As usual our first activity was our Annual Dinner this year hosted by the Central District at Horsley Lodge. Seventy six members and friends enjoyed the fayre and we were entertained by the guest speaker Mr. Robert Smith who regaled us with tales from the belfry and afterwards by Mr. Pete Castle a folk singer from Belper.
The AGM was held in the Southern District at Derby Cathedral. During the afternoon we had a choice of routes into the City with ringing taking place at a variety of towers - West Hallam, Breaston, Ockbrook, Ticknall, Derby St Peters and Derby St Luke's before ringing at the Cathedral prior to Evensong, tea and the meeting.
The Summer Meeting saw us in the Peak District. Afternoon ringing took place at Elton and Stanton in Peak followed by the service, tea, meeting and evening ringing at Darley Dale.
The Chesterfield District hosted the October Meeting and 8-bell contest. Afternoon ringing took place at Pleasley and Clay Cross. The contest was at North Wingfield followed by service, tea and meeting. Evening ringing continued at Scarcliffe.
The Association's 6 bell contests were held in May. The Horsley Cup at Horsley with the Arthur Ashby Contest held at Denby. The Horsley Cup was judged by Andrew Higson and his partner Jenny, who placed the teams as follows: - winners Derby Cathedral ringing Cambridge with 27 faults; 2nd Tideswell (Oxford Treble Bob) 29 faults; 3rd Darley Dale (Oxford Treble Bob) 37 faults; 4th Mugginton (Plain Bob Doubles) 43 faults and 5th Staveley (Oxford Treble Bob) 63 faults.
The Arthur Ashby Cup was judged by Mr. A Humphrey from Derby St Peter's who placed the teams as follows: - 1st Overseal 219; 2nd Ashford in the Water 215; 3rd Etwa1l 211; 4th Old Brampton 209; 5th Hartington 201; 6th Derby Cathedral 196 and 7th Stanton in Peak 183.
Peter McCoy and Chris Bennett from Sheffield judged the Association's 8-bell contest. Six teams entered the contest with the Peak District team ringing Double Norwich winning with 34 faults, second were Southern A (Yorkshire) 40.5 faults, third Chesterfield (Cambridge) 54 faults, fourth Southern B (Kent T B) 75.5 faults, fifth Chesterfield B (Plain Bob Triples) 83 faults and sixth Central (Grandsire) 85.5faults. It was encouraging to see so many ringers from the various Districts taking part.
The Association hosted the W W Worthington Cup in September at Derby Cathedral. Mr. Clarke Walters was invited to judge the contest. Five teams entered with Nottingham St Mary's being declared the winners, runners up were the team from Leicester, the Association's team were third, with Liverpool fourth and Coventry fifth.
The Association also entered the Tewkesbury Shield where they finished third out of the seven teams who entered.
A team from Melbourne made up of Association members and others entered the National 12 bell contest. Unfortunately they did not qualify for the finals.
On behalf of the Association I would like to express our sympathy and condolences to the family and friends of the following people who have died during the year: -
Bishop Jonathan Bailey - Bishop Jonathan had been our Patron for 10 years from 1995 until his retirement in 2005. He was a great supporter of our art and always very appreciative of our work especially when new bells were installed or augrnented.
Arnold Morley - following in his father's footsteps he was the long time tower captain at Belper and had been a ringer there for over 60 years. We will always remember his solution for sound control - the installation of mattresses. It certainly enabled the Thursday night peal band to flourish for over 25 years.
Harry Stewart learnt to ring in his later years at Melbourne. He enjoyed his hobby and was a regular Sunday Service ringer.
Walter Soar a loyal member of the church at Ticknall. As well as being a ringer he was also played the organ.
Gordon Briggs (HL) as a young person rang for many years at Bolsover. Although he moved away in adulthood he returned to ring there after his retirement in the late 1970s.
Pam Ashley also of Bolsover joined the Association in 1947 and remained a member of Bolsover until retiring to the Lake District in recent years.
Terry Jeffrey – was a dedicated ringer of Clay Cross and supported many other towers in the Association.
Tom Staveley – learnt to ring at Dronfield on his retirement becoming a much admired member of the band.
Geoff Bridges - although in recent years a NRLM he had learnt to ring at Derby St Andrew's when he was 11. By the end of the following year he had rung 32 peals for the Association before moving away.
Graham Smith - was a regular Sunday service ringer at Doveridge and always welcomed the Association to events held there.
Henry Kirk - was a long-standing member of the Association having joined in 1947. Henry rang at Burbage where he was a stalwart of the tower.
I would like to thank all incumbents and tower captains for welcoming us to their towers and allowing us to ring their bells. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Cotton family on their new arrival - the County's second mini ring of bells in their garage!