History

The Early Years...

Memories of the Society's early years by Denis Layton - extracts taken from pages 49-53 of University of London Society of Change Ringers 60th Anniversary, Annual Report 2005-2006

In 1944, at the summer training camp of the University of London Senior Training Corps, I met Vernon Benning for the first time - I think we were both trying to scrounge some extra supper from the cookhouse where Vernon was on fatigue duty that evening. We quickly established that he was at Kings and I at Imperial, both churchmen and both ringers.

Vernon introduced me to the Universities Association founded in 1942 to provide an organisation to which all universities could affiliate - Oxford University and Cambridge University had their own Society and Guild respectively established in the late 19th Century. Trouble arose when a peal for the UACR, conducted by me, was rung on 30 June 1945 which included in the band an External Student of London University. This was initially not acceptable since at Oxford and Cambridge only resident students existed. However, the matter was resolved at a general meeting of the UACR held during the Summer tour centred on Norwich in August 1945. It was pointed out that the University of London Act 1926 contained a comprehensive definition of the status of member of the University, which included External Students, and this definition was accepted. (During the week in Norwich VJ Day was announced and everyone joined in spontaneous and enthusiastic celebrations that evening).

As our ringing contacts became more extensive and frequent, we established that there was quite a number of ringers who were, or had been, at London University. Indeed, we discovered that some attempt had been made around 1937/8 to start a ringing society associated with the University but without success. In October 1945 Vernon Benning, Philip Gray, Paul Williamson, Ted Challis and I met at Imperial College and adopted a constitution for the University of London Society of Change Ringers. I was the first Master, Philip Gray the Secretary, and we invited Dr James C E Simpson - a very well known and respected ringer, and lecturer in the University at Kings from 1935 to 1939 - to be the first President. Of the founding members, Vernon Benning died in July 2004 but at the time of writing (May 2006) the other four are still alive. Vernon played a big part in ringing and teaching learners in the early years and was Master 1947-8.

Copies of the earliest reports were lodged (as was then thought to be required by law) at the British Museum Library. I have confirmed that they are still kept by the British Library, but since they are in store in West Yorkshire consulting them might require some effort and patience.

At the very beginning, the Society had its base at S Gabriel's, Warwick Square, Pimlico, organised by Philip Gray who discovered that an ex Scoutmaster from his youth had become Vicar there. The bells had not been rung since before the War, and Philip and I spent an exhausting afternoon clearing out what felt like tons of pigeon manure and nesting material from the bell chamber and cleaning the ringing chamber. The ropes were rotten at the top so, because we couldn't afford new proper bell ropes, I obtained a large amount of hemp rope from a chandler in Dockland that my father knew, and we spent another afternoon splicing the bottom ends of the existing ropes, which were good enough for up to about 10 feet from the sallies, on to the new rope. Since the total draught was long and the hemp rope was initially very elastic we had some rather exciting times ringing!

We taught learners with silenced bells on Thursday evenings, and practised with open bells on Mondays. Regular Sunday ringing was not possible because most of us were attached to other local towers, but we did sometimes ring quarter peals for special occasions. The arrangement lasted for a couple of years or so, but eventually we were asked to leave because the level of complaints from residents in the area became too high - the church was completely surrounded by houses and we had no means of sound reduction.

We then led a somewhat nomadic existence for a while - ringing on the 8 bells at S Mary's Lambeth (by the gates to Lambeth Palace) and for quite a period at S Stephen, Belsize Park, Hampstead with 10 bells though we mostly rang the back eight or the front six.

Our headquarters became S Olave, Hart Street as the result of my writing in October 1954 to Bert Hughes at the Whitechapel Foundry to ask if he knew of any church restored after war damage, and with restored bells, who did not have a regular band and who would be prepared to give us a home. By that time I had become a College Youth and fairly regularly attended their practices at Cornhill, Southwark and S Paul's. Harold Pitstow, who was in charge at Westminster Abbey and tower captain at Banstead where I lived and learnt to ring, was a close friend of Bert who was also a friend of The Rev A Powell Miller who at that time was Rector of S Olave's. I had hoped when I wrote that Bert might suggest S Olave's and I was very happy when in fact he did so and made the necessary introductions. S Olave's has been a wonderful base and successive Rectors have been helpful and hospitable hosts and congenial company at the Society's annual dinners.

In the very early years we rang a lot of call changes (very good for our striking), Grandsire Triples, Stedman Triples and Bob Major. The repertoire widened as we gained more members and experience, and, for example, on the Yorkshire tour centred on Ilkley in 1948 we scored good peals of London Surprise Major and Little Bob Royal and rang a good half course of Cambridge Major on the back eight at York Minster with Bill Simpson on the tenor (he was in fact one of the highest rated heavy bell ringers in the country at that time).

When the ULSCR was founded in 1945, Dr J C E Simpson agreed to become the first President on condition that it should be for a reasonable but limited time - he was adamant that the Society must be the institution, not any of the officers. In the event, his untimely death in 1952 at the age of 43 coincided with the time he had in mind as the limit of his period in office. The principle he laid down concerning periods in office has been adhered to throughout the Society's history.

There is no doubt that the support that he gave to the Society, and his spirited defence of university ringing, which had come under strong criticism in 1945 and 1946 for alleged concentration on new methods rather than good striking, were of very great value. He was a very busy man, and time and distance did not allow him to spend as much time as he, and the Society, would have wished. In 1948, however, Bill managed to join us for the summer tour in Yorkshire. During that week of happy memories many members met him for the first time, and his wholehearted participation in, and obvious enjoyment of, all the concomitant activities of such a tour endeared him to everyone. Bill's masterly handling of the 60 cwt tenor at York Minster, turned in to a half course of Cambridge on the back eight, will not be readily forgotten by those who witnessed it. He conducted two of the three peals he rang in for the Society, and one of these was the first peal of London Surprise rung by any university society.

The custom of organising Whitsun and Summer tours was established early and those in the first few years are listed below:

	Whitsun	Summer
1946		Somerset
1947		Folkestone
1948	Chichester	Ilkley
1949		Oxford incl Glos and Warks
1950	Hants incl IoW	Hunts and Cambs (camp)
1951	St Leonards	Kings Lynn
1952	Bedford	Dorchester, Dorset
1953	Watford, Herts	Kempsey, Worcs
1954	Leatherhead	Whitehaven, Cumbria
1955	Westerham, Kent	Ipswich
1956	Harlow	Wolverhampton
1957	Petersfield, Hants	Norfolk Broads
1958	High Wycombe	Shipham, Somerset
1959	Hitchin	Northumberland & Durham
1960	Brasted, Kent	Birmingham (Warks and Worcs)
1961	Guildford, Surrey	Cheshire & North Wales
1962	Kent	Cambridge (Selwyn College)

After ten years of existence the members of the ULSCR reckoned that the Society was sufficiently well established to be affiliated to the Central Council. Application was therefore made and affiliation was approved at the Council's meeting at Leicester on 22 May 1956. I was admitted as the first representative of the ULSCR at that meeting.

Denis Layton, May 2006