The George Williams Memorial Library is located in the ringing chamber of Winchester Cathedral and is available for readers and borrowers by appointment. The system for loans provides a standard loan period of eight weeks with a liberal renewal policy for serious research and special problems. The only exceptions are the archive material and the Guild’s annual and triennial reports for which, because of their unique importance, loans are solely at the discretion of the librarian. A catalogue of the printed books and of the complete archive is maintained on the Guild website. Part of our collection of archive material, held at the Hampshire Record Office in Sussex Street, Winchester, is available for consultation only. The collection there has the call-number 20M94.
Since writing last year’s report I have completed my quest for fair copies of The Ringing World for binding, and these have now been handed over to our binder, to be joined shortly by the 2025 issues. The cost of the work should account for the balance I am carrying forward and last year’s vote of £250. Following a suggestion by Andrew Craddock I have created a circulating copy of The Education Column which includes copies of the two series of the column following the six separately published by the Ringing World, and some other relevant articles. It has already proved of interest within the Winchester District. Other acquisitions have been The little green and little purple ringing books, Foolish youths and substantial rewards, on ringing in Cambridge, On their shoulders we stand and ring, on ringing in the Stroud Valleys, Bells & bellfounding, on the history of the Loughborough Foundry, and Bells: music, art, culture and politics, a study as wide-ranging as it is lavishly illustrated. Research continues, most recently on the origins of the bells of St John the Baptist, Winchester, in consequence of the plan to install a new ring there.
The Guild’s online archive has the minutes of the Guild Annual meetings and Executive Committee meetings from 1980 to 2000, and since 2013 (Minutes since 2001 are also available from the Guild’s Document Repository) and a collection of historical articles from The Ringing World about Guild people, places and events. These are all maintained by Tony Smith, to whom I am duly grateful.
I am always pleased to assist Guild members and others with an interest in the Guild with their researches. I should like to thank my colleagues within the Guild and the Winchester Cathedral band for their continuing support.
| Income | Expenditure | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £.p | £.p | ||
| Balance b/f | 544.92 | Sub. to The Ringing World | 110.00 |
| Income | 250.00 | Sub. to the Friends of the Central Council Library | 10.00 |
| Six books, as detailed above | 119.94 | ||
| Sundries | 16.98 | ||
| Balance c/f | 538.00 | ||
| £794.92 | £794.92 | ||
Bruce Purvis