Acton Bellringing Society

Report for 2014

After the calamity in the autumn of 2013 I am pleased to be a little more positive in my report for 2014.

We started the year with one bell, the sixth, out of action due to a broken gudgeon – the axel on which the bell swings. The bell was made safe in January and I was expecting to go forward with limited ringing on the others. However, thanks to the efforts of the Middlesex County Association & London Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers Bell Restoration Officer, Stephen Jakeman, we were able to bring the sixth bell back into full use. Stephen was able to have made a replacement gudgeon, which was fitted in April. This bell is somewhat easier and smoother to ring now, although the wooden wheel is still a little precarious with a small piece having fallen off at some point during the year!

Indeed, as has been reported previously, the whole installation is on borrowed time and we have been extremely lucky that we have been able to fix very cheaply all the breakages we have suffered.  The next breakage – and given the age of the installation, we are always waiting for the next breakage – may well be more serious and more expensive!

Ringing restarted on Easter Day with a quarter peal on just six bells: demand for ringers at this time meaning that we could not get a full complement of eight. There was then ringing on the remaining first Sundays of the year (except for August), with three more quarter peals scored, one being half muffled on Remembrance Sunday.

There were no peals rung in 2014 but we have already had one in 2015, on New Year’s Day. This took place without incident.  I stood to listen outside for a while during this peal (as it was a visiting band ringing): the bells are not particularly loud so I hope that we do not get any complaints.

I have agreed a programme of ringing for the year ahead, largely comprising quarter peals on the first Sunday of each month (we have already rung one for January), but also with a peal attempt (all being well) in September.

With so little ringing in 2014 there was just £20 of income, and just £3 of expenditure (on light bulbs) and the tower fund balance stood at £1,317 at the year end (2013: £1,300).

James White

Tower Captain

 

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