Outings - Summer 2017
1st July 2017
10.00-11.00 Stow Minster, St Mary, Grade I, 8, 9-2-0 in G, Taylors, Harrison II, Oldfield I, Walkers.
Betjeman: An impressive pre-Conquest church. It is!
‘In the tower is a ring of eight bells, the earliest being mid-sixteenth century. Some of the bells were recast and a new frame was built by John Taylor of Loughborough in 1888. The ring was augmented from six bells to the present eight in 1998 by the addition of two lighter weight bells, with four of the existing six re-tuned. The two oldest bells retain their primitive tuning. A Sanctus bell was also hung.’
Stow people clearly thought their bells far superior to those of their neighbours, whence the old rhyme:
Martons Cracked Pancheons
And Torksey Egg Shells
Saxilby Ding-Dongs
And Stow Mary Bells
After taking in the atmospheric
interior, with a fine set of Ringers
rules, with trusty Pevsner in hand: ‘Bishop Remigius (de Fecamp - first
Bishop of Lincoln and mate of William the Conqueror) found the church
ruinous and rebuilt much’ we ascended the many dusty uneven steps to a
Dickensian looking, dark chamber with small mullioned windows and ropes
sporting dusky Emerald green sallies. Spiders had spun their webs
densely around the abandoned ‘spider’.A stirring pace was set, attempting to raise in peal segueing into call-changes. Mention of St Remigius set the stage for some exploration of new (to me) methods (St Osmund with places) – enlarging the mixed doubles selection. This was followed by Plain Bob Minor with Rob G trebling, Grandsire, Stedman Triples and Plain Hunt for our welcome guest Daisy.
St Helen, Lea, Grade I, 6, 12-3-8 in F#, John Taylor & Son
Steps - few but steep & narrow to a small, light first floor white washed chamber with sallies of refreshing raspberry red. Call changes from me - 20 all over / Around the clock or as I have renamed it – the Daisy chain in honour of our guest. Gill conducted a touch of Bob Minor and Peter’s ever imaginative take on plain hunting first on 6, then 5, then 4, then 3, two dodging then enlarging back to 6 proved very entertaining. All this washed down with Double Oxford and a touch of Stedman. Time for a pint and sustenance…
The Half Moon & the Fox and Hounds, Willingham by Stow
The Upton Chippy option was shelved in preference for partially retracing our route to The Half Moon with its adjoining Grafters Brewery. BUT – The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, / Gang aft agley... all had closed - only recently reopened sans Brewery and not serving food! Oh, for up to date websites! Nick, Robyn & I enjoyed a pint as the others headed off actioning Plan B: Lunch at the Fox & Hounds up the road around a civilised Arthurian table arrangement. We joined the rest for lunch - on the doorstep of our next stop…
St Helen, Willingham by Stow, Grade II, 6, 12-0-4 in G, John Taylor & Co
An
idyllic exterior setting belied a subdued interior - a ground floor
ring with sallies of full bodied claret fitting the kitsch Victoriana
around. Another keeper of the ‘spider’. This time chancing upon a Teddy
Bear’s Picnic! Rounds & call changes and Stedman were the
highlights here.
All Saints, Gainsborough, Grade 1, 8, 19-1-24 in E
On the tree-lined approach to
the 15th.c West tower portal there was
little sign of ‘unspeakable degradations in the churchyard’ committed
by gypsies, marauding dogs and children. The churchyard…unkempt and
‘resembling a jungle’ that Victorian reports tell us of. Today the
church rises from a pristine lawn, somewhat antiseptic. (Pevsner)The main body of the church was rebuilt in Classical style in 1736, modelled on St Martin in the Fields in London, making for a curiously interesting architectural hybrid. Steps up to a first-floor ring were few but steep, opening onto a vast Chamber – airy and flooded with sunlight through a large leaded west facing window.
Ringing had an otherworldly
quality, what with very elastic hemp ropes
– with nautical blue & mustard sallies (well Gainsborough was a
port). The long draught made the bells sound ethereal.Both Elaine and
myself felt and heard the‘chilled out’ sympathetic
syncopated dub
double bass notes from the treble and fourth – unexpected sophisticated
louche lounge muzak – only things missing were plush sofas and a
cocktail. The highlight? Plain Bob Major.Whilst we were enjoying Gainsborough, the YACR Sheffield ‘Out of Branch’ meeting had struck up across the Trent at Epworth St Andrew Grade 1,8 in F, Tenor 16-3-16, John Taylor & Co. We now joined them for their second leg & our grand Finale…
All Saints, Belton in Axholme, Grade 1, 6, 11-0-13 in G, Taylor, Hedderly, Oldfield I, Mears
Ascending virtually a ladder up to a claustrophobic chamber with staged risers through a trap door sporting ropes of standard red, white and blue. Ladies sitting around the edge while had hauled the bells up in peal. Curtain up on bell ringing as (blood) sport…
Oh boy! Could one smell the testosterone fuelling the barbed banter? It was fun to observe a fouled-up Stedman (a wry and weary smile from the conductor as she called it round), a Bobbed course of Cambridge (with a single?), which set the chaps at each other again, albeit with jovial (I think?) baiting. A largely well struck London Minor – Instructive to watch and follow but it felt like a ‘Ladies’ excuse me’ followed by their exit, hearing one damsel utter ‘I’ve done my bit now’, leaving mostly Gents to their lowering devices. No whisky & cigars offered though – most remiss, me thinks. Strange atmosphere that – like arriving at a dinner party where the hosts seem to have had a recent minor domestic. However, hospitable help and support were on hand - if only I’d not chickened out of the Cambridge. Still, there’s always next time.
Thanks to Gill for organising.
Tony