January 2009

Country Meeting

The 2007 Country Meeting at Exeter was widely acclaimed as one of the best ever, so it was always going to be a hard act to follow. But the overwhelming view was that Liverpool in 2008 matched it in almost every respect.

The weekend followed the now traditional pattern. A series of peals was arranged in the Merseyside/ Cheshire area in the days leading up to the event by a committee comprising Peter Furniss, Graham Bradshaw, the Master (Mark Humphreys, returning to his roots) and the Junior Steward, Martin Cansdale. Some fine peals were rung, with the glorious bells of Pier Head and Eccleston being among the highlights. The Ship & Mitre became our headquarters for the weekend, courtesy of Len Mitchell; it proved a most appropriate and conducive venue, boasting a constantly-changing selection of excellent real ales and a Society peal board (unveiled on the Saturday by the Master to mark a handbell peal rung there in June). Liverpool itself appeared transformed, with a major new shopping centre and the Tall Ships race embodying its status as the 2008 European Capital of Culture.

Saturday saw us produce some first-class ringing at Pier Head and the Cathedral, followed by a "behind the scenes" tour of the Cathedral. The Business Meeting and dinner were held at the Athenaeum, a sumptuous venue located on the site of the former St Peter's Church, where the Liverpool College Youths (allegedly an ASCY offshoot) rang the first peal in the city in 1800. Peter Furniss formally welcomed us to Liverpool and no fewer than 102 members and friends then sat down to a delicious dinner, washed down with large volumes of beer supplied by the Ship & Mitre. The sale of alcohol generated a healthy profit, which we were happy to apply towards the restoration of the Liverpool College Youths' splendid illuminated peal book, which had been on display at the Business Meeting. Sunday morning saw a few sore heads, but (after morning ringing and a top-up in the Pilgrim) twelve hardy souls were sufficiently recovered to manage a workmanlike quarter of Stedman Cinques at the Cathedral, with the Senior Steward (Peter Valuks) on the tenor.

All in all, the weekend was a rousing success. Thanks go to Pete and Len for making all the arrangements and for throwing themselves into the event with such enthusiasm. Plans are already being laid for the 2009 Country Meeting in Edinburgh; we are confident that it will live up to the high standards of recent years.

UK08

The middle of August saw 23 members (plus friends and partners) from outside the UK arrive for a fortnight of what organiser Simon Linford modestly called "structured development". Like the Country Meeting, UK08 had a lot to live up to following the success of UK05, but again it succeeded in spades. Based in Birmingham and centred on the West Midlands, the tour covered 53 towers in total, including day trips to Cambridge, Liverpool, Manchester, Cheshire (featuring a visit to Brereton, the Society's ancestral home) and London, plus peals and quarter peals for those who wanted them. It also included a 12 bell striking contest at Worcester Cathedral, which inevitably (and for a change) was won by a Society band. Congratulations to the Yorkshire team (assisted by one or two intruders from across the Pennines) who emerged triumphant, having beaten a strong Birmingham band on the way.

One of the key features of UK08 was the interaction between the tourists and those UK members who came out to ring with them, make them welcome and help them expand their repertoire. Each visitor was given a set of goals and most achieved them, in the process gaining valuable practice and improving their striking. The quality of ringing was generally very good and the social side excellent. Most of all, both UK05 and UK08 have left a lasting legacy of goodwill in fostering relations with the worldwide membership. Simon and Eleanor put an enormous amount of thought and effort into planning, arranging and executing the programme; our thanks to them and to everyone else who hosted or took part in events. Thanks also to Mark Esbester for commissioning and marketing the latest in a series of attractively designed Society polo shirts as a memento of the tour. Roll on UK11!

Ringing Roadshow

After the success of the Society's stand at the 2005 Roadshow, it was an easy decision to exhibit again at this year's event, held at Stoneleigh Park in early September. We didn't have a recording of ringing at St Paul's this time (the St Paul's Guild had not unreasonably claimed it for their stand), but the displays of Peal and Name Books, silverware and other Society memorabilia attracted considerable interest. The plan to offer free beer to Members nearly came unstuck when the second barrel (kindly arranged by Chris Mew) proved undrinkable, but some hasty negotiations with the bar staff secured us a replacement and all was well.

