Tower Captain, Margaret Lee
Hello. I have been ringing Tower Bells for almost thirty years with a couple of breaks. I came to bell ringing, like many people before me, from the Church choir and have been ringing here at St Mary’s for ten years, the last two as Tower Captain.

We are a team of eight enthusiast ringers from all walks of life who enjoy the art of change ringing.

We ring for Sunday morning service and practise every Monday evening, except for Bank Holidays. Other occasions have been: the New Year, the Millennium, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and The Battle of Trafalgar also more local events like Weddings, The Town Carol service and Light up a Life service, Somerfest, and Carnival Day

On the social side we have an annual ringing day out visiting up to five towers during the day and ending up in a pub for a meal or last year in Cheddar for a Cream Tea. Other activities such as going for cycle rides, visiting the theatre, gardens parties, taking part in quiz evenings and Christmas Meal

We open the tower twice a year, for Summerfest and on Carnival Day. Visitors and locals climb the stairs in the footsteps of the Duke of Monmouth to see the views of Sedgemoor, on these days we demonstrate the bell ringing.

Everyone is welcome to come and meet us, to see what we do, how we do it and hopefully see that Bellringing is fun and a very social activity.

If you would like to join us we meet on Monday at 7.30 p.m. I look forward to meeting you.

Our most recent activity was in order to raise funds for the Stonework Appeal, we held a coffee morning and this is the report that went into the Church Magazine:

Coffee morning, 25th March 2006
Ringers Coffee Morning 25th March 2006

One Pound, yes One whole Pound Sterling is what I paid Ruby for a miserly chewy lolly on her tombola – I was after the bottle of wine but looking at the amount of cards it would have been cheaper to buy one from Marks’s – and her grin displayed no mercy, I had been done! This was all against the backdrop of constant laughing chatter from the ‘hens’ behind the counter – Dawn Moule, Hasu Watson, Viv Hamilton and Margaret Lee – serving tea and cakes while flashing teeth and eyelashes at anybody with a sweet tooth, money to spare, or showing the slightest interest in bell ringing; Keith Lane glided around the floor like a buttered oil slick chatting and pressing the flesh with the victims who wandered in from the street, good job Pat was with him as we don’t want to over do things do we Keith?

Keith Peterson, Peter Milton and myself were left shoving both locals and visitors up the tower, for a small fee, to enjoy the delights of hazy Bridgwater – well we aren’t accountable for the weather, anyway they wouldn’t know till they got up there and we have a strict no refund policy. One group of 4 teenagers - wiv attitude - was brought to reality by myself picking the loudest and getting him to ring the third bell under my guidance and strict instructions. They all had a ring and left laughing, and hopefully slightly more enlightened people for the experience. Amongst all this mayhem I passed the Vicar, he was fleeing towards the vestry, in the manor of a man through customs carrying an extra bottle of special malt, ‘…why did I agree to this..?…’ not knowing who he was addressing as his hands covered his eyes; but, I believe we may have redeemed ourselves as our combined efforts raised £126.00 towards the stonework appeal. It was a satisfactory outcome for 2 hours effort, new recruit Rachel Ayerst claimed she was working and couldn’t come but I believe she feared the embarrassment suffered would mean moving house to protect her dignity.

Richard Lee

P.S.
The hens teeth worked; Eric, from Stockland Bristol, turned up for ringing practise the following Monday, I hope he has the fortitude to return…

Summer 2006 Newsletter
Tower

Nicholsons are to carry out the planned work during October 2006
Finance

At an officers meeting on 17th August 2006 the treasurer reported a balance of £1421.00 before payments for the frame painting and work by Nicholsons.
Recruitment

We have recently been joined by Kelly, Charlotte, Alison and her son Jake who are all making good progress.
Events
It is the Bridgwater ringers turn to organise the branch bell ringers annual outing. This year we have organised a day out on September 9th to churches at South Molton, Bratton Flemming, Combe Martin – for a lunch stop but not included in the price, Braunton and Swimbridge - next to a pub. There are seats available on the coach at a cost of £10pp and if anyone is interested please contact Keith Peterson as soon as possible or email us via our website – we leave the job centre car park at 07:50 and arrive back at 8pm approximately.

