The Guild Master - Rachael Barber, supported by Vice-Master - Peter Niblett, Hon. Gen. Treasurer - Robin Milford and Minute Secretary - Tony Smith, opened the meeting at 5.03 p.m. and Barry Fry said a prayer. The Master welcomed those present and thanked the Portsmouth District for making the arrangements, the Striking Competition committee for organising the competition that morning, the judges, the Rev’d Liz Quinn for taking the service, Jeremy Pratt for playing the organ, and the Swanmore band for the refreshments (applause).
Paul and Kate Flavell from Kingston upon Thames had judged the Inter-District 8-bell Striking Competition at Curdridge that morning. The following results had been announced and certificates presented to the team captains.
| Position | District | Method | Peal speed | Score | Drawn | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Portsmouth | Grandsire Triples | 3h15 | 85% | 3rd | |||||
| 2nd | Winchester | Grandsire Triples | 3h18 | 83% | 2nd | |||||
| 3rd | Christchurch & Southampton | Grandsire Triples | 3h27 | 76% | 6th | |||||
| 4th= | Alton & Petersfield 1 | Grandsire Triples | 3h16 | 75% | 4th | |||||
| 4th= | Alton & Petersfield 2 | Call changes | 3h | 75% | 8th | |||||
| 6th | Isle of Wight 1 | Grandsire Triples | 3h23 | 73% | 5th | |||||
| 7th | Isle of Wight 2 | Call changes | 3h15 | 67% | 7th | |||||
| W&P Youths | Plain hunt | 3h16 | 67% | 1st |
The Master presented the trophy to Mark Esbester representing the winning team (applause).
The following 61 members attended: Graham Brown, Lizzie Colliss and Carole Pym (Alverstoke), Richard Paxford (Andover), Margaret Smith (All Saints, Basingstoke), Lynne & Pete Jordan, and Steve Lutener (St. Michael, Basingstoke), Harry & Simon Poyser (Bentley), Clare Carpenter, Richard Manby, and Anne & Jeremy Pratt (Bishop's Waltham), Ann & Roy LeMarechal (Bishopstoke), Wendy Smart (Botley), Julia Brunt (Bramshott), Marie Boniface, Mark Esbester, Bill Harris and Andrew Ramsay (Catherington), Terry Freemantle and Robin Milford (Curdridge), Sally Sturt (Droxford), Steve Hough (Eling), Roger Smith (Fawley), Kev Lee (Hambledon), Ellen & Roger Barber, and Francesco Greenslade (Hawkley), Tessa & Tony Smith (Hursley), John Palk (Lockerley), Elizabeth Johnson (New Alresford), Phil Watts (North Stoneham), Robert Hatch (Old Alresford), Jackie & John Downham, Rebecca Restall and Caroline Welsh (Petersfield), Ian Carey (Portsmouth Cathedral), John Davey (Ringwood), Rachael Barber (Selborne), Barry Fry and Daniel Graham (Southampton), Mo & Hugh Routh (Steep), Charlotte & Edd Colliss, and Andrew Wilkinson (Swanmore), Edwina Carpenter (Upham), Lucy & Michael Church (Upton Grey), Peter Niblett (Whitchurch), John Colliss (Winchester Cathedral), Christine Knights-Whittome (Wonston), John Croft and Sallie, Erin & Andy Ingram (Unattached).
Apologies for absence had been received from Heather Frazer and Peter Rowe (St. Michael, Basingstoke), Lucy & Mike Hopkins Till (Highclere), Jen Churchill and Brenda Palk (Lockerley), David Mattingley (Portsmouth Cathedral), Kathy & Alan Bentley (Ringwood), Andrew Glover (Romsey), Viv & Graham Nobbs (Ryde), Nicholas James (Selborne), Virginia & Martin Budd, and Madge Platt (Silchester), Steve Castle (Southampton), Micki Nadal (Stockbridge), Caroline Fairley and Bruce Purvis (Winchester Cathedral). Further apologies were received from Rodolph De Salis (Highclere).
The meeting remembered members: Theo Getty (LM) (Alverstoke), John Hallett (Bishopstoke), Paul Holmes (LM) (Overton), Richard Hunt (Ryde), Andrew Johnson (New Alresford), Anne Longman (Eling), June Mitchell (Brading), Rona Mitchell (Liss), Joy Scanlan (Romsey), Jane Tarrant (LM) (Andover), Anne Tautz (Havant), Mavis Whitehead (LM) (Portsmouth Cathedral) and Carla Woolnough (Deane); and former members: Andrew Asher (Shanklin and Newchurch), Rosemary Asher (Shanklin), Kath Baldwin (Portsmouth Cathedral), Philip Carter (Winchester Cathedral), John Chamberlain (Fawley), Robert Duffy (Petersfield), Catherine Griffiths (New Alresford), Peter Hadaway (Fawley), Eric Headleand (Bramshott), Brenda Hough (Alverstoke), Peter Jenkins (Broughton & Houghton), Brian Kempton (Buriton), Thelma Mills (Tangley), Graham S Osborne (All Saints, Basingstoke), Sheila Padley (Bentworth), Canon George Rayner (Shanklin), Deirdre N Robbins (Shedfield), Nigel Tebbitt (Ryde), June Wilkes (Titchfield), Dawn Williams (Broughton & Houghton), Lesley Wilson (St. Lawrence, Alton). Barry Fry said a prayer.
There were no candidates.
There were no candidates.
Margaret Smith proposed by the Master, seconded by Pete Jordan.
