In the past three months there have been a number of ringing firsts listed on bellboard. The jubilee has been a great opportunity to encourage people to take that next step, but outside of that special ringing, there is also a steady trickle of first performances.

First in rounds:

• Charlotte Baker for the Jubilee at Waltham on the Wolds on 2nd June.

First quarters:

• Emma Andrews at Wymeswold, tenoring behind to Plain Bob Doubles on 23rd April;
• Sean Bullock at Packington, tenoring behind to Mixed Doubles on 23rd April;
• first attempt for Lisa Gammon at Packington, tenoring behind to May Day and Plain Bob Doubles on 2nd May;
• Paul Girdham at Ab Kettleby, tenoring behind to Mixed Doubles on 12th May;
• and Valerie Thompson ringing the treble to Plain Bob Doubles at Barrow upon Soar, 3rd June – which was also the first quarter by a local band in many years.

first in method:

• Carolyn Hibbert – St Clements Minor at Copt Oak on 3rd April;
• Jethro Woolley – Grandsire Triples at Hathern on 18th April, also first on 8;
• Jill Belcher and Lewis Benfield – York Surprise Minor at Sapcote on 10th May;
• Moira Johnson and Jamie Davison – Oxford Treble Bob Minor at Packington on 14th May.

Other firsts:

• First spliced, Valerie Baxter at Groby, ringing Cambridge, Beverley and Surfleet on 3rd April;
• first of Royal for John Davies ringing Yorkshire at the Cathedral on 2nd June;
• a first inside for Mary Lorrimer at Hugglescote ringing Plain Bob Doubles on 3rd June;
• first on a mini ring, Sophia Stonehouse and Eliza I Lewis-Skeath ringing Grandsire Doubles at The Flintstone Pots, Barrow Upon Soar on 5th June;
• first of five spliced, Janice Atkinson at Sproxton on 17th June;
• first on 10 for Jethro Woolley and Eliza I Lewis-Skeath, and first on 10 as conductor for Mark Banner, ringing Grandsire Caters at Loughborough All Saints on 29th June;
• And in handbell ringing we have first Surprise Major in hand for Judith Godfrey and Robert Watson, and also first on inside pair for Alison Godfrey, ringing Yorkshire S Major on 15th May.

Editors Pick:

The performance that stands out for me is the peal of 5040 Mixed Doubles at Ab Kettleby on 4th June.

It was the first peal for James Lowe on the treble, and Joseph Adcock on the tenor, and also the first inside for Peter Brown, as well as being the first peal on the bells.

Congratulations to everyone achieving firsts, hopefully they will be the first of many.