Dear all,
As the evenings start to draw in, here’s the November edition of the latest news from your Lewisham District…
Annual District Meeting
Thanks to everyone who supported the ADM at Chelsfield in October – it was great to see such a strong turnout, with 29 members and friends producing plenty of good ringing on bells that aren’t the easiest to strike well. The meeting itself was fairly uneventful, with no contested officer elections for 2023-24:
| Chairman | David Holdridge |
| Secretary | Svetlana Sokolova |
| Ringing Masters | Ruth & Nigel Pointer |
| Youth Officer | Becca Hardy |
| Training Officer | Tom Hinks |
| District Reps | Peter Norwood & Svetlana Sokolova |
| Membership Secretary | Rupert Cheeseman |
| 120 Club Administrator | Liz Morris |
Draft minutes are available here. The service was thoughtfully led by Rev Michael Gentry, with the organ expertly played by Graham Long. The end-of-service organ voluntary was particularly memorable – who know that Harvest tunes and the Bellringer’s Hymn could produce such a seamless medley?!
Upcoming events
The next District event is an open practice on Saturday 11th November at SS Peter & Paul Farningham, 2.00pm – 4.00pm. All welcome.
Please make sure you also have the date for the Christmas Social in your diary – Saturday 16th December at Beckenham. All are welcome – open ringing from 3.30pm onwards on the heaviest ring of ten in the London Borough of Bromley, to be followed by mulled wine, Christmas tunes and treats in the church. No doubt the local hostelries and eateries will welcome visitors afterwards!
ART M1 course
We’ve been asked by the County team let everyone know that they are hosting an ART M1 Training Course at Staplehurst on Saturday 9th December, details are on the ART Events Website. This course being is aimed at both those who already teach bell handling and want to update their skills, and those who have never taught anyone to handle a bell before. KCACR have offered to pay the £25 tutoring fee for KCACR members; soup and sandwich lunch will be available at £5 per head on the day.
Firsts and Footnotes
October’s peal highlights, from BellBoard:
Many congratulations to Becca Hardy on ringing her first peal, Yorkshire Major at Beckenham. David Hilling circled the tower at Eynsford, Nathan Evans completed his 100th peal and Farnborough bells had their 50th peal rung on them.
A fairly quiet month on the quarter peal front, but well done to Charlotte Elvers on completing her first Triples and her first Major, both rung on the same day at Farnborough. Rupert Cheeseman circled the tower as conductor at Ash-by-Wrotham.
Quarters were rung at Chislehurst and Chelsfield to mark the first services by their new clergy members following the Ordination service at Rochester. Happy birthday to Charlotte Elvers, Fiona Byers, Oscar Brooks-Wilkins, Rupert’s sister Melissa and Andrew Sinclair’s brother Matthew. Happy Silver (ringing) Anniversary to Ross Hartley and Rhiannon Meredith. The annual weekend of peals remembering our friend and former District member Tony Lewis, who died in 1999, included tower bell successes at Eltham, Bromley and Sidcup, and one on handbells, also in Bromley.
That’s all
Thank you for re-electing us at the AGM and asking us to look after your District for another year. You can contact us any time by email . We hope to see you at Farningham or Beckenham, or elsewhere, very soon.