Tony Smith said the vacancy was caused by Allan Yalden standing down due to ill health and thanked him for his past service.
Matt Donnelly proposed by Simon Poyser, seconded by the Master.
The minutes of the 2023 AGM at Whitchurch were adopted on the proposition of Clare Carpenter, seconded by Michael Church, and signed by the Master as a true record.
There were no matters arising.
Graham Brown (Alverstoke), Bill Harris (Catherington), Steve Hough (Eling), Ann LeMarechal (Bishopstoke), Ian McCallion (Hursley) and Steve Noyes (Brighstone) had completed fifty years’ ringing membership of the Guild. The Master presented Graham, Bill, Steve Hough and Ann with their Life Membership certificates (applause).
Tony Smith said that last September Christine and Peter Hill moved to Somerset after 40 years living and ringing in the Guild area. During that time they have successively been members of towers in three different Districts: Hambledon in the Portsmouth District, Southampton City Centre in the Christchurch & Southampton District and Hursley in the Winchester District.
They both held office in all three Districts: Christine as Portsmouth District Deputy Ringing Master, Christchurch & Southampton District Ringing Master and Winchester District Secretary and Ringing Master; and Peter as Portsmouth District Executive Committee Representative, Christchurch & Southampton District Vice-Chairman and Executive Committee Representative, and Winchester District Chairman.
They have also both held office at Guild level: both serving on the Striking Competition Committee, then Peter as Convenor of the Education Committee; and Christine as Vice-Master when Viv Nobbs was Master, during which term she led the team who organised the very successful Central Council visit in 2016.
They have done much to develop ringing in the Guild on all numbers of bells. Peter has rung 389 peals on tower and handbells for the Guild and Christine has rung 325 peals on tower and handbells for the Guild, conducting 153 of them, making her the leading lady conductor for the Guild and including the first twelve-bell peal rung by a ladies band for the Guild.
Tony recommended on behalf of the Executive Committee that, in recognition of their many services to the Guild over 40 years and in accordance with rule 6.b, Christine and Peter should be elected to Life membership. This was agreed nem. con. (applause)
There were no comments on the reports printed in the Annual Report for 2023 and Handbook for 2024 and distributed with the Agenda, and they were adopted en bloc on the proposition of John Davey, seconded by Christine Knights-Whittome.
The report and accounts had been independently examined and agreed by the Trustees. The following balances were held: TSB current account £6,020.24, TSB deposit account £3,676.18, CCLA deposit fund £52,177.91, TOTAL cash and investments £61,874.33 of which £22,674.33 unallocated.
Barry Fry said the Trustees met earlier that day and five new grant applications had been received:
Blessed Mary, Upham. Rebush and refurbish clappers, replace stays and runner boards; painting by ringers; cost £8,850 inc VAT. The Trustees recommended a grant of £1,000.
St. Mary, Southampton. Fit clapper adjusting screws; cost £2,354 excl VAT. The Trustees recommended a grant of £300.
Holy Cross, Binsted. New ground pulleys, re-bush, forge twist and anneal clappers; cost £3,031.20, £2,241.60 already raised including whole £1,500 of ringers funds; possible later augmentation to eight. The Trustees recommended a grant of £350.
St. James, Bramley. New fittings, rope guides, tuning, cost £43,436 exc trapdoor and frame painting. The Trustees recommended a grant of £5,750.
All Saints, Basingstoke. Repairs to gudgeon on 5th; cost £3,740; £3,240 already raised by 3 April 2024. The Trustees recommended a grant of £500.
The grants were seconded by Edwina Carpenter and agreed. Barry said that since its inception the BRF had helped over 100 towers with grants of £300,000.
There were no comments on Mike Hopkins Till’s comprehensive report which appeared in the Winter 2023 edition of the Guild Newsletter. [The minutes are available on the CC website.]
The following were appointed on the proposition of the Master.
Martin Barnes, Paul Bailey, John Pereira and Mark Warner.
Rachael Barber.
Andy Ingram, Rachael Barber, Anne Pratt, Rebecca Restall, Fiona Sayers, Judy Sparling, Andy Sparling and Edmund Wratten.
Pete Jordan and Peter Niblett.
| 6th July 2024 | RWNYC - London | |
| 14th September 2024 | Essex Trophy - Epsom | |
| 21st September 2024 | Novices’ striking competition | |
| 12th October 2024 | Education course - Listening skills, Lockerley | |
| 9th November 2024 | Education course - Calling & conducting, St. Mary Bourne | |
| 16th November 2024 | Executive Committee Meeting |
Saturday 14th June 2025 in the Winchester District.
Andy Ingram said the W&P Youths won the Whitechapel Trophy for Method Ringing (displayed on the top table) at last year’s RWNYC in York and the call change team was placed 12th= out of 17. The W&P Youths also won this year’s SEECON Youth Striking Competition in Hertfordshire and teams will be entering both competitions at this year’s RWNYC in London (applause).
Peter Niblett said the Novices’ striking competition would be a training event, arranged jointly with the Education Committee, aimed at individual ringers who had been ringing for fewer than three years. They would be assigned to towers with a mentor and after practice sessions would take part in a call change competition.
Christine Knights-Whittome had two large polo shirts, left over from the last W&P garments order, for sale at £10 each. The Master proposed and Jeremy Pratt seconded that the profit be given to the BRF and this was agreed nem. con.
Lizzie Colliss said Portsmouth Cathedral were competing in the National 12-bell Striking Contest final at Chilcompton the following Saturday and would welcome supporters.
There being no further business, the Master closed the meeting at 5.45 p.m.