News - 2005
Engagement
Congratulations
go to Mark Jones and Lucy Weston who recently announced their engagement.
[This should have been included in the last
newsletter but managed to get missed out]
We're still ringing in the middle of the
fields, competing with the sky larks, tractors and the village cricket team for
attention. We have been fortunate in being able to persuade Deryck Jones of
Holy Trinity, Dartford, to help with our practice. It has been fairly regular
event and we're progressing. There are 4 regular learners and a few occasional
learners (life does have a habit of getting in the way) as well as ‘old’ lags
like myself.
The tower was open for the church fete and
many came to admire the displays though not all felt capable of climbing the
tower. We mounted a static (and silent) display at the village fete as an
awareness exercise - most of the houses are too far away to hear the bells. We
did manage to ring for the World War 2 Peace commemoration and all our young
ringers and learners were presented with a coin and medal, with the essential
bells on the obverse, as a lasting reminder.
It was with great sadness that we
celebrated the life of our tower captain, Lyn Briers on August the 19th. Our
thanks are extended to all who came. We are grateful to all those who are
helping us maintain ringing at Ash Tower
Gabrielle Stook
Trafalgar 200th Anniversary Ringing
I am sorry to have to let you know that
Steve Gill, who rang at Sidcup and Cudham died yesterday afternoon (26th
September). The funeral is on Tues 4th Oct at All Saints Foots Cray at 11am.
Ringers welcome I expect something may be arranged for Cudham and/or Sidcup.
Steve was about 70 and used to be a train
driver. He was a very reliable Sunday and wedding ringer. He rang the tenor
mostly, and had done so to a few quarters at Cudham, but we rarely managed to
persuade him to ring inside.
Megan Smith
Foots
Cray ringers get married
Eltham & Chislehurst ringers walk
- from Bodiam to Northiam and
back again
Death of Lyn Briers
It
is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of Lyn Briers, Tower
Captain at Ash-by-Wrotham for many years. Lyn had been suffering from cancer
for some time, and up until the Spring had been able to carry on ringing. She
had been able to celebrate her birthday last weekend, but passed away on
Tuesday 9th August after being admitted to hospital. Our thoughts and
sympathies at this time are with her husband Fred and sons Tom and Frankie, as
they come to terms with her passing.
Although
not currently a KCACR member, she had almost single handedly been keeping
things going at Ash (teaching many to handle a bell) for many years with a
great zest for everything she did. She was loved by all who knew her, and she
will be greatly missed.
In
the announcement to Ash church parishioners, it is written "Lyn was a
passionate believer in bell-ringing, from its missionary call as the voice of
the church broadcasting its call to prayer across the fields and villages, to
its beneficial role in providing health-giving exercise, to its camaraderie and
the pride in achievement in a successful peal. But Lyn's involvement was much
deeper than just ringing. Almost single-handed she has kept the tower ringing
but giving hours and hours of her time in hard, physical maintenance work up in
the belfry. She certainly saved the church many thousands of pounds by getting
overhauls and repair-work done using voluntary labour (usually hers!) and by
carrying out prudent preventative maintenance. Lyn felt that the bells (and the
bell-ringers) were often overlooked in considerations of the church's musical
contribution to its worship, and that the PCC did not always appreciate the
severity of the problems facing the continuation of ringing at Ash, and in this
she undoubtedly had a point. Because the bells (almost) always did ring every
Sunday, and our ringers coped with however many serviceable bells we had at the
time, we all rather took them for granted. now our challenge, and our debt to
Lyn is to ensure that Ash's bells continue to mark our Sunday worship, continue
to ring in each new year and mark the nation's greatest moments."
There is a private family cremation, but a
service to celebrate her life will be held at Ash church on Friday 19th August
at 2pm, to which all are welcome. The bells will be rung "open"
before and after the service.
Alex Britton
Ash-by-Wrotham, Kent
SS Peter & Paul
Friday, 19 August 2005 in 41 mins (9cwt
approx)
1260 Plain Bob Doubles
1
Liz Rolph
2
Geoffrey Mills
3
Rupert Cheeseman
4
Andrew Sinclair
5
Alex Britton (C)
6
Deryck Jones
In joyful celebration of the life of Lyn
Frances Briers (8.8.1946 to 9.8.2005), rung "open" directly after her
memorial service.
Bromley Common Practice Cancelled
There will be no practice at St Luke's,
Bromley Common on 18th or 25th August.
Megan Smith
Page
last updated: 21 January 2008