Editional Thanks for the articles - more material is always needed, and no new ideas for 101 Uses have arrived yet (I managed to find one more but it might be the last one). You must be able to come up with something! If you haven't received your Annual Report yet, or need to change your entry for next year - the website can be updated immediately - please let me know, or contact the report editor Andrew Stevens (write to 27 Over Road, Swavesey, Cambridgeshire. CB4 5QL, telephone 01954 231433, or email steeplekeeper@ely.anglican.org). Meanwhile, SIGN UP FOR THE OUTING and enjoy the rest of the summer. Ruth Index

Number 10: Cushions for belfry pews

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Fund raising news - Grand Draw
Thank you to all the Ely District ringers who sold raffle tickets and gave prizes for the Grand Draw. II am also very grateful to Anne Bridge of the Cambridge District and George Bonham of the Huntingdon District who volunteered to sell tickets for us. I am writing this before all the money is in, but it looks as if we will make about £400. I bow that it can be a pain selling raffle tickets, but we do need to keep a reasonable balance in the Bell Fund and the Draw is an effective way of doing this. Thanks again to all who made the effort. David Gilbert

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Fund raising news - the rest
The next car boot sale will be on 12th August, so keep digging out your unwanted treasures (Rosemary Palmer can store these).
Rosemary's plant stalls have raised a total profit £200 this year alone: it's a good job she decided not to retire from running these just yet!
Thank you to all who sold or completed Quiz Sheet II. This newsletter went to press before the closing date, so the winners will be announced in the October issue, and not all takings are in yet, but the profit looks like being nearly £100. As before, answer sheets are 20p with a sae.
The regular appeal letters to PCCs should be going out in early autumn. If you're a tower correspondent/captain, you'll receive your copy to remind you it's time to twist your PCC's arms!
Monthly raffle prizes are always welcome: the 'bank' is dwindling again, so keep them coming. Thank you to those who have already been generous.

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New member news
Welcome to Lawn Chatfield of Longstanton, elected on 1st April, and to Louise Pearce of Swavesey, who was voted in on 3rd June.

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Sunshine and showers in Suffolk
The last Saturday in March dawned bright breezy and with good prospects for the St Mary's Ely outing. We were due to start at Long Melford and the roads were surprisingly clear in fact, once I was past Newmarket I didn't see another car until I rode into Clare. Days like this were made for motorcycles.
I was met in glorious Long Melford church by the equally splendid Peter Mien, who reminisced about his days at Christchurch, Colliers Wood. His comment about having been ringing for some 66 years made my mere 22 pale into a humble insignificance. We strolled around to the tower and climbed up to the ringing chamber and, with the door to the nave roof open and some good fresh Suffolk air blasting in, there were soon several people arriving to start ringing and also to take a trip out on to the roof for the excellent view. Peter jumped at our invitation to ring Grandsire Triples with us, and he reckoned that it was some eight years since he had last rung Triples. Looking around the walls was very interesting for me, as there were numerous peal boards bearing old Saffron Walden names such as Pitstow and Penning. All too quickly tough, time had sped along and it was time to leave for Glemsford.
A hazy memory (natural stupidity, perhaps ?) caused me to take a wrong turn and end up going in the wrong direction through the village. A swift about turn, and the church was gained without too much further embarrassment. We had been left with instructions to lock ourselves in because of problems that had previously occurred with the local yobbo element getting into the church while the ringers upstairs were unable to see them. The small ringing chamber was fully equipped with drinks-making facilities and five different colours of sallies on the six ropes. Rosemary Palmer informed us that she once rang a peal here (she claimed it was when she was young and mad) - the bells not being the most melodious and with immensely long ropes could possibly explain why she hasn't repeated the feat more recently. However, lunch was calling, and the bells were lowered before the short trip to Cavendish.
The large number of ringers descending upon the pub opposite the church seemed to catch the staff slightly on the hop, but everyone seemed to finish up well fed, watered and glad to be watching the heavy rainstorm from within. The shower eased sufficiently to allow a dignified journey across the road to gain entrance to the ringing chamber. in one corner was an enormous fireplace which was really calling out to be treated to a roaring log tire. Alas, the room was in a rather sad., nm-down state, and the way appeal full somewhat flat. I remembered ringing here when I was still at school, and Pm sure that things were a bit jollier then. Happily, though the bells still go fairly well. We were joined for a short while here by a couple of chaps from the Fire Service Guild who were on a ringing weekend in the area.
Next on the agenda was Poslingford, but while we had been ringing down there was a short but very sharp rain shower. Although the rain bad just about stopped when I left, the force of the downpour had penetrated the plug cap on the trusty motorcycle. This manifested itself as I slowed down for traffic in Glare and managed to produce the loudest backfire that I have ever had the honour to be responsible for. Janet Gamett can vouch for the spectacular pyrotechnic display that leapt from the depths of my silencer.[to be continued...]
Andy Maddams
PS. Don't forget the Crab & Winkle Outing in October. And there will be another Ely outing next year, so clear your diaries for 24 March 2001.

