QUARTER PEAL REPORT | QUARTER PEALS

This report and its statistics is based upon quarter peals, which have been published in the Ringing World between 02.02.07 and 01.02.08, these are listed at the end of this report. Any quarters rung within the year 2007 and not published within this period are therefore not included and quarters published on or after 08.02.08 can be expected to be included in the report for 2008. Throughout the analysis and report figures in parentheses show the comparable figures for 2006.

The total number of quarter peals attributable to the association is 430 (366). The distribution of quarters through the districts and the number of towers where quarters were rung are shown in the table below.

Since 2003 the total number of quarters rung at towers in the diocese has increased steadily, from 277 in that year to 349 this year. This is mainly the result of activity in the Peak District where there are now two mid-week bands organised by Linda Pelc and Geoff Goodall ringing regular quarter peals together, accounting for 75 of the district total of 159, at 33 different towers including 5 outside the diocese: furthermore, seven of the ten leading ringers and five of the ten leading conductors for the year ring in that district. This level of activity inevitably permeates through the district.

The leading towers in each district together with those where more than 10 association quarters were rung are listed below:

This represents a considerable increase on 2006 when there were 5 towers with ten or more quarters. In addition the handbell band meeting at Belper had 36 (28) and that at Tideswell 15 (4) quarters recorded during the year. The Belper band’s total includes two that were rung non-conducted and in complete silence.

One aspect of our ringing worth examining is how well we as an association achieve, or fail to achieve, our declared objectives; in particular the first objective of the association, which is to promote ringing for services. Whilst some churches specify that a quarter has been rung for a service many do not. Based on the assumption that all quarters rung at churches on Sundays are likely to be for services, in 2007 there were 11 churches in the Peak District, 6 in Central District, and 3 each in Chesterfield and Southern Districts where quarters were rung for services. Perhaps this is in some way a measure of how well we achieve our prime objective.

Ringers

A total of 275 (259) ringers took part in the quarters recorded, an increase of 16 on last year, this is a reversal of the trend of declining numbers of quarter peal ringers from 373 in 2000. There were 13 (14) ringers who completed their first quarter peal: congratulations to all of you, and please ring some more.

It will be noticed that all but two of these new quarter peal ringers are from the northern part of the diocese, once again a reflection of the increased level of activity by committed ringers encouraging training and recruitment and promoting quarter peal ringing.

With the growth of “hobby” quarter peal ringing, the number of people ringing a relatively large number of quarters, and the number of quarters rung by the leading ringers, has increased considerably over recent years. The leading ringers and conductors, those who rang more than fifty or conducted more than ten quarters, are shown in the table below.

A number of personal milestones were reached by members during the year including:

Methods

The most commonly rung method is of course Plain Bob once again but quarters of Grandsire are back to their 2005 level. Cambridge and Yorkshire are the most commonly rung treble dodging methods. Several previously unrung methods were rung for the first time by quarter peal bands and named by them.

Two especially notable quarters that were rung during the year were of Forward Major, at Crich on 11th April, and Scientific Triples, at Derby Cathedral on 24th June.

Alec Humphrey