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1983 W. W. Worthington Memorial Trophy

Date
Judge
Test piece
Competition no
1983 Neil Bennett Yorkshire S Royal (plain course) 6
Result Place Team Faults
1 St Martin’s Guild 67
2 Midland Counties Guild 70½
3 Derby Diocesan Association 96½
4 North Staffordshire Association 98½
5 Leicester Diocesan Guild 103
6 Lincoln Diocesan Guild 104
7 Worcestershire & Districts Association 130½
8 Surrey Association 157

St. Martin’s Guild for second time

The sixth W. W. Worthington Memorial Trophy Open Ten-bell Competition was again held at St. Paul’s, Burton-on- Trent. This competition is proving to be very popular and this year one band’s application to compete had to be turned away. Those bands thinking of taking part next year should get entries in quickly after the notice in The Ringing World has appeared, as it’s first come, first served!

The test piece was a plain course of Yorkshire Royal. Cold buffet was provided throughout the afternoon, and the bells at Burton (All Saints), Newhall, and Burton (St. Modwen’s) were open for general ringing. The only hiccups in the organisation of the day proved to be an interruption in the ringing at All Saints because of a wedding, and the large amounts of assorted rubbish that needed to be cleared away from the ringing room before starting to ring at Newhall!

All the bands had completed the test piece by 6.30 p.m. and were assembled, with supporters, to hear the verdict of the judge, Mr. Neil Bennett. After making precise and helpful comments on the ringing of each band, Mr. Bennett revealed the marks in reverse, “Miss World” order, thus displaying his well developed ability for suspense building. In normal order he placed the bands as follows:
1. St Martin’s Guild (67 faults) 2. Midland Counties Guild (70½) 3. Derby Diocesan Association (96½) 4. North Staffordshire Association (98½) 5. Leicester Diocesan Guild (103) 6. Lincoln Diocesan Guild (104) 7. Worcestershire and Districts Association (130½) 8. Surrey Association (Northern District) (157).

The St. Martin’s Guild thus becomes the first band to win the trophy for a second time (also winners 1980) and the silver rose bowl was presented to Rod Pipe, the Captain of the winning band, by Mr. Ray Welton. The vicar of St. Paul’s then addressed those present, saying how much he had enjoyed the days competition and thanking them for the work bellringers did Sunday by Sunday throughout the year in calling the people to worship. He then invited the competition back to St. Paul’s on 14th April 1984 for next year’s competition. A pleasant gathering was then enjoyed by many at the “Star and Garter” for refreshment and discussion, before leaving for home.

Photo gallery. Names from bottom right, clockwise
St. Martin’s Guild
David J Pipe, Elizabeth Anderson, Christine Grimmett, Richard L Jones, Maurice F Edwards, Clifford A Barron, Roderick W Pipe, Stephen Shipley, David Bates, Michael W Lowndes.		 Midland Counties Guild
John K Smith, Derek P Jones, George L Roobottom, David A Hiorns, Peter Marriott, Malcolm Quimby, Andrew E Else, Richard J Chantler, Alan S Burbidge, Brian G Meads.
Derby Diocesan Association
Janet S Foulds, Frances E Haynes, Simon Humphrey, Patricia A M Halls, Jill Danby, John V Chadwick, David Kingman, C Frederick C Pearson, Richard J Danby, Roy A Meads.		 North Staffordshire Association
Selwyn G Jones, Raymond J Ballard, Irene Buckley, Michael Wilshaw, Frederick E Wilshaw, Ian Friend, Ralph B Mitchell, David J Midgley, Margaret Jones, Norman Sherratt.
Leicester Diocesan Guild
Sally A Mason, Peter J Staniforth, Carol N J Franklin, Garry W Mason, Andrew N Tyler, Michael Angrave, Michael E Brown, R Philip Graves, E Alan Jacques, R Kingsley Mason.		 Lincoln Diocesan Guild
Jack L Millhouse, C Anita Freeman, Sylvia Coller, Margaret A Parker, John Walder, Harold F Gibson, Kenneth S B Croft, Peter A Sharp, John Freeman, Leslie G Townsend, Geoffrey R Parker.
Worcestershire & Districts Association
David G Franklin, David Beacham, Michael G Clements, Clifford C Skidmore, John A G Clements, Martin D Fellows, Arthur C Berry, Andrew D Evans, Roy K Williams, Richard J Clements.		 Surrey Association
Roger M Heyworth, Adrienne Heyworth, Nigel Thomson, Susan E Unsworth, Sheila Cheeseman, Christopher Ridley, Raymond Talbot, Martin Morris, Geoffrey Paul, Jeremy Cheeseman.