Shropshire Association Library
The Association has a small library of ringing books. These are housed at the residence of the Association Librarian, Gill Glover. Gill is very keen that more use should be made of the collection. Members may borrow any of the items, although special arrangements may be required for the Association peal books, which are both valuable and irreplaceable. Gill may be contacted at librarian@sacbr.org.uk . The contents of the library will be given below, as and when tedium permits.
The Central Council has its own extensive library housed in Worthen. The Librarian, Alan Glover, is happy to answer brief queries by e-mail: (librarysteward@cccbr.org.uk ) . Many of the items are available on loan but some of the early texts are too rare and valuable to leave the library.
Association Library Catalogue
Shropshire Association Annual Reports are held for the following years:
(NB, the term 'annual' is misleading, as some reports cover more than one year.)
The Librarian would be delighted to learn of the existence of a copy of either of the first two reports, in order that photocopies could be made
1938 (3rd report), 1939, 1940-47, 1948-9, 1950, 1951-2, 1953-4, 1955-6, 1957-9, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963-4, 1965-7, 1968-70, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1980, 1981, 1982-3-4, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Reports of the Salop Archidiaconal Guild of Change Ringers are held for 1912, 1913 and 1914-19. 1906 and 1908-10 are held in the Central Council Library and 1898 is held in the Shropshire Records and Research Centre.
The programme of events and Songs of Praise service sheet for the visit of the Central Council to Shrewsbury in 1996 are held.
A number of reports from other associations and guilds are held, mainly from the Chester Diocesan Guild and Hereford Diocesan Guild. The Librarian can provide a list of these.
The Ringing World An almost complete set of these from the 1950s to date is on extended loan from a member currently resident in one of the penal colonies.
Peal Books The peals of the Salop Archidiaconal Guild and Shropshire Association are recorded (incompletely) in two bound volumes and various other books and loose-leaf sheets. They vary from superbly illuminated sheets to basic handwritten records.
Peal Books and other ringing records of E. V. 'Teddy' Rodenhurst. Teddy is the Association's leading peal ringer, ringing in the first peal in 1926 and finishing in 1973 with a total of 254. The Library holds his five peal books and also three books recording 'Towers where I have rung' and a collection of photographs, letters and peal cards.
'County' Books and general interest books
| Church Bells of Shropshire | H B Walters | 1915 |
| Church Bells of Warwickshire | Tilley and Walters | 1910 |
| Church Bells of Suffolk | J J Raven | 1890 |
| Church Bells of Flintshire | R W M Clouston | 1951 |
| A History of Staffordshire Bells | Trevor S Jennings | 1968 |
| The Bells of England | J J Raven | 1906 |
| Bells and Bellfounding | X-Y-Z | 1879 |
| Church Bells | H B Walters | 1908 |
| Among the Bells (author signed copy) | F E Robinson | |
| The History and Art of Change Ringing | E Morris | 1931 |
| Bells of the Isle | Bob Major | |
| Village Bells | ||
| A Great Adventure | J S Goldsmith | 1935 |
| Belfries and Ringers (4th edition) | H T Ellacombe | 1878 |
| Bells, Belfries and Ringers | Heywood and Davies | |
| Clocks, Watches and Bells | Sir Edmund Beckett | 1883 |
| The Change-Ringers Guide to the Steeples of England | J E and R H D Ackland-Troyte | 1882 |
| Restoration of Coalbrookdale Bells | ||
| Clun Church Bells (with note) | W Mead | 1916 |
| The Crooked Spire | W Hawksley Edmunds | |
| The Music and Organs of St Michael, Coventry | David Lepine | 1962 |
| Bells and Bellhanging | Dr R M Ayres | 1981 |
| The Ringers' Magazine Nos 1-4 | 1957 | |
| A Directory of Church Bell Ringers 3rd edition | 1931 | |
| A Directory of Church Bell Ringers 4th edition | 1935 | |
| The Church Bells of Bunbury | J W Clarke | 1950 |
| Millennium Bells for Tavistock | 1998 | |
| Souvenir of 'The Great Peal' |
Books about bell founders - principally advertising hyperbole, but of some historical interest
| Bell founding (with original letter) | Mears and Stainbank | |
| Peals of Bells cast by John Taylor & Co | ||
| Testimonials to John Taylor & Co | ||
| The Whitechapel Bell Foundry | ||
| Church Bells | Mears and Stainbank |
The Library has a number of instructional books, and collections of peals and methods. In the writer's opinion, the style and language of these make them more suitable for historical researchers than for anyone wanting to learn to ring. For such learners, modern books published by the Central Council, or the Sherbourne Teaching Aids series, would be much more suitable. Anyone wishing to ignore my prejudices and inspect these books should contact the Librarian, who would be only too happy to dust them off.