled' on his way with 57 strokes of the tenor [deepest bell] at the end of the service.

I found the bells less challenging than feared. They are seldom rung these days and just about held together for ken, until the seven's rope broke as we were ringing down [putting the bells to bed] at the end. As a connoisseur of the curious, he would probably have appreciated that. A glorious Victorian ringing room, too. Geeky bit.

Posted by Diomedes (# 13482) on :

I'm so pleased it went well. If it hadn't been over 40 years since my bell-ringing days ......

Posted by Deputy Verger (# 15876) on :

Thanks to Q and EFF for coming along. I was also pleasantly surprised after hearing lamentations about the bells. They were not that hard. Well, one or two were, and a rope broke at the end, but really, they sounded lovely and were fun to ring.

I hope someone else will organise a quarter for us one day, which we can ring elsewhere and still footnote in Ken's memory.

And by the way, I have known two chaps come back recently after decades away. It's one of those skills, like riding a bicycle...

Posted by Ecclesiastical Flip-flop (# 10745) on :

I am glad I went along and able to take part in the ringing of the bells and staying for the service followed by the meet at The Rising Sun. It was an enjoyable if emotive occasion.

We could have had one more bellringer. The previous evening, I was at a ringing practice elsewhere. A certain ringer was there who to my utter amazement, showed up at the funeral without ringing and I could have briefed him had I known. "What in the what name are you doing here!!? You are the last person in the world I expected to see here!!" Jeff was a contemporary of Ken at Durham University, and that is how he came to be there. It's a small world!

Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :

Small world indeed. I was at the Highgate Fair on Saturday and ended up buying some marmalade from ?North London & Middlesex? Bell Ringers group stall. Somehow got chatting to chap behind the stall about the ringing for the funeral and turns out Deputy Verger had been in touch with him about maybe coming to ring!

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