Tower
Captain Report 2013 – 15
'How did
these Australian ladies come to visit us? Richard chatted them up'
Is it
really two years since my last report? So what have we achieved? It
may feel like very little but we certainly have kept the bells
ringing.
In no
particular order we have marked many national events, St George's
Day, Our Queen's anniversary of longest reigning monarch, VE Day,
Magna Carta, rang 349 changes at the start of the anniversary of the
first World War this being the number of lives lost from Bridgwater,
Locally we
rang for the institution of the Rev Trish Ollive, Bath and Wells
Association of Change Ringers 125 years celebration attending the
service and delicious lunch, with the Bishop, which followed, it is
worth noting that many ringers commented how our tower came to
support an association event, Georgina read at the Town Carol
Service, Mayor Making, Light up a Life service, Weddings and the late
Peter Cattermole's funeral.
We have
taken part in our branch striking competitions and had two tower
outings.
Richard
has set up the Branch Training Centre here with the help of our
Association providing the simulator and local ringers donating the
lap top and speakers. The centre is used weekly for ITTS tied bell
teaching sessions and have proved an assets for our tower.
Practice
nights can only be described as busy attracting ringers from
neighbouring towers, it is structured which seems to work with slots
for learners and new methods to learn which in turn advances our
ringing.
One member
of the Church family commented to me that what ever the ringers do in
seems to involve cake, well not to disappoint under the direction of
Jane Cooke, we have provided teas at three Vintage Fayre's, held
Coffee Mornings and provided the refreshments for the Deanery Synod
when it was held in St Mary's and not forgetting celebrating Ben's
18th.
In April
of this year we opened the Church for our second recruitment week
where we had several people interested and the result is that Mikolaj
Baj has joined our team and he is doing very well and is now ringing
with us on Sunday mornings.
So what
for the future? In September Rob, Richard and I went to the PCC
meeting where we presented our vision for the bells after which we
received permission to have the repairs done and augment to ten
bells. So I have a couple of targets for you – ideas on how we are
going to achieve this and to have 20 bellringers by 2020.
I would
like to thank you all for your help, support and laughter over the
past two years and I look forward in moving our ringing forward, it
is a very exciting time for us in St Mary's. Together we can achieve
anything.
Margaret
Lee
November
2015
