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FODS is an acronym for: "The Friends of Dorothy Society", which is one of the many bell ringing societies in the United Kingdom.
About Bell Ringing Societies
The vast majority of bell ringing societies, associations and guilds are geographical: they exist to serve the members and towers of a particular region. However there are university guilds as well as groups that draw together members with a common interest or vocation such as the Guild of Post and Telecom Ringers.
FODS: How it all began
The FODS is a society for gay and lesbian bell ringers.
The society started following a notice placed in the Ringing World (a weekly publication for bell ringers) in May 1991. The notice aimed to assemble a band to ring for the London Lesbian & Gay Pride Festival that year.
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A number of people responded to the notice and the bells of St Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square were rung for that year’s parade.
Tours
The first tour was to Bristol in October 1991. Since then the FODS have toured Bath, Belfast, Birmingham, Blackpool, Brighton, Cardiff, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Scotland, Southampton, ... the list goes on.
Today
The society’s membership is ever-increasing. Peals are rung several times each year. There are annual spring and autumn tours and the society rings for London Pride and Brighton Pride. And, the FODS are such a sociable bunch, sometimes they meet for drinks and don’t ring any bells at all.
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