Site last updated 1 September 2024
Welcome
The Shropshire Association covers the towers in the Salop Archdeaconry of the Lichfield Diocese, and is roughly the area north of the River Severn, from near Wolverhampton in the southeast to Selattyn in the northwest. The rest of Shropshire is in the Hereford Diocese.
If you would like to know more about bellringing click here www.cccbr.org.uk/bellringing/what-is-bell-ringing/.
If you like to learn to ring please contact our secretary [ ], or go along to a tower near you on a practice night.
Information about the towers in the Association, practice nights and Association events, and much else, can be found by following the links on the left or below.
Next Association event(s):
Saturday 14 September 2024 - Striking Competition
4:00pm onwards
at Calverhall
Friday 20 September 2024 - Surprise Practice
7:30pm - 9:00pm
at Wem
Saturday 12 October - Practice, Quarterly Meeting
7:00pm - 9:00pm approx
at Moreton Corbet
First Peal Congratulations
Congratulations to Eden Turner, a ringer at Albrighton, who has rung his first peal.
Shropshire Association
Ryton, Shropshire, at the Church of St Andrew
on Wednesday, 28 August 2024 in 2 hours and 40 minutes
A Peal of 5040 Plain Bob Minor
Seven different extents
Tenor 4–2–23 in Bb
| Eden Turner | Treble | Matthew Lawrence | 4 | |
| Gail K Lawrence | 2 | Philip M Murphy | 5 | |
| Nicola J Galton | 3 | Andrew W Gordon | Tenor |
Conducted by Andrew W Gordon.
First peal - Treble.
First Plain Bob Minor - 5.
Ruby wedding complement to Mr & Mrs Murphy.
Two hundredth together - 4 & Tenor.
1152
First Quarter Peal Congratulations
Congratulations to Paul Partridge who has rung his first quarter peal
September Surprise Practice - 20 September
The next Surprise practice will be held on Friday 20 September, from 7:30pm to 9:00pm, at Wem.
The methods for the practice will include some from 5 and/or 6 spliced; 3 leads of Bristol; half/plain courses of Cambridge, Lincolnshire, Rutland, Superlative, Yorkshire. The method of the month will be Pudsey. As in previous months ringing will include Norwich and Cambridge Minor for those wanting to get into Surprise, and Cambridge and Yorkshire Major for those wanting to progress to Surprise Major.
Newport Heritage Day - 14 September
There is to be a Heritage Day in Newport, with both open tower at St Nicholas and the Lichfield Diocesan Mobile Belfry. Any ringers who care to pass through Newport on their way to the Striking Competition at Calverhall (or otherwise make a diversion) will be very welcome. This is a chance to 'grab' the belfry if you haven't rung it before, and be involved with publicising our wonderful Art.
August Newsletter
The August Newsletter can be read and downloaded here.
The July Newsletter can be read and downloaded here.
Fourth Association Peal in 2024
The fourth Association peal of 2024 has been rung at Beckbury.
Shropshire Association
Beckbury, Shropshire, at the Church of St Milburga
on Saturday, 27 July 2024 in 2 hours and 32 minutes
A Peal of 5040 Minor
7 methods: College Bob, Kent Treble Bob, Oxford Treble Bob, Cambridge Surprise,
St Clement's College Bob, Single Oxford & Plain Bob
Tenor 4–2–18 in Db
| E Ann Williams | Treble | Adrian G Roberts | 4 | |
| Gail K Lawrence | 2 | Matthew Lawrence | 5 | |
| Trevor L Lock | 3 | Andrew W Gordon | Tenor |
Conducted by Andrew W Gordon.
Rung half muffled in memory of the church warden David Edward Tooth, and Robert C Kippin.
200th together - Treble & Tenor.
250th together - 2 & 5.
175th for the Association - Treble.
1151
Belfry Upkeep
The Stewardship & Management Workgroup of the Central Council are pleased to announce Belfry Upkeep, an online document aimed at the Steeple Keeper – the person responsible for keeping the bells in order.
The aims of the document are:
- To help you understand the installation in your tower.
- To describe the checks you should carry out to identify any problems.
- To advise you on the maintenance tasks that you should be able to carry out, possibly with expert advice or assistance.
- Most importantly, to help you recognise the tasks that require specialist knowledge from a Bell Hanger or other expert
The document can be found at https://belfryupkeep.cccbr.org.uk
Safeguarding Training
The Church of England has been working on an updated framework for Safeguarding training within the church. Dave Bassford (CCCBR Safeguarding Officer) and The Ringing World have given the Shropshire Association permission to include on this website an article written by Dave and appearing in the 21 January 2022 issue of The Ringing World.
In this article Dave explains that all ringers must take the Basic Awareness training (formerly C0). This is free, done online, takes about an hour to complete, and must be renewed every three years.
The Lichfield Diocese requires Tower Captains and those ringers in a role which involves work with children, young people or adults at risk, to also take the Foundation training (formerly C1), but not the Leadership training.
The trainings can be accessed by going to https://safeguardingtraining.cofeportal.org/.
"Calling It Round"
The Central Council has issued a new publication focused on the first steps in
calling and conducting from any bell. The publication has been written by
Bryn Marie Reinstadler and is free and available at
https://callingitround.cccbr.org.uk/
About the Central Council
The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers has issued three documents about its work, volunteering with the Central Council, and what it means to be a Central Council Representative.
Those documents can be read and downloaded here:
What's the point of the Central Council.pdf,
Volunteering with the Central Council.pdf,
What does being a Central Council Rep mean?
Index of YouTube Videos
The Central Council has put together a list of training webinars and videos which have been recorded and posted on YouTube.
Support Your Association with SACBR Clothing
We can now offer members a range of items embroidered with the SACBR logo. These are embroidered to order: contact Biff Patterson [ ] for details or to place an order.
COLOUR
The background colour for ‘corporate’ events is burgundy (as shown) but feel free to choose
a different background for personal use. Check availability but navy or black are obvious
options.
PRICES
Polo shirts, as worn by those manning the Lichfield Diocesan Mobile Belfry at Newport Show,
£15. Biff has one lady-fit medium in stock. If you would normally buy small, this is for you.
Sweat shirts £17.50
Rugby shirts £25.
If you supply a garment it can be embroidered for a cost of £6.
SIZING – READ CAREFULLY PLEASE
The polo shirts are pure cotton, wash very well, BUT are skimpy. Biff suggests going up one or even
two sizes on what you would normally select. Available in standard rectangular shape (men or
unisex), quite long in the body; or lady-fit, which is shorter and more shaped. Choose from M,
L, XL, XXL, XXXL.
Sweat shirts are only available unisex: S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL.
Rugby shirts are available in men’s or women’s: S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL.
Photos by Biff Patterson, Edric Broom
Books For Bellringers
Are you looking for some practical, written help for yourself or your tower but don’t know what is out there? If so, Books for Bellringers may be what you need. It is a small collection of books aimed mostly at beginners but with some material for those learning methods. Towers can borrow the collection for a period of up to two months so that everyone has a chance to see what they might find useful. Individuals or towers can order copies of the books using the details in the catalogue supplied.
If you would like to borrow the collection please contact me at: or telephone 01939 291014.
Tower Access Guidance Notes
The Towers and Belfries Committee of the Central Council has produced some guidance notes on the various ways we access towers. The notes cover the condition of stairs and ladders; handholds; lighting; doorways and trap doors; and some potential hazards.
The notes can be found at, and downloaded from, https://cccbr.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/stairways.pdf
Committee Meeting
The next Association committee meeting will be held on Sunday, 15 September 2024.