Introducing our webmaster

My parents were ringers and we used to go on coach ringing tours every year but I was only 4 or 5 years old and did not learn until 35 years later when I moved into the cottage next to Gwennap Tower in late Spring 2001. I needed new friends and the tower seemed busy so I dropped in one Saturday morning to express an interest, and I was spotted by Debbie! The rest, as they say…..

I was taught mainly by Chris Scarratt, the Gwennap Tower Captain, and also a bit at the Ringing Centre which was stationed at Gwennap at the time. I was caught by the bug and couldn’t get enough. Adam Beer (a prolific quarter ringer) spotted my enthusiasm and started dragging me into quarter peals, 2 or 3 per week, which kind of sealed my fate. My first quarter was on 13/12/2001, treble to Grandsire doubles, and I have now rung over 600 quarters though only 24 peals.

In 2006 I became tower captain at Gwennap as the previous tower captain and his predecessor had moved away. (The lengths people will go to, one even moved abroad to get away!) My plan was be TC for a few years but no one else will take it on!

I had been interested in I.T.  15 years ago and written a couple of small applications, chiefly for recording my home brew information. In 2018, when Annie Holland asked me to help with some simple editing on the new website I made sure to clarify this would be a minor role as we would be going travelling in our motor home quite often. However, in the Summer of 2020 our web designers decided to close their business leaving us to sink or swim. So my ‘minor role’ grew rather rapidly and I now find myself entitled ‘Webmaster’! It has been a steep learning curve, however I appear to enjoy it (most of the time) and it is a way I can offer service to the ringing community locally.

Martin Spittle