Notable Achievements - The Old Stuff
(Since the beginning of time - June 2002)

Quarter Peal for the Golden Jubilee

The occasion of the Golden Jubilee was marked with a quarter peal by current members of the band.  After detailed planning (on the bus on the outing in April) we chose to ring for the Jubilee, which also happened to be the same weekend as Heather’s 21^st!   The ringing was of a good standard throughout – a real achievement for the society. 

Exeter, Devon
St. David
Sunday, 2 June 2002 in 40 mins
1260 Plain Bob Doubles
1  Geoff Crockett
2  Heather Nelson
3  Owen Dobson
4  Malcolm Evans
5  David Maynard (C)
6  Peter Boobier
For the Golden Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
Birthday compliment to Heather Nelson

Handbell Quarter Peal

Well, we did it.  Hours of practising at lunch times has finally paid off.  Without trying to annoy the IT Services staff too much, and trying to ring the handbells quietly (not as easy as it sounds!) we made a concerted effort to get through the 720 (the bit that always caused the problems).  Once the 720 came round we knew that the 540 wouldn't be too difficult.  And so it was, that after 32 minutes we were able to take a rest and breathe normally again!  Well done to both David and Ian for ringing their first quarter peal in hand.

Exeter, Devon
Laver Building, Exeter University
Wednesday 06 March 2002 in 32 mins
1260 Plain Bob Minor
1-2 David Maynard
3-4 Matthew Hilling
5-6 Ian Campbell (C)
First quarter in hand: 1-2 and 5-6.

Watch this space for details of the peal!!!

Matt Durling

Matt rang his first quarter peal in fine style during only his first term at Exeter University by ringing the treble to Plain Bob Doubles at our home tower of St David's.  Matt was taught to ring by none other than our very own Past-Master Stephen "Cat Murderer" Chambers, and hasn't been ringing very long, which makes this all the more of an achievement!

Exeter, Devon
St David
Sunday 2 December 2001 in 42 mins
1260 Plain Bob Doubles
1 Matthew Durling
2 Matthew Hilling
3 Geoff Crockett
4 David Maynard (C)
5 Ian Campbell
6 Peter Boobier
First quarter peal: 1.
Birthday compliment to the current Master, Alison Halford.

(Photo to appear soon)

Update - March 2001

Susie and Elizabeth are still ringing regularly at St David's and are doing very well.  We are always pleased to see them on a Sunday morning, when numbers can be a little low.  Philippa and Vivian haven't been seen in the tower for quite some time, but at least they can join us sometime in the future if they feel they want to!!

1998-99 Learners

Under the expert instruction of Sarah Garle, Matt Hilling, Stephen Chambers and David Macey, we have had two members of St David's Church join us to learn to ring, and right at the end of term, two more members of the university signed up. Susie and Elizabeth started coming along to practices at the beginning of the year, and have mastered all of the basic principles of bell handling, and had progressed to call changes and plain hunting by the end of the year, at which they are very accomplished. They have been going to Pinhoe during the holidays, to keep their, hand in whilst we are away, so we expect to come back and find them as good as Matt! Vivian and Philippa started only in the last term, so didn't have much time to practice, but nevertheless showed great potential. They have served to confirm the often observed and truly incestuous nature of ringing, in that they have started as their partners were ringers. World domination is not far off!

The Peal

We rang a peal. I can't remember much of it. Except that I had to get out of bed before noon to ring in it - I'm not making that mistake again.

Meghann McFarland

Meg was with us for the whole of the 1997-98 year, an exchange student from the States. She had rung tunes on handbells at home, but this was a big step up - which she managed without a problem! From never having touched a rope before, she had rung two quarter peals by the time she left - not bad in just 26 weeks! However, the combined hard work of Sarah Garle and determination of Meg has now run up against another problem - her nearest ring of bells at home is several hundred miles away... keep trying Meg!