The Gordon Halls Ringing centre

Eckington

The Centre continues to be used regularly by a small number of members for monthly plain method sessions held on Saturday mornings.  Throughout the year tied practices were held most Monday evenings, although these have now lapsed as the take up has petered out. For the latter months of the year, in their place, there have been monthly Stedman practices.  During the year the Centre has also hosted a number of whole tower practices where the band have held their practice at Eckington to make use of the simulator and other facilities.  The Centre has become the main venue for multi tower training days for both the DDA and the Sheffield branch of the Yorkshire Association.  In 2004 both these events were held during November and plans are already in place to hold similar days during 2005.  From the feedback I have received both events were particularly well received.  The DDA one attracted around 50 students and with helpers the number involved on the day was nearer 100.

The DDA Education Committee has agreed to run a bi monthly series of courses based at the Centre throughout 2005.  These will be for named methods; dates have been set for the first four.  These are all Sunday afternoons between 2.00 p.m. and 4.30 p.m., the dates being 24th April, 19th June, 18th September, 13th November.  The first 2 courses will be Stedman Triples followed by St. Clements.  Look out for further information or contact a member of the Education Committee to book a place on these courses.

This is your facility and includes as well as the simulator a camera mounted above the bells to show the relationship between what happens at the rope end and in the belfry. It also has a digital video camera, which allows ringers to be filmed to analyse style and handling faults, invaluable in the early days of bell handling.  The planned dumb bells are taking longer to organise than first envisaged, although it would seem that once completed they will be to a unique design hopefully to be the envy of most. 

A website is currently being developed which will give details of courses available together with more details of what goes on, look out for a link to the site from the DDA web pages. If in the meantime you would like to know more about what goes on, would like to arrange a tower visit or just want to come along yourself to try out the simulator or other equipment contact me by phone or email.

Don Jones