Conductor's turn to make excuses tonight. She thinks she deserves a break from this lot! So, beginners are left to Lynne's tender mercies, and the main team respond, occasionally, to whoever shouts loudest - usually Molly!

Poor Steve is beginning to regret being a treble. ("I don't get shouted at like this in tenors.") ' Don't be such a wimp! Don't look at the bells! Follow the music! Count, count can't you!' You definitely need to be made of stern stuff to play sandwiched between 3rd and 4th treble elbows and with 1st and 2nd treble yelling instructions too. But we've every faith, he'll get there.

Conductor is back from her holiday, which must have done her good. She's so laid back as to be almost horizontal! Impressed at how we've slapped Steve into shape whilst she's been away. (Steve's still not so sure, but he's getting the hang of answering back. He's definitely an Ecclesfield ringer!)

As well as pieces for Grassington we have to practice for our 'centenary' celebrations. Something old, something new, something we've been practicing on and off for 20 years and never got to give it a public airing! We WILL play it (or Rosie will take it home and never arrange another piece). Conductor's quote of the week: "Try not to talk and we'll hear what comes out". Some hope! How do we ever get to play in a concert?

Back to normal - two ringers missing. Thank goodness for enthusiastic beginners. That even includes Steve, who is now in at the deep end and having to prove he's learned something as he hasn't got Maureen covering him! Lynne must have understudied every place in the team at one time or other; we don't half work her hard.

Forgot to mention last week that the bass players staged a lightening 'strike' and refused to play for a whole two minutes, and now they're giving grief for not getting column inches here! Can't even remember exactly how we upset the prima donnas. (This might shut 'em up - but wouldn't bet on it.)

Whilst looking for advertising for our 'Centenary' Hazel has found someone who actually wants us to play a concert. Of course it's in December. Why can't we persuade the paying public that a bell team is not just for Christmas! (We can play something other than carols.)

Darren's back. He actually dared to cut his HAND last week - call himself a handbell ringer? So he found himself 'doubling up' this week with Phil from Dronfield Handbell Ringers who decided he was brave enough to join our practice.He's one of a 'scratch' team from NE Region who will be playing at the national rally in Glasgow next month. Phil normally rings '4 in hand', so thought he ought to have more 'off-the-table' practice. Poor, misguided fool if he thought he'd get any help from us!  "You don't compromise much for beginners do you?" Here's hoping we never have to learn '4-in-hand'. Vengance, no doubt, will be swift and terrible.

Hazel has found an old piece of music which was a competition 'set piece' that the Ecclesfield team played at Belle Vue in 1911, so she says. She thinks it will be good to play it at our centenary. We can't see it winning any prizes in 2004!

Lynne's having another personality crisis; she's got to be Rosie this week. (Yes it's Football 1, Handbell Ringers 0.) Much to Steve's relief, he wasn't the only treble struggling and could blame someone else for the mistakes.

Question of new covers was raised, again. Tentative plans for a shopping expedition after Easter were made. Will this come to fruition? Wait and see.

Getting grief from outside the team now! Phil - from Dronfield - is complaining he didn't get enough credit for his efforts. 

To: ringers@ecclesfieldhr.fsnet.co.uk
Subject: Web diary

You didn't say Philip manage ok despite getting no instruction!!!

A FOUR IN HAND BELL RINGER

OK Phil, it wasn't bad. (And that's praise enough from Ecclesfield!) Judges will be in Glasgow though not Ecclesfield. Will anyone realise you're 'faking it' as an off-table ringer? Jury's still out.

(If we're going to start getting into discussions we'll have to consider a 'guest book'. Help! Getting this far with a web site was bad enough. Still it would nice to know someone's reading this rubbish

Relatively quiet practice tonight. No Steve! No Sue either, so Lynne's had another change of identity.

This competition piece is proving hard work. One part calls for five treble ringers, so conductor is drafted in. Normally quiet, Maureen D now starts complaining. "You're putting me off! Can't you ring some other bells and stand somewhere else?"

Material shopping may be on hold. We have to send representatives to Parish Council meeting on the same said night if we want the grant we've applied for. We have to get the money before we can spend it! Usual surfeit of volunteers. Ha!

