January 2000

Our attempt to ring 10,001 Stedman Cinques for the Society at St. Paul’s was only partially successful. Because of illness one of the band had to drop out on the day and was replaced by a non-member (my wife Gwen). The 10,000 attempt had to be called round but we successfully rang a true peal of 6437 changes in 4 hours 48 mins, by a fair margin the longest peal on the bells. We are hoping to have another go at some point, next time more pumping iron and less pumping beer might be a good idea.

Other notable Society peals around Christmas and the New Year included London Royal at the Institute on Christmas Eve, with Matthew Hilling successfully ringing the tenor and the whole band moving several thousand tons of masonry around. A Society band also rang a peal of Yorkshire Royal at Westminster Abbey on New Year’s Day. No doubt members all over the country were hard at it for what must have been the most demanding holiday season to ringers everywhere. Well done all.

On Tuesday 4th, we had an unusual post practice activity when instead of going off to the Old Dr Butler’s Head for a few bevvies some of us took part in a new work by John Tavener entitled "Fall and Resurrection". The performance took place at St. Paul’s and, like the 1812 Overture features bells (but not cannons as far as I know) at the end. There was a live broadcast at 7.30 on BBC Radio 3 and the performance was televised on Saturday 8th on BBC2.

December 31st was the closing date for the Canada tour in May and I am pleased to say that we have a well-nigh perfect sized party. 20 members and guests have signed down. In addition, a number of members are going out for the Country Meeting in Vancouver on 20th May, which will be accompanied by a long weekend of ringing on the West Coast and a dinner. All members and their guests are invited to join us if you can.

A practice schedule for 2000 is now available. Other dates for the Diary include the Informal Dinner at the Hop Cellars, Southwark on 31st March, Peal Day on 10th June, Birmingham Country Meeting on 16th September and the 363rd Anniversary Dinner on 4th November.

The next month is scheduled to be fairly quiet although the business of the Society goes on. At the Meeting on 11th January Tower Officers will be presenting their Reports for the year. We also have a full programme of Tuesday night practice ringing.

Good ringing in 2000.

Phil Rogers.

February 2000

Tower Officials reported at the January Meeting. The main events in the last year have been the completion of the work at Cornhill and Cripplegate. The principal outstanding task at both of these towers is improvement of the internal acoustics. At both places the sound inside is indistinct and various trial and error techniques are being employed to improve it.

The main news in the month has been of a sad nature. A likely candidate for the Society’s oldest Member, Frederick Nurden, died at the age of 99. Other Members remembered at the January Meeting were Revd Malcolm C C Melville and William J Cope. More bad news followed with the death of our senior Past Master, Tom Fox, on 16th January, his 91st birthday.

The Oranges and Lemons project continues to go well. The Society’s Bell Fund has received £3,000, a similar amount being paid to the SRCY Bell Fund. Total profits to 9th January were £11,000, a most notable achievement.

A Society tradition comes to end at the next Meeting when we move from handwritten to word processed Minutes. A shame in a way, but the new format will enable back up copies to be maintained and it will be easier to cross reference Minutes.

Forthcoming events include our Informal Dinner on 31st March. Tickets should have been available by now but we are having a few problems with the venue. I hope to have resolved these in a few days. Any Members interested in coming along with or without guests are invited to contact me. The event will be in Central London and cost £23/£25.

Another event is a Northern Members’ Practice at Bradford Cathedral on 18th February from 7 to 9pm (doors manned until 8) and afterwards at the Corn Dolly (CAMRA recommended). Further details from David Town, 19 The Green, Romanby, Northallerton, N Yorks DL7 8NL.

Good ringing,

Phil Rogers.

March 2000

Most significantly, however, the date has particular importance for ringers because this year March 4th is on March 4th. This is not as daft as it sounds, March 4th being the annual Appleton Ringers Supper. This is not a Society event, of course, but Appleton is pretty solid CY territory and no doubt there will be a large turnout by Members, including the Treasurer and myself. As always, if I get drinking with ANS I will no doubt feel a good deal worse tomorrow morning than I do now.

Also today, the Junior Steward is going for a Society peal of Stedman Cinques at Exeter. He is ringing the Tenor single-handed. Best of luck Chris.

February was another fairly quiet month, although the Bradford practice duly took place. The Master and I have been flying around in opposite directions over the last couple of weeks and I have not yet heard details re attendance etc.

At the February Meeting, all tower officials were nominated for re-election. They are a fine bunch of men and do a lot of hard work which nobody ever seems to notice until there is a problem. We owe them a great debt of gratitude. On the towers front, work planned for St. Paul’s in May/July has been postponed because of the celebrations the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday. It will now take place from August, which will necessitate some changes in the Society’s Practice Schedule. Please watch the RW and the Web for details.

