Worcester was the venue for the 2009 annual meeting of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers and as I am one of the NAG representatives to the CCCBR, I had the privilege of attending the meeting.
The title of this post is apt, since I did a fair amount of wandering - Worcester is a small city and easy to explore on foot. During the times I wasn't attending official functions, I let my feet wander where they liked; I walked along the Severn River while listening to a peal being rung in the Cathedral (photo above), I shopped along the High Street and even took a quick train ride to nearby Pershore. It was in Pershore that I visited the most unusual ringing room I'd ever seen - suspended high above the floor of Pershore Abbey, it is not for the faint of heart. I took some video with my camera of the ringing "cage", and posted it on YouTube - the link to see that is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EwPJJ14-oY. Or just go to youtube.com and in the search box, type "Ringing at Pershore Abbey" - my video will be first in line.
The meeting itself took place on Monday, May 25th and it lasted (with a couple of breaks) from 10 am to 6 pm - another activity that is not for the faint of heart! But learning more about how the Council works, and witnessing the enthusiasm that the members have for ringing, makes me even more dedicated to being the best advocate for the Exercise that I can be.
I'll be writing a more detailed article about the weekend's activities later - watch for it in your next issue of "The Clapper".
