Closure of the East Midlands District 2023

East Midlands & South Yorkshire District of the Ladies Guild 1938-2023 (on & off!)

It is with regret that the East Midlands & South Yorkshire District of the Ladies Guild feels that it is no longer viable and is ceasing to function following its final ADM on 18th February 2023.

It may be of interest to ringers to put this decision into the context of the very fluid 111 year history of the Guild.

The Ladies Guild held its inaugural meeting on October 26th 1912 when it was decided that it should be governed by a committee representing five English regions: North, South, East, West and Midlands. The idea of forming smaller geo-graphic districts was not worked out for several more years and developed out of the fact that enthusiastic women were forming smaller groups in different parts of the country which lasted a few years and then either grew into larger areas or declined and faded out. This has continued to happen.

A group was formed in Skegness in the 1960s, but when the leading member moved to Suffolk the Yorkshire group gradually died, and the Eastern district flourished. Similarly when Jean Kelly, a former national president, moved from Hertfordshire to Cumbria the North West District came into being.

The Midlands and Yorkshire were active for several years from 1938 - 1947 but it was too big an area and by 1950 had split into Yorkshire, North Midlands and South Midlands. There were strong pockets of activity around Leicester and in Lincolnshire from 1947 through to the 1970s. The 40th Anniversary Dinner being held in Leicester in 1952.

The Northern district slowly declined in the 1950s, while others such as the West Midlands ceased activity with a clear announcement in 1962, but a strong group round Northampton & district became known as a District in its own right. This has now reorganised itself into the South Midlands District.

For many years through the 1980s – 1990s the Guild was concentrated mainly South of Birmingham in six Districts known as Central (mainly Home counties) Southern, Eastern , Western with South Wales and Kent, with small groups of activity in the East Midlands functioning separately around Northampton & district, in Lincolnshire and in Leicester, under the enthusiastic leadership of Jill Staniforth, until once again decline in membership caused it to fade out. The current East Midlands District covers the large geographical area of Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and South Yorkshire and resulted from an effort by Janet Stevenson when she moved from Suffolk to North West Leicestershire and tried to bring the Ladies Guild north again in 1987.

However, by 1993 pressure of work and the loss of her enthusiastic secretary, who had married and moved to Devon, meant that she felt unable to continue and, as in the current situation no one else could be found to take over.

At the beginning of the new century there was sufficient interest once again to re-form as an East Midlands District and the first meeting was held with ringing at Rempstone and East Leake on 21st February 2004 when June Wright was elected as its Vice President, and Val Webb as Secretary/Treasurer.

A year later in February 2005 it was decided that the workload necessitated separate roles as Secretary and Treasurer and Rosie Mason took over as Secretary, a post she held for 10 years until 2015. Diane Moore and Val Webb then took it over as a job share until Val sadly died in the summer of 2017. The District remained active for almost 20 years and gradually gained members and supporters back in Yorkshire moving the Guild north again.

Now, once again, with June Stanley (previously Wright), feeling after 19 years and with other commitments, that she needs to hand over, no one can be found to take on the role of Vice President. Numbers at meetings have been declining, in spite of efforts to move them around the region, and the Covid 19 pandemic has been a final death blow. We have sadly decided to cease activity.

A quarter peal of Grandsire Doubles was rung at Rempstone to mark the closure, thus bringing the District full circle back to the tower where is was reformed in 2004.

Until our next revival!

Janet Stevenson