Peal Weekend 13th-15th Feb 2009

Friday 13th February was the date ominously chosen for the start of the University of London Society’s annual Peal Weekend. With well-timed organisation, the final details of the bands were sent out only hours before the first meet time yet everyone still managed to make it for an attempt at Jewry that evening. Alas, it was lost before long and although we scored a quarter instead, it seemed to set the tone for the weekend.

Saturday morning was our only successful tower bell peal, as well as being a first peal for one of our regular ringers but the rest of Saturday continued with a lost peal at St Martin-in-the-Fields and a third of a peal scored (the length specially chosen…) at West Hill.

Thankfully, what we lacked in ringing we made up for in drinking with an excellent session in the Harp, and it was of course our hangovers which meant that the peals on Sunday were lost. Again, though, we drowned our sorrows – except for the handbell ringers who were remarkable successful all weekend – and looked forward to other, more important (less ringing-focused) events.

By Nicholas Hartley