Two peals of Bristol Maximus on handbells, a fortnight apart and both rung in the Reading area, have attracted attention as landmarks at opposite ends of two handbell ringing careers.
The first, on Wednesday 21st June, is remarkable for being Pip Dillistone's first handbell peal. This must surely be a record - normally, reaching the level of Bristol Maximus on handbells takes many years, and it's dependent on being able to access a suitable band to get the opportunity to ring it. Also the band deserves credit for welcoming a newcomer and being willing to go for the peal.
The second peal, on Wednesday 5th July, was Bernard Groves' 2000th handbell peal. He is the first person to reach that total. According to PealBase, it's very close to 60 years since his first handbell peal, which was Plain Bob Doubles (a more normal entry level than Pip's, although these days, Plain Bob Doubles would also be fairly unusual as a first handbell peal). So that's an average of 33 handbell peals per year, which indicates a combination of regular attempts and a high success rate.
Congratulations to both Pip and Bernard!