Our appeal has received a tremendous boost over the past week, firstly with a very welcome donation from East Dorset branch of the SDGR, then the promise of a large Grant from a local company and some very generous donations from individuals. In addition we are now able to claim for Gift Aid on eligible donations given since 7th November. Total funds raised so far amount to £4700. We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to our Appeal.
Christmas celebrations started early when 28 of us met up on 12th December at The Bridge House hotel in Longham for our annual Christmas meal instead of having our usual Thursday night practice. Citilodge did us proud and a good meal was enjoyed by all.
We had a full band to ring for all the services held at Hampreston over the Christmas period including a winter wedding, the candlelit Carol Service, Midnight Communion on Christmas Eve and of course the family service on Christmas Morning.
New Year’s Eve was enjoyed in the Traditional manner with a party and Handbell ringing during the evening before going on to Hampreston to see in the New Year at the church. The bells were rung half muffled to say farewell to 2013 and the New Year was welcomed in with open ringing, mulled wine and bubbly.
£3850 raised so far
We’ve also had a very exciting time appeal wise over the Christmas period and are now over half way towards our target.
We have received cheques totalling £1500 resulting from our Grant applications in addition to the £700 from the LEBRFwhich has been promised on completion of the work
Donations from individuals, ringers and other fundraising activities now come to about £1650
Jack is still making cakes for practice nights and Shirley has been selling Christmas cards and decorated candles for the appeaL
We have also had some private donations as a result of a newspaper article – these came without contact details, so we have not been able to send personal thanks, but we are very grateful!
This was held on Friday 6th December in the Shroton area where we enjoyed an excellent lunch at The Cricketers. Successful quarters of Reverse Canterbury Doubles, Single Oxford Minor and Plain Bob Minorwere scored with Richard, Shirley, Sally, Kathryn and Mike Jenkins all achieving “firsts” See below for details of the Quarters. Check our progress on Campanophile or follow us on this web site. AJ
With get well wishes to our regular treble ringer Christopher P K Smithies who was unable to ring in this quarter due to an accident and thanks to Linda for filling in at short notice.
The Hampreston Quarter Peal Days started in August August 2011 with just a handful of local ringers. The group, now in excess of twenty, meet once a month to attempt up to six quarter peals with the aim of helping us progress with methods, striking and conducting. The obligatory ringers’ pub lunch is always a feature.
Recent quarters vary from firsts in Bob doubles through surprise minor to Stedman triples.We are not 100% successful , but very determined.
Front Row L-R: Tom Harris (2), Linda Japser (1, C) Back Row L-R: Jack Pease (3), Ross Bradley (4), Laurence Turner (5) and Mike Jasper (6)
Congratulations to the Hampreston team for coming joint 3rd in the finals of the Salisbury Guild 6 bell striking competition held at Silton on 26th October 2013.
Paul Tyson, Tower Captain at Canford Magna, celebrated his 60th birthday on 29th October with a well struck quarter peal of Canford doubles at his home tower. It was the first quarter peal of Canford for Paul, Kathryn and Chris and included three of the Canford Magna local band. The Campanophile Entry is reproduced below:
Salisbury Diocesan Guild
Canford Magna, Dorset
Tuesday 29 October 2013 in 44 min (9-2-24)
1260 Canford Doubles
1 Mike Jasper
2 Angie Jasper (C)
3 Kathryn Tyson
4 Paul Tyson
5 Christopher P K Smithies
6 Joseph Baldwin
60th birthday compliments today to Tower Captain Paul Tyson and Canford ringer David Bishton.
1st in the variation: 3,4 and 5.
Circled the tower to quarters: 2
The simulator was purchased in 2009 from David Bagley, after the bells were rehung. It is used for any special practices when we prefer to ring tied, for example on a Saturday morning. Recently, we have been working on spliced quarters of Minor, and using the simulator to practice privately to get to grips with the challenge….
We were delighted to get a call after The LEBRF (Llewllyn Edwards Bell Resporation Fund, the Salisbury Guild fund) trustees meeting on 26th October, to confirm that they have pledged £700, which is 10% of the cost. This is a tremendous boost to our fundraising.
We have made several other requests and are waiting for the decisions to be made in due course. Each charitable trust has a different set of criteria, so it is difficult at this stage to predict what the likely totals of the grants are going to be.
Meanwhile, each week at practice night, Jack has been selling brownies to the band, a group of willing customers which varies between about 14 on a quiet night, to 20 or so.
Another member of the band has been busy making homemade Christmas cards to sell for the appeal.
About £1000 has also been received in private donations.
The bell was originally the fourth heaviest from a ring of five bells cast for Hampreston in 1738 by William Knight, who had a bell foundry in the village of Closworth near Sherborne. The current second and third bells were from this same founder who also cast a ring of five bells for Canford Magna church the following year. The bells were turned and rehung on new fittings in 2003 and it is likely that a flaw in the original casting was the cause of the crack due to the clapper now hitting the bell in a different place.
Our appeal has received a tremendous boost over the past week, firstly with a very welcome donation from East Dorset branch of the SDGR, then the promise of a large Grant from a local company and some very generous donations from individuals. In addition we are now able to claim for Gift Aid on eligible donations given since 7th November. Total funds raised so far amount to £4700. We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to our Appeal.
We were delighted to get a call after The LEBRF (Llewllyn Edwards Bell Resporation Fund, the Salisbury Guild fund) trustees meeting on 26th October, to confirm that they have pledged £700, which is 10% of the cost. This is a tremendous boost to our fundraising.
Hampreston Bellringers 