Thursday 17th February was Mirjam’s last practice with us before leaving for mainland Europe. As many as possible attended practice to say farewell and wish her and husband Paul good luck as they move to Luxembourg.

Mirjam is a loyal and enthusiastic ringer having taken up the hobby this time last year. She was able to ring for the Jubilee and later took part in ringing for the funeral of HM QE2. She is a key member of the weekly “tied bell” group which meets on Wednesdays, and brings enthusiasm and encouragement to us all. She attained level 1 in the A.R.T. Learning the Ropes scheme and is beginning to study for level 2.

We’ll miss her determined participation and great company but wish her all the best and look forward to seeing her on ocassion when she returns to the UK.

The photos show the Thursday night band as we presented Mirjam with a momento, a jigsaw puzzle depicting the church and ringers.

We had a really joyful practice on Thursday 9th February with plenty of laughter and ringing. On this occasion we were delighted to welcome our priest in charge, Rev Rachel, who wanted to thank us in person for all the ringing we do and how much she and the community enjoy it.

The place was bustling with enthusiasm. We started our evening with some Grandsire Doubles, followed by Rounds. Sheila then asked Rachel if she would like to have a go and explained that she could try the backstroke. After a brief demonstration by Josh, our youngest ringer, the rope was handed to her and in a very few moments she had almost mastered this excercise. She later said “…I enjoyed my little attempt, as inspired by Josh!”

Rachel had to leave us at 8.00pm but before doing so presented us with cakes to enjoy later (so as not to make the ropes sticky!)

A great evening was had by all and were very much encouraged and inspired by Rachel’s visit.

One of the raffle prizes during our coffee morning in November 2022 was a Tower Tour, an opportunity to visit the church tower and explore the various rooms to see the clock and the bells.

Sheila and I met our visitors, a group of eight, and accompanied them to the ringing room where they could warm themselves from the chilly environs of the church. We decided to divide the group into two which made access to the upper levels easier. It also enabled everyone to see how a bell was rung from the ringing room and see it in action in the belfry, and on our CCTV.

In the ringing room, everyone was interested in our notice boards and striking competition certificates, and the two dimensional model of a bell was used to demonstrate how a bell works.

In turn, each group visited the clock room where the chiming apparatus was demonstrated. Then upwards to the belfry where No4 bell had been silenced and could be seen being rung, with our visitors at a safe distance.

The response from everyone was one of fascination as they saw the church clock and bells in situ for the first time. There were many questions! So much is unimagined from the outside!

Finally we asked them to sign our visitors book and a group photo was taken. We had a lovely afternoon, it was a delight to welcome everyone.

The New Year is always a good time to plan for the new ringing season. We have had a break from tied bell practices over the Christmas period and its always good to start the new season with a theory session before we get back into the tower.

On Wednesday 18th January our first meeting was as Nutbells when we looked at the requirements for Level 3 and Level 4 stages in the Learning the Ropes training scheme. After establishing what everyone had to aim for we discussed and practised writing out Plain Hunt of 5 bells. This exercise was understood and some “informal” homework was set to write out a Plain Course of Plain Bob Doubles, just an extension to Plain Hunt, to be submitted in a week’s time when we will meet in the tower again.

Of course, there was a lot of chatter about other ringing topics and this was accompanied by coffee and shortbread. Our normal hour session was extended by 30 minutes but we rounded off the session feeling refreshed and challenged! Now for some hard work in making things happen – Level 3 and 4 certificates to be accomplished this year!

On Thursday 19th twelve of us met for practice. It was a chilly evening and thank you David for venturing across to the tower early to switch on the heaters. Sheila G kept us all busy, and warm, by scheduling in Plain Bob Doubles, Plain Hunt 6, Grandsire Doubles and call changes.

Sheila also included Rounds for Josh. Josh is a new young ringer we are teaching. He has had two lessons and is ringing backstrokes and handstrokes seperately. He is learning to ring up a bell. He had a go at ringing just the backstrokes to Rounds and achieved this with excellent results. This is the first time he has rung on open bells and an opportunity for him to try and pick out the sound of his own bell. He also rang the handstrokes in Rounds. His achievements were accompanied by words of encouragement and congratulations from the other ringers.

We were also very pleased to present level 2 certificates to Tricia and Julia, so our emphasis this year will be on Level 3 and Level 4, as well as Level 1 and Level 2 for Josh. Exciting times ahead!

Ringers were reminded about the Annual District Meeting on Saturday 21st to be held at Gamlingay. Our next ringing will be at practice next week, but with tied bell practice on Wednesday for all who wish to attend, when we will be working on bell control when dodging and striking accuarcy.

Fifteen of us (ringers and partners) squeezed around the dining table on Thursday 5th January to enjoy a feast at our Christmas party. Everyone took their part in cooking, baking or otherwise providing a super three course meal.

The usual jollity of Christmas crackers, paper hats and poor jokes were shared as we enjoyed our time together, one of the few occasions when we aren’t ringing!

