This is a report about our young ringers’ autumn outing to Wallingford and Benson. Half of the children who came are using the LtR scheme (at Abingdon) and the rest come with us on these outings every school holiday, some come from towers up to 30 miles away. Other ringers have commented that the young ringers who come on these outings often return to their towers with renewed enthusiasm for ringing.
The idea was we should ring at two towers and walk between them so the young ringers could chat and get to know each other. But logistically this was difficult – how to get back to the cars? So we parked at Benson and started the outing with a bus ride for sixteen of us to Wallingford.
Two of the mothers spent the time in a coffee shop nearby while the fourteen young ringers rang on the front six in St Mary-le-More, aided by five adult ringers. Ringing ranged from rounds and plain hunt (all young ringers) to London surprise minor (with help).
Then the “treasure hunt”! The young people were arranged in three teams, each with two or three adults and given question sheets, maps and instructions. They were sent off at two minute intervals with warnings to stay together and to avoid any of the animals grazing on the Wallingford Castle meadows.
Logan (10) struggled as his wellies slipped and amazingly didn’t fall over on a very muddy patch. The girls all found the top of the castle mound, which wasn’t meant to be part of the route. And the older group of boys thought the girls must have the right route and followed them. The younger boys found thenenormous bull and some cows very close to their route so chose a different path. At Benson Lock some of the girls found the answer to a question so nonchalantly stood in front of it hoping the boys wouldn’t see it!
But the boys noticed! One of the questions asked about a transformer – and the younger boys were disappointed not to see a machine coming to life like those in the cartoons on TV.
It took about an hour to walk to St Helen, Benson and everyone remembered to leave their muddy boots and shoes in the porch. Gina had put out the cakes, satsumas, drinks and tea ready for us in the excellent church room. Then we rang on the eight bells where we rang rounds and call changes, Mexican Wave,
plain hunt and plain bob triples.
By 4.20 the non-ringing mothers had marked the treasure hunt and the younger boys were amazed to have won and were presented with torches as prizes before a quick photo of the group was taken. Everyone found their boots and shoes and we dispersed to our homes, looking forward to the next young ringers outing in the Christmas holidays.
Young Ringers’ Event, 29th October 2015