UNIVERSITY SOCIETIES – OF CHANGE RINGERS
Many of today’s universities have formed Change Ringing Societies which are ever popular and seem to combine with great ease bell ringing with the more serious past time of socialising.
OXFORD
- Email: master@ouscr.org.uk
- Website: www.ouscr.org.uk
- Twitter: twitter.com/ouscr
- Tower: St Mary Magdalen, Oxford (10 bells, 7-1-12)
- Facebook: Oxford-University-Society-of-Change-Ringers
OXFORD University has the oldest Society dedicated to change ringing and was founded in 1872. It celebrated its 10th Anniversary by the ringing of a peal in Stedman Triples. There were some years when its existence faltered but by the return of ringing after the war it became strongly established. Since then its skills had progressed and by 1939 it had formed its base in the church of St. Mary Magdalene with its six bells where they regularly practise.
CAMBRIDGE
- Email: secretary@cugcr.org.uk
- Website: www.cugcr.org.uk
- Twitter: twitter.com/cugcr
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/367004873485/
- Tower: University Church of St Mary The Great (12 bells, 24–1-1)
CAMBRIDGE University had a group that was formed by Clare College in 1879. This was deemed too restrictive and in order to encompass all students from all the Colleges it took on its present title and formulated its set of Guild Rules. Today it is a thriving Society that practises at St. Andrew the Great in the city.
LONDON
- Website: www.ulscr.org.uk
- Twitter: twitter.com/ulscr
- Email: committee@ulscr.org.uk
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/ulscr
- Mailing List: groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/ulscr
LONDON University’s Society was formed in 1945 at a meeting in Imperial College where Denis Layton was chosen as its first Master. In the early years the band led a peripatetic life which ended in 1954 when the Whitechapel Foundry suggested they take up as their headquarters a church they had recently restored. This was St. Olav’s in Hart Street, Tower Hill which is still where they practise. As with most university societies there is a thriving social life.
BRISTOL
- Email: little.mole@gmail.com
- Website: www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Union/UBSCR/
- Tower: St. Matthew’s, Kingsdown (8 bells, 22cwt)
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/2232063238/
BRISTOL Society was founded in 1943 through the perseverance of Miss Monica Richardson. It grew sufficiently for them to achieve a peal, their first, in 1947. They have been regularly ever since and not only in their own tower of St. Matthew’s but others across the city.
SOUTHAMPTON
- Email: master@sugcr.co.uk
- Website: sugcr.susu.org
- Twitter: twitter.com/SUGCR_Soton
- Twitter (President): twitter.com/SUGCR_President
SOUTHAMPTON University Guild has been ringing for sixty years and have a successful group of enthusiastic students who ring out from St. Nicholas in N.Stoneham with 10 bells, St. Mary’s in S.Stoneham with 12 bells. Within the city centre they ring from The Ascension in Bitterne Park with 12 bells, St. Barnabas with 6 bells, St. Mary’s with 10 bells and St.Michael’s again with 10 bells.
EXETER
- Email: M.J.Hilling@ex.ac.uk
- Tower: St David, Exeter (8 bells, 11-2-23)
- Website: empslocal.ex.ac.uk/change-ringing
- Exeter: www.exeterguild.org/societies/changeringingsociety
EXETER Colleges Guild was established in 1967 by John Langridge. They are a separate branch of The Guild of Devonshire Ringers. It is unusual in that the University owns a set of 12 Whitechapel handbells which are rung at their annual dinners.
CANTERBURY
- Email: kcacrcanterbury@gmail.com
- Website: www.kcacr.org.uk/cantdist/canterbury.htm
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/canterburydistrict
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Canterbury-Colleges-Society-of-Change-Ringers
CANTERBURY Colleges Society is strongly affiliated to the Kent Association of Change Ringers. They not only ring from several towers around the city but have the huge honour of being able to practise on the 12 bells of their magnificent cathedral.
