 | Congratulations to Peter Hughes and Jenny Ellins who announced their engagement in York yesterday. |
There will be an opportunity for ringing before and after the service at Wallasey.
 | Peter Hughes writes: "Just to draw your attention to the Quarter Peal at Port Sunlight this afternoon - this was Peter Humphreys' 1,000th. It was also very neatly the 25th (liturgical) anniversary of the first Sunday Service Band QP at Port Sunlight which was for Harvest Festival in 1982, meaning that Peter has averaged exactly 40 quarters a year. Our congratulations to Peter on a fine achievement."
| The other Peter here! Ringing Quarter Peals is all about teamwork so I take this opportunity of thanking the many ringers - and the many hours they have put in - in making all this possible. At a rough calculation, this equates to almost 5000 'man' hours or the equivalent of 2½ working years!
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| Our Ringing Master, David Jones, has sent the following message via WirralBellringers...
"Those of you who are Campanophile addicts or regularly look at the excellent Wirral branch website, will have seen that after 48 years as Tower Captain at Oxton, Alex Martin has recently retired. During the
48 years as Tower Captain and over 50 years as Branch Secretary, Alex has put in a great deal of time and hard work which has benefited not only the ringing at Oxton but also for Wirral branch.
| I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the branch to thank Alex for all the hard work he has put in over the years and wish him well for the future. Although he is currently unable to ring at Oxton, Alex does attend the occasional practice at Bebington. I would also like to welcome Will Harrison who has been elected as the new Tower Captain at Oxton." |
Geoff Sparling writes...
"It is with sadness that I have to announce the death of Jack Collingwood at the age of 94. A ringer at St. Nicholas Wallasey for over 65 years, Jack retired from ringing in 1995 when the tower stairs finally defeated him. He passed away very peacefully on Friday last, 21st September at the Silver Birch nursing home in Aughton near Ormskirk. He had been there for the last few years to be near his closest remaining relatives."
(This news has also been reported on the GUILD website).
"After the service today, at the refreshments at the Gladstone Village Hall, many, many people told Janey and me how much they appreciated the bells before the service, and how moving and appropriate they found them. Probably the most touching of all was Peter Leggate, Jean's son, (who rang at Burton in his youth), who told me that he heard them in his mother's garden in Vicarage Lane, and was moved to tears at the sound of them.
I feel that it is a great privilege for us to be have been able to contribute this to the service, especially for a family that has had two of their number as our ringers at Burton."
Nigel
 | A First Quarter Peal, this at his first attempt, was scored this afternoon by Sam Jackson (Thurstaston) to whom we offer our congratulations. Click on image to see larger picture. The Wirral Branch 'Plain Hunt' Course at Port Sunlight yesterday was attended by no fewer than twelve beginners. For a more detailed report, together with photographs, see Reports section. |
(Apologies for this oversight - and thanks to Chris Eden for drawing it to my attention).
Any others out there?
Coming thick and fast today...
A first Quarter Peal of Minor for Neville Jones at Burton.
| A First Quarter Peal, this at her first attempt, was scored yesterday evening by Amy Robson (Thurstaston) on the occasion of her 11th birthday. Congratulations on both counts then! The conductor was Master of the Chester Guild (Daddy, actually). | 
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First Peal for Neville Jones of Burton - other 'firsts' here too.
300th Peal as Conductor for Peter Hughes.
The 'Open Ringing' at Chester Cathedral on Sunday 1st July proved very popular with a number of ringers, some of whom had not even rung on more than six bells before, all ably ringing rounds on these quite challenging bells - especially since all the ropes had been shorted necessitating the use boxes round the whole circle - except for the tallest present and then only on the front bells.
We had another good Branch meeting at Woodchurch on Saturday 25th June. The day was very well attended and 28 people stayed to tea and for the (very) short business meeting.
Two Wirral sourced features in the latest edition of The Ringing World - one by Jane Davies on the Listening Skills Course (p664) and one from Peter Humphreys on the ringing to mark the Centenary of St George's, Thornton Hough (p667).
| At the Bebington practice Eleanor Culley, who rang her first QP recently (see 9 May), was presented with a copy of The Ringing World in which her achievement was reported. Eleanor was congratulated by all present (right) and Peter Humphreys (behind the camera!) N.B. The Wirral Branch now presents a copy of The Ringing World to any Branch member recording a first Quarter Peal. If anyone in your tower qualifies, DO please advise a committee member. | 
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Also a Quarter Peal has now been ring at Port Sunlight concurrent with the celebratory service at St George's URC (see 28 May).
 | Les Coventry Retires Les Coventry has stepped down after more than 45 years as Tower Captain at Bebington, Wirral. Les has done an excellent job and he will be a very hard act to follow. Les will remain a ringer at Bebington and will be back ringing as soon as his medical treatment permits. In his own words 'it will not then be his responsibility to try to keep some order in the place'!
The Wirral Branch would like to take this opportunity to thank Les for all
his hard work over the years and to wish him well during his continuing
treatment.
| We also wish David Denson (see Bebington Home Page), who was unanimously elected the new Tower Captain, best wishes in his new role. Bebington ringers are planning a Quarter Peal. In the meantime, a congratulatory Quarter Peal has been rung at Heswall. | |
(Sorry if I appear to be reporting on the same people all the time - but these are the people who are currently making progress in the branch so it is appropriate to record this here. If YOU have news of other achievements, at whatever level, then PLEASE let your Webmaster know! The following is a good example of what I am looking for).
It was encouraging to see, at the Branch meeting held at Thurstaston the previous day, so many of the learners who had attended the beginners' course held October- December last year. Not only are they attending meetings but their progress was most apparent with, one one occasion, no fewer than FIVE of them competently ringing Rounds and Call Changes together!
It was also nice to see Tom Howarth of Upton and Christina Brewster (with her husband Andrew) present. Christina was visiting her parents, her father, Revd Walker, being former rector at Wallasey St Hilary, where Christina last rang before leaving Wirral.
Keeping up the momentum at Burton, Nigel Griffiths rang his first Quarter Peal of Grandsire, this on the following day (Mothering Sunday).
Olga has requested that the bells be rung half muffled both before and after the service at St Andrew's.
Family flowers only, any donations to St John's Hospice, Clatterbridge Hospital.
| I am much saddened to report the death, yesterday, of Ralph Maudsley of St Peter's, Heswall (but resident in Bebington). Ralph, who had been admitted to St John's Hospice two days previously, was just 60 years old and had been fighting cancer the past six months having previously undergone major surgery which, at the time, was considered successful. I will advise funeral arrangements when known. Our thoughts at this sad time are with his widow Olga. Peter Humphreys, Webmaster |
By ringing in a Peal of seven Surprise Minor methods at Thurstaston today, Deputy Branch Ringing Master, Peter Robson rang his most methods to a Peal.
Also, in Birmingham today, Geoff and Sue Sparling rang in a touch of Stedman 15. According to Geoff, they are still reeling!