Charlie Linford interviews Simon Linford about the Nottingham Roadshow

So Dad, in between work, learning methods, teaching on the North West course, organising your UK22 tour and going to cricket, you’re helping to organise the Roadshow! Why?

Because if I don’t help organise the Roadshow, not enough people will know about it, and we want people to come. Lots of work has gone into it!

Should I want to come?

Yes, because I think it’s going to be good and you’ll enjoy it. It’s only one day and there will be plenty to see, learn and to do. You’ll be able to buy another copy of my book seeing as you’ve scribbled over the first one.

Is that still during the holidays?

Right at the end. It’s the Sunday of the Council weekend in Nottingham, so 4^th September. I think you’re coming for the ringing on the Friday and then coming with the YCRA to the Roadshow on the Sunday anyway.

Sell it to me.

For a start off you are under 18 so you can get in free, and you’ll get a lift because I’ve already paid my £10 and am going anyway. There will be some very good talks. You won’t go to all of them but I reckon you should go to Colin Newman’s talk about youth ringing, and I think you’ll find Nigel Taylor’s talk ‘What is out of tune’ interesting. Then there will be other ringing things to keep you entertained for a bit, and you’ll almost certainly see people you know.

Is that including the new Mobile Belfry I went to test?

I jolly well hope so! There’s nothing like a deadline to finish something off. I am going to see it on Friday this week. I think that’s going to be ace. There will be other mini rings as well to try out.

Mum said you were going to be in the bar all day

I have rather rashly said that I’ll buy a pint for anyone wearing a CCCBR Nottingham weekend polo shirt, and since they will be serving Harvest Pale, I expect some takers. Anyway, I like buying people beer because it’s sociable and Presidents of the Central Council are supposed to be sociable.

Is there anything I’ve not seen before?

You won’t have seen a ropewalk, there will be some things that the Historical & Archive workgroup are presenting that you won’t have seen, you could learn to set up and ring eBells properly, I am not sure you have seen the Maypole ring. So at least that lot.

What is the YCRA doing?

Presumably it’s not you because it’s aimed at university age ringers. They’re holding a session where anyone who is going to university can talk about university ringing, find out who to speak to at the uni they are going to, and make sure they get connected. Then I expect they’ll be frequenting the mini rings.

Is the exhibition just people selling stuff?

There will be some things you can buy, like ringing books, and I suppose the bell foundries and bell hangers will be looking for big enquiries, although to be fair I think they come to be supportive. I will be looking for the next few un-springy ropes for Moseley! There are quite a few of the newer small businesses who will be interesting to see – they are all bellringers with a niche or a passion either trying to make a living from supporting ringing or just using a skill they have. It’s good to support them.

So is the Council weekend not just Council stuff?

It’s an interesting question. The Council weekend used to just be Council members over the May Bank Holiday weekend, and lots of ringers, including me to be fair, thought of it as a bit of a long weekend jolly, with the Council then spending hours debating things which didn’t matter to ordinary ringers.

But it’s not that now. The idea is to make the weekend when the Council meeting happens much more inclusive so the Council is not seen as remote. The Council meeting and the Ringing World AGM are not really that long. So the ringing on the Friday is all aimed at local ringers and providing opportunities, anyone can go to the Ceilidh on Saturday evening, and of course the Roadshow is for everyone. Victory will be seeing someone who is not a Council member wearing a Nottingham weekend polo shirt.

OK – elevator pitch

It’s an event about ringing in the broadest sense, a mix of talks and seminars, ringing trade show and exhibition, things to see and do, mini rings and mobile belfries to try. It’s one day only, it’s in Nottingham, it’s not that expensive, and it’s soon.

Now I’ve done that can we finally watch Captain America?

Simon Linford and Charlie Linford
More details on the Roadshow can be found at roadshow.cccbr.org.uk