The Informal Dinner has been arranged for Friday 31st March at the City Pipe, Foster Lane. This is usually a good night incorporating the best sort of speeches (i.e. we don’t have any). It is also my intention not to have a seating plan after the successful experiment at the Norwich Country Meeting. Tickets, £23.50, are available for Members and their Guests from myself.

A very important date for your diary is 10th June when we are holding this year’s Society Peal Day. We want to make a weekend of it, with peals on Friday and Sunday also counting for the occasion. Members are encouraged to organize as many Society peals as possible. In this part of Kent we are planning a few peals for local Members, culminating in an evening in the Jolly Woodman in Beckenham. Anybody interested who has not yet been contacted is asked to get in touch. We are hoping that similar arrangements will be made elsewhere.

A bit further in the future, but not that far away, is the Birmingham Country Meeting, due to be held on 16th September in England’s Second City (for all except Mancunians, of course, who believe that England’s Second City is London).

We are also planning an Out of Town Practice at Amersham on Tuesday 27th June (7.00 to 8.30), which will take the place of the usual London Practice that night. This should be an opportunity to ring on good bells and have a few drinks in a pleasant setting, hopefully with decent weather.

Finally, arrangements are just about complete for the Canada Tour in May. As part of the tour, we will be holding a Country Meeting in Vancouver from 19th to 22nd May, with a Business Meeting and Dinner in the Renaissance Hotel on Saturday 20th. There will ringing in Vancouver, Victoria and Mission City over the weekend. All Members and friends, especially from North America, are very welcome to join us. Tickets for the Dinner are available at Can$58 from Jim Clatworthy or £28 from myself.

Good ringing,

Phil Rogers.

April 2000

At the March Meeting all the Society's Tower Secretaries and Steeplekeepers were re-elected. We also elected three new Members. The Peal Recorder reported that 104 peals were rung in the year to November 1999, the most for some years. It has been noticeable that the number of Society peals has been rising recently and I would not be surprised if the number is up again this year. This month we had 10 successful peals reported and notice of 11 given for the next month.

The Bradford practice was successful with 17 people attending. They obviously enjoyed themselves because they are planning another for August.

I think the Informal Dinner on 31 March was a success. I had a bit of a headache the following day and some of the detail, especially late on, is a bit vague but a good time seems to have been had by all. The change of Rule which saw the election of women to the Society has changed the attendance, most of those being there being Members this year. We did have a few guests, however, and very welcome they were too.

I hope you will forgive me if this month's Update is a bit shorter than usual. I am in the middle of putting together the Society's Annual Newsletter which should be going out to all Members before the end of the month. If you are a Member of the Society and not on our Mailing List, please get in touch and I will send you a copy.

Good ringing,

Phil Rogers.

May 2000

The last month for me has been taken up with the Annual Newsletter. Production of the document on WP was relatively painless as we have invested in a more powerful computer than the one we used last year, but printing has been a nightmare. As a result, I am running well behind my original timetable and instead of going out before Easter the Newsletter is now likely to go out next week. Hopefully, the learning curve I have had to go up this year should stand us in good stead next time round.

Also next week the Society’s tour of Canada, which has been long in the planning, begins. We fly to Quebec on Friday (12 May), moving to Toronto on Monday, Calgary on Wednesday and Vancouver on Friday. We have a full programme of peal and general ringing arranged and will be holding a business meeting and dinner in Vancouver on 20 May. We are very much looking forward to meeting up with our members and other ringers in Canada, some of whom have put in a lot of effort to make our tour a success.

The April Meeting was quieter than some and the May meeting, on Tuesday 9, also has a fairly thin agenda. We do have 6 candidates for membership, which must be the most for some time.

An order has been placed for a new stock of Society ties. We have decided to revert to the original plain design in royal blue with the Society’s Mace Head in white. Ties will available to Members at £10 (inclusive of postage). The standard design is in printed polyester but if there is sufficient demand we will also offer a version in woven silk at £20.

22nd May is the 50th anniversary of the first peal of Bristol Maximus. A number of peals are planned to celebrate the occasion and the Society will be attempting its own peal at St. Mary-le-Bow, arranged by Mark Regan.

A reminder that June 10th is Society Peal Day. If not already committed, members are invited to organise or participate in a peal.

Next month I hope to report on the Canada trip. I am told that the weather in Vancouver is not too good at the moment but we are hoping that it will look up for us, even if we will be spending a fair amount of time in belfries!