Let's have a quick race through 'Caliph' and go home. It never fails to please.

Quotes of the week:-

Rosie: "Can we play this slowly ?"     Eh? Come again?

Rosie: "If we now have a spy in camp, I'm going to keep my mouth shut"  Yeah, OK!

Hazel: "Have you got an F in 40?"   Oops! Say that again!  

We've actually sorted out two separate delegations for shopping and begging. We'll have to see who is most successful.

Hazel, Rosie and Rachael are off to Glasgow this weekend representing us at  Nationlal Rally. Hope they manage to stay sober and perform well in the NE Region 'scratch' team. Best of Luck!

Well, we let them out to go to Glasgow on our behalf and what happens? (See 'news flash' at top of page.) No doubt all the gory details will come out in time.

Team's a bit thin on the ground again this week. Time for Molly to knock Steve about again. (Four to a bar is OK but will he ever learn to count to 6?) Maureen decided to play at being a tenor and left him to sink or swim.  Still, there are 3 more practices before Grassington. Plenty of time!

Shopping delegation have actually chosen and ordered some material for new covers, then couldn't stop and looked at new uniform colours too! Rumour machine suggests that the 'begging' group also had some success (although we've yet to see the money) - just as well if we're going to get decisive and spend!

Two months ago, you may remember, it was suggested we record a video for HRGB reps to take to Toronto this summer. Rosie has been co-ordinating dates for team, hall, and technicians. And the only common date is......THIS SUNDAY!! Have we practised anything? 'Course not! Nil desperandum. It'll have to be 'Caliph', and if they really want 'Bellringers March' well so be it. ("Can't we mime to the CD?")

Pity we haven't got new covers yet. However, material is now purchased and has been bundled off to 'willing' supporter who has 'volunteered' to make it up - hopefully in right shape.

 Re Centenary celebrations: Lynne has been persuaded to use her artistic talents to design a 'posh' ticket for concert. Can't have the usual cheap card rubbish. Archives are being gathered for display in afternoon. Advert has gone out in local paper to round up ex-ringers. Just hope someone turns up after all this effort.

Quick catch up. So little time - so much to do. (Has anyone missed the last few weeks? Is anyone reading this anyway?)

Video recording came and went. Heaven knows what the the rest of the world will think. We were actually very formal!

Grassington's been and gone. Conductor was in Cyprus; Rachael had a last minute crisis and couldn't ring so we had to borrow two Beverley Town ringers to replace her; (thanks!) Steve was quite relieved 'cos no-one noticed his bum notes. (He actually did rather well - even Teddy Bears' Picnic!) And the sun shone all day, as usual.

Preparations for 'Centenary' now a priority. Getting requests for tickets before we've got them printed. Posters need designing (good old Lynne.) and printing (Molly?) and putting up (Jean?). Display material needs collating and mounting, ( OK Judith?)

'Willing' volunteer has put scissors to material for new covers. They might be ready - and fit - for July 17th!

For good measure, we've actually tried to practise a bit while conductor is sunning herself. Woe betide her if she dares complain when she gets back.

Message from conductor, just back from holiday:

Not long now before our 'big event'!

The 'B-ringers', (as Lynne has christened the erstwhile beginners - she reckons they've been at it long enough now!) are actually getting quite good. And that's praise indeed from Ecclesfield. Pity they haven't got 10 ringers. Who else can we recruit?

Concert team not up to full strength as usual. Steve now chancing his arm as a bass ringer. If he thought Molly was a demanding mentor wait until he's had a few hours of James!! Rachael seems like a pussycat in comparison.

Another offer of a performance has had to be declined. When will we ever get chance to show off the fruits of all this practicing.

Julie (willing volunteer) brought new covers tonight to check for size. The B-ringers got a preview and thought they looked great! She has also designed an embroidered music stand cover but won't have time to do all seven(?) before July. Any more volunteers? Sheila's keen, don't know about anyone else.

Julie has finished covers, thank goodness, as she has now been forced to de-camp to Australia for 5 weeks! Family problems. The lengths some people will go to to avoid listening to us ring! This does mean we have to finish the embroidery ourselves! Help! Well, she's left patterns and instructions (and threats if we don't do it right). Fingers crossed.

