Ridgman Trophy Striking Competition 2012
June 16, 2012 8:51 pm | by admin | Posted in Ridgman Trophy
Ridgman Trophy and Bedfordshire Ringing Festival
The idea of arranging a 10-bell striking competition among the bellringing societies within and surrounding the Ely Diocesan Association was first raised during the mid-1980s. An offer by Bill Ridgman’s family to donate a trophy provided the necessary focus to bring the idea to fruition and the first competition was held at Wisbech in 1988. The trophy features the shields of the Ely Diocesan Association and Cambridge University Guild, reflecting the enormous contribution that Bill made to both organisations over the years.
This year the 25th competition was hosted by the Bedfordshire Association at Kempston and with eight teams competing there was clearly plenty of enthusiasm for the event. The Kempston ringers put a good deal of effort into organising rather more than a striking competition by laying on a never-ending supply of refreshments in the Church Hall, opening three local towers for general ringing, arranging for a mini-ring of bells to be installed in the church porch and providing an opportunity for people to try handbell ringing. In short, there was enough to attract both the competitors and visiting ringers, such that the event became a festival of ringing in every sense.
The Bedfordshire band was drawn from ringers who ring regularly at Kempston and we were therefore in a position to benefit from ‘home’ advantage. We practised the test piece, which was half a course of Yorkshire Royal, a few days before the competition but never quite managed to get through the piece without a minor blemish or two. Fortunately, on the day, we raised our game and rang much better, so we left the tower well satisfied with our performance.
The judges, Philip and Jennie Earis from Cambridge, are two highly experienced ringers who regularly take part in striking competitions themselves. They commented that the overall standard of ringing throughout the afternoon had been very commendable and we were delighted to hear that we had been awarded first place. With a pleasing symmetry it was our Association President, Sue Silver, who was called upon to present the trophy to a representative from the Bedfordshire team. The eight teams were placed as follows:
| Team | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bedfordshire | 88% |
| 2 | Ely | 85% |
| 3 | Norwich | 65% |
| 4 | Essex | 76% |
| 5 | Suffolk | 64% |
| 6 | Cambridge University | 63% |
| 7 | Lincoln | 51% |
| 8 | Peterborough | Withdrawn |
Martin Whiteley thanked all those who had made the day such a success. More than 25 local ringers had helped in some capacity so this was really a triumph for the Association as a whole, but particular thanks go to the catering team led by Sarah-Louise Ward and Adrienne Sharp.
Amongst many favourable comments received at the end of the proceedings, that from the Ridgman Trophy Organising Committee was most rewarding. They were unanimous that Bedfordshire had provided a model format for all subsequent competitions to follow. So it seems that our efforts will have an enduring influence on this competition and we look forward to its continued success over the next 25 years.
Martin Whiteley