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Our friends in the north
The next Wisbech District meeting is at the Walpoles (St Andrew then St Peter) on 22 July, 3pm onwards, with service, tea and business meeting. They might also be glad of volunteer stewards for their Open Day on 29th July. 19th August's meeting is at Hockwold, 6-8.30pm. but the venue for 23rd September is still to be confirmed. Secretary John Harris (telephone: 0 1553 810711, email: john.harris1@virgin.net) has more details.

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Go west !
The Huntingdon District are way up north on 15th July, paying a rare visit to Old Fletton at 3pm, with service, tea and business meeting there before evening ringing at Woodston. They're taking August off, and September 16th is their Quarter Peal Day. Secretary Philip George (telephone: 0 1767 677553, email: psgbells@aol.com) has more information.

I seem to have lost my Cambridge District programme (tut, tut !) but Secretary Anne Bridge (0 1223 290496, before 9pm please) should be able to tell you where to go...

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AGM news
The new Rules were approved, after some minor amendments had been accepted, and will come into force from January 2001. This means we now need an Association Chairman (our own Roger Palmer was elected!) and Vice-Chairman (George Bonham, Huntingdon District). The Bishop be­comes our Patron, and Vice-Patrons will include people such as archdeacons. Current Vice-Presidents will become Honorary Members.
Nigel Sutton has taken over from Sue Marsden as Association Public Relations Officer. In turn, we elected Sue to replace Nigel as our Diocesan Committee Rep (alongside Marion Robinson) at our meeting in June. All other officers agreed to stick it out for another year!
Thanks to the Burwell ringers for successfully hosting the main part of this event and to everyone else who helped with the arrangements.

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April's 'blue line'
April's 'blue line' ...was Carlisle Surprise Minor, the special method at the Surprise Minor practice at Ely in May, which we conquered successfully.
This one should also come in handy in the near future.

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Central Council 2000 Report
The Central Council meeting this year was on Monday 29th May at the Corn Exchange in Bury St. Edmunds, At first glance the agenda looked quite short with very few contentious issues. However, this was one of the longer meetings. It started at 10am and finished well after 5pm with a break for lunch. With such a long meeting, I can of course only give you a flavour of the proceedings.
The first rather sensational item was the resignation of the Secretary. This is almost unheard of in the middle of a triennium and there was no mechanism to replace him. In the event an acting Secretary is to be sought. The real reason for his resignation remains obscure.
There were various minor alterations to rules about the operation of the Central Council. All this took most of the afternoon.
Traditionally the first part of the afternoon session is occupied by the Annual General Meeting of The Ringing World Limited. During thus the question of the appointment of the new general manager was discussed. There followed an increasingly tense discussion about the number of directors needed on the Boar& At the end of this the former editor Tina Stoecklin spoke with some emotion about the recent correspondence and articles in The Ringing World concerning the situation surrounding her resignation There was a difficult and tense discussion with, at one point, a request for anyone having a recording device in the room to declare it. Tina declared having one operating throughout the discussion. The President is to organize a review of the operation of The Ringing World including advice from outside with expertise in the management of small to medium enterprises (SMEs).
The Council meeting was then continued and reports of Committees were discussed. These are all in the appropriate issues of The Ringing World. A group was set up to examine the operation of the Council including the nature of its membership and finding ways of making its operations more effective. On a personal note, I must say that reading the Committee reports it is clear to me tat the Council is becoming much more effective as time goes by. The Millennium project and Lottery bid symbolize this.
The Council is very concerned about the future of ringing in the light of figures, which indicate a very significant decline in recruitment of young ringers. Steps are to be taken to clarify the situation. Mike Davies

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Number 18

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Swaflham Bulbeck (re)dedication
The Ely District now has another eight! If you look on the back of July's Ely Ensign you'll see a piece about it. (Sadly, the local band had finished ringing by the tune the photo was taken, so its caption is inaccurate - tower captain Bill Blake isn't even in the picture!) It was an excellent occasion, with an impressive service (music provided by the Cantilena choir) and a delicious tea afterwards. Congratulations to all concerned on turning a chime of six into a full-circle octave.

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District Striking Competition results
There were just five entries in the method section and only one novice band Judges Peter & Philip Waterfield (Wisbecb District) said all bands should study the rules more carefully, especially the 3-minute limit on practice time.

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