Picnic on the Beach 25th June 2006

Hasu Watson is a cheat. Not an accusation you would normally level at a likeable person, but we (the ringers) were having a very enjoyable game of 4 aside football, on the beach at Berrow during a sunny afternoon in June, when 3 goals were scored in contravention of football's off side trap; about which the rules clearly state 'A player is in an offside position if: - he, or Hasu, is nearer to his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second last opponent. However, that was not the only frustration; two little girls, intent on building a sand castle invaded the pitch, sat down in the middle of the playing area, and proceeded to dig up the playing surface – a travesty saved by the skill of Viv, nice climbing boots, who advised the vandals that the sand off the pitch was much better to dig than that in the centre circle. I myself, whilst playing, put in what must have been the sliding tackle of the match when Margaret decided to fall on me and claim a foul, and from the resulting free kick she scored. Keith and Nigel spent most of the match running around doing nothing purposeful and Peter was playing aeroplanes with his shirt over his head, in fact Ruby was the most sensible but she should have been handicapped because of her youth and energy. After all this mayhem the score didn't matter.

Pictured along the back from the left are: Richard Lee, Viv Hamilton, Peter Milton, Keith Petersen and Nigel Watson - about to be eaten by a car...front left is Margaret Lee, Ruby Hamilton, Hasu Watson, and Nigel's Mum.
Spring 2006 Newsletter
Tower

Nicholsons have been approached to carry out their recommended work. They will re-bush the 6,7 & tenor - which will also be quarter turned due to thinning. We are pleased to have been awarded a grant towards this work from the Bath & Wells Diocesan Association of Change Ringers bell fund.
Finance

Taking into account the work to be done soon, at the AGM it was unanimously agreed to introduce an annual subscription of £52 to be paid by members; this subscription is to be reviewed annually at the AGM.
Recruitment

The proposed website, www.stmarysbells.org.uk is now fully functional and is to be publicised as part of a local campaign to increase recruitment.
Events

A very enjoyable Christmas Dinner was held at the Tudor Restaurant and pictured here around
the table clockwise from the bottom left are: Keith Lane, Viv Hamilton, Peter Milton, Hasu Watson, Keith Peterson, Jacqui Wilkinson, Bill Wilkinson, Margaret Lee, Nigel Watson, Dawn Moule, Richard Lee, (nice hat) and Pat Lane.

On 25th March the ringers held a coffee morning,
and opened the tower, to raise funds towards the St Mary’s Stonework Appeal, their combined efforts raised £126. Missing from this picture is Keith Lane and Rachel Ayres.

Autumn 2005 Newsletter
Tower

The painting of the bell frame is now complete. Work outstanding now is to secure the windows to stop birds from entering and consequently fouling up the new paint, also there is the balance of the new ropes to fit. Volunteers to help Keith Peterson with these tasks are gratefully received. Nicholsons are to be contacted to confirm costs to attend to work previously reported.
Finance

There is approximately £1500 in the kitty before paying for the painting job. £25 has been donated to the Zambia Link appeal for transporting gifts. However as the only income we receive is from weddings and open days there is a suggestion to start weekly subscriptions of just 20p.
Recruitment

We should all seek to spread the word about the benefits of ringing and need to increase our numbers. To do this we are to establish a web site, hopefully get some publicity in the Mercury and have some new glossy leaflets printed.
Events

Margaret and Richard would like to know if there is interest in a ringing day out and to invite anyone from the church to join us - perhaps enough to fill a coach - and, a weekend away somewhere if there are sufficient numbers.

The Christmas dinner is on 15th December. Ringing is planned for the Light up a Life service on Sunday 4th December at 5:45pm. Also we would like to ring for the town carol service on Tuesday 20th at 5:15pm.