2008 must be seen as the year of the handbell peal. There has never been such a high percentage of handbell peals – 39% of the 100 peals rung. 119 ringers rang the peals, with Graham Dawson ringing his first peal – well done. Resident members also ringing their first peal for the Association are Richard Angrave, Elizabeth Cotton, Andrew Thackeray and Duncan Walker.
In Derbyshire, the first peal was rung at Stanton in Peak and at a new mini ring in Allestree. Handbell peals were rung in new locations at Allestree, Belper, Wetton (on size 21 handbells!) and in public outside Derby Cathedral. Outside Derbyshire, members rang peals in Lancashire (& here), Leicestershire (plus here, here, and here), Lincolnshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Scotland (& here) and the Channel Islands (plus here, here, here and here).
Sadly the following peal ringers died during the year.
Wm Arnold Morley rang 855 peals for the Association, 652 of these were at Belper, with 525 on the 5th. Arnold rang on all numbers from 5 to 10, conducted 13 peals and rang many different methods, up to 23 spliced.Terry Jeffrey rang 11 peals for the Association, between 1978 (his first peal) and 2002 (his penultimate peal). All the peals except one were in the Chesterfield District – 5 at his home tower of Clay Cross and 4 at Chesterfield.
Walter Soar rang 19 peals for the Association, 18 of them between 1949 and 1954 when we were known as the Derbyshire Association. These included the first peals of London and Bristol for the Association. Walter's last peal was in 1975 at Ticknall.
Gordon Briggs rang in the 10th peal for the Association, which was at Bolsover in 1946. This was the first peal scored by the Chesterfield District. Over the next 38 years, Gordon rang 117 peals including 13 in hand.
Pam Ashley rang 56 peals between 1948 and 1986. Twelve were at her home tower of Bolsover and 34 were with Gordon Briggs, also of Bolsover.
Henry Kirk rang 42 peals for the Association, all in the Peak District between 1949 & 1980. He rang 25 peals at his home tower, Burbage. Henry rang in first peals for18 people.
Peals were also rung in memory of Harry Stewart, a member of Melbourne since 2002 and of Dr Ray Ayres, bellfounder of Taylors Eayre & Smith, previously Eayre & Smith of Melbourne, Derbyshire. Two peals were rung half muffled for Remembrance Day at Derby Cathedral and Matlock.