National Youth Ringing Contest & Ringing
World Centenary
March 2011
26th March was a special day for eight
young ringers from Devon, who took part in the first ever National
Youth Contest at St Saviour’s in Pimlico, and produced a very
creditable performance.
St Saviour's, Pimlico; Listening to
other teams ringing
It was six months
ago that plans were first announced for the competition as part
of the Ringing World centenary day in London. Soon after
Christmas the young ringers met for the first of three practices
at the Clock Tower in Newton Abbot. Laurie volunteered to
conduct the call change option which had to include Whittingtons
and Queens, and be at least 160 rows long.
On the day itself the young ringers and
their families gathered at Pimlico, many having already taken a
tour round the Whitechapel Bell Foundry or visited the ‘Inspired
by Bells’ art exhibition in Pall Mall. Central London was
virtually car free due to a traffic exclusion zone for the TUC
rally the same day. A very short ring was achieved down the road
at St Gabriel’s, before returning to St Saviour’s for the
competition. The Devon team were perhaps the youngest present,
with an average age of just 13, and some as young as 10 or 11.
They rang the following bells: Gareth Gill 1, Jasper Hughes 2,
Sam Peck 3, Sophie Hughes 4, Joe Peck 5, Amy Gill 6, Roxy Hughes
7, Laurie Kirkcaldy (C) 8.
Whole group: Sophie, Jasper, Roxy,
Lynne, Gareth, Phil, Amy, Wendy, Sam, Sarah, Joe, Trish, Laurie,
James
The team just after ringing and the
Mum's having their own fun!
The next move was to Westminster where
sightseeing in the Abbey was permitted before the special
evensong. Just about every seat in the Abbey was taken for the
service – a very impressive turn-out of ringers and some hearty
singing.
The final gathering
of the day was a reception in the Methodist Central Hall,
opposite the Abbey. A little over 1,000 ringers gradually filled
the huge room and side rooms, eating cake and drinking tea.
People packed in front of the stage for an address by Jackie
Roberts the Ringing World chairman, a hugely impressive
world-premier performance of change ringing on 24 handbells by a
band including Tom Hinks from Exeter, and last of all the
results of the competition. Comments on the Devon team were that
the front bells were a little rushed at times, but there was a
good basic structure; the handstrokes were very good in Queens;
they finished rather well, and it passed the ‘wedding test’ – it
was of a standard that people would be happy to pay for. No
actual marks were given but teams were grouped C, B, A or
A-star. The Devon team were in the C group with four other
teams; a reflection of the good to excellent standard of all the
twelve teams taking part. Specially produced medals for all
participants were presented on stage by the Master of the
Worshipful Company of Founders.
Receiving medals
After receiving their medals: Amy,
Joe, Sam, Roxy, Sophie, Gareth, Jasper.
Missing: Laurie.
And so the proceedings came to an end
and everyone dispersed to travel home or stay in London for the
night, reflecting on the events of a long and busy day.
Lynne Hughes
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