Welcome to the latest edition of the Winchester & Portsmouth Guild Annual Report! Reading through the District Secretary entries, it’s clear that ringing is alive and kicking in the W&P! There’s some brilliant work going on at every level … from money-saving belfry maintenance and restoration activities to the dedicated teaching of new ringers, from inspirational Education Courses to thriving social events. We have a super new website, a fantastic newsletter and an awesome Youth Ringing group that provides young ringers with the opportunity to meet and grow in experience together.
Huge amounts of work go in behind the scenes to make all these things possible, so I would like to thank each and every one of you who have contributed towards these things and made our Guild so successful. There’s always more to do, and work continues at both District and Guild levels to provide support and opportunities for Guild members. However, if you spot a gap or have a marvellous idea, then step forward! We’re always pleased to hear from people that would like to get involved, and many of the Committees would welcome new volunteers with different skills, perspectives and ideas.
Looking back, 2022 was a unique year in bellringing - the challenge of returning to ringing post-Covid was met with enthusiasm, with many Districts recruiting and increasing their membership significantly. With the novelty of Zoom wearing off, we were very pleased to meet together in person once again at the Guild AGM hosted by the A&P District. The joyful ringing to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth in June was in marked contrast to the sombre events in September when bells rang out fully-muffled for the first time in seventy years for the death of the reigning Monarch. Our Guild Youth Team entered both the Ringing World National and the South East England Youth Striking Contests, giving outstanding performances for their age and experience. Across the Guild, restoration projects were completed, and with these came the buzz of excitement of starting or re-establishing a band of ringers. Bell restoration is one of the most effective PR opportunities, with local communities getting behind projects to restore the bells in their own town/village. 2022 also saw the final step of the process for the transfer of the Channel Island Towers to the Salisbury Guild. The Channel Island Towers were affiliated to the Winchester & Portsmouth Guild for around 50 years, becoming an official District in 1981. The CI District was never a “sleeping partner” despite the obvious challenges of distance, not only from the mainland, but also from each other and over the years Channel Island ringers filled key posts in the Guild including Master and Treasurer, served on the Belfry Stewardship and Education Committees, and were notable contributors to the Guild’s World War One Centenary Commemoration project. I know I speak on behalf of the entire Guild, when I say that we will sadly miss every aspect of our association and friendship, but wish both the Channel Island ringers and the Salisbury Diocesan Guild every success in their new relationship.
There’s much to look forward to as we continue through this year, with District calendars packed full of events. As I write this, we look forward to the new Novices Striking Competition in May, with an emphasis on good striking within a fun and friendly atmosphere. The Coronation of HM King Charles III has provided a perfect excuse for some active recruitment, and many Districts have been very successful in attracting lots of new people. It’s been inspiring to see how everyone has stepped up to the challenge of teaching so many new ringers, often by collaborating with neighbouring Towers or throwing open training opportunities to all new recruits in an area to provide specialist bell handling practices. As you flick through this Report, I draw your attention to the Good Practice Checklist for Maintaining a Safe Environment in the Belfry - this is well worth a re-read if you’ve recruited new ringers in the past year. I encourage you all to be open minded when it comes to introducing new measures in your individual Tower routines. Many of these things are easy to implement, and could provide a nice opportunity to include a newer member of your band in contributing towards their home Tower’s ringing activities. Communication by email is increasingly important, as we aim to reduce the Guild’s reliance on paper, so please check out the “Communication in the Guild” section and help us reach you by signing up to the various email communication groups.
And what will you do with your ringing this year, have you set yourself a goal? Maybe it’s to ring for your first Sunday Service or for a Wedding, or maybe it’s to attempt your first Quarter Peal? Maybe you want to learn to teach someone else to ring, or maybe you want to call spliced Surprise Maximus?! Whatever it is, I wish you the very best as you move towards the next stage in your ringing journey … and if the Guild can help you along your path, then we’d be pleased to support in whatever way we can.
Happy ringing
Rachael Barber