St. Nicholas, Leeds

Leeds Church c.1890

K. Simpson (CW)  ?  J. Butcher  ?  ?  ?  ?(CW)
?  ?  ?  ?(Organist and Choirmaster)  Rev J. Dilnot (Vicar)  S.J. Russell (Sexton & Verger)  Mrs L. Faulkner  Mrs P.J. Heale (now Griffiths)  ?
Children in front row - names unknown

The band who rang in the Quarter Peal of Cambridge S. Royal for Rev David Brookes retirement concert.

Long history of a large choir - in 2005 there are now five members (including the Master of the ASELY)
Following a steady decline in congregation, and a corresponding dissatisfaction by the regular Sunday service ringers at the attitude of one particular clergyman, particularly with regard to the bad manners of allowing certain officials with a personal grudge against the Society and its aims to inspect the bells and write scurrilous reports, members of the Society resolved that the Master should write a firm letter to the Cleric in question, and that we would try and ring for the retimed service on the 1st Sunday of the month, but that we would therefore not ring for the service on the 2nd Sunday, as it was a 'FAMILY SERVICE' - which fulfilled no useful purpose as it was very rare for any families or children to be present.  There was also a deliberate ploy to sideline the (already only occasional) Choral Matins services.  The response which members expected to their letter was one of discussion and concern at our upset.  However, it suited this Cleric to reappoint one Christopher R. Saunders as Tower Captain (C.R. Saunders had resigned as Captain during the Incumbency of Rev Brookes after a disagreement with regard to low standards of ringing on Sundays; the ASELY taking over a couple of years after this disagreement and ringing to a much higher standard) without any consultation with the ASELY.  It seems that C.R. Saunders was instructed to collect the key for the tower from a lady parishioner, and that he and others removed all the ASELY property from the tower, and dumped it outside the residence of the ASELY Master on the night of Friday August 6th 2004.  The Cleric - who claims that he did not give authorisation for the removal of the property and dumping at the Master's front door, one Rev. Robin Gill, who also spoke in the House of Lords in favour of a bill to legalise Euthanasia in late 2004 - sent a letter to the Master of ASELY which arrived on Saturday 7th August 'thanking him for his services'.  The Society began a massive Campaign through the Press to regain their Headquarters Tower. TO READ THE TRUE DETAILS OF THIS STORY PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK