I don’t think the Association has ever had such a high profile year as 2010.  As usual the year started quietly enough with the Annual Dinner in February.  This year the Peak District were hosts.  The venue was at the New Bath Hotel in Matlock Bath.  The Dinner was attended by seventy nine members and guests and entertained by the guest speaker Mr Michael Uphill from London.

The next visitors to the County were Her Majesty the Queen, H R H Duke of Edinburgh and the Court of St James to hand out the Royal Maundy at Derby Cathedral.  The Cathedral ringers and other Association members rang following the distribution of the Royal Maundy, and were even responsible for the Royal Standard!  Congratulation to Frances Hibbert from Chapel en le Frith as she was one of the recipients, for her services to the church.  I know she and the other recipients had a wonderful day.

The AGM was held at St Mary’s, Chesterfield.  During the afternoon ringing took place at Morton and Clay Cross and Old Brampton and Old Whittington with evening ringing continuing at Chesterfield.  The AGM was notable by the retirement of Brian Tomlinson from the role of Bell Repair Fund Treasurer a post he had held for over thirty-five years.  The Association also elected three long serving members as Honorary Life Members – Patricia Halls, John Chadwick and Peter Taylor.

In the middle of May the Association met at Horsley for the six bell contests.  The contest for the Arthur Ashby Cup (call changes) was held at Denby. The judges were Jim and Janet Crabtree.  They placed Etwall first with 229.5 points, with Ashford in the Water runners up with 223.75 points, third Overseal with 208.25 points, Bakewell with 205 points and Old Brampton with 200.25 points.  The Horsley Cup was judged by Andrew Wignell and John Cook.  They placed Derby Cathedral first with 243 points (Cambridge); runners up were Old Whittington 236 points (Norwich); Darley Dale 233 points (Oxford); Tideswell 221 points (Norwich) and Mugginton (Grandsire) 206 points.

At the end of May the Central Council visited Derby for their annual meeting.  The Association laid on a variety of entertainments for the visitors.  On the Friday afternoon a tour around Smiths’ Clock works was organised.  On Saturday there was a tower tour and coach outing, Wirksworth Well Dressing in the rain was wet, damp and miserable!  The evening was rounded off by a beer festival, which included our own brew ‘Olde Clanger’.  On Sunday as well as service ringing in the morning, Taylor’s foundry was opened for tours. A Songs of Praise Service at Melbourne rounded off the afternoon.  The vicar, Rev John Davies, conducted this Service with Association members playing the organ and forming a four-part choir.  In the evening the Association hosted a dinner for Council members, Association members and local Civic dignitaries – Councillor Amir Nath, the new Major of Derby with his daughter; Councillor and Mrs Robin Baldry, chair of the County Council and his wife, and Rt Rev Alastair Redfern, our Patron the Bishop of Derby and his wife Caroline.  The Council business meeting took place on the Monday before the delegates left after a successful weekend.

At the end of June a team from Melbourne with Association members competed in the final of the National twelve bell contest at Crediton where they were placed sixth of the nine teams. At the beginning of July the Association met for the Summer Meeting in the Central District, with ringing at West Hallam, Eastwood and Heanor. 

At the end of July the quinquennial International Scout and Guide camp returned to Chatsworth.  Gill Hughes master minded Association members to assist with the Lichfield mini ring to provide an activity for the youngsters.  One group of American visitors was amazed to see a photo of their home tower, they had not realised there were ringable bells in the tower!

In September the Association were again hosts for the W. W. Worthington Memorial Trophy at Derby Cathedral.  Mr Mark Regan from Worcester was the judge; the competition piece was a plain course of Pudsey Surprise Royal. Four teams were judged with the home team declared the winners ahead of the Nottingham St Mary’s team with Beeston and Leicester also competing. [Note: the webmaster has updated this as the report had the incorrect winners.]

In October the Association met in the Southern District for the District eight bell contest and meeting.  Mr Len Mitchell from Liverpool Cathedral was tasked with the judging of the eight bell contest.  He placed the four teams in the following order:- first Peak ringing Triples with 91%; second Southern John ringing Cambridge Surprise Major 88%; third Chesterfield ringing Triples 87% and finally Southern Alec ringing Triples 71%.  He later presented Richard Taylor, the winning Captain, with the shield.  During the afternoon ringing also took place at Shardlow, Castle Donington and Long Eaton prior to the service, tea, meeting and evening ringing. 

Congratulations are due to the Gordon Halls Ringing Centre which received an Excellence in the Community Award that was presented to Don Jones and Keith Nelson by Councillor Baldry at a ceremony in the Buxton Dome during October.  This followed a chance conversation at the Central Council’s dinner when Don invited the Councillor to ‘have a go’ which he duly did.

Sadly during the year Griffith Lawrence, one of our founder members and Honorary Life Members died, he had been a ringer at Old Whittington for many years.  Also at the end of December, Fraser Mack, one of our newer members, from Ashford in the Water also died.  Our sympathy and condolences to all their families and friends.

Finally, I would like to thank all incumbents and tower captains for the use of their bells during the last year. Also I need to record my thanks to everyone involved in the organisation of the Central Council’s visit, I am sure that were I to mention any one by name I will forget someone so a big thank you to everyone.