A striking competition is a test of how good you can make the bells sound. When ringing, the bells should be evenly spaced with no gaps or crashes, which is quite hard to do. The Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers has an annual striking competition held at a different tower each year. It difficult to strike bells well in a church where you do not normally ring.
The aim of the Striking Competition is to promote and improve the standard of Sunday Service ringing for those participating members of the Guild.
Swanage is in the East Dorset branch of the Guild. A “branch” striking competition is held each Spring, and the top two bands in this competition then qualify to go through to represent the East Dorset branch in the Guild striking competition later in the year.
The main Guild competition is held on 6 bells, but there is also an 8 bell Guild striking competition held each year as well.
Picture of our band who took part in Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers annual 6 bell striking competition, Saturday 21st June 2008, at Martinstown:
Left to right: Hayley Newman - Treble, Linda Hough - 2, Eddie Dicken -3, Matthew Pike - 4, Julian Newman - 5, Phil Miles - 6 (In 2008, we came 2nd out of 7 bands).
Picture of the combined Swanage & Wareham band who took part in Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers annual 8 bell striking competition, Saturday 21st June 2008, at Wyke Regis:
Left to right: Matthew Pike, Eddie Dicken, Linda Hough, Mariko Whyte, Julian Newman, Hayley Newman, Becky Green, Mike Pitman (In 2008, we came 2nd out of 3 bands).
Picture of our winning band who took part in Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers 6 Bell annual striking competition, Saturday 16th June 2007, at Motcombe:
Left to right: Hayley Newman - Treble, Eleanor Wallace - 2, Eddie Dicken -3, Matthew Pike - 4, Julian Newman - 5, Phil Miles - 6
We came 1st out of 11 bands entered. A picture of the trophy, which was held in the Swanage belfry for 12 months, is below:
Picture of our band who took part in East Dorset Branch striking competition, Saturday 28th April 2007, at Winterborne Whitechurch:
Left to right: Linda Hough - Treble, Eleanor Wallace - 2, Eddie Dicken -3, Matthew Pike - 4, Julian Newman - 5, Phil Miles - 6
We came 2nd out of 7 bands entered. A very strong band from Wimborne won the competition.
Picture of Phil’s motorbike - and some of the Wareham band..............who dressed for the occasion
Picture of our winning Swanage band who took part in Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers annual 8 bell striking competition, Saturday 12th September 2009, at Gillingham:
Left to right: Katharine Clark - treble, Hayley Newman - 2, Angie Jasper - 3, Eddie Dicken - 4, Matthew Pike - 5, Eleanor Wallace - 6, Julian Newman - 7, Linda Hough - 8. (In 2009, we came 1st out of 5 bands).
Picture of our winning band who took part in Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers annual 6 bell striking competition, Saturday 12th September 2009, at Motcombe:
Left to right: Hayley Newman - Treble, Eleanor Wallace - 2, Angie Jasper -3, Matthew Pike - 4, Julian Newman - 5, Linda Hough - 6 (In 2009, we came 1st out of 9 bands).
Picture of the combined 6 and 8 bell band, with both trophies.
The 8 Bell Trophy for the SDGR Annual Striking Competition.
The 6 Bell Trophy for the SDGR Annual Striking
2009 Striking Competition
2008 Striking Competition
2007 Striking Competition
2010 Striking Competition
A Branch striking competition did not take place in 2010, and a Swanage band was
not entered for the Guild 6 Bell Striking competition in 2010.
2011 Striking Competition
Picture of our winning band who took part in Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers
annual 6 bell striking competition, Saturday 10th September 2011, at Witchampton:
The Branch competition was held at Corfe Mullen on Saturday 25th June 2011. Our
band was made up of: Hayley Newman, 1, Bini Miles, 2, Phil Miles, 3, Matthew Pike,
4, Julian Newman, 5, David Haysom, 6 - In 2011 we came 2nd out of 5 bands. (Wimborne
came 1st).
The Guild 8 Bell Competition was held at Cranborne on Saturday 10th September 2011
- The East Dorset branch band was made up of 4 Swanage ringers and 4 Wimborne ringers,
and in 2011 our Branch band came 1st out 3 bands.
Left to right: Hayley Newman, Linda Hough, Angie Jasper, Tim Rose, Julian Newman,
David Haysom and in 2011 we came 1st out of 9 bands with 14 faults, narrowly beating
Wimborne who had 14.5 faults. The judges comments were: ”Brilliant piece of ringing,
lovely rhythm and speed. Excellent.”
