This has been a very busy year, both for the District and for me personally. In the period from April 2014 to March 2015, we have scheduled a total of 18 events, including a very successful and enjoyable ‘Mystery Bus Tour’. I’m still gutted about missing that one!

The District performed exceptionally well in the two Association 6-bell striking contests, with Old Whittington winning the Horsley Cup and Old Brampton winning the Arthur Ashby Cup. Old Brampton were also victorious in the District’s own 6-bell contest, the Newman Cup.

The District’s congratulations go to Dennis Smedley, founder member and Honorary Life Member of the Association and Tower Captain at Creswell. Dennis celebrated his 90th birthday by ringing the treble at Creswell to a quarter peal of Cambridge S Major on his birthday and to a peal of Spliced S Major a few days later. Dennis is a well-loved and respected member of the ringing community, and we wish him all the best.

Two things have been very apparent this year. One is that, with my increasing work and family commitments, I am no longer able to give the time and energy required for the role of Secretary, and will therefore be standing down. The other is that we have a consistent core of ringers who regularly attend all District events – and this is a good thing – but we never get to meet most of the ringers in our District. I think that this is both sad, and somewhat worrying.

I am reminded of one of my former towers – we never went to meetings, unless someone needed to be elected to the Association. We had the impression that the meetings were only for advanced ringers, and that they were cliquey, and didn’t welcome new and less able ringers.

If any of that sounds like your impression of us, please let me assure you that nothing could be further from the truth: EVERYONE is welcome at our District practices and meetings. We love to meet new people, and we enjoy ringing rounds and call changes with a beginner as much as we enjoy the more complicated stuff. Speaking for myself, I can’t ring the complicated stuff, anyway, so it would be nice to have a bit more company at the lower end of the ability scale!

Please, please make it your resolution to come to at least one of the meetings we have planned for you in the coming months. We put a lot of work into organising a calendar that is varied and interesting, and we do it all for YOU, not just for ourselves. We’d love to see you there.