Four Shires Guild of Bell Ringers

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Recent Mid-Week Monthly Tours

The April outing was organised by Roland Merrick and took us to the Herefordshire/Worcestershire border. The first tower was the 6 (17cwt) at St Edburga's, Leigh. The next tower was the light 5 (4cwt) at St Mary Magdalene, Broadwas.

Lunch was taken at the Nelson Inn, Suckley, after which we ascended the tower of St John's Church to ring on the 6 (12cwt) there. We ended the day on the 8 (14cwt) at St James, Cradley. Thank you, Roland, for organising a lovely outing in lovely countryside. (We never find bad beer on these outings!)

The May outing was organised by Wynne Holcombe. It took us to South Gloucestershire in beautiful Cotswold country. The first tower was St Peter, Dyrham (6, 13cwt), which is situated in the grounds of the magnificent Dyrham House. After Dyrham we travelled to St Peter, Wapley (6, 8cwt), and from there to lunch at the Cross Hands Hotel, Old Sodbury. (This was the Hotel in which the Queen took refuge in December 1981, when a blizzard prevented her car from travelling back to Windsor after visiting Princess Ann at Gatcombe Park. Ed)

After lunch we rang at St James', Horton, where the 6 (17cwt) have recently been restored after many years of being unringable. Our last tower was Holy Trinity, Wickwar, on the 6 (11cwt), after which we had tea and cakes before our journeys home. Thank you, Wynne, for giving us a lovely day out ringing; and it was pleasing to see so many of us there.

The June outing, organised by Peter Olding, took most of us into new countryside in Staffordshire; not the industrial side but the lovely forested side. The first tower was the 6 at Holy Angels, Hoar Cross. At 28cwt, its tenor is one of the heaviest 6-bell tenors in the Midlands. Then we went to the 8 (11cwt) at St Nicholas, Abbots Bromley, where afterwards we had lunch at the Coach and Horses.

The first tower after lunch was Mavesyn Ridware, where we rang on the 8 (9cwt). The next tower was Armitage with its light (4cwt) 6. We ended a lovely day's ringing on the 6 (11 cwt) at All Saints, Kings Bromley.

Thank you, all you Organisers, for some lovely Outings.

Frank Spiers

(Thank you for these reports, Frank. Keep them coming. Ed)