PORTSMOUTH
- Email: lizzie.hough@ntlworld.com
- Website: www.portsmouthringers.org
- Website: portsmouthcathedral.org.uk
- Website: Winchester and Portsmouth Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers
PORTSMOUTH
DURHAM
- Email: master@duscr.org.uk
- Website: community.dur.ac.uk/change-ringers.society/news.php
- Tower: St. Brandon’s Church, Brancepeth (8 bells, 14-1-13)
DURHAM Society was founded in 1959. Apart from ringing at two local villages of Shincliffe and Brancepeth the University also rings from towers with the city including the 10 bells of their famous cathedral.
MANCHESTER
- Email: mugcr@hotmail.com
- Website: www.mugcr.co.uk
- Twitter: twitter.com/mugcr
- Tower: Sacred Trinity, Salford (8 bells, 11-2-17) – see map below
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/1431407050433868/
MANCHESTER Society formed in 1958 and has followed the hallowed tradition of being very sociable. They are often to be found at The Salford Arms rewarding themselves after ringing out at the Sacred Trinity tower with its 8 bells or occasionally at their wonderful cathedral – the only one dedicated to St. George with 10 bells.
LIVERPOOL
- Email: master@luscr.org.uk
- Website: luscr.org.uk
- Twitter: twitter.com/luscr_gensec
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/2358062645/
- Tower: St Francis Xavier, Liverpool (8 bells, 16-1-6)
LIVERPOOL Universities Society is open to all adult students in and around Liverpool and have been welcoming newcomers since 1958. Their practise nights are held at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St.Francis Xavier with its 8 bells.
LEEDS
- Email: leeds@luscr.org.uk
- Website: luscr.wordpress.com
- Twitter: twitter.com/LUSCR_Leeds
- Tower: St. Matthias, Burley (8 bells, 7-3-16)
- Tower: Leeds Minster Society of Change Ringers
LEEDS Change Ringers Society was formed in 1958 with their practices held at St. Matthias’s in Burley which has 8 bells. The Society offers a warm welcome to everyone and are very willing to teach newcomers to the art of change ringing.
SHEFFIELD
- Email: sugcr@shef.ac.uk
- Website: www.sugcr.union.shef.ac.uk
- Twitter: twitter.com/SUGCR_Sheffield
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/2210561112
- Tower: Roman Catholic Cathedral Church of St Marie, Hallam, Sheffield (8 bells, 25-0-4)
SHEFFIELD Universities Guild was created in October 1958 and was formed of 16 members. Their support soon grew and they were offered a permanent home at the Roman Catholic church of St. Marie in the city with 8 bells. The formation of the Guild caught the eye of a previous student – Paul Taylor, the last family member of the John Taylor Bell Foundry of Loughborough. He wrote in to ask to be a member and soon found he was promoted to President a position he held until his death in 1981.
NOTTINGHAM
- Email: master@nuscr.org
- Twitter: twitter.com/NUSCR_Scruffy
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/scruffy.nuscr
- Website: www.su-web2.nottingham.ac.uk/~bellring
- Tower: All Saints Church, Radford (10 bells, 16-1-3)
NOTTINGHAM Society was started in 1958 and hold their practices at A|ll Saints Redford which has 10 bells. They are often joined by students from Trent University who are always welcomed.
YORK
- Website: ycg.org.uk
- Email: secretary@ycg.org.uk
- Twitter: twitter.com/RingersYork
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/YorkCollegesGuild
YORK Colleges Guild is affiliated to the St. Lawrence Society of Change Ringers which is the main practice tower with its 8 bells for the university students. It is also the largest parish church within the city. Other towers the students ring from are St. Michael’s with 6 bells at Spurriergate, St. Martin-le-Grand with 8 bells and the magnificent York Minster with its 14 bells.
SOME OTHER UNIVERSITIES and when they were founded
Bath, Birmingham – 1943, Keeble, Hull, Lancaster – 1958, Leicester, Lincoln, Medway Universities, Newcastle – 1958, Plymouth, Reading – 1958, Surrey, Sussex, Warwick – 1995, Worcester – 1962