Towards the end of 2007 planning started to take shape to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the installation of the bells in the North West tower of  Bristol Cathedral. Various societies and organisations, as well as local Sunday Service ringers and those with long term associations with the Cathedral, were to be invited to take part in celebratory peals, but one peal in particular fell to me to organise – “wouldn’t it be great if you could get an Old Boys peal band together?” was the challenge. Perhaps I should explain that a peal consists of over 5,000 non repeating rows or ‘changes’, is rung in one session, takes 3 hours or so to complete, and is usually rung to mark or commemorate a special occasion such as this.

And so it began, e-mail addresses were gathered (how did we ever manage to make arrangements before e-mail?) and by the end of March eight OB’s had agreed to ring in a peal at the end of October. The organiser then rested on his laurels until mid-September when ‘final reminders’ were despatched and ‘tis at this point his nightmare begins, and the full impact of the credit crunch is experienced for the first time. Paul Graupner would be unable to join us due to the lack of cheap flights and business commitments that tie him to the USA, first reserve Roy Mould of Leicester is contacted but with regret declines as he will be working in China (I’m now beginning to remember how work used to get in the way of my bell ringing arrangements), John Brain, who is now 80, felt that 5,000+ changes was possibly a little more than he currently felt comfortable with so I try a number, passed to me by a friend of a friend and after some considerable research I should add, and make contact with Roger Algate living in Whimple, Devon. Arm twisting and compromises result in Roger coming out of peal ringing retirement after 16 years and the agreement that we would keep things relatively simple by ringing a method aptly named Plain Bob Major.

For the majority of the band, that had come a distance on that fine October morning, it must have been strange returning to the old school and actually being permitted to park in the quadrangle. Seeing faces that seemed familiar but with lines around the mouth, black hair turned white (well for some that still have hair that is),  we wondered if we hadn’t bitten off more than we could chew! Nevertheless, by 08:30 six were assembled in the cloisters raring to go, taking advantage of the facilities (another age related thing) and reminiscing already about the days of Taffy Watkins, Fred Fear and, of course, ‘The Duke’. All eight into the tower on time by 09:00 and into changes at 09:12, some eyebrows raise when half way is reached with the thought of ‘well it’s all down hill from here’. The odd transgression is quickly resolved by the conductor, or helpful winks and nods from others, and the peal is concluded after 3 hours and 5 minutes.

Lots of self congratulatory back slaps, the organiser thanks everyone for a great effort and then the realisation that this is the first peal rung by a complete OB band. Andy Parry who rang the treble faultlessly throughout, reveals that this is only his third peal, Roger openly confesses to all ‘my first peal since the Yorkshire here in 1992’, the ringers of 3 and 4 admit to only ringing the occasional peal sometimes a year apart and the remainder of us gulp and thank our good fortune.

All the band adjourned to Wetherspoon’s in Corn Street along with Peter and Eve Parry, who had heard the beginning, end and lots in between. Photographs of the way we were were passed around and identities sought of those young boys looking out at us, all very sombre and unsmiling. All too soon it’s time to go and the organiser’s job is done (apart from informing the bellringers weekly magazine ‘The Ringing World’ and ‘The Cathedralian’) – except, who did agree to take on the organisation of the next anniversary peal in 2058? Well done Old Cathedralians.

MJ Hobbs