Young@Herts. For young ringers. By young ringers.
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Young@Herts is the official group for young bellringers in Hertfordshire. Anyone aged 18 or under is welcome at our monthly practices. All abilites are catered for. Our only request is that you are able to handle a bell in rounds without assistance. At our practices we aim to give everyone an opportunity to work on whatever they're learning in their tower, and progress, or try something that their tower can't offer. In addition to our monthly practices, we enter teams in two bellringing contests: The Ringing World National Youth Contest (RWNYC), and the South East England Youth Contest (SEECON). The RWNYC is a major event in the national ringing calendar, with 30+ teams of young ringers from all over the UK coming together for a fantastic day out. SEECON is a smaller and more informal version. We also have occasional days out, either for a day of ringing, or to somewhere like the Taylors Bellfoundry Museum in Loughborough.
We meet on the last Sunday afternoon every month, from 2.00-4.00pm. Details of each practice are circulated to all towers, and via a mailing list. The practices are run by Jen Johnson and Mike Below, with a few adult helpers (often ex members of Y@H), who are strictly by invitation.
Young@Herts was formed in 2013. In 2010 The Ringing World organised a contest for young ringers as part of their centenary celebrations. Herts entered a team and won! The event was such a success that it was decided to make it an annual thing. Herts entered again in 2011, but couldn't repeat their win. By 2012 all the team members were too old, and it proved impossible to get a team together, so in 2013, it was agreed that we needed to be organised, and Young@Herts was established. We have a good track record in the contest, always being in the top half of the results. Our best result to date was coming second in 2016, by winning the Call Change Category.
JOIN YOUNG@HERTS AND HELP US WIN AGAIN!"
To contact us,
We were fortunate to have a full squad of ten young ringers this year (eight to ring and two reserves). We were entered in the 8 bell call changes category of the contest. Teams may ring 6 or 8, in either call changes or method categories.
The day started hot and sunny, although the threatened rain did arrive in the afternoon. We met at the Memorial Gardens to board a specially chartered bus service to our first tower of the day.
Acomb are a pleasant 6 in the York suburbs. A nice easy start to the day.
Back on the bus, following a very tight timetable, and to our next tower, All Saints, North Street. The bells here are almost exactly the same weight as the contest tower, so we took full advantage of this to have a run through of the test piece, which went very well. Time at all the towers was limited, but everyone had a couple of goes, including some method ringing for the more advanced members.
Our next venue was the highlight of the day. York Minster! The bells could be heard all over the city, making our approach even more exciting. The 12 bells, with a tenor weighing 59cwt are hung in the south west tower. There are various bells in all the other towers, but these are the ringing peal. Video of Y@H ringing at York Minster (without much sound)
We shared our 45 minute session with two other teams, Sussex, and the Coventry Spires. We have a connection to the Coventry team, with their manager being the aunt of one of our young ringers. Some local ringers ran the session, ensuring that everyone had a good ring, with support if needed. The bells are a lot bigger than most of our group are used to, but they all adapted quickly, and had a great visit. Our two captains were included in a final more advanced piece of ringing.
After the ringing we had a lunch break, with time to look round the Minster, and play on a couple of mini rings. These are portable towers with very small bells. One of the rings, used to be housed in a pub called The Black Bull, in Frosterley, Durham! There were also opportunities to try handbells, and various stalls to visit. We all met up again at St Martin, Coney Street. A nice ground floor ring of eight. We took another opportunity to practice our test piece. One advantage of ringing last in the contest was the chance to have a “cold” practice on strange bells several times during the day. We arrived at St Lawrence’s church in good time for our contest ringing. A few last minute tactical talks, and our team went up to ring. The start was understandably a little nervous, but they settled quickly and produced a really outstanding piece of ringing. Those of us listening outside (in the rain!) were so impressed. The bells were very quiet outside, but a recording was captured in the ringing chamber, and part of it can be heard below.
Video: A brief excerpt of the team's performance
With the contest done, we could all relax, and we made our way back to the Minster, and the York Oratory Church located opposite. This was our final tower of the day, and because of its proximity to the Minster (whose bells had been ringing ALL DAY), our visit was on the simulator. This is a computer driven system that allows the bells to be rung, but with the clappers silenced, and the sound produced in the ringing chamber electronically. Ringing completed, we made our way to The Central Methodist Church in St Saviourgate for the results and presentations. Despite some difficulties about capacity at the venue, everyone was able to get in. Twenty five teams competed, seven in the method category, and sixteen in our group, ringing call changes. Eleven of the teams rang on eight bells, including us. The results are read out in the traditional reverse order. We had to wait quite a while before they got to us! Young@Herts were placed joint 4th out of the 17 teams. This is a great result, and in other years our performance could have won. It should also be noted that the winning team only rang on 6, so of the 8 bell teams we were joint 3rd.
Results of the 2023 Robert Lewis Trophy for Excellence in Call Changes at St Lawrence, Hull Road, York (8, 7-3-24).
Young@Herts is the official group for young bellringers in Hertfordshire. Anyone aged 18 or under is welcome at our monthly practices. All abilites are catered for. Our only request is that you are able to handle a bell in rounds without assistance. At our practices we aim to give everyone an opportunity to work on whatever they're learning in their tower, and progress, or try something that their tower can't offer. In addition to our monthly practices, we enter teams in two bellringing contests: The Ringing World National Youth Contest (RWNYC), and the South East England Youth Contest (SEECON). The RWNYC is a major event in the national ringing calendar, with 30+ teams of young ringers from all over the UK coming together for a fantastic day out. SEECON is a smaller and more informal version. We also have occasional days out, either for a day of ringing, or to somewhere like the Taylors Bellfoundry Museum in Loughborough.