The Roadshow offers a chance to meet Members with whom we aren't in regular contact, and we were pleased to welcome many Members to the stand this time. As well as co-ordinating the stand, the Librarian (Chris Ridley) took the opportunity to sell most of the items which had failed to attract buyers in the auction of surplus Library material held earlier in the summer. The sale ultimately raised over £1,200 in total; this will be re-invested in new Library stock and in restoring some of the Society's older and more valuable property. Our thanks to Chris for all his efforts.

Anniversary Dinner

The first Saturday in November saw 314 members, friends and guests gather at the Guoman Tower Hotel for the 372nd Anniversary Dinner. This is always one of the highlights of the Society's year, and 2008 was no exception. The attendance was slightly down on 2007, but was otherwise the largest since the Society’s 350th anniversary in 1987. The formula for the evening was simple - good food, plenty of alcohol and excellent company. After five years at the Tower, most of the teething problems have been ironed out and almost everything ran smoothly. Any remaining hiccups were dealt with by the Secretary's wife in her usual forthright manner.

This year the main focus was on concluding the formal part of the evening as early as possible, to allow more time for informal socialising afterwards. The staff played their part by serving the meal briskly and efficiently, under the watchful eye of our MC (Phil Rogers). The other key factor was our decision to dispense with the toast to the Guests and Visitors. This proved popular with both the Junior Steward (who traditionally would have proposed the toast) and most of the assembled company. We were treated to a brilliant speech from Rt Rev Graeme Knowles, the new Dean of St Paul's Cathedral, and some amusing reminiscences from Pete Furniss (again), who proposed the health of the Society. Members then rose to the challenge of consuming the rest of the beer, renewing old friendships and cementing new ones.

A full write-up of the Dinner (by Chris Kippin) appeared recently in the Ringing World. A copy (plus a gallery of photos) can be found here.

Peals

Peal ringing has continued (almost) unabated since my last update. The annual Peal Weekend in September was a great success, with 36 peals scored; our thanks to the Senior Steward for co-ordinating the weekend. We also enjoyed a sociable and successful weekend of peals in Devon in October, arranged by Matt Hilling. The 2007/8 peal total was further swelled by an informal mini-contest between Roy Le Marechal's Bishopstoke band and the London enthusiasts (led by Mark Humphreys and Graham Bradshaw) over the autumn, which can fairly be declared a "score draw". The final total of 255 was only slightly down on the record numbers of recent years; the Society is clearly still in strong peal ringing health. Mark and Graham (and Roy) intend to continue organising midweek peals during 2009, and Phil Rogers is putting on a series of "second Saturday" 12 bell peals for the Tuesday night regulars.

The growth in peal ringing activity has brought us rapidly to a decision point, because by the time the 2008 peals are written up the current Peal Book will be full. The present Peal Writer (Susie Deane) has indicated that she does not wish to start a new large book, due to her conviction (which is apparently shared by many professional calligraphers) that each book should be written entirely in the same hand. Faced with this dilemma, the Officers considered various options, including moving to a smaller book or adopting an electronic solution. However, the problem resolved itself when Clare Griffiths (a recently-elected Member from Hampshire) offered to take on the job at the rate currently charged by Susie, which is well below the market price. Clare is an enthusiast for the hand-written tradition and has produced a high-quality sample of work, which was made available for Members to view at the November meeting. Hers is a most generous offer and we have accepted it with gratitude. Thanks also to Paul Mounsey, who has offered to donate a new large Peal Book.

Changes on Top Table

As always, the Anniversary Dinner marks the conclusion of the Society's year. So, at the November business meeting, Mark Humphreys stepped down as Master and was replaced by Peter Valuks. This has not been an easy year for Mark personally, but his enthusiasm has carried him through and his running of the Tuesday night practices in particular has been exemplary. He leaves the Society in very good heart and we thank him for his contribution. Martin Cansdale took over as Senior Steward and Phil Goodyer has joined the Top Table as Junior Steward. Phil is of course an Aussie by birth and his election reflects the increasingly international profile of the wider Society. All being well, he will become the Society's first ever foreign Master in 2010. The Secretary, Treasurer, Librarian, Trustees and Webmaster were re-elected.

There has also been a change in the team of Independent Examiners, with Janet Carless retiring due to family commitments and being replaced by Iain Anderson. We are grateful to Janet for her work over the last 2 years.

