April 2007
April has gone off quietly - if that's the right word - in the tower with no special events to report. We had our usual week off at Easter when the bells stay silent during Holy Week followed by an early morning celebration on Easter Sunday. Most of our efforts have been behind the scenes, preparing for the Table Top Sale at the end of April and for the Lamb Roast on May Day.
You should have seen posters around the village advertising the Table Top Sale. It's in the Ark at 12:00 noon on Saturday April 29th and this copy of Grapevine is due out over that weekend so some of you may be reading this in time to book a table from Karen on 0121 445 4980.
The other event is the Lamb Roast on May Day in the churchyard. Ken Hawkesford, one of our fellow ringers from Beoley, will be roasting two of his salt-marsh lambs that day. These are the very best in Welsh lamb, you won't have tasted anythng as good before. He'll be starting mid-morning and slowly cooking them throughout the day for the evening meal. If you're free any time in the afternoon, wander up to the churchyard and see how we're getting on.
Cooking in the open air isn't an exact science but Ken plans to be carving at 7:00 pm. We're opening the tower to visiting ringers between five and seven and they'll be stopping as soon as the food's ready. If you hear the tower fall silent at 6:45 it probably means that dinner is being served. The bar will be open from five o'clock so if you do arrive early you can sit and relax with a drink and watch the proceedings.
Some of you may have been to pig roasts. This is different. It takes a long time to roast a 40lb pig or lamb so most pig roasts are pre-cooked and then transferred to the barbecue for reheating and a final crisping. These lambs are being cooked fresh on the day over a wood fire and you'll get a generous helping of lamb in a bread roll (also cooked fresh that day) with side dishes and salad. Why bother cooking an evening meal on May Day? Come and have dinner with us instead.
There are more details on the web at our Lamb Roast page and you should have already seen the posters around the village.
Tickets are £5 a head if bought in advance (£6 on the day) and there are only a hundred places available. Children can have a half serving for half-price. Ken and his team from Beoley are giving their services for free so everything we raise will go towards the Bell Fund.