Welcome to
 

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

  • Home Tower: St Olaves, Hart St. (nearest tube: Tower Hill)
  • Service: 1020-1100 (1st/3rd Sundays) - followed by breakfast!
  • Practice: Thursday 1900-2030 (term time) - followed by pub!
  • Life Membership: £10!

 

What is Bell Ringing?  Top Ten Facts...

  1. Bell ringing is the art of ringing bells rhythmically in a series of mathematical permutations or patterns called “changes”.
  2. 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
  3. Ringing “methods” requires concentration and a huge amount of team-work – because of this, ringing is sometimes described as the ultimate team activity!!!
  4. You don’t need to be strong or good at maths. A good sense of rhythm helps.
  5. Bells hung for change ringing are controlled by a ringer from below using a long rope & wheel.
  6. 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.
  7. You don’t have to be Christian or go to church to ring.
  8. Bells usually weigh between 1 cwt (50kg) and 4 tons (4,000kg) and are made from an alloy of copper & tin.
  9. Change ringing has a great history & started to develop in the early 17th century.
  10. 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!