This report exists because someone with a big mouth (me) thought it was a great idea to do a quick report with the ¼ peal details that we are sending up to the ringing world. So here it is.
[Addition] Most of this is now getting written a whole year after. Yes I have even been on the next Master’s weekend and the write-up for that one will appear before this one if I don’t get it done now.
Well it all started for me with a trip to South London (Bromley) on Friday 3rd December 2004. Coming from the North-West (Cheapest beer prices in the country) I had a choice between around London or through. I chose through and although got a bit lost (what’s with the squares that make you go around the entire square instead of 1 left turn?) I did find Bromley and the hall whilst enjoying all the legal and illegal radio stations. A quick decamp to the pub was in order and after some of Fuller’s finest, I felt a lot better. Can’t remember much else …[about London drivers] Everything would move a lot better if people1 drove a bit faster when it is clear and didn’t leave massive gaps between cars. Because when you are queuing in traffic you want to try and keep things moving as much as you can. This is not something reserved for Londoners1 alone but they are the worst at it.
Saturday 4th December 2004 (1/4’s, Cars and traffic).
The first ¼ was at Bromley that gave the band an easy start to the day. Those not in the ¼ had an even easier start as the next was at 11:00. The band went for Steadman Triples but unfortunately didn’t get it. The second ¼ was at Beckenham and was Rutland S. Major on the back 8 of the 10. After the 1344 changes it did duly come round and we now knew that the day would not end without any successful ¼’s. The third ¼ was at Eltham but several of the band were stuck in traffic so were running late. As the conductor had a prior arrangement we didn’t have enough time to ring a ¼ of 5 spliced surprise major (CYNSB) or any other ¼ for that matter. We decided to ring part of the ¼ and stand it up when time ran out. The general consensus was that we probably would have got the ¼ but the striking wouldn’t have been that great. At the same time the 4th ¼ was attempted at Hayes. This was 1309 changes of Grandsire Doubles. After 40 minutes rounds came up for the final time and the ¼ was scored. It was also John Adams 1111th ¼.
It was on to lunch now and as the Wetherspoons in Bromley was on of the better ones in the chain a massive 2 ½ hour lunch break had been organised for those in the last ¼. For those not in ¼, well lets just say you cannot really spend all day in the pub and all night in the pub and expect to be standing at the end of it. The last 1/4 was at Chislehurst but was failed. That left a score of 2 out of 5 (40%). Which on paper was a good result as we hadn’t gone for easier methods and the 5 spliced never got going.
Evening drinking was in the Red Lion and elsewhere. But as you may have guessed the Fullers was on form. So it’s a bit hazy, but all I can say is that you tend to get a smaller group of people on the Master’s Weekend and therefore everyone can get more involved with what is going on. I do remember everyone enjoying themselves and enjoying the beer.
Sunday 5th December 2004 (Time to go – by order of the verger)
We had parked on the church grounds but they were needed to be used for Sunday service parking so we had to be out of the grounds sharpish. Unfortunately when you have most of the catering equipment to ferry about this can slow you down. Even though we had pointed out to the verger which cars were being moved he still felt the need to put warning notes on the few cars that were left. The note said the car reg. had been taken but I never saw him write anything down. Oh well it doesn’t matter, I would be back in the land of cheap beer soon enough. Sunday Service ringing was at Beckenham and Bromley, which gave those in the ¼ there a chance to grab the 10 instead of just the 8 if they wanted to. After the usual Sunday morning coffee after ringing (what is the record for sitting in a coffee house after service ringing? I have known some of the MUG’s to have spent 3 hours in one sitting – yes they do need to get a life). Then it was the bit I don’t like, going home, and after someone else’s strange travel arrangements2 I ended up giving two other people lifts to Birmingham New Street train station3. I remember the sign at the start of the M1 “Keep left unless overtaking” Yes I see everyone is doing that! NOT.
All in all, as usual, a great weekend with good beer, a bit of ringing and a lot of fun.
- Martyn Owen
Hayes, Saturday 4th December 2004 in 40 minutes. 1309 Grandsire Doubles: Andrew Barnes 1, David Powell 2, Peter Hampson 3,
Richard Lewis 4, James Mort (C) 5, John Adams 6. 1111th ¼ peal : 6
Beckenham, Saturday 4th December 2004 in 46 minutes. 1344 Rutland Surprise Major (on Back 8): Daniel Knight 1, Gail Evans 2,
Helen Foster 3, Katherine Probert 4, Kevin Rogers 5, Martyn Owen 6, Rhyan Probert 7, John Adams (C) 8.