Triennial Dinner 2003 Selwyn College, Cambridge

Cumberlands in Cambridge

Friday evening Got to The Castle to be greeted by a heaving mass of non-ringers. How dare they! Don’t they know the Cumberlands are in town and that there’s an historic event unfolding before their very eyes? The Society’s anniversary dinner is, for the first time, being held out of London though the journey doesn’t seem to have stopped the usual suspects attending in droves.

Saturday morning Has Martin Bright been caught in a heavy shower, I ask myself, seeing him wander, oblivious, past those of us waiting for general ringing to begin. Silly me. He’s just finished a peal at The Catholic and is, literally, (w)ringing wet.

Saturday afternoon General ringing at Great St. Mary’s, St. Bene’t’s (where Mike Wigney loops the loop in his wheelchair with all the aplomb of a trapeze artist) and St. Andrew’s manages to keep us out of the pub for a while but it all merged seamlessly into the

Saturday evening dinner at Selwyn College. Bill, the catering manager, was delighted about the 6.30pm start because he thought that meant he’d get home early. Well, I suppose 4am IS early but I’m not sure it’s quite what he had in mind. The speeches were good (thanks to Ian Roulstone, Jane Wilkinson, Mike Mears and The Master) but sadly the microphone wasn’t. Odd comments came through loud and clear though: Jake’s ETA for most peals being 2004; Alan Regin’s frustrations; and ‘Jesus, if you ever want to see your mother again….’ What on earth was THAT all about? Fortunately the handbell touch didn’t require amplification and sounded great in the panelled dining room. I’m not sure whether the free bar at the end of the meal was designed to counter the usual Cumberland Orange Juice jokes. If it was, it worked, but for a significant number of revellers even this wasn’t enough so we adjourned next door to the Music School for an impromptu concert and lock-in. Simon Holden’s subsequent 10-minute attempt to cross a (very small) road will be long-remembered.

Sunday morning Cambridge is good at ringing dinners, having had hundreds of years of experience, but this was a good one even by the University Guild’s standards. The really hard work was done by Philippa (again) and I, for one, am delighted that the Society has had the courage to break with tradition in this way. Given the size of the contingent from Yorkshire, perhaps they’d like to do the next one? If so, Cambridge will donate a special bottle of wine to David who clearly couldn’t quite get enough….

George Brown Cambridge

View photos from this event in our gallery.

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2 peals so far have been rung for the Society Triennial Dinner.