BEDFORDSHIRE ASSOCIATION OF CHURCH BELL RINGERS

Update

May 2025 - Number 2 - amended version!
Apologies  - the Update sent out on May 1st had some omissions and errors, please use this one.

Forthcoming Events

Ring out in Celebration - VE Day 6.30pm Thursday 8th May
We're invited to ring church bells at 6.30pm on Thursday 8th May to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. 
Please submit your VE Day ringing to BellBoard  using this link  https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/event.php?id=19733

For further information about the VE Day 80 Celebrations please visit: www.VEday80.org.uk
 

Association AGM, Saturday 17th May, St Mary the Virgin, Woburn
Please do come to our 2025 AGM on Saturday 17th May. 
The timings are: 3.00pm - Open Ringing, 4.00pm - Service, 5.00 - 6.30pm - the AGM. Refreshments (tea/coffee/biscuits/cake) will available after the service.

The meeting papers are on the Association website - click here for the Agenda, Minutes of the 2024 AGM and the 2024 Accounts.

We'll elect the new Management Committee (nominations are still welcome!). There'll be a proposal to change our accounting year from calendar year to 1st December - 30th November. We're proposing this change because our membership management system, Member Mojo, sends out next year membership renewal reminders at the start of December and the change means that any subscriptions received in December can be accounted for in the correct financial year.

If this proposal is accepted, we'll vote on minor rule changes to reflect the new financial year in the Association Bell Restoration Fund Rules and the RJ Sharp Fund Code of Practice.

We also have to agree a small rule change for BFR Rule 6 - Income, to clarify that donations can also be specified, through Member Mojo, to the R J Sharp Fund and to cover the Association's general running costs and not to the BRF. The proposed rule changes are also on the website here.
 

Ringing Events in May

Saturday 3 May, 10:30 - 12:30
General Ringing and Short Business Meeting at Sharnbrook (8) 
This general ringing meeting is for everyone, all levels will be catered for. There will be a short business meeting to elect new members, provide news and updates as necessary.
Subject: General Ringing Sharnbrook

Saturday 10 May (Morning) 
Second Saturday Training at the R J Sharp Ringing Centre at St Andrew's Biggleswade
10:00 - 11:00  Session 1: Bellhandling
11:00 - 11:15  Coffee (and cake!)
11:15 - 12:30  Session 2: Foundation skills - rounds, call changes, Plain Hunt
These sessions are aimed at less experienced Bedfordshire ringers who would like to improve basic skills and confidence.
Session 1: for those who are learning to handle a bell with assistance or wish to improve their handling skills
Session 2: For those who can handle a bell unassisted and wish to improve their bell control and progress to ringing rounds/call changes with others
Sign up essential
Please state whether you are coming to Session 1 or Session 2.
Subject: Second Saturday May

Saturday 10 May, 14.30 - 16:30
Plain Hunt and Plain Bob Doubles Workshop - venue to be confirmed, this will be put on the website and those who are signed up will be informed.
For those who can ring Plain Hunt and would like to learn to hunt the treble or can hunt the treble and would like to ring plain courses of Plain Bob Doubles inside and touches unaffected.
PLACES LIMITED. Booking essential 
Subject: Workshop 10 May

Sunday 11 May, 14:30 - 16:30
Bedfordshire Young Ringers at All Saints, Campton
Bedfordshire Young Ringers is for all young ringers aged 18 or under, whatever your ringing experience. (Experienced tutors will be there to help!) Come along to ring with ringers your own age, eat cake and have fun!

For safeguarding reasons, we ask that all young ringers under the age of 18 are accompanied by an adult. Adults do not need to stay for the whole session (though you are very welcome to do so - tea, coffee and a comfortable place to sit will be available). We will need some paperwork to be completed for each young ringer the first time they attend.
 For more details or to confirm that you are coming please email youngringers@bacbr.org.uk
Subject: Young Ringers May or via the Bedfordshire Young Ringers WhatsApp Group

Sunday 18 May, 14:30 - 16:30
Surprise Major Practice at Clifton (8)  
This advanced practice is for more experienced ringers who can already ring Surprise Major and for those who can already ring Surprise Minor, strike Plain Bob Major well, and would like to progress onto ringing the treble and inside to Surprise Major. 
Focus methods: Cambridge, Yorkshire, Superlative and Bristol Surprise Major
Sign up essential 
Subject: S Major Clifton

Wednesday 21 May 10:30 - 12:30. Meppershall (6)
This general ringing meeting is for everyone, all levels will be catered for.
Although not essential, it would be helpful if you could confirm your attendance in advance.
Sign up essential 
Subject: General Ringing Meppershall

