September 2026

In August some of us travelled to Aberdeen to join with 600 handbell ringers from around the world for the International Handbell Symposium. This happens every two years and the last one in the UK was in 2012 in Liverpool.

We joined with a group of other ringers from around the North of England. Much of the week was spent ringing 8 pieces of massed ringing music with conductors from each of the handbell Guilds represented. We also had a number of workshops relating to handbells or the culture of the countries represented. We rang a final concert which was live streamed across the world. This can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/live/xMRDALSfd5Y 

In March we travelled to Melbourne School, in Derbyshire, where we were made very welcome by the staff and well organised children. We rang some pieces for the whole school and then the older children had a chance to have a go.

In March we were pleased to be invited back to Bateman House Care Home to ring for them. It was a lovely occasion with a group from St Peter's School in Alton there as well. They had been singing for the residents and then joined us to have a go at handbells.

We then rang a few pieces on 12 bells and invited the residents to have a go as well.