Good ringing,

Phil Rogers

June 2000

Later that week the Canada tour started. We duly visited, and scored peals in, Quebec (2 peals), Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria and Mission City. Wherever we went we were met by local ringers, who gave us a terrific welcome. We really enjoyed ourselves, and we think they did too. We felt we made many new friends and would like to give our heartfelt thanks to all those who made the tour possible.

A full Ringing World report will be written, presumably in his inimitable style, by Simon Linford. We are also intending to post some pictures, and possibly the report, on the Web.

The Society scored a peal of Bristol Maximus at St Mary-le-Bow, organised by Mark Regan, on the anniversary of the first peal in the method, rung at Leicester Cathedral on 22 May 1950. The first peal was a tremendous achievement and not repeated for quite some time. The Canada party rang Bristol Royal as we only had 10 bells available. This was at Westminster Abbey (no, not that one, the one at Mission City BC). These are fine bells and, apart from a big wobble in the 11th course, I think we did them justice.

The new ties have not arrived yet. We have received a final sample, which looks good to me, and we should be placing the final order shortly.

Two Meetings in the month at which it is pleasing to record that we elected a total of 10 new Members. We are seeing a lot of interest from ringers in joining the Society at present and we are always on the lookout for good candidates.

A final reminder that June 10th is Society Peal Day. If not already committed, members are invited to organise or participate in a peal. It is looking as if the number of peals will be fairly low, possibly because we moved the date. This was done for what seemed like good reasons at the time but on reflection it may have been a mistake. I think there would be merit in fixing Peal Day on the same Saturday each year, enabling us to establish it as a regular event in Members’ minds.

Tickets for the Country Meeting Dinner on 16 September, and the main Anniversary Dinner on 4 November are now on sale to Members at £26 and £35 respectively. We are hoping for a good turnout from our Midlands and other Members in Birmingham and are looking forward to some good ringing and, no doubt, good drinking.

To end on a sad note, I have just heard that Frank Mack of Exeter has died. Frank had been a Member of the Society for 40 years and was a long-standing and loyal member of the Exeter Cathedral company. He will be greatly missed both in the West Country and at our Anniversary Dinners.

Good ringing,

Phil Rogers

July 2000

Peal Day went reasonably well with 9 peals over the weekend reported at the last Meeting and another 2 subsequently reported. Moving the date to June, although done for logical reasons, probably did not help the total. At the June Meeting the Master proposed that we fix the date in future. The third Saturday in September was suggested and a decision will be taken at the next Meeting. The intention is to promote the occasion as a Peal Weekend rather than a day in future but the Saturday will be the date on which the formula is likely to be set.

The highlight of the last month was undoubtedly the National 12 Bell Final at Birmingham. As you will no doubt read in the Ringing World in due course, the locals rang an absolutely outstanding test piece and won by miles, demonstrating what can be achieved by a good band and about 100 hours of practice on the contest bells. Well done to them.

We were very pleased to be adjudged "best of the rest" by being placed second. Our ringing was on the slow side of ideal but was clean and relatively fault free. We scored 70% and I think if we had rung to our absolute best we might have made 80%, still a long way behind Birmingham's magnificent 88%. Well done to St. Martin-in-the-Fields who nearly pipped us into third place and will surely win the contest one day. I would not want to be accused of gloating and will therefore not mention the Cumberlands' result.

The Amersham out of Town practice on 27th June went well. There were about 30 Members present, including a good few who would not normally come to our practice. Methods rung included Stedman, Cambridge, Bristol and Orion. The general feeling was that it was an experiment well worth repeating, but is not something to overdo. Definitely an activity for warm summer evenings, especially when (as in this case) there is a pub with good beer and a garden close at hand.

The June Meeting was a bit of a marathon, going on until about 10.30. There was, however, a lot to get through and postponing items only leads to a build up for future Meetings. I have commented before on the fact that we are ringing more peals and electing more new Members than for some time. In June 19 peals were reported which, added to the 5 reported in Vancouver, makes an impressive total since the previous London Meeting. We also had 9 candidates for membership.

Paul Carless was re-elected as the Society's Representative on the National 12 Bell Striking Contest Committee.

A policy on Data Protection was agreed in the light of recent legislation and following a report on the subject from the Independent Examiners.

For the future, it was decided in principle to hold the Society's 2001 Country Meeting in Oxford on a date to be arranged with the local Members. We also decided to hold an informal meeting on the weekly Practice tomorrow night (July 4) and I will report on the findings next month.