Rosie is in Portugal - football again! Do we want England to win, and then she'll be there until final is over? Or do we want England to lose, and she can come back to practise? Decisions, decisions.

Tickets for centenary not going as well as expected. Still more people to contact

Rosie still in Portugal!

Steve still being a bass ringer (mind you, he has moved one place further away from James!

Embroidery contest hotting up!

A number of past ringers coming out of the woodwork. But will they turn up on the day?

England lost! Boo! But Rosie's back! Hurrah!

Ringing seems to be taking a back seat to arrangements for centenary. (A quick run through will have to do!) Is this the Ecclesfield team we know and love? They actually seem quite focused and team-like? If no-one turns up for this event at least we'll have a good time. We can reminisce over all the exhibits at leisure, eat all the cakes, and get to have a good ring for fun!

August already. Where did July go?

Well the Centenary took up most of the month either in preparation or recovery. It came and went in whirl of activity, no time to write diaries.

 But what a great day we had. The Gatty Hall was decorated with balloons and banners by long-suffering band of supporters. Chairs, tables, stands were heaved around. The exhibition looked super. (Well done Hazel, Judith and everyone else.) The table cloths and newly finished music stand covers were so smart. And, lo and behold, after a slow start, visitors actually turned up! Past ringers from far and wide all came to relive their ringing days. Stories were swapped, acquaintances renewed, music from the bottom of the basket requested. Surprise, surprise. "Hey, I can still do this." "Can we do it again?" Could I have a go at this piece?" At 5.00pm some of 'em still wouldn't go home - and we had to transform the hall yet again into a concert venue. (More chairs and tables to shift!)

After all the initial worry about slow ticket sales in the end  we had squabbles over who had tickets and who didn't. The performers sitting at the back had to give up chairs to paying audience! We couldn't have squeezed a single extra chair in anywhere and it was standing room only.

What else is there to say? It just went like a dream! Thanks to everyone involved - ringers, guests, helpers, audience alike. Hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did. And if you missed it - well hard luck. I don't think we can do it again! But you might be lucky and get a copy of the official video. (Thanks Andrew.)

Ah well. Back down to earth and the old routine. What's next? Oh yes, the Ecclesfield Gala in the Park. That'll be September then?

Well, that's August gone as well.

Holidays have been and gone, and so has all the practise time. Who decided we would 'Sing & Ring' for the Gala? This is Ecclesfield you know? How is we can ring the most complicated classical stuff and yet not manage a few old songs? ("It's only got crotchets and minims, not a quaver in site! What's the matter with you" said Lynne.) We think it's 'cos it's got proper words, not one, two, three, like we know. Anyway it might rain and we'll be reprieved!

Have just managed to see through the video of Centenary Concert. Thanks again Andrew, it was really good. (And we weren't too bad either!)

September's nearly done and the days are getting too short. What's been happening?

Well, The Gala went quite well. The weather was gorgeous and it didn't rain at all. The ringing was so-so. Why is ringing out-doors so difficult? Not only the written music but the sound flies away somehow; and sound systems are never quite right. But we did OK, and helped in the raising of over £5000 for the 'Macmillan'  Cancer care appeal.

Ringers have been a bit thin on the ground this month. Where are you all? Practices have been somewhat patchy; some have been ill, in hospital, had family problems, or simply disappeared; even the conductor decided she deserved another holiday! We still managed to put on a reasonable performance for our visitors from the Cambrian Society this week. Well, they said they enjoyed it anyway! We'll have to get it together before the Autumn Rally at Scarborough. (But then again, why break the habits of a lifetime? We could just be rubbish at the rally as usual.)

We still haven't made the most decision of the year. Where shall we go for our Christmas Dinner? Don't know if anyone will have back a second time! Good excuse for another argument, ( sorry - discussion).

Nearly forgot - we have found a new 'Bringer'! Read 'Meet the Team' for details.

Last Saturday was the Autumn Rally Scarborough. Despite a depressing weather forecast the sun actually shone for most of the day. The lunch in the pub followed by the walk down to the beach and back up and around the castle made the trip worthwhile. The ringing could have been better, but, as usual, we did have two ringers short. Hazel and Steve did their excellent stand-in job though. For Rachael it was pay-back time! Beverley were also a ringer short so she had to stand in there, returning the favour owed from Grassington!

