waiting for the boat at Ilfracombe
But pay no heed to scurrilous tales from your reporter: Grenville College proved an excellent base for yet another most enjoyable Guild Week. The churches in North Devon are often very fine, internally most notable being the many surviving mediaeval or Tudor rood screens, and externally the lofty granite towers are spectacular. Many contain excellent rings of bells, two I particularly recall being the eight at Witheridge and the grand six at Hartland. This being however the heart of Devon call change territory, scientific ringers must beware of tail ends five feet longer than they are used to. The joining instructions for the week had advised that several stout rubber bands should be brought to counter this hazard: I am not sure however that many in attendance were any the wiser at the end of the week than they were at the beginning as to their exact mode of employ.
Peal attempts during the week proved mostly successful with losses only at Chittlehampton and on handbells (several times in different methods and by different bands). The losses might have been greater in number had the conductor's early loss of memory at South Petherton not managed to negotiate the stipulation that the maximum time allowed to a false start was half an hour. Two curious decisions were however made: one by Tim Watt that he really wanted to do for his birthday was to ring behind for Grandsire Doubles - the other by the entire band at Kilkhampton being that pure pleasure is achieved in Bristol by employing calls at full and half lead such that four bells are imprisoned together for a minimum of half an hour before one of them is allowed to go off and pla y with anybody else. Perhaps softening of the brain brought on by this ecstasy occasioned the lunchtime request in the local hostelry by a younger participant for a pint of milk. The shock that reports of this gave to more mature members can well be imagined, and I noted that very evening that although off the beer on doctor's orders the President had substituted double whiskies made up with water to a pint as a sufficiently healthy alternative.
Featured during the week was a trip over to Lundy Island, and a number of members joined us specially for the day. Unfortunately the weather was not good but we did manage to get ashore despite the 40% chance of failure given to us on departure from Ilfracombe. Two out of three quarters were successful on the very pleasant eight, where I noted that the prime mover in the building of St. Helena's church was the splendidly named Revd. Heaven. The return journey was rather rough with not a few of the party looking a little green round the gills, and interest was added by the loss over the side of a senior member's Morisco Tavern lunch.
waiting for the boat at Ilfracombe
The week's programme also included a 'Devon-style' striking competition, i.e. with a judged rise and fall. Whilst most other details have fled the mind the President's thoughtful presentation to the wooden spoon team of deep fried Mars bars all round was I think a tour-de-force.
Well done to Tim Watt. Our many hearty thanks for an excellent week,
and especially for the most companionable atmosphere generated by the 'Cava
Watt' available at a most reasonable price with our evening meals.
This page created by Philip Saddleton
Last updated 17 January 2001