The Thursday outings continue to be enjoyable and well attended.
The July Outing, organised by Geoff Pratt, kept us in South Warwickshire. The first tower was All Saints, Sherbourne (6, 11cwt), after which we went to the light six (4cwt) at St Peter's, Barford, where the 3rd is one of the oldest bells in the country still being rung full circle (by the Gloucester Foundry, about 1330). Lunch was taken at The King's Head, Wellesbourne, and on its conclusion we rang on the 8 bells (10cwt) at St Peter's there. We ended a pleasant day's ringing at St Peter's, Snitterfield (6, 16cwt).
Ian Thompson organised the August Outing, which again found us in South Warwickshire. Our first stop in the morning was All Saints, Harbury (8, 12cwt), which was followed by St Gregory, Offchurch (6, 14cwt) where two of the bells are by Robert Hendley and dated about 1500. As if to copy the July Outing, we had lunch at The King's Head, but this time at the one in Cubbington. St Mary's bells, Cubbington (6, 10cwt) were put to good use afterwards. The outing finished at St Mary's Church, Stoneleigh (6, 10cwt), where yet another ancient bell was encountered, the 3rd by John Woolley dated about 1525. Warwickshire does seem to be well endowed with ancient bells!
The September Outing, organised by Alan Marks and Brenda Dixon, took us East to just over the Northamptonshire county boundary. The first tower was All Saints, Pitsford (6, 10cwt). All Saints, Brixworth was the next stop, where some slightly heavier metal was sampled (6, 16cwt). To complete the hat-trick we had lunch at - you've guessed it! - The King's Head at Spratton. Afterwards we rang at St Andrew's Church, Spratton, where a Dutch bell (the treble) had managed to infiltrate the otherwise Taylor and Bagley bells. The concluding tower was the 8 (14cwt) at All Saints, Cottesbrooke, where the back six are all by Henry Bagley II dated 1702
Thank you all you organisers for giving us some good days ringing.
Frank Spiers