The ULSCR was founded just after the end of WWII with the objectives being the promotion of the art & science of change ringing in the University of London & ringing for church services.
There are 8 bells our "home tower" of St Olave’s, Hart Street - near Tower Hill tube station. The heaviest bell weighs 12 cwt - about the weight of a small car! We practice every Thursday during term time (19:00-20:30) & we ring for services at Hart St on the 1st & 3rd Sunday of each month. We occasionally ring elsewhere to gain experience on higher numbers of bells but a calendar is available on our website to let you know when they are: http://ulscr.org.uk.
Membership is open to all present/past members & employees of any institution or college in London. All abilities are welcome (we also train from scratch) & life membership costs £10! Our active social calendar includes: a wide range of tours, treasure hunts, picnics, hand bells, competitions, peal/quarter weekends, theatre trips, concerts, parties, dinners and lots more!!
Website: http://ulscr.org.uk
Email: committee@ulscr.org.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ulscr/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ulscr
Where / When / Price
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Home Tower: St Olaves, Hart St. (nearest tube: Tower Hill)
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Service: 1020-1100 (1st/3rd Sundays) - followed by breakfast!
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Practice: Thursday 1900-2030 (term time) - followed by pub!
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Life Membership: £10!
What is Bell Ringing? Top Ten Facts...
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Bell ringing is the art of ringing bells rhythmically in a series of mathematical permutations or patterns called “changes”.
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Groups of “changes” are known as “methods” which look like squiggly lines & are pieces of music that are learnt off-by-heart. e.g. Plain Bob Minor: http://www.ulscr.org.uk/extras/plainBobMinor.pdf
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Ringing “methods” requires concentration and a huge amount of team-work – because of this, ringing is sometimes described as the ultimate team activity!!!
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You don’t need to be strong or good at maths. A good sense of rhythm helps.
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Bells hung for change ringing are controlled by a ringer from below using a long rope & wheel.
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Bell ringing can be physically & mentally challenging, but it doesn’t matter how long it takes you to learn. Even as a beginner you become a valuable part of the team.
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You don’t have to be Christian or go to church to ring.
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Bells usually weigh between 1 cwt (50kg) and 4 tons (4,000kg) and are made from an alloy of copper & tin.
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Change ringing has a great history & started to develop in the early 17th century.
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Rings of bells are usually called peals, but the word “peal” also means when 5,000 or more different changes are rung non-stop. A peal takes about three hours to ring!