It's a while since we've written a blog, and a while since we've rung anything to write about. This is partly because of the usual summer disruption, and partly because of losing a couple of quarters. However, yesterday we got back in business with a quarter of spliced Jersey, Cassiobury and Cray. Yes, that is a strange combination of methods - we are practising for something, and all will be revealed in due course. We deliberately rang a tricky composition: a cyclic 7-part with lots of bobs. We found it quite difficult, especially Cray.

What I find hard about Cray is ringing the long places simultaneously in 3-4 and 5-6; one bell dodging while the other makes a place, alternately through half a lead. In the end I have decided to ring it by place notation, stepping carefully through the sequence of places as we work through the lead. It works, but it means I can't think about anything else during a lead of Cray.

It was the 100th quarter together for me, Tina, Jonathan and Angela - that includes some of Royal and Maximus. The 100th quarter with just the four of us will be a future landmark. That's nearly 10 years of ringing together, which have taken us from Angela's first handbell quarter up to peals of 23-spliced and Horton's Four. Here's to many future challenges!