Monday 08-05-2023 - 17:13

From Friday 14th to Sunday 16th April 2023 the Bangor Student Society of Change Ringers (BSSCR) and Llandegai ringers departed from North Wales and travelled to the East Riding of Yorkshire for our 2023 outing.  We began the weekend’s ringing at the wonderful Selby Abbey where several of our ringers had their first experience ringing on twelve bells. All these ringers rang commendably, including Esme Anstice who has only been ringing for six months, and Liam Barnes who provided some excellent covering on twelve. After this we all travelled to our overnight accommodation before meeting again in the evening at Zoom Café Bar for a very enjoyable chilli tea.

On Saturday morning Friday’s rain had cleared and we were treated to a sunny day when we met at our first tower, North Cave. Here we rang a good range of methods to start the day’s ringing, including Beverley Surprise Minor, Cambridge Surprise Minor and Stedman Doubles. Next, we travelled to the glorious bells of Howden Minster, before moving to Holme-on-Spalding-Moor where the great weather and elevation provided excellent views of Yorkshire. Whilst ringing here Patrick Hughes rang an impressive first touch of Grandsire Doubles. Following lunch at the church, we then departed for Nunburnholme where we rang some Bangor Surprise Minor.  After this we drove to our last tower of the day, St Mary’s Beverley. Here the band continued to gain experience ringing on twelve bells with more call changes and plain hunt on 11 and 12, interspaced with Cambridge Surprise Major on the light eight. Finally, after an unfortunate change of plan for our evening meal, we travelled back to North Cave for drinks and a fish and chip tea in the White Hart.

Figure 1: Group photo of those who attended the outing. Taken following ringing at St Mary's Beverley. (15.04.2023)

We started our final day of ringing on Sunday morning by joining the Beverley Minster ringers for their service ringing; a fantastic experience for everyone who attended. This concluded the open ringing for our outing, but we weren’t finished yet, after leaving Beverley Minster we split into bands and rang some quarter peals across the East Riding of Yorkshire. This began by ringing simultaneous quarter peals of Plain Bob Doubles and Cambridge Surprise Minor at North Ferriby and North Cave respectively, before bringing the outing to a close with a final quarter peal at Hemingbrough’s spectacular church – a long held ambition of Martin Brown.

Thank you to the churches, tower captains and keyholders who allowed us to visit their towers, as well as the local ringers from Selby Abbey, North Cave and Beverley Minster who supported our ringing. Finally, thank you to everyone who joined our outing, I hope you all had a great time.

Figure 2: Beverley Minster following the BSSCR joining the local band for sunday service ringing (16.04.2023)