 MARCH 2004
With Bells on.......?
Just
like Linda and Mike last month I have been asked to do a piece for the
Parish Magazine. I can't tell you what my immediate thoughts were at
that time, except to say they were probably unprintable and my mind
went into overdrive (well there is a first time for everything).
Fortunately,
at the time I was asked, I was in church and had that very morning had
a conversation with Anne Charles as to why the bells were not being
rung for morning service - yet again. So, guess what I'm going to write
about?
Actually, we
have a problem at All Saints. We don't have enough people to ring on a
regular basis. In fact, one of our regular ringers, Tracey, has been
"borrowed" from Aston for many a year and we are very lucky to have
her. Bob hasn't been very well recently, so we are short of a ringer,
and most weeks one or more of us can't ring for one reason or another.
Well, what we
need, I hear you all thinking, is more ringers - obvious really. Well,
yes it sounds simple and was the very suggestion Anne made. Except that
1) it takes months to teach someone to get to a safe standard where
they could ring on a Sunday and 2) we need very experienced ringers who
are able to teach the noble art and Pat and Graham Lay who run our
practice nights are already extremely busy people.
This doesn't alter the fact that we still need more ringers so that we
can ring most Sundays. So, I suppose what I am trying to say
is.........are there people in the village who perhaps have moved in
and are ringers, any lapsed ringers out there who might like to take it
up again, or is there anyone who would like to take up a new hobby? We
don't bite - honestly, and we would find a way of teaching beginners,
if we can find them. I will finish my sales pitch now with a few
well-chosen words from the Vicar of Dibley - Interested in becoming a
bell ringer? Why not come and let us "Show you the ropes" ............
May the bells be with you!
Janet Jackson (Tel 01438 814497)
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