Outings - Summer 2009

	North Lincolnshire
Saturday 8th  Aug 2009	Thirteen ringers (and a supporter) from St John’s travelled to Lincolnshire on the 8th August.   We were lucky with the weather and, in the main, featured really nice sets of bells that rang well, despite long drafts.  Interestingly no one required a box to ring all day, unusual for ‘height challenged’ St John’s ringers - perhaps Lincolnshire has a policy of low sallys?  All towers were small, but very well cared for and we received a uniformly warm and hospitable welcome from local ringers.  Many of these churches didn’t have a resident vicar, but were part of a group of parishes, sometimes with up to eight other churches in the group.  The number of ringers to bells meant that ample time was available to look round the churches which were very beautiful, inside and out.
	The journey there was largely without problem, the sky becoming ‘bigger’ as we travelled east.  David Williams was navigating for the Elses and they briefly became lost in a farm yard on the way there but as he said, it was in the right direction, merely lacking a road.      We started at Messingham, not easy to find as you couldn't see the church and its low tower from the main road.  A long path through the church yard led to the church and a ground floor ring.  Organ practice was taking place at the same time and it wasn’t clear ‘who put who off’ most.  One of the ringers provided us with tea and biscuits however, which was very welcome after the journey.  Messingham, Holy Trinity (GF) SE890047. 10am – 10.45 6, 9-1-26
	Ringing at Scotter next was rather a treat as there was a wedding arranged for just after our visit.  Again we had a musical accompaniment for our ringing, Cambridge on the bells sounded with the choir as they practiced Faure’s 'Pie Jesu'.  At the vicars signal we ended ringing and then watched over the ringing chamber balcony to see the bride make her way down the isle.  Scotter, St Peter, SE887008. 11.15 – 12 noon. 6, 9-2-15
Lunch	The Fox and Hounds, Gainsborough Road, Willingham by Stow We had an excellent lunch at the Fox and Hounds at Willingham by Stow and then we rang in the village, at St Helens, a big church on a bend in the road.
	This belfry was fully equipped, with a kitchen sink even in the ground floor belfry. Willingham by Stow, St Helen (GF), SK874845. 1.30 – 2.15 6, 12-0-4
	At Upton next in the tour we finally cracked St Helens with its fiendish 'antelope singles' (at the only church in the afternoon not called St Helen).  Here there was a steep, open ladder here that proved something of a barrier, but those who made it all the way up were rewarded with seeing a huge teddy on the spider. Upton, All Saints, SK868867. 2.30 - 3.15 6, 10-3-18
	Lea church, the last ring of the day had a lovely wooden rood screen and here again we were generously provided with tea and biscuits.  A set of very narrow steps led to the tower with lovely stained glass windows, but the bells were a bit 'wobbly' which resulted in a few uncharacteristically missed ropes, unsettling.   Lea, St Helen, SK831867. 3.30 – 4.15 6, 12-3-8
	Apart from St Helens, the other method we were working on was Primrose and unfortunately we didn't perform this convincingly all day, but it was a beautiful day, warm sunshine and much entertainment was gained from spotting Ivor-Williams trailers – honestly!

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