You may have read in ‘Reverberations’ about the teddy bears which are to visit each Region of HRGB during this Golden Jubilee year.  We now have two bears in the Region, named Norbury and Ashton, and we hope that one of them will be making its way to you at some point over the next few months.

 

 

The names were chosen as the first registered team of the HRGB was Norbury and the first National Handbell Rally was held at Ashton Grammar School.

This is what we would like you to do with your fluffy golden visitor.

The aim is that between them, the teddies will visit every team and independent member in the Region, and be photographed taking part in an activity – a performance, a practice, some other occasion – the choice is yours.

When you have your photographs, please select one and email it to Jeanette Jenkins, our webmaster, who has kindly agreed to collate them and put them on the Region’s website.  Please don’t send more than one photograph – Jeanette is the collator, not the decision-maker!

Jeanette’s email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  When you send the photograph please include the team / member’s name and brief details.  Please also show your bear’s mileage while it is with you - we would like to total up their ‘Bear miles’ on their tours around the Region.

Members of the Committee will be mainly responsible for getting the bears around the Region, but if you know that you can pass your bear on to another team or independent member personally, please contact one of the Committee members – any help will be gratefully received! 

SOME HINTS ABOUT BEAR CARE:

·         Do not feed them anything sticky / messy / highly coloured.  Or anything at all, really.

·         Feel free to dress them up for their photograph, but please don’t sew things onto them – bears don’t like needles.

·         Don’t rely on them as substitutes for team members, especially at performances – bears are not good at counting and are rubbish at turning pages.  This may mean they’ll fit in well, but even so …

·         Don’t let them conduct – it will feed their egos and the last thing we want is a couple of little furry divas wandering around the Region.

·         ON NO ACCOUNT MUST THE BEARS BE CONNECTED TO A MAINS ELECTRICITY SUPPLY.  It makes them smell funny.

See the Jubilee Bears Gallery

 

The Golden Jubilee celebrations got off to a very sunny start at the National Rally held at Exeter University.  The anniversary year was officially launched at the AGM when our NW President, John Partington, joined several other founder members of the society to ring an opening chord. 

 

 

 

Beth, our Chairman, received one of the little bears who will hopefully be visiting all our teams on his travels round the region during the year.  Another notable event was the conferring of Honorary Life Membership of HRGB on Simon Rennie from Maghull, in recognition of his many years service to handbell ringing both in our region and nationally.

During the packed weekend we were treated to:   concert performances by the regional teams from East Anglia and the South East;    a wide variety of workshops and talks;   masterclasses, including one led by Kate Sawallisch;   plenty of delicious food;   excellent accommodation; great company;   a busy rally ringing session where 20 teams, Kinder among them, rang individual pieces interspersed with massed ringing.  There was even time for a group photo of over 300 delegates taken on the steps outside the Great Hall of the University.

At the Concert on Saturday night Maghull were the NW region’s representatives and gave a superb performance of three of their favourite pieces of music.

This very enjoyable event closed with the ringing of a final chord by those taking part.  It had been an excellent weekend which had everything to make it a fitting celebration of 50 years of HRGB.

The North West Committee has been delighted by the positive feedback it has received following the National Rally at Newton Rigg in early April, which was attended by over 240 ringers.  

 

On Friday evening, an excellent concert by the Northern Bell Orchestra got proceedings off to a good start.  Saturday was a busy day of workshops and masterclasses, and culminated in the Evening Concert.  All the Masterclasses performed, and Beverley Town Handbell Ringers gave a wonderful demonstration of traditional English handbell ringing on their Yorkshire “Long Set” of over 130 bells.  In contrast, Aidan Fozard dazzled us with his solo performance on belleplates.

 

Sunday morning was given over to a full Rally session: the hall filled with the sound of hundreds of bells during the massed ringing pieces, and individual performances by nearly 20 teams.  Awesome!

 

Thanks to everyone who helped in the organisation of the Rally – a true North West team effort!