Who dared to mention Christmas this week? Oh no! We can't get the carols out yet!  Well, no we can't, but we must decide what other pieces to play on our concert. What haven't we played recently? Erm?

Why are practices so dull this month? Too many people ill, tired or just fed-up. It's also a bit of an anti-climax after all the build up to Centenary celebrations, I think. Where do we go from here?

We may have got yet another new 'Bringer'. Don't want to frighten her off yet. Watch this space.

Another chaotic practice last night. Conductor cried off with a bad back! What has she been doing? Weekend in Scarborough is just too much excitement at her age, we think. It'll have to stop!

Poor 'Bringers' were left to Molly's tender mercies this week. Will they all turn up again?

Tried to make some last minute arrangements to team for Christmas schedule. Bass is in turmoil at the moment. Perm any three ringers from five and do we have a team for each engagement? Maybe. But what can they play? Let's decide, quickly, before Hazel comes back.

Well, there goes another month. It's getting hard to think of anything new to write. Nothing very eventful is happening, or nothing too good anyway.

Team is very unsettled. Eileen has said she wants to quit, due to ill-health. (We told her she wasn't allowed to resign, she can only be sacked!) Darren's not sure if he wants to continue ringing. (He thinks he's done it all now!) Sue is having some time off. (nursing sick husband Tony). Potential new 'Bringer' has given up (can't stand the pace!). Judith is having trouble getting to practices at the moment (can't drive for medical reasons). It will be a achievement if we get a full team together for Christmas engagements. One step forward and two back, as usual.

The good news is, that having tried playing in tenor and bass, John was 'promoted' to being a treble at last 'Bringer' practice. This is the guy who couldn't read music! Either he was lying or Hazel has worked some magic. He was really quite good! (That's praise enough, it'll only go to his head.)

We've succumbed to playing Christmas carols at last. Lynne and Steve are having to catch up fast.

At least the Christmas Dinner outing has been sorted. We always get our priorities right!

"And so this Christmas, and what have you done?"

Well, we went to Thundercliffe Grange to to perform for the local Historical Society. Despite the smoke from the enormous log fires, which made all eyes stream so we couldn't read the music; and despite the trebles complaining they were roasting by the fire, and the bass moaning they were freezing by the open window (to let all the smoke out!), we managed a reasonable performance. The mince pies and mulled wine weren't bad either.

A few days later and it's off to Burley-in-Wharfedale for the NE Region Christmas Concert. Out comes all the gear, foam, covers etc. "What's that smell? Is someone having a bonfire?" No, it's just us and the smoke from Thundercliffe Grange! It'll take months to get rid of the smell. But, a good concert all the same. Shame it wasn't a bigger audience.

Then it's our concert at the Gatty. Same band, same choir, same us, much the same music, and even the old faithful audience squashed in somehow. We get to have a good sing and everybody loves it! Well, it is Christmas, and 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. We'll probably do it all the same again next year.

We then get a week free of engagements. But on the Monday comes the sad news that Tony, Sue's husband, has died. He's been very ill since the summer but this is still a shock. On Tuesday night we have to play a concert with the Barnsley Building Society Band. As well as being one of our staunch 'backroom crew', Tony was also very involved with the band. It's hard to be cheerful but we all, band and bells, play our hearts out. A tribute to a lovely man who will be very sadly missed.

Next comes our Christmas Dinner at a local pub. Although a relatively recent innovation, it seems to have become a firmly established ritual in our calendar. As does winning the after dinner quiz, much to the chagrin of the regulars. "Oh no, they're 'ere again!"  We scooped the cash 'jackpot' this year which, by a unanimous decision (and that's a first!) was donated to the charity collection in Tony's memory.

And suddenly, it's Christmas Eve. In past years we have sometimes rung for half an hour in St Mary's, Ecclesfield, prior to the 'Nine Lessons and Carols' service, but this year the vicar asked if we would ring one of the carols as part of the service as well. So having had to stay for the service, we packed bells away in the pouring rain and took up Hazel's(?) invitation to Molly's house for supper and drinks!

Today we joined Sue and her family and scores of friends to say farewell to Tony.

It's been a funny old Christmas.