Tour Pictures and Reports

May 2008 – Wallingford area

October 2007 – Exeter

As we approach, cruise past, or have a fleeting memory of Stir Up Sunday (depending on publication), it seems appropriate to consider a recipe for the ‘perfect tour’.

We will all have different ingredients to add but this cook is a ’rooky ringer’ who has barely lost her ‘L’ plates.

Ingredients:

Venue – St Giles’ Ringers went to Exeter so there was a mixture of town and country.

Good food – Steve and Helen Bennett booked us in to the Hungry Fox for lunch. Our reputation must have gone before us as the portions were huge!

A variety of towers – Some of us rang plain hunt on ten bells for the first time, others rang Grandsire Caters. We rang on boxes at St Mary, Silverton. We practically rang our neighbour’s bells at Rewe. We rang on wonderful bells at St John Baptist at Broadclyst and St Michael, Heavitree.

The last ingredient and one that made the pudding for me, was the welcome at the towers. The gentleman with the key at St. Marks rang at the dedication of the bells in 1951 – miraculously he appeared at Clyst Honiton, as well.

At Broadclyst the church was buzzing with a Christmas Fair and we were offered coffee and pleas to ring as long as we wanted!

Starlings lined the wires to greet us at Silverton and the warmth of the ‘hello’ at Rewe finished the day beautifully.

All these treats would be nothing without the warmth, friendliness and support of all the ringers, old and new, at St. Giles. Every year people who have moved but still want to be part of something special join us!

An excellent meal at the Spaghetti House (no, not that one) in Exeter and ringing at Heavitree on Sunday, all helped to perfect the weekend.

Many thanks to Steve and Helen who mixed it all together; the proof was in the eating.

Overheard in Exeter Cathedral.

“I wonder why it is called ‘Heavitree’”.

“I expect there was a heavy tree there”.

Mmm.

Ruth Hine

I think this was taken at Rewe, the last tower of the day.

May 2007 – Guildford

October 2006 – Cardiff

(picture at Caerphilly)

On Saturday 25^th October, St. Giles Ringers were in Cardiff. Shirley Bassey? Tiger Bay? Cardiff Arms Park? No …

St. Mary, Whitchurch; St. Ivan, Llanishen’s; Christchurch, Radyr; St. Catherine, Pontypridd; St. Martin, Caerphilly.

As tradition dictates the weather was miserable for us but, undeterred, we met at St. Mary’s and enjoyed the eight bells. We are a group of very mixed ability so call changes were rung with Yorkshire and Grandsire.

St. Isan bells were in a tiny ground chamber, many people expressed a desire to take these light six home!

The Tynant Inn at Morganstown had heard that we were coming so an upstairs room was set aside. So huge were the portions that we rolled to Radyr, Pontypridd and the beautiful eight at Caerphilly. By this time the weather and light only allowed us a silhouette of the castle.

The band photo was taken and Joseph Barrett is pictured on his first tour, ably supported by his friends, Jennifer and Michael, parents, grandparents, uncles and cousin, Amy. Chris Phillips takes such good photographs that he is never in the picture!

Matthew and his father welcomed us to Rumney on Sunday, where we helped to ring for the service, and then to Newport, where the band made us very welcome and helped the most inexperienced of us to ring a round on twelve. An amalgamation of Newport and St. Giles acquitted themselves well.

Many thanks are due to Sarah Barrett for organising the tour and to Matthew and Debbie for welcoming us to their patch. We had a grand time!

Ruth Hine

May 2006 – London

If the St. Giles annual outing falls on the Saturday of the Lord’s test match, it’s bound to rain, isn’t it? However, despite leaden skies and unpromising forecasts, the weather stayed dry. The weather was more important than usual, as this year’s tour was by public transport and on foot to London. It was an early start to catch the train at Reading. After innumerable stops we arrived at Waterloo and the first tower – St. John on Waterloo Rd. From there is was through the City, past the Bank of England and St. Paul’s Cathedral (not on the itinerary) to Liverpool Street and the short walk to Christ Church, Spitalfields. These were the best bells of the day – and also the most unusual entrance, going down to the crypt then climbing back up several flights of steps to the ringing room. Lunchtime pizzas were walked off on the way to the final tower, St. Botolph-without-Aldgate. There are a number of displays in the church, including two of the local striking competition trophies. From there it was back to Reading via tube and train – a good day out with no impact on our carbon footprint!

Peter Ellis

Outside Spitalfields.

October 2005 – Derbyshire

May 2005 – South Oxfordshire

At Wanborough in the evening sunshine.

October 2004 – Bath & Bristol

May 2004 – East Berkshire