Nottingham University Society of Change Ringers

The Nottingham University Society of Change Ringers is one of the oldest societies affiliated to the University of Nottingham Students' Union (where it is known as Bellringing Society), being founded in 1958. Its principal aim is to allow students from both the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University to practise English Change Ringing. It also represents the University at the annual Northern Universities Association (NUA) Striking Competition each November, where the society is famous for its historic dominance of the "NUA Boat Race", the four-person pint-downing relay competition held each year.

Current activities

The Society holds a weekly practice during term-time at All Saints' Church, Nottingham (10 bells, 16 cwt or 810 kg), on Tuesday from 7-8.30 pm. This encompasses everything from teaching new ringers to Surprise Major and occasionally Surprise Royal. There is also ringing for Sunday Service at 10-10.30 am. Peals and quarter-peals are rung regularly, and frequent ringing tours are organised to areas away from Nottingham. Currently quarter-peal ringing is particularly prolific in NUSCR.

The society is noted for enjoying many more non-ringing social activities than most university ringing societies; trips to a wide range of entertainments and sporting events and general chilled-out drinking occurring at least weekly through term. Social breakfasts are enjoyed after Sunday morning ringing. NUSCR works hard to maintain the balance between serious ringing and serious fun. An Annual Dinner is held every year on the third weekend in February. This includes a ringing tour on the Saturday with Dinner in the evening.

Aims

The aims of the society[1] are:

  • To promote ringing for Divine Service, in particular providing a band of ringers for All Saints' Church, Nottingham, which shall be The Society’s Home Tower
  • To provide communication between members and to promote social activities
  • To maintain the bells and their fittings at The Society’s Home Tower
  • To ensure the continuation of The University of Nottingham Union [UNU] Bellringing Society

History

In late 1957, a number of students (inc. Roger Baldwin and John Underwood)[2] came to study at the University of Nottingham who were already experienced bellringers. They attended the practice at Nottingham, St. Peter. The inaugural meeting was held on 29 January 1958[3] and the Nottingham University Society of Change Ringers (NUSCR) was formed.

A separate practice night was held by the Society at St. Peter's between 1958 and 1960. In 1960, attempts were made to make the derelict bells at All Saints' ringable.[4] This was only partially successful and the Society's practice night moved there from 1960-62. Due to the poor state of the bells, the Society then moved to Beeston where the bells required less work to make them ringable. During this period the Society did well. Local people (who were not students) were also taught to ring on the bells and this caused friction in the early 1970s. At an EGM on 17 March 1972[5] it was formally decided to leave Beeston and return to All Saints'.

Over the next two decades there was a gradual patch-up of the eight bells with the support of several ringers from the Nottingham area (such as George Dawson amongst others). However it was clear that at some point the bells would require rehanging. A quote was obtained from John Taylor's Bellfounders at Loughborough for the work in the late 1970s which put the cost at a huge £16,000. It was felt quite out of reach of a student society and the patch up continued. The bells were slowly put onto metal headstocks and ball bearing which made them easier to ring.

During the 1970s there were a significant number of ringing students at the Trent Polytechnic (predecessor to Nottingham Trent University) and the Trent Polytechnic Society of Change Ringers (TPSCR) was formed. This gradually faded and ringers from "Trent" came within NUSCR in the 1980s.

Around 1995, a report gave the bells approximately 5 years before they would be unringable. Quotes were obtained to rehang the bells in a modern steel bellframe for ten bells (i.e. space for two extra treble bells in addition to the eight that were there). With some uncertainty the Society set out in 1996 to raise the initial quote of almost £12,000. A ring-a-thon was held, sponsored walks[6] and various other fundraising activities.[7] Surprisingly the money mounted up much more quickly than expected and discussion began to centre on whether it might be possible to augment the bells to ten also.[8] This would require the original eight bells to be tuned (as they were cast in 1864 prior to modern bell tuning) at a further cost of £1800. In 1999, members of the Society helped to lower the eight bells out of the tower (the heaviest being 3/4 ton or 760 kg) and removed the old oak bellframe. Holes were then cut for the new steel frame and it was hoisted and bolted together. The old eight bells were tuned and returned for Easter 1999.[9] Fundraising continued and the two trebles of ten were cast at John Taylor's Bellfounders in 2004 and hung in September that year. Thus it was that bell restoration, something which had been a major aspect of Society history, came to a successful conclusion.

All Saints’ Church Tower also houses a small service bell, weighing approximately 1 cwt, cast by John Taylor & Co. in 1866. This bell was the former All Saints’ School bell. It was saved from the scrap heap by Rev. Bernard Baines, the then Honorary President of the Society. It was hung in the tower at the same time as the rehanging of the 8 bells in 1999.[10] Consequently, this bell is affectionately known as Bernard’s Bell. It is chimed in his memory prior to service on the nearest Sunday to his death (31 May 2007).