After dinner David thanked Phillip & Sheila for their work and encouragement during the year and presented them with a personalised gift – a jigsaw puzzle featuring fully muffled bells of Great Gransden. In reply Phillip thanked David and Sheila P for hosting the party and to everyone for contributing to the wonderful food; and for their loyal support through the year…oh! and don’t forget, ringing tomorrow at 6.15pm for the service of Epiphany!

We were then entertained by one of David’s quizes, resulting in two winning teams. Because there was only one set of team prizes they were awared to the losing team, accompanied by laughter and approval all round! Quizmaster rules!!!

A super evening all round!

Ringing for the Epiphany

On Friday 6th we rang for the service of the feast of the Epiphany. We had been asked to keep the Christmas lights on in the ringing room as part of the celebration.

We held our last practice of the year on Thursday 22nd December and celebrated our ringing by presenting Mirjam with her Level 1 Learning the Ropes certificate. Mirjam’s certificate is the third this year for our ringers, others were for Julia, L1 and Hazel, L3.

In between ringing, which included 120 Grandsire Doubles, Call Changes and ringing Rounds with alternate bells at opposite strokes (!), we enjoyed mulled wine and biscuits. The dress code was Christmas jumpers and hats etc. and the decorated ringing room added to the occasion.

We have had an exciting and busy year. Our ringing and events have been summarised into a new promotional video entitled “A Year in the Life of Great Gransden Bell Ringers (and friends) 2022. We hope you will enjoy the video which can be found by following this link , its just 2 minutes 40 seconds long.

Finally, we would like to thank all our followers and supporters in the village and we look forward to ringing for you in 2023.

On Sunday 4th December Rev Rachel had arranged three 5-minute services of light and reflection in this season of Advent. We were asked to ring for ten minutes before each service. The church was illuminated mainly by candles which gave a different light and created a calm, peaceful atmosphere.

A small team of ringers was rostered for the occasion and during the services we watched quietly from the ringing room using torchlight to enhance the moment.

Some of the ringers attended the last of the services and others headed off to the Reading Room Night Cafe, where local Christmas crafts were on sale, refreshments served and live music entertained us. A lovely village event.

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 Swaffham Bulbeck (8 bells, 10 1/4cwt) and their lovely ringing gallery with open views into the church. Lunch was enjoyed at The 5 Bells PH in Burwell where we enjoyed a leasurely lunch before the short walk to the magnificant church to ring (8 bells, 13cwt).

Our modest repertoire of Rounds and call changes, with touches of Plain Bob Doubles was successfully excercised, with only one or two false starts!

A good day was had by all. Many thanks to Martin Kitson, Lesley Boyle & Gareth Davies, and Dee Smith for allowing us to visit, and David Prest and Sheila George for being Ringing Masters.

District Meeting

A cool, dull, mizzly November day. “Will anyone come to the ringing meeting this afternoon?” “Will everyone decided to stay at home in the warm?” These were the questions Sheila and I asked each other as we made our way to the church tower.

Well, we needn’t have worried – ringers soon appeared. The heating went on in the ringing room and the bells were raised.

During the afternoon about 25 ringers from all parts of the district (inc. Ramsey, St.Neots, Gamlingay, Godmanchester, Fenstanton, Holywell, Huntingdon and St.Ives) took their turn, and the methods rung included Call Changes, PB5 & 6, Oxford TB, Cambridge, Ipswich & London Surprise minor, and St.Clements.

We rang until 4.00pm after which were served refreshing cups of tea with biscuits immediately before a short business meeting.

Great Gransden ringers were thanked for hosting the event and esp to Sheila George for providing the refreshments.

Another very enjoyable afternoon ringing.

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 keen to get going. It started with a trickle of people but soon developed into a steady flow ordering their refreshments.

The biscuit decorating table soon started to attract youngsters as did the handbells, which throughout the morning were rung by complete novices, under the tutelage of Sheila George. Two seasonal tunes had been selected to be rung, Jingle Bells and Good King Wenceslas, both providing gentle entertainment amongst the excited chatter of our visitors. Christmas cards were on sale (designed by Rebecca Banner).

It was good to welcome everyone, and we met a lapsed ringer who we hope will visit us on a Thursday evening practice session.

Our thanks to everyone for supporting our endeavour either by visiting or donating cakes and raffle prizes which helped us raise £270 for our tower fund. In this case raised specifically to pay for our new laptop for the training facility and towards handbell insurance.

This was a really good PR opportunity for ringing, and an excellent morning! Thanks to the team for their hard work, David and Sheila Prest, Hazel Pettit, Tricia Williams, Julia Smith, Sue Taylor and Sheila George.

n.b. all photos of young people are published with permission from their parents.

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 celebrating their Golden Anniversary on the same day.

On Saturday the 8th there were further ringing celebrations when a date touch of 1972 changes was rung, this time including daughter and son in law Rebecca and Mark Banner, and two of our ringing friends Catherina Griffiths and Naomi Laredo. The method rung was Cambridge Surprise Minor.