We are the oldest affiliated Society of OUSA, founded  in 1979

Treble Dodging Day - Saturday 11 February 2023

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What a terrific day ringing Treble Bob Minor on the South Eastern border of Shropshire’s green and pleasant land on a mild spring like day. At 10.00, twelve members, two guests and two non-ringing family members met at Stoke St Milborough’s Church, dedicated to St Milburga. After the greetings between friends, all ringers made their way to the ringing chamber. 

The ringers of Stoke St Milborough have worked really hard throughout the last few years creating a new ringing centre that is really welcoming and special. See the Stoke St. Milborough’s Facebook page and their web page for more details about the design, installation and vision which took physical shape within this tiny community in South Shropshire  during the summer of 2022. Today our ringing society were honoured to ring and hear this beautiful, tuneful 8, cast in Italy to an English pattern and installed by Matthew Higby.

 
The day itself was in four parts. We began by ringing on tied bells using the Abel Simulator. Our Master had chosen the programme for the day to explore some Treble Dodging methods often ignored in the dash from Plain to Surprise Minor. We began with Oxford TB Minor and then the other four methods in the 6th Place Oxford Group, Sandal, London Scholars, Capel and Kingston. During the first hour of our time at St Milburga’s, we each got to ring with others ensuring that we could all ring Oxford competently before the first attempts at Sandal, a method new to most of the group. Then we had a short break for refreshments, a leg stretch and some fresh air whilst the bells were untied. 
We then had more ringing on St Milburga’s bells ensuring that everyone could ring Sandal after which all had a brief ring on the 8 with Oxford TB Major and Grandsire Triples being rung. Our time at St Milburga’s then came to a close as we all realised that we were hungry and headed off to a chosen hostelry in Cleobury Mortimer for lunch and some R and R before embarking on the next section of our TB Minor day. 

During the afternoon we had two one hour sessions ringing in firstly Cleobury Mortimer’s St Mary the Virgin and then Tenbury Well’s St Mary’s Church. During these two hours, everyone had at least one chance if not more to ring London Scholars Pleasure, Capel and Kingston. All too soon it was 17.00 and time to ring down for the last time of the day and repair to another hostelry for further refreshment, discussion and socialising. We left this Treble Bob Minor Project as we should with room for progression to the realms of Spliced Treble Bob Minor beginning with the 6th place Oxford Group and all wended their way home or to their weekend accommodation.

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