News

First posted: 7 March 2025

ASCY Visit - A Local's Experience

ASCY Oz25 logo

group of people in a tower

Victoria welcomed about 20 visitors as part of the ASCY Oz25 tour. On Wednesday, 26 February, there were four quarter peal attempts, all including local ringers. Additionally, the St Patrick's Cathedral and St Paul's Cathedral practices were enhanced by having visitors there. A few of the locals and visitors at St Paul's Cathedral's practice are pictured here.

Three Melbourne ringers travelled to Sydney to be part of the ASCY Master's Challenge and Dinner on Sunday 2 March, again benefitting from practices enhanced by ASCY visitors at St Mary's Cathedral and St Andrew's Cathedral.

The Challenge was challenging. The towers were hot and the ropes were sticky. We dashed between towers trying, in vain, to keep to the schedule. The ringing was (just) achievable for the bands. The intention was for 13 ringers in each team, but there were some last minute drop outs which probably decided the results. The team I was in benefited from a team leader who knew all the ringers, and from not-too-many drop outs.

The dinner was at a great venue overlooking Darling Harbour. We were made very welcome. I hope many others enjoyed the chance to ring and socialise with the ASCY visitors as they travelled around.

Here is a link to the many ASCY Oz25 performances as recorded on BellBoard.

Deryn Griffiths
7 March 2025

ASCY Master's Challenge and Dinner, 2 March 2025

ASCY Oz25 logo

The Master's Challenge was designed as a "no-pressure", "good-fun" ringing event with four mixed teams of 13 ringers. Each team was made up of ASCY Members, non-Members, visitors and local ringers. The event took place at four Sydney city towers on the afternoon of Sunday 2 March 2025 - St Philip's, St Andrew's, St James' and St Benedict's (8, 12, 8 and 6 bells respectively). Some team members arrived late or left early by prior arrangement.

There were eight ringing "challenges" with two at each tower. Everyone present at a tower had to ring in one of the challenges. There were 4 non-ringing challenges. The detail of the challenges may be found here along with the teams, though they changed, with at least one team down to 6 members by the time they rang at St Benedict's. The results were announced at the Tour Dinner that evening, with the Angry Emus winning, followed closely by the Rampaging Roos. The Brawny Bandicoots narrowly beat the Tasmanian Tigers into third position.

The raising in peal, with bands not used to ringing together, and with ropes of unknown length, prior to ringing Double St Benedict's Bob Minor (announced as the "unseen method" a few hours earlier) was a particular challenge. One band chose to ring Plain Bob Minor instead, about which the Master said "I applaud their initiative" confirming that participation was more important than rules or competition.

latest first