Finally, another date for the diary. The London County Association are organising a Millennium Celebration for all London ringers at Southwark Cathedral on Sunday 19th November at 3.00 pm. The Society has agreed to support the event and we hope to see a good turnout of Members. If we can persuade the Wheatsheaf to stay open late it might even last longer than the Millennium Bridge!

Good Ringing,

Phil Rogers

August 2000

One other item of news, we have set up an Email group for Members which will enable us to give quick updates on Society events etc. To subscribe at no cost please follow this link.

Good Ringing,

Phil Rogers

September 2000

I omitted to mention last month that Society Peal Weekend has been fixed for the weekend of the third Saturday in September annually. Members are invited to put the date in their 2001 diaries now.

Anyone who has attended our practices regularly will be aware that on Shrove Tuesday each year we remember Rev'd F Llewellyn Edwards, a Member who died many years ago leaving a sum of money in his memory. Each year we ring a commemorative touch and have a drink afterwards. Originally the bequest was enough to buy a pint a head but in recent years with falling interest rates and rising beer prices the drink has dwindled to a half, and more recently a few jugs shared around the company. Earlier this year, at the suggestion of the Junior Steward Chris Pickford, it was decided to invite Members to contribute to a top up fund to replenish the legacy. Anyone who would be interested in maintaining the tradition is invited to contact Chris.

Good Ringing,

Phil Rogers

October 2000

Preparations for the Anniversary Dinner in November are well advanced. The Hall is swinging into its usual slick organisation (with a bit of help from its friends) and the last minute bookings are starting to come in. There are still plenty of tickets left and Members are invited to apply if they have not already done so.

This is the time of year when we congratulate those Members celebrating anniversaries. No septuagenarians this year, but Philip Hudson, Charles Ryles, William Thompsett, Wilfred Moreton and Harry Millatt celebrate 50 years; Don Clift and Leonard Luck achieve 60 years. I am sure all Members will join me in congratulating them.

Good Ringing,

Phil Rogers

November 2000

To happier matters. The 363rd Anniversary Dinner took place on Saturday and was generally a success. The Friday night gathering in the pub was the best attended for years, several peals were successfully rung and the Saturday lunch time arrangements proceeded without a hitch. The Dinner itself went well, although the meal was a bit spoiled by cool soup. We will be speaking to the Hall management. Wine and beer were excellent and sold in large quantities. Glaxo Wellcome shares rose several pence following a surge in sales of paracetemol the following day.

We were very pleased to welcome to the Dinner 3 Members who have been Members for at least 50 years: Jim Bullock (59 years), Philip Hudson (50) and Harry Millatt (50). John Gipson was prevented from being there by a knee operation. Only 1 Member over 60 years this year, the incomparable Stan Mason who never seems to age at all. Stan and his wife Wyn celebrate their Golden Wedding next year and we are plotting a suitable event.

The speech by Peter Mullen, Rector of Cornhill and St Sepulchre, was brilliant - well up to the standard set by Victor Stock and Lucy Winkett last year. Perhaps the London clergy should set up their own version of the Comedians. David Pipe dished the dirt on the Master’s early ringing career and revealed the fact that Rod maintains a Little Black Book setting out everybody’s method mistakes. Better not to know what is in it! The evening was rounded off by Heather Kippin, who demonstrated how to quell a disorderly classroom with a withering look. Bad Boys’ Corner watch out!

Talking of the Business Meeting, Officers nominated for next year are Paul Carless, the first Master to be nominated for re-election since Stan Mason in 1956, Chris Pickford as Senior Steward and Dickon Love as Junior Steward. All other Officers were nominated for re-election so you’re stuck with me for another year I’m afraid.

Good Ringing,

Phil Rogers

December 2000

The November Meeting was in some ways a sombre affair, with obituaries for 4 prominent Members. In addition to the names reported last month, Leslie Boumphrey of Carlisle died the week before the Meeting.

In Election of Officers, the Master was re-elected as were the other nominated Officers and Officials. Chris Pickford was elected Senior Steward, and Dickon Love joined the Officers Table as Junior Steward. The Master thanked the retiring Senior Steward, Paul Mounsey, for all his work as an Officer. He also reported that the Society had had an excellent year, with 43 new Members elected and over 140 peals rung - the latter figure a Society record.

So once again we go into December with Christmas, New Year and all the associated ringing. On 19 December there will be a Ringers’ Social Function at the Counting House, Cornhill from 7.00 pm. All ringers and friends are welcome. The Counting House will also be the Society’s headquarters pub from January, pub members please note.

Good ringing and a very Happy Christmas,

Phil Rogers