Author Archives: Phillip George

Our last foray of the year! Thankfully we missed the torrential rain of Thursday and enjoyed a bright, dry but cool Friday 18th November visiting three towers in the Ely District for our Autumn mini outing. Meeting at Bottisham first (6 bells, 11cwt) with an interesting access to the ringing room. Then on to SwaffhamContinue reading “We enjoy a Day Out on our Mini Outing and Host the District Ringing Meeting”

Saturday 5th November, 10.00am. Everything is ready to welcome people to our coffee morning – the first time we have embarked on this type of fund raising and PR event. The handbells have been laid out, the bunting is up, the perpetual overhead slide presentation is running, the kettle is on and we are keenContinue reading “Coffee Morning Success”

Sheila and Phillip George were married in Great Gransden church on 7th October 1972. They rang for their own wedding and then a quarter peal band took over ringing 1260 Plain Bob Minor before attending the reception. Fifty years on the 7th October 2022 they rang another quarter peal. This time with another couple celebratingContinue reading “Golden Wedding Anniversary Celebrations”

The Queen is Dead, Long Live the King!! What happens in the bell tower? After eleven days of mourning Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, bell ringers everywhere will be “getting back to normal”. The muffles will be taken off the clappers and stored ready for our next act of remembrance as our memories of recentContinue reading “The Queen is Dead, Long Live the King!!”

The evenings are drawing in, the weather is a little cooler and the butterflies are begining to search out sheltered places to hibernate. The ringing room is a favourite place for them and we will find them now all through the autumn and winter. If they emerge whilst we are ringing we gently encourage themContinue reading “Catch-up, and Planning for a Busy Autumn!”

Some of our ringers had expressed an interest in ringing at St.Neots, our 10-bell, 29cwt neighbour. Knowing that access to the bells and top of the tower was easy I made arrangement with tower captain Alban Forster for us to visit one Friday evening. Through mutual agreement we decided on the 19th August and weContinue reading “Visit to St.Neots including a Tower Tour”

We usually welcome two or three bands/teams every year when they request to ring our bells on their outings to churches in the area. The last group was on the 20th September 2019. Covid intervened and so it has been almost three years since we have had that pleasure, but on Tuesday 16th August weContinue reading “First Visiting Team for Three Years!!”

The annual tower clean-up is not a very interesting event in our calendar but it is an important one. We are fortunate that since the tower restortation in 2000 effective bird proofing is in place which prevents most of the dirt associated with towers from entering. However, we still get a lot of twigs, leavesContinue reading “Annual Tower Clean-Up”

After record temperatures earlier in the week Gransden Ringers and Singers (bell ringers and church choiristers) were able to enjoy their annual safari supper on Friday evening relaxing in each others gardens. We have held this event for several years, there being a close link between the tower and the choir. As dusk drew nearContinue reading “Ringers and Singers Safari Supper”

After our celebratory ringing from 2nd – 5th June I wrote to Her Majesty on behalf of the ringers congratulating her on the occasion of her platinum jubilee. I receieved a reply this week and was please to be able to take the letter to practice on Thursday to show the ringers. This co-incided withContinue reading “Letter from the Palace!”