50 year certificates

One of my most rewarding tasks over the summer and autumn has been to distribute certificates (designed and handwritten by George Pipe) to all known Members who have completed 50 years' membership. It has truly been a pleasure to receive many letters of thanks from Members, some of whom are now too old to ring, but who are clearly thrilled to have received this splendid acknowledgment of their long service. Those Members attending the Dinner who reached the 50 year landmark in 2008 were presented with their certificates on the evening, and we intend to continue this tradition in future years. Particular thanks go to Chris Kippin (himself a new member of the 50 year club), who has done a fine job of tracking down many "lost" Members through his extensive network of contacts.

Elections and deaths

We have elected no fewer than 28 members since my last update, including 7 candidates from the North of England at the Country Meeting, two from the USA (Greg Russell and Rebecca Woodgate) and two from Sydney (Tom Perrins and Lexi Prabhakar). To all our new members we extend a warm welcome.

On a sadder note, we have lost 12 members by death over the same period. The sudden death of Philip Bosworth (Bos) in November came as a particular shock to his many ringing friends around the country. Since his funeral fell on the day of the December meeting, we will remember him again in January. We also paid tribute to Rev David Rhodes, Rector of St Giles Cripplegate from 1988 to 2000 and a good friend of the Society, who died in August.

Ringing

As mentioned above, Mark made Tuesday practices his top priority during his year of office. We enjoyed some excellent ringing as a result, particularly on the challenging bells of St Paul's and Southwark Cathedrals and St Mary-le-Bow, with good striking being the main focus. Peter has declared his intention to build on this solid base and to make Tuesday night the Society's "showcase". So far the signs are promising and he has already succeeded in consolidating Avon and Ariel into the repertoire, without compromising the quality of striking. He is also determined to make the most of the opportunities offered by Special practices, which in recent years have too often been arranged at the last minute and with no clear purpose in mind.

St Magnus the Martyr

There is exciting news of the project to install a new ring of 12 at St Magnus the Martyr, which is now nearing a successful conclusion. A faculty was granted for the work in August, following which the exterior of the tower has been cleaned and repaired and the clock bell restored. Eight of the bells have been cast, with the remainder to follow in January. A service of consecration (with the bells on the floor of the church) is to be held on Tuesday 3rd March, to be attended among others by the Bishop of London (the Patron of the appeal fund) and the Lord Mayor of London, with a reception at the Mansion House afterwards. All being well, it is hoped to have the bells hung for ringing by the middle of 2009. The fund-raising effort is almost complete, although donations are of course still welcome. The whole project has been masterminded by Dickon Love; our thanks and praise to him.

Other news

Other notable events over the last six months have included:

• a well-attended and very successful Out of Town practice at Christ Church, Oxford in July;
• a grant of £2,000 from the Society's Bell Fund towards the restoration of the long-derelict ring of 6 at St Katharine Cree in the City of London, following advice from the Charity Commission and a decision at the September business meeting that the Society had a "major interest" in the church; Members also had the opportunity to ring on the unrestored Cree bells on Dinner Day, when a further £200 was raised towards the appeal;
• the Master and other Officers attending a special service at Cripplegate in September to mark the 400th anniversary of the birth of John Milton, with a sermon preached by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams;
• a long debate at the October meeting about the proposal to hold a London 12 Bell Contest, at the conclusion of which Mark Humphreys was deputed to represent the Society on the organising committee; that committee met in November to refine the plans for the first contest, which is now scheduled to take place on Saturday 24th October 2009; and
• the now-traditional Advent Carol Service at Cripplegate in December, featuring the Ringers’ Choir and followed by the Ringers’ Christmas Party at the Red Herring, hosted this year by the Society and organised once again by Gwen Rogers (thanks, Gwen).

Looking forward

Plans for the coming months are taking shape. As well as the Country Meeting (see above), the 2009 programme already includes an Informal Dinner on Friday 8th May; another midweek striking contest with the Cumberlands, provisionally booked for Tuesday 19th May; a peal weekend in North Somerset at the end of April; the main Peal Weekend in September; and a tour to South Africa in late September/early October, organised by the Treasurer (Phil Rogers). More on all this next time.

Good ringing in 2008, and best wishes to all,

John Hughes-D'Aeth