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The Alfred Wainwright Centenary 2007

Blackburn Cathedral

CATHEDRAL bells rang out over Blackburn on Wednesday, 17 Jan, 2007 to honour the 100th birthday of one of the town's most famous sons - author Alfred Wainwright. A group of Lancashire bellringers rang a new, previously unrung, method named “Haystacks Delight Royal”.

Peal details:

Lancashire Association
Blackburn, Lancashire
Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin
Wednesday, 17 January 2007 in 3hrs 10m
(25-1-14)
5040 Haystacks Delight Royal
Composed by: Donald F Morrison

1 Peter C Randall
2 John Cornock
3 D Robert Pettifor
4 Pauline Campling
5 Ian Smith
6 Clive G Smith
7 Simon D Woof
8 George H Campling (C)
9 Derek J Thomas
10 Gordon R Birks

A thanksgiving for the life and work of Alfred Wainwright, born in Blackburn on 17th January 1907.

"All I ask for, at the end, is a last long resting place by the side of Innominate Tarn, on Haystacks....And if you should get a bit of grit in your boot as you are crossing Haystacks in the years to come, please treat it with respect. It might be me": AW 1966

First peal in the method Haystacks D Royal: -3-4-256-6-34-1-6-7.458-4.9 lh 12 (c1)

Ian Smith, currently the Tower Captain, or Head Bellringer at Blackburn Cathedral wrote to John Burland & Peter Linney:

Dear John & Peter,

I am sure you will be interested to know that a group of Lancashire bellringers is planning to ring a celebratory peal at the Cathedral on the evening of the centenary itself, Wednesday, 17 Jan, 2007. In case you are not familiar with tower bell ringing, please let me explain.....we do not ring tunes, or conventional music, because the bells turn too slowly; instead, we ring "changes" or numerical combinations of the bells in set patterns, or "methods". In the Cathedral's case there are ten bells and if successful, the peal will comprise over 5000 changes and a little over 3 hours' continuous ringing. We are planning to ring a new, previously unrung, method which we are intending to name "Haystacks Delight Royal".

I will also be organising ringing of a shorter duration immediately prior to the special Cathedral service being planned for Sunday, 21 Jan.

I trust that these arrangements meet with your approval - I am not a Society member myself, but am intending to join very soon, with a view to taking part in the other Blackburn celebrations in January.

I have already made contact with the local newpaper, The Lancashire Telegraph, with a view to publicising our effort, and thay have agreed to send a photographer on the day, to take a picture of the band befiore the ringing starts. Perhaps someone from the Society, Eric Robson even, might like to join us for the photo shoot?

I look forward to hearing from you in due course.

Ian Smith

Bells ring for legendary author
Blackburn Citizen 17/01/07
CATHEDRAL bells rang out over Blackburn today to honour the 100th birthday of one of the town's most famous sons - author Alfred Wainwright. ...