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Perhaps there should be a word about the Obsession. The Tune may have received an undue amount of publicity – thank you, QUIZ – but I’ve gained a great deal of enjoyment from it, in which many others have shared. The first performance was on Sunday 21st February 1971, at St Giles, Camberwell, for evening service. And that meant that there was a 30th anniversary to be celebrated. The day appointed was Saturday 17th Feb.

Yes, I know, it was the wrong date, strictly speaking. It’s my obsession and I make the rules. Zena Woodley, tower secretary at St Mary, Rotherhithe, undertook the arrangements. A classic plan of quarter-lunch-quarter-tea-quarter was devised. The ringing was to comprise three attempts for The Tune, one for each decade. There would be ample time for lunch. Tea would be in the warmth and comfort of Zena’s home. And afterwards there was the invitation to join the Bermondsey ringers at ‘Nettuno’s’ for dinner.

It was a huge success. A day of pure pleasure – also, the first full day of ringing that Zena had organised. Which goes to show that, if a fixer can appreciate the importance of real enjoyment, everything else will fall into place. However, even Zena would have had difficulty without ringers. I find it particularly touching that the other Docklands regulars – Wendy Roberts, Mark Ingledew, Mike Todd, and Roger Booth – were prepared to ring three quarters in the same method, and to the same composition, at their own towers.

There should be a special word of thanks to another regular, Morag Todd. Unable to ring after having been involved in a road accident on her bicycle, Morag nevertheless was with us all day, listened to all the quarters, and was at Nettuno’s in the evening.

Obsession, pleasure – and Christmas cake? This made its appearance at teatime. It was excellent. There was enough to satisfy the greediest appetite. And in February too – which just goes to show that with cakes, as with obsessions, the person in control makes the rules. R.W.W.