Saturday 31 May
10/12 Bell Advanced Practice at Leighton Buzzard (12) 19:00 - 21:00
For those who can competently ring well struck Surprise Major. we will ring Grandsire Caters/Cinques upwards.
Sign up essential 
Subject: Advanced Practice Leighton Buzzard

Please note: Not all the events above have a confirmed venue at the time of writing, please see the Website for the up to date situation. Events will go ahead subject to sufficient members signing up by email. Please put the title of the event in the subject line. If any event has to be cancelled due to lack of numbers, we will send an email to those who have signed up. It may not be possible to post any amendments on the website at short notice.
The provisional calendar for the whole year can be found here:
https://www.bacbr.org.uk/events/forthcoming-events/
This will be updated as necessary during the year, once towers are confirmed and we know which types of events are being supported. We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

Advanced Dates for June - see website for latest situation
To give advanced notice of next month's proposed ringing  meetings - all subject to confirmation and sign up as required. Could helpers also give Angela their availability for these events:

Weds 4th June, 2.00 - 4.00pm - Surprise Major Practice, Husborne Crawley 
Sat 7th June, 2.30 - 4.30pm - General Ringing & short business meeting, Bromham 
Sun 8th June, 2.30 - 4.30pm - Young Ringers Practice, Campton
Sat 14th June, 10.00 - 12.30 - Second Saturday Training (two sessions), Biggleswade
Sat 14th June, 2.30 - 4.30pm - Plain Hunt and Bob Doubles Workshop, Elstow
Wed 18th June, 10.30 - 12.30am - General Ringing, Old Warden (6)
Sat 28th June, 2.00 - 4.00pm - Surprise Minor Practice, Renhold (6)

Other notices

2024 Annual Report 

The 2024 Annual Report has been printed and copies are now being distributed as previously advised - one printed copy to each Bedfordshire tower with a tower contact and to everyone who requested  a copy on their Member Mojo form.
For those who didn't request a printed copy, the report is now available on the website to read or download from this link - Annual-Report-2024-final.pdf

Many thanks to Simon Stranks for pulling the report together this year.

If you have any feedback, comments or corrections please email secretary@bacbr.org.uk
 

Our Patron, Bishop Alan, retires this month

The Right Revd Dr Alan Smith, The Lord Bishop of St Albans, our Patron since 2010, is retiring at the end of the month. As many of you know, he's a ringer and joined the local ringers whenever possible to ring for services he attended around our diocese, even if it was just a short touch of  rounds and call changes. He always wrote to say thank you for the Annual Report which he read with interest and gave us words of support and encouragement for our activities, such as our work with young ringers and setting up the Association Bell Restoration Fund.
Bishop Alan is retiring to Wiltshire and we thank him for his service and wish him a long and happy retirement and, hopefully, more time for ringing!
Read Bishop Alan's retirement announcement letter here  and the details of a Quarter Peal of Grandsire Caters he rang at St Albans Cathedral on 13th April with our very own Vice President, Angela Blackburn, in the band!
 

MemberMojo Update
https://membermojo.co.uk/bacbr

Thank you to everyone who has registered with MemberMojo and paid a subscription this year. We're making good progress but we're aware that some Members haven't registered with MemberMojo or paid a subscription for 2025 yet.

We understand that this new member management system has been a big change for the Association and it's taken quite a few months for everyone (including the Officers!) to get to grips with it. 

We're going to follow up with those who were paid up Members last year but for whom we don't have a current MemberMojo or payment record and, if necessary, we'll help to sort things out individually. We're likely to need Tower Contacts to help where we don't have direct contact details.

Its very important to get Members registered onto MemberMojo one way or another because we rely on having everyone's contact details  so that we can communicate directly about the Association and it's activities by methods like this  Monthly Update.

*  Whilst we'd love everyone to enjoy this Monthly Update  and other communications directly from us, many apologies if you indicated on MemberMojo that you did not wish to continue receiving this Update. We will amend our circulation list to take into account your preferences as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can unsubscribe below.

Congratulations to ...

Dean De-Matteis  - rang Double Oxford included in a Quarter Peal for the first time. https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1839408
 

Alex Nash and Paul Hassan  - rang their first Quarter Peal of Bourne Surprise Minor. https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1845528

Updates from the CCCBR
Central Council of Church Bell Ringers

Linda Garton
President, BACBR 
president@bacbr.org.uk

Angela Blackburn
Ringing Master / Training Officer
trainingofficer@bacbr.org.uk

www.bacbr.org.uk

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