PORTSMOUTH DIOCESE.

BISHOP FAVOURS SEPARATE GUILD.

The tower of the Parish Church at Alton has, unfortunately, been declared unsafe for ringing, and so it was thought inadvisable to hold the annual meeting of the Alton District of the Winchester and Portsmouth Guild there, and arrangements were accordingly made to hold it at Liss. The attendance was not very large, partly on account of the prevalence of influenza. To the great regret of all, the Rector of Liss (the Rev. S. N. Sedgwick) was laid up with this complaint and unable to be present and give the address as he had promised. For this reason, and also through some delay being caused by the breaking of a slider, it was decided to cancel the service and continue ringing till tea time. Tea was served in the Spread Eagle and there were present the Rev. F. G. Eyres (chairman), Messrs. G. Williams (Guild Master), F. W. Rogers (Guild hon. secretary), W. Andrews, G. Pullinger, Hardiman, the Rev. B. C. Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. Read, and other ringers from Alton, Bishopstoke, Blackmoor, Liss, Steep and Portsmouth, 23 in all, and, in addition, two lady ringers from Alton arrived after tea.

At the meeting the hon. secretary's report for the year dealt with the revival of the Alton band and the disappointment at ringing being stopped there; the proposal for the transfer of certain towers to the district, and the meetings during the year. The membership now totals nine honorary, 32 ringing and one unattached.

Mr. F. W. Rogers read some correspondence between himself and the Bishop of Portsmouth on the transfer of these towers, and the Bishop seems rather against the proposal, as tending to destroy diocesan unity. He looks forward to a separate Guild for the Portsmouth Diocese.

After the balance sheet for the past year had been adopted, the officers were all re-elected, viz., the Rev. F. G. Eyres, chairman; the Rev. B. C. Taylor, hon. secretary; the Rev. T. N. R. Griffin, hon. auditor; and Mr. W. Read, representative on the Central Committee. Twelve new members were elected and the meeting closed with a hearty vote of thanks to the chairman.

The Ringing World No. 1144, February 24th, 1933, page 121