President’s Blog #53

In the one year when I rang loads of peals, there came a time towards the end of the year that losing a peal was useful because you got to spend more time in the pub organising more attempts. So it was a net win. Losing a peal last Saturday gave me much more opportunity to discuss with some keen young ringers the difficulties in finding opportunities, getting asked into peals, and the logistical and financial challenges of getting to those peals, particularly for those without ringing parents. It is not beyond our wit to create a structure that enables the keen to be connected with the helpful. I have often used the following quote in ringing context (developed from the original Edith Piaf): “I feel it’s a responsibility for anyone who breaks through a certain ceiling… to send the elevator back down and give others a helpful lift.”

Vicki Chapman and I have been discussing a series of new ringing videos with videographer and ringer George Perrin https://www.bellringingfilm.co.uk/. Our aim with the new videos is to have short pieces aimed at social media channels that can present ringing to the TikTok, Insta and YouTube generation. We have already banked some footage at the YCRA meeting in Birmingham, and are working with the YCRA to do some specific videos to help them as well, specifically one for Scout and Guide recruitment. George will be working more on the filming and production in early summer.

Vicki and I have been joined by Dickon Love for another project involving filming. We were approached by the marvellously named Spike Allibone who is producer of a pageant due to take place over the Platinum Jubilee weekend. We gently persuaded him away from his initial plan of getting every bell in the world ringing at the same time, to an idea to present apparently simultaneous ringing at half a dozen towers around the world with a strong Royal story. Spike’s aim is to have some footage that is compelling enough so that when it is available to Huw Edwards during his marathon Sunday afternoon newscast he will cut to it and we will get maybe 30 seconds of bells ringing on screen. (For those who don’t remember, Dickon masterminded the Jubilee Bells being on the barge on the Thames for the Diamond Jubilee.)

A small team led by David Kirkcaldy is working hard on plans for the Council meeting weekend on 2 to 4 September. Early reconnaissance of Nottingham Trent University’s Clifton campus was done last year and it offers good modern facilities, supported by ringing and other entertainment options in the city centre. Both the Friday and Sunday are intended to be inclusive of non Council members, with Friday being a ringing day with open towers focused on three different levels, and then Sunday being a roadshow-style event with stands, talks and presentations. There is a ‘save the date’ page here and I will spread further news via this blog as plans develop.

Mark Regan and I had a very useful Zoom meeting with The Right Reverend Dr Andrew Rumsey, Bishop of Ramsbury (I had to look that up!) and the Church of England’s joint lead bishop for church and cathedral buildings. He is passionately committed to keeping church buildings open and to finding new and shared uses. It was very encouraging to learn that he is a fan of bells and the part they play not only for the church but in the cultural soundscape of the country. He was delighted that the Clerical Guild was working on their paper “The Theology of Ringing” and will support it in any way he can. Thanks to Robert Wellen of the Salisbury Guild for opening this door.

We said that while we are putting so much effort into trying to reach new sources of young recruits now that church choirs and youths clubs don’t feed us as they used to, the evangelical churches which do not generally see bells as part of their worship are overflowing with young people. Being from the evangelical wing himself, he completely understood why the evangelical churches don’t support bellringing in the same way other churches do, but shared our vision that bellringing could be something that the young congregations could enjoy – just not ringing for services!

The importance of the evangelical church has also been made in the briefing paper on ringing developed by the new branding workgroup that will drive through a project to develop fresh branding and positioning of ringing to the outside world. Rather than go into too much detail here, we will put together a website explaining the project and invite comment as it moves along. We will be engaging an external branding and marketing agency – one part of the team with relevant experience is shortlisting suitable agencies while the other part of the team is writing the brief for them.

Although I have never been one for keeping back issues of association reports, I will usually dip into one if I find one in a tower I am visiting. There was some discussion on RingingForums.org about scanning reports. How many associations have got complete sets scanned? I would be interested to know. The CC Library has got virtually complete sets of all affiliated societies’ reports, and they take up a lot of shelf space!

Have you finished your Christmas Ringing World yet? One of the articles I found very interesting was Linda Garton’s article about Ladies peals – plenty of material for Charlie’s proposed book on inspiring women in ringing. Then we had the very good article about ringing in Womens Weekly including the quote “I can’t tell you how much ringing has enriched my life”. Now we have the latest Fun with Bells podcast which should be required listening for all tower captains. Julia Cater, Elva Ainsworth and Tessa Beadman talk about many of the issues that led to the Women in Ringing initiative. It makes uncomfortable listening in parts.

Simon Linford
President CCCBR

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