July Country Meeting 2022

Royal Hillsborough, Northern Ireland

In our 275th year, Master Michael Crockett, not to be cautious with the location of the first Post-Covid Country meeting, chose to take the Society back to his motherland. Attendance at the meeting may have been lower than if it had been in Great Britain, however those who made the trip experienced a pleasant long weekend ringing some fine bells, and mostly avoiding the heatwave gripping the rest of the UK at the time.

Northern Ireland had been slower than much of the rest of the UK to come out of Covid restrictions and some towers were still yet to resume ringing at the time the country meeting took place, which somewhat limited the choice of venues on occasion. However, peals were attempted at a variety of towers, including the 4 fine rings of 10. The round-the-clock availability of Greyabbey also proved incredibly useful, with 4 peals rung there over the weekend, featuring some carefully-chosen acrostics.

Keen beans met on Wednesday to ring a handbell peal of Kent Treble Bob Royal, rung on Granny Jean’s handbells. The bells had been acquired in the 1950s and were not in the best state of repair, perhaps foreshadowing some of the towers visited later in the weekend. Fortunately, the band on this occasion were able to utilise some of the Crockett family’s ‘no nonsense lubricating oil’ to loosen some stiff clappers.

A total of 12 peals were rung over the weekend, in addition to two lost attempts – a band fought valiantly at Enniskillen against 10 new and very springy ropes and a still-engaged clock hammer before the indisposition of one member of the band brought the ringing to a premature conclusion. An afternoon attempt at Greyabbey was abandoned before starting due to some offensive moisture left in the tower by the morning band.

The society then met on Saturday afternoon for general ringing and a business meeting at Hillsborough church, followed by a quiz and much socialising in the Hillside pub. Teams consisting of a mixture of aged wisdom and youthful ears, adept at interpreting the thickly-accented questions, proved to be the most successful combination and ‘Jean Jefferey’s Barmy Army’ claimed their prize of a bottle of wine.

Thanks go to Michael for his expert organisation, and to the ringers throughout Northern Ireland, especially Simon Walker, for their friendly and local welcome. The Society’s July country meeting in 2023 will be held in the Leicestershire area, hosted by Sally Brown and Luke Groom from 6th – 9th July.

Jack Page

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No peals have been rung for the Society July Country Meeting.