Open University Society of Change Ringers
The Society was founded on 27th June 1979 as a result of a letter in the ‘Ringing World’. The letter asked if there were sufficient bell-ringers within the Open University system, who might be prepared to travel to the OU Headquarters in Milton Keynes, and there to ring a quarter peal on the bells at Simpson. The occasion for this plan was the visit of the Queen to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the University.
Six ringers were found all associated with the OU and they duly met at a Pub (where else?) in Simpson, near the Campus prior to ascending the tower and ringing a quarter-peal of Cambridge Surprise Minor in honour of the occasion. Our Society was then formed.
As time went on, further ringers were found all of whom were interested in joining the OU Ringing Society. And so the first formal meeting was held in Oxford on 29 September 1979 and ringing was enjoyed at four towers in the area. At this meeting, 14 members attended and David Belcham was elected as Ringing Master, Mary Purvis as Secretary with Peter Rowe as Deputy Ringing Master. The annual subscription was set to £1. With the Society duly organised, a constitution was prepared for consideration by the Open University Students Association (OUSA).
1980 saw our first full programme of activities with meetings in Hampshire, Northamptonshire and the AGM held in Warwickshire.
In 1981 a meeting was held in Cambridgeshire where our first Secretary resigned and Susan Tompsett was duly elected. In the same year, we spent a weekend in Dorset and our AGM was held in London (when we also visited the Science Museum to see the Carter Ringing Machine). We also scored the first peal for the Society at Ewell, Surrey, of Yorkshire Surprise Major.
Affiliation to OUSA approved.
We published our first Newsletter, edited by Mary Purvis.
1983 saw the Society in action in Kent, Derbyshire, Wiltshire and Hampshire. We again had a change of Secretary with John Criddle responding to some gentle persuasion. We also scored our second Peal at Hughenden, Buckinghamshire when Stedman Triples was rung.
In 1984, we visited Worcester and Oxfordshire again. At the AGM we saw a change of Ringing Master when David Belcham resigned and Chris Ridley was elected.
1985 was the year we went to Southampton where we all awoke to six inches of snow! Other meetings were held in 1985 in Hampshire and Buckinghamshire. We scored our third Peal at Wokingham, Plain Bob Major. At Easter, several members visited the Isle of Wight for a weekend, organised by Mary Purvis.
1986 saw return visits to London and Essex.
John Criddle was elected Ringing Master.
Meetings for 1897 were planned to the Shrewsbury area, plus a quarter-peal day in Kent. The AGM was to be held in the Wallingford area. At Wokingham, Berks, we scored our 5th Peal.
We were delighted in 1988 when Bob Coe presented the Society with a “Badge of Office” for exclusive use by the Ringing Master.
Meetings in 1988 included visits to Wokingham (a Hand-bell day), Coventry, Open Day at the Open University in Milton Keynes, Hampshire and our AGM was held in Cheltenham.
To mark our first 10 years in 1989, we held an Anniversary Dinner at the Open University with our guest, Dr. John Horlock, Vice Chancellor of the University.
The AGM for 1989 was held in the Essex / Suffolk area,
A year later, in 1990, a group of us went up to Lincolnshire, to the Boston Stump. We then held a Quarter Peal day in Derbyshire and the AGM was held in Bath.
And so to 1991. We held another successful Hand-Bell day in Essex, and in March, visited Coventry Cathedral and Rugby. In June, we had a Quarter Peal day in Hertfordshire and in November, our AGM was held in Stratford.
1992 brought us to London, an Open Day at Walton Hall, a Quarter Peal day in Suffolk and our AGM in Brighton.
In 1994, we held our 15th anniversary with a dinner, at which Vice Chancellor, Sir John and Lady Daniel kindly attended as our guests. Later, in 1994, we rang a quarter-peal to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the University.
With the death of Lord Harold Wilson (founder of the Open University) in 1995, we rang a quarter-peal in his memory.
In 1999, we had a long week-end tour of the Channel Islands.
Also in 1999, twenty years after our foundation, we again welcomed the Vice Chancellor, Sir John and Lady Daniel in 1999 for an Anniversary Dinner at Walton Hall. In the same year, we rang another peal to mark the occasion.
2001 saw a number of members travelling to the Isle of Wight for a long weekend jaunt.
Two years later, in 2003, members visited the Lake District and the Isle of Man.
Our 25th Anniversary Dinner was held in 2004 when we enjoyed dinner at the Moat House near Reading, with the Editor of the Ringing World as our guest.
Brownsea Island was our main venue in 2005.
2008 saw the publication of our 100th Newsletter and a new Web Site: http://www.opuscr.org
In June of 2008, 15 of us had an enjoyable weekend visit to North Devon and enjoyed ringing at several towers around the Appledore area. Perhaps the real highlight was a boat trip to Lundy Island where we rang 3 quarter peals at St. Helens church. As we travelled home, we stopped off to ring another quarter on the Saxilby Simulator at Oakhampton.
In September 2008, we had an OpUSCR stand at the Ringing World Road Show held at Stoneleigh Park.
Our 2008 AGM was held North of Oxford where we were able to welcome a senior member of OUSA to the meeting.
20 June 2009, 30th Anniversary Peal rung at SANDON Staffs by Sue Tompsett, Sheila Matthews, Tim & Denise Hughes, Peter Rowe and Fred Pearson.
Saturday 27 Jun 2009 – it finally arrived after 30 years. This very date, 30 years ago to the day, the Open University Society of Change Ringers was conceived.
To celebrate the years, a special ringing day was planned, culminating in the evening with a formal dinner with our guests Steve and Sue Coleman. About 18 members attended the splendid Dinner at the Swan Revisited in Newport Pagnall, and there listened to a very amusing speech by our guest speaker, after he had been introduced by our Master, Olav Bradstock.
In attendance too with our current Master were four past Masters – David Belcham, Mary Coe (nee Purvis), Sue Tompsett and Sheila Matthews.
A toast was proposed by Olav for the continued success of the Society.
PJR July 2009