In May 2019, NUSCR stopped ringing at All Saint's due to safety concerns regarding excessive pigeon damage. A team led by Edward A S Walker (Steeple Keeper & Project Manager) and Emily E Hall (Fundraising Secretary) were responsible for getting NUSCR back home.

With financial support from the church and following substantial fundraising efforts (which included a Silent Auction, BBQ and Ceilidh), the funds were sufficient for work to start. All the work was carried out by volunteers, led by Edward A S Walker, D Paul Mason & Alex Speakman.

Work started on the 19th June 2019. The project consisted of a complete clean of the tower, removing approximately 2.2 tons of guano, nesting material and carcasses. It also saw the dismantling of the old floor, and construction of a new floor above the bells. This new floor serves as a load bearing platform in case of any future work which may be needed on the spire. It (the floor) is made up of a number of trap doors, which acts as a form of control for the bells, allowing for extra ringing. Finally it involved a total renovation of the ringing chamber.

The tenor was tested for the first time following the work on the 23rd January 2020; and on 8th February 2020 the complete ring of 10 bells were first heard again during a test ring, rung by the volunteers with the top 10 most hours into the project. Then the bells were officially handed back to the society for ringing on the 11th February 2019. On the 7th March 2019, a band formed entirely of undergraduate students rang a quarter peal of "Plain Bob Caters" to celebrate their return to the tower.[11]

Peals

As of 1 October 2014, the Society had rung 172 peals. Notable peals include 41 Surprise Minor[12] and the first of NUSCR S Major[13] & Maximus.[14] Half a dozen peals have also been rung by bands who were largely NUSCR (ringing in that capacity).

Honorary president

The Society's first Honorary President was Paul Taylor (1914-1981[15]), the last bell founding Taylor of John Taylor's bell foundry. Following his resignation, Rev. Bernard Baines was elected as the second Honorary President on 24 February 1981. Bernard Baines had been a curate at All Saints' Church and was very supportive of the Society during his time there. He had acted as Master of Ceremonies at the Annual Dinner for the previous three years. Bernard died (after a period of ill health) on 31 May 2007 aged 86.[16] Subsequently, an EGM was held on 15 January 2008 to amend the constitution in order to allow formal nomination of future Honorary Presidents. This allowed Honorary Presidents to serve a maximum of two, five year terms. In the following elections, Adrian Sweeting was elected the third Honorary President of The Society. Dee Smith, the Master of 1981-82, succeeded Adrian Sweeting at the 54th Anniversary Dinner on 18 February 2012. On 7 February 2017, an EGM was held to vote on the length of the presidency, which was subsequently shortened to three years. At the 59th Annual Dinner two weeks later, the result of the recent election was announced, and Roger Lawson, the Master of 1984-85, was declared the fifth Honorary President of The Society.

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References
  1. "NUSCR Rules" (PDF). Nottingham University SCR. 2000-02-22. Retrieved 2007-04-25.
  2. "Small Beginnings" (PDF). Nottingham University SCR. 2000-10-01. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2007-04-25.
  3. Baldwin, R (1958): "Nottingham University Society", The Ringing World 2454:237 (April 11)
  4. (1961): "Nottingham All Saints", Ringing World 2598:65 (January 13)
  5. (2002): "NUSCR celebrates 30 years at All Saints'", Ringing World 4746:365 (April 12)
  6. Kirby, S (1998): "Ringers aiming to hit 1,000 notes - Walkers go like the clappers", Nottingham Evening Post (September 19)
  7. Slack, J (1999): "'Teams' ring in the foundation cash - Grants of £20,000 for Cricketers £3,000 for Bellringers", Nottingham Evening Post (November 26)
  8. "All Saints' Bells" (PDF). Nottingham University SCR. 2000-10-01. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2007-04-25.
  9. Kipling, B (2000): "Nottingham (Radford) All Saints", Ringing World 4642:370 (April 14)
  10. "All Saints' History". St Peter's and All Saints' Churches Nottingham. Parish of Nottingham. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  11. https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1334515
  12. (2006): "Peals", Ringing World 4950:234
  13. (1998): "Peals", Ringing World 4577:45
  14. (1998): "Peals", Ringing World 4645:448
  15. England and Wales Birth and Death Indexes. Online at www.ancestry.co.uk (Accessed 22/02/2012)
  16. Published in the Nottingham Post 5 June 2007. Available online at: http://www.thisisannouncements.co.uk/5146508 (Accessed 22/02/2012)

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