PEAL RECORDER’S REPORT

As with all facets of ringing, peal ringing activities were largely curtailed after mid-March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, determined handbell ringers made use of gardens and appropriate weather proofing when restrictions allowed so limited peal ringing continued through 2020 with only April and May seeing no peals rung. A total of 48 peals were rung for the Guild and due to the extraordinary circumstances I make no comparisons with the Guild’s peal ringing history. I joked last year that this year would be a somewhat easier report to write but this wasn’t quite what I had in mind.

I must thank Andrew Craddock for sharing the statistics generated by PealBase, allowing me to cross-check the Guild’s records. I would also like to thank all those conductors and organisers who submit details, compositions and fees within the one month deadline specified by the Guild rules. Please may I remind conductors that we do require all compositions in full and the easiest way to achieve this is submitting the figures to BellBoard. As noted in previous years, I can take peal fees electronically and I am pleased to say that an ever increasing number of conductors have taken up this facility.

Tower Bell Peals

20 Tower Bell Peals were rung during 2020, the last being on 9 March, and 7 of these were in a week in February for the annual St Agatha’s peal festival. It will be no surprise, therefore, that St Agatha, Portsmouth was the leading tower during 2020 and those ringers and conductors involved with this feature heavily on the prolific lists.

1 member rang their first peal for the W&P during 2020 and the Guild Officers would like to extend their congratulations to Derek Stewart. There were a small number of other personal milestones reached with Steve Russ achieving his 550th peal and 200th for the Guild.

The first peal on the newly augmented ring of 6 at Northington was scored in March, just before ringing was curtailed.

In January a peal was rung at Godshill in thanksgiving for the life of Peter Smith, President of the Isle of Wight District.

A peal was rung at Bishopstoke in February as a compliment to Roger Savory, Guild Master 1968-1977, on his 90th Birthday. Sadly Roger passed away one month later in USA where he had lived for many years.

There is also one late peal to report, Yorkshire Surprise Royal rung at Carisbrooke on 21 December 2003 which was published in the Ringing World in November 2004 but has never appeared in the Guild Records. This will be recorded as peal 9658a as per precedence for such occasions. My thanks go to Tony Smith for bringing this to my attention.

Handbell Peals

28 Handbell Peals were rung for the Guild during 2020. Gareth Higgs rang his 1000th peal in a handbell peal of Plain Bob Major at The Clock House Awbridge in September and I offer my congratulations for achieving this milestone. John Croft also rang his 1000th peal for the Guild in a peal at Jubilee, New Alresford in January.

The first peal for the Guild following the first national lockdown was at The Clock House Awbridge in June. Members of the Bishopstoke local band scored a peal of Plain Bob Minor in hand rung socially distanced in the garden.

A handbell peal was also rung at Awbridge in September in memory of Geoff Dodd of Highclere.

A peal of 23 Spliced Surprise Major was rung in hand at Little Creed Cottage Bosham, W Sussex. This is now the most Spliced Surprised Major methods for the Guild in hand. Similarly, the record length of Surprise Major in hand was also broken twice within 5 weeks. 6272 Superlative Surprise Major was rung for the Guild in Campton, Beds on 3 November and 7360 Yorkshire Surprise Major was rung also at Bosham on 5 December.

Edd Colliss