In July we were invited to play for the Age Concern Bright Memories group in Castle.  We enjoyed playing for them and they must have enjoyed it because they are planning to ask us back for Christmas! 

                             

 At fairly short notice we played at St. Michael's church for the Midsummer Middlewich event.  We did two sessions and were pleased with our performance, apart from one piece in which the conductor got lost - never a good sign!

 MIDSUMMER MIDDLEWICH WEEKEND

We will be playing the handbells in St. Michael's Church on Saturday 20th June as part of the Midsummer Middlewich weekend.   Please come and see us there and "have a go"!!  We will be playing at 11 am and 12 noon.

 As we hadn't had any bookings since August it was good to get out to visit various venues before Christmas.

We took part in St.Michael and All Angels Christmas Fair playing for a couple of sessions whilst visitors spent their money!  

Our next outing was to The Willows Care Home in Mobberley. We last visited there in 2017 and this was our third visit.  The concert was enjoyed by the residents, ending with a spirited and sometimes riotous rendition of the Twelve Days of Christmas!

This was followed by a visit to the Stroke and Aphasia club in Hartford.  This was  also our third visit and the members enjoyed joining in with the carols. Once again the Twelve Days was much enjoyed by the members despite the players getting lost from time to time!

Our final booking for the year was at Willowmere Extra Care Development in Middlewich where we practice every week.  This was a carol service led by the Rev. Liz Woode, an Associate Priest at St. Michaels, who takes services there, and was enjoyed by everyone.  This was the only occasion we had someone spare to take the photographs!

 

 

 We visited the "More to Life" ladies group at Holmes Chapel Methodist Church in July.  It should have been in January but we had to cancel due to a lack of bell ringers able to attend.  They were a very appreciative audience and we enjoyed entertaining them.  We welcomed the grand-daughter of one of our members who lives in France and who brought with her two French friends and they all enjoyed "having a go" as you can see from the photograph.

 We ended 2024 with a visit once again to the Hartford Stroke and Aphasia Club.  They must have enjoyed it because we are already booked to go there next December!

We also played at the annual carol service at Willowmere led by Rev. Liz Woode from St. Michael and all Angels Church in Middlewich.

One of our long standing members, Pam Jackson, retired after this event and was presented with an engraved bell!

We had planned to play at Astbury Mere Care Home.  Unfortunately they had a case of flu and the home was locked down!  We hope to re-arrange this visit later this year.

 

We started 2024 on the 11th January with a visit to Cuddington and Sandiway WI and as you can see some of the members enjoyed "having a go"!

 

This was followed by a visit to Knutsford WI on 15th April 

 

We were very saddened in May by the death of Glenys Richardson, one of our members who did most of the conducting.

The third concert was to Goostrey WI on the 23rd July.

We are now getting ready for visits to care homes for Christmas so when we return from our August break in September, we will be looking at Christmas material.