The Minor Surprise was a quarter peal of Netherseal Surprise Minor rung at Gedney on Friday, April 24 by Valerie Wild, Joanne Pearson, Robert Simpson, Luke Tobin, Anthony Walker and Barry Jones who conducted the 1296 changes of this method. Rita and I sat in the church and listened to 47 minutes of excellently struck ringing before entertaining the band to lemon drizzle cake plus a few glasses of wine. It was 80 years since I learned to ring at All Saints Church, Leicester and the quarter was rung as a compliment to me. My thanks to the band. It was a pleasure to listen to your ringing.

The major surprise occurred at our usual Gedney Tuesday evening practice, April 28. Arriving at the church I heard some of our bells already ringing. “What on earth is going on”, I muttered as entering the south door I was welcomed by Laurence, members of our band; Gedney PCC., plus two tables loaded with sausage rolls, sausages, canapes, cakes. What a feast and what a marvellous surprise. Good heavens, visiting ringers, my son Stephen with his wife Julie ,and Eric Roberts from Thornton, Leicestershire, who in 1957 as a 12 year old school boy I taught to ring at Cosby. Also invited was BBC Look North Reporter, Gemma Dawson accompanied by her cameraman. After interviewing me I persuaded Gemma to try her hand which guided by Terry and me she readily accepted. “If only Rita was here” I said, as Gemma rang backstroke on No 2 Bell. “She is”, answered Angela looking down into the church. Sure enough my wife had been secretly brought to the church by Laurence and came up into the ringing room where an emotional hug and kiss made my day! Following a course of Cambridge Surprise Minor we lowered the bells and with our glasses charged William spoke a few words mentioning my persistence in persuading Gedney PCC to spend some £20,000 remedial work on our bells. “They were installed some 100 years ago” he said, “and hopefully they now should be in good order for the next 100 or so, not,” he added with a smile, “that we would be around to see.”

I was presented with an inscribed glass paper weight carrying the inscription “Presented to John Bennett, 80 years Bell Ringing, 1946 to 2026”, a “Bell Ringing” drinking mug, a bottle of wine from friends Debra and Peter, a £50 voucher for wine from Majestic and a Ringers Note Book. Rita was presented with a lovely bouquet of flowers as a tribute to her sustained efforts in baking cakes which over several years have been enjoyed after just about every Gedney practice. My thanks to Laurence, Christine, Janice and all who contributed to what for me, was indeed a Major Surprise, totally unexpected and a most enjoyable evening.

John Bennett