BATH & WELLS DIOCESAN ASSOCIATION – ANOTHER FIRST
When an organisation is 120 years old, there is less scope for a “first” in its activities. We remember the advent of Striking Competitions and the first Annual Dinner for instance, but these were a long time ago and when a suggestion was made at the Easter Annual Meeting this year that a gathering should be held of all the Honorary Life Members, our new Master, Reverend Tim Hawkings took this up energetically and offeredto host such a meeting at his home in Axbridge.
When the Association was founded in 1890, a need for funds was paramount, so a membership category of “Honorary Members” for non-participating well wishers was included at a fee of 5/- per annum, compared with the charge for “Performing Members” of 1/- (maybe sometimes a more apt name than the current “Ringing Member”!!) With the big tidy up of the rules in 1971 the few remaining Life members were included in the new category of Honorary Life Member, a privilege accorded by the Association to members for “outstanding service to the Association and the Art of Ringing”. An incidental bonus was that you now got let off the annual subscription.
There are currently 23 HLMs with a combined membership of 1312 years or an average of 57. “Uncle” Norman Yeo, our 102 year old longest serving association member heads the list with 86 years, followed by Lloyd McCreadie (74) and Ted Chivers and George Wareham on 71.
Tuesday July 28th saw a morning gathering at Rowberrow (ground floor light ring of six) when our Master presided over a variety of respectable touches on the bells, just about heard over the hubbub of re-unions and reminiscences of ringing exploits from long ago. We later adjourned to the Rectory at Axbridge, where 16 of our 23 HLMs from all corners of the Diocese (including Norman) enjoyed a splendid meal provided by Tim and his hard working wife Heather. Some hardy souls chose to dine in the garden, but they received divine intervention in the form of a sudden squall, strong enough to take the big umbrella into the next garden and upset their table. Some were rude enough to make references to Alan Lee and Mary Poppins!
The Master had received apologies from several people, and we specially remembered our former energetic General Secretary Carol Hardwick, who was unable to be with us. Michael Horseman, Deputy Master (and HLM) thanked Tim and Heather for their hospitality, which even included a keg of some very palatable local ale. “Mr Master” was promised that if he didn’t misbehave himself, he would be pretty sure to join the ranks of HLMs in due course. Michael likened the stately progress of the company up the church path in Rowberrow to a similar visit with a vintage group he had belonged to where the tower “door keeper” was heard to exclaim “Good Lord, it looks like ‘The Last of the Summer Wine’”.
A group photograph, many handshakes and promises to keep in touch concluded what was, in many ways, a unique occasion.
Michael Horseman
Standing left to right: Anne Stenning, David Purnell, Michael Horseman, Christopher Marshall, John Gilbert, Gordon Rendell, Tim Hawkings (Master), Alan Lee, Barbara Wylde, Brian Wylde
Seated left to right: Bette Parfrey, Eric Naylor, Ted Chivers, Marjorie Legg,Norman Yeo, Henry Warren, John Brain