An Interesting Day in Worcester
Saturday 29 October 2011
On 29th October, 21 members of the
Guild of Devonshire Ringers made their way to Worcester, with
the main aim of experiencing the Cathedral Teaching Centre
(right), and
the addition of some other ringing to make up a great day out.
We started at St Swithun’s for some
six-bell ringing, then were shown up the tower at Old St
Martin’s. Here the brand new light ten were tantalisingly close
to being ringable, but the tenor was still at ground level! It
was interesting to see the light ring in their new frame, and
the old bells retained on the next level up, hung dead for the
clock and other chiming; and to contemplate the proximity of a
useful modern installation to a worthwhile conservation of a
traditional ring. Views of the city were taken in from the top
of the tower.
The new ten bells at Old St
Martin's; with Mark Regan (right)
Inspecting the old six bells and the
restored organ at Old St Martin's
After a good pub lunch, it was on
to the main attraction of the day at the Cathedral: eight
dumbbells at a lower level to the ringing chamber and real
bells. These are much larger than Saxilby dumbbells, and give a
handling experience indistinguishable from the real thing. Many
towers have one computer running a simulator, but here there is
a laptop to each ‘bell’, and headphones so 8 people can practice
different methods simultaneously. And we did! We also rang
together with the sound coming over speakers as a ring of 8, and
as the front end of a 12 and even 22. And yet another novelty
was that the connection was changed to a tree-like structure of
real bells in one corner of the room, and the sound of the 8
came from there instead. We were also given tours of the ringing
chamber, big bells and tower roof, mingling with members of the
public who were intrigued by all the ringing activity.
Trying out the simulators
individually, the "bell tree" and the GDR group
| After refreshment in the Cathedral
café, we finished the day with 12-bell ringing at All Saints,
some of the younger ringers getting virtually their first taste
of this. |
Ringing at All Saints
|
Many thanks to Mark Regan, Alison,
the enthusiastic William and several others for making us so
welcome in Worcester. I only wish Devon was a bit nearer and
we’d come more often.
Lynne Hughes.
Photos and videos
by Ian Campbell & Roger King.
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