Nottingham University Society of Change Ringers - History

History

In late 1957, a number of students (inc. Roger Baldwin and John Underwood) 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 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. 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 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 and various other fundraising activities. 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. 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. 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.