We meet on the last Sunday afternoon every month, from 2.00-4.00pm. Details of each practice are circulated to all towers, and via a mailing list. The practices are run by Jen Johnson and Mike Below, with a few adult helpers (often ex members of Y@H), who are strictly by invitation.
Young@Herts was formed in 2013. In 2010 The Ringing World organised a contest for young ringers as part of their centenary celebrations. Herts entered a team and won! The event was such a success that it was decided to make it an annual thing. Herts entered again in 2011, but couldn't repeat their win. By 2012 all the team members were too old, and it proved impossible to get a team together, so in 2013, it was agreed that we needed to be organised, and Young@Herts was established. We have a good track record in the contest, always being in the top half of the results. Our best result to date was coming second in 2016, by winning the Call Change Category.
JOIN YOUNG@HERTS AND HELP US WIN AGAIN!"
To contact us,
8th July 2023: Ringing World National Youth Contest - York
From January to June each year, Young@Herts prepare to send a squad to the annual Ringing World National Youth Contest. This year it was held in the city of York (postponed from 2020).We were fortunate to have a full squad of ten young ringers this year (eight to ring and two reserves). We were entered in the 8 bell call changes category of the contest. Teams may ring 6 or 8, in either call changes or method categories.
The day started hot and sunny, although the threatened rain did arrive in the afternoon. We met at the Memorial Gardens to board a specially chartered bus service to our first tower of the day.
Acomb are a pleasant 6 in the York suburbs. A nice easy start to the day.
Back on the bus, following a very tight timetable, and to our next tower, All Saints, North Street. The bells here are almost exactly the same weight as the contest tower, so we took full advantage of this to have a run through of the test piece, which went very well. Time at all the towers was limited, but everyone had a couple of goes, including some method ringing for the more advanced members.
Our next venue was the highlight of the day. York Minster! The bells could be heard all over the city, making our approach even more exciting. The 12 bells, with a tenor weighing 59cwt are hung in the south west tower. There are various bells in all the other towers, but these are the ringing peal. Video of Y@H ringing at York Minster (without much sound)
We shared our 45 minute session with two other teams, Sussex, and the Coventry Spires. We have a connection to the Coventry team, with their manager being the aunt of one of our young ringers. Some local ringers ran the session, ensuring that everyone had a good ring, with support if needed. The bells are a lot bigger than most of our group are used to, but they all adapted quickly, and had a great visit. Our two captains were included in a final more advanced piece of ringing.
After the ringing we had a lunch break, with time to look round the Minster, and play on a couple of mini rings. These are portable towers with very small bells. One of the rings, used to be housed in a pub called The Black Bull, in Frosterley, Durham! There were also opportunities to try handbells, and various stalls to visit. We all met up again at St Martin, Coney Street. A nice ground floor ring of eight. We took another opportunity to practice our test piece. One advantage of ringing last in the contest was the chance to have a “cold” practice on strange bells several times during the day. We arrived at St Lawrence’s church in good time for our contest ringing. A few last minute tactical talks, and our team went up to ring. The start was understandably a little nervous, but they settled quickly and produced a really outstanding piece of ringing. Those of us listening outside (in the rain!) were so impressed. The bells were very quiet outside, but a recording was captured in the ringing chamber, and part of it can be heard below.
Video: A brief excerpt of the team's performance
With the contest done, we could all relax, and we made our way back to the Minster, and the York Oratory Church located opposite. This was our final tower of the day, and because of its proximity to the Minster (whose bells had been ringing ALL DAY), our visit was on the simulator. This is a computer driven system that allows the bells to be rung, but with the clappers silenced, and the sound produced in the ringing chamber electronically. Ringing completed, we made our way to The Central Methodist Church in St Saviourgate for the results and presentations. Despite some difficulties about capacity at the venue, everyone was able to get in. Twenty five teams competed, seven in the method category, and sixteen in our group, ringing call changes. Eleven of the teams rang on eight bells, including us. The results are read out in the traditional reverse order. We had to wait quite a while before they got to us! Young@Herts were placed joint 4th out of the 17 teams. This is a great result, and in other years our performance could have won. It should also be noted that the winning team only rang on 6, so of the 8 bell teams we were joint 3rd.
Results of the 2023 Robert Lewis Trophy for Excellence in Call Changes at St Lawrence, Hull Road, York (8, 7-3-24).
| Position | Team name | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Durham & Newcastle | 9.5/10 |
| 2nd | Sussex Young Ringers | 9/10 |
| 3rd | Kent Young Ringers | 8.5/10 |
| 4th= | Go Bellistic! (Salisbury DG) | 8/10 |
| 4th= | Young@Herts | 8/10 |
| 6th= | Bucks & Berks Young Ringers | 7.5/10 |
| 6th= | Brumdingers | 7.5/10 |
| 6th= | Worcester Cathedral | 7.5/10 |
| 9th= | Yorkshire Tykes | 7/10 |
| 9th= | Nottingham Young Ringers | 7/10 |
| 9th= | Norfolk Young Ringers | 7/10 |
| 12th= | W&P Youths | 6.5/10 |
| 12th= | Derbyshire Young Ringers | 6.5/10 |
| 12th= | Lincolnshire Poachers | 6.5/10 |
| 15th | Coventry Spires | 6/10 |
| 16th= | Bath & Wells | 5.5/10 |
| 16th= | Ely Fen Tigers | 5.5/10 |
