Mid-Atlantic Area Meeting in New York

Saturday December 8 was a cool, drizzly day in New York. The fog almost wrapped itself around the skyscrapers.

This was probably excellent weather for plants and trees. I suppose their roots enjoyed the slow rain. But for people, it was a good day to spend time together in a warm, dry tower. And it was a good day to host a mid-Atlantic area meeting, and ring with visiting friends.

Up from Philadelphia were Bruce and Eileen Butler, Don and Elisabeth Trumpler, and Brian Zook. In on the train from Washington were Bill Kollar and Carolyn Ormes. Down from Boston were Laura Dickerson and Rosalie Nesbit. And all the way from Marietta came Derek Wilsden, who took the furthest-distance prize.

We were also pleased to welcome learner Charles Rumford, from Philadelphia, for his first ringing visit to Trinity Wall Street. And a New York learner, Natalia Paruz, attended her first NAG event. Thus does ringing grow.

The festivities began at 9:30 a.m. with handbell ringing in the tower by the Trumplers, David Westmoreland, Chapman Knott, Arthur Crumlish, and Martha Partridge. Methods ranged from plain hunt to Plain Bob and Kent. Stages ranged from minor up to royal.

At 11 a.m. John Hitchings launched the tower-bell ringing, and it continued (with a break or two) until around 5pm. During this time John delegated ringing management to Tim Barnes, Bruce Butler, Chapman, and David. We were fortunate to have so many practice-runners attending. They all kept us busy, and their swift succession kept the ringing sessions moving.

The tower-bell ringing included rounds, call changes, and plain hunt (up to cinques and max); Plain Bob, Grandsire, Erin, and Stedman (triples, caters, and cinques); and some Yorkshire and even Bristol Royal for good measure.

Of course a Guild meeting is not all work. There must be sustenance! On this occasion, we were catered to by Chapman, who organized a wonderful lunch. It included not only sandwiches and chips, but also hummus, veggie options, and root vegetables.

In a new variation on “the Exercise,” Chapman even lugged most of the food up the tower himself. You see, we ate upstairs, just below the ringing room. I’d like to say this was a move calculated to maximize ringing time—which it did. But really, it was because the parish hall was being used for the annual Trinity Institute, which had been rescheduled from November due to Hurricane Sandy.

This year’s Institute theme was how to be a radical Christian. Can ringing be described as “radical”? Perhaps not. But “radical” comes from radix, which is Latin for root. In our own way, we were getting at the root of things, upstairs in the warm, dry tower.

Many thanks to all who organized this area meeting, and to every ringer who joined us. See you all in New York again soon!

To all other Guild members—and ringers wherever you may be—please join us next time for some “radical” ringing. We’ll get at the root of the matter, and enjoy a nosh to boot.