Ringing Forums

Very good questions. We charge a very modest £60, based at the time (2023) on the cost of a local one hour yoga class at £7.50. We expect to get them through Level 1 by ten weeks so that they are 'safe' and gaining a good general understanding of ringing and feeling a sence of belonging to the team. I mentioned that they also attend practices. We don't do any tuition as such then but they do ring backstrokes or handstrokes in rounds with everyone else, so their learning is continuous.
At the end of ten weeks we review progress. If the commitment is there we might carry on 1:1 foc for a while (no contract). But this also depends on my availability. The reason we charge is not for my personal financial gain but it makes the time I give more worthwhile. Nor should we forget that they are getting good tuition (that of course is subjective, even with ART!!!) Here is testimony from one of our young ringers on his youtube channel "I started learning to Bell Ring January 2023 being taught by a great teacher and learning so much." So something is working well!
What might be worth mentioning is that since Jan 23 the four ringer who have come to us have contacted us, we haven't recruited them, so they were self motivated and this probably makes a difference.

We have been charging since Jan 2023. Ten weekly 1 hour lessons and a freeby at the beginning to confirm that they want to sign up. We sign them up to LTR and give them the LTR book for learners. We schedule the practices at the beginning but can be flexible to make sure they get their ten. We welcome them as part of the team from day one. They come to normal practices as well - that's all part of learning. They pay up front and the money goes into the bell fund. I can't give them my experience but I teach them everything I can. Although they have paid I don't want them to give up, it's not in my interest. The four ringers we have had since then haven't minded paying. Unfortunately two gave up due to ill health! We are trying to plan for succession, I probably won't be ringing in ten years time! We are trying to portray ringing as a modern, exciting thing to do. We use the simulator a lot (paid for by the ringers out of their fund). We hope that a financial committment helps people understand that they are investing in their future as ringers which will benefit the tower and wider ringing community.

I update our tower website every few weeks. The front page contains a link to our latest news which is dated. https://gransdenbells.org/

I use a hoofer doofer for most things. If I can't find one of those I use a thingummy bob!

I do a very small amount of composing and in basic methods. I use Complib for this purpose. I sometimes write out my comps longhand and then use complib to prove them for me. I've had to learn how to drive it and I would say that I'm not a 'power' user, but its great fun.

Ringing serves very little real purpose except to individuals who love it.
People in my church and village community are very supportive, and often comment favourably when they hear the bells. But this is because I'm always going on about it.
I post on the village F/B page, our tower F/B page and my own F/B page. We Tweet (X) and Intagram. I talk about it endlessly at the village cafe and we ring whenever we can for any reason. As well as practice night I hold sim practices every Wednesday to try and bring along novice ringers. The vicar is great and supports us, but let's face it, ringing is simply a hobby. We always ring for church services, we enjoy doing this and it's part of the deal but its not the main event any more. We've got 80k (or whatever) worth of gear in the tower and we are determined to use it.
Alan C, I don't like to think of the art as archaic - its not old fashioned, its clever, an adventure, challenging and needs determination and committment, which are surely modern attributes. If it is old fashioned it's because ringers are stuck in the past.
It needs to be marketed correctly. That's difficult!
Ringers need to change their their gloomy and drab ringing rooms, where they can, and get away from the 'we've done this before and it didnt work' attitude, and start being more positive. Many ringers are ringing for themselves and not for the future, or have already given up because they won't ring just 3 on a Sunday!".
I will continue to work hard to save ringing, but having said all that, I fear that just as with global warming, we have passed the point of no return, we have dipped below the critical mass, and decline in ringing within ten years is inevitable in most areas, mine included!

On our website we don't mention age, we have an FAQ page which states "....but everyone learns at a different pace and this process can take longer." https://gransdenbells.org/faqs/

the CC is looking at renaming the method. — John de Overa

Why rename the method, that won't change anything. We can't undo what has been done, we only kid ourselves if we think we can!

The only other style I have seen in Devon is a single example of a spliced-in loop at the tail end, large enough for the hand to pass through. — Ted Steele

I seem to remember ringing in some Devon towers years ago where the tail ends were not tucked and the bells rung to their peals and down again without being stood. Ringers rang with coils. I can't imagine that Yorkshire tail ends were ever used in the West Country!

With this in mind I have collected a few recordings of bells in the Huntingdon District of the Ely DA. We ring our bells frequently but rarely record them.
In 1996 a recording was made by my late father in law of a quarter peal at Great Gransden. He used a reel to reel recorder. In 2000 the bells were re-tuned and rehung. The old recording is, as far as I know, the only record of what they sounded like at that time. The attached recording is 1 minute. About 45 seconds is of the old bells and it merges into the new bells. I hope you find it interesting.
We should all record our bells!

I find this is because teaching gets rushed to make progress not good progress — Martyn Bristow

Correct! I fear that this is a different thread and will go off topic!

Trying to push those learners beyond by-bell-number is pointless, and intensely frustrating experience for teachers. Better to accept they've decided to limit their progress and work on improving their skills at that level. — John de Overa

I completely agree John. But to add to your last sentence, they should work on their skills and striking at that level. Unfortunately, to my first hand knowledge, many ringers have little idea about what good striking is!

Any organisation that wants to perpetuate itself needs to — Alan C

accept change!!

It's good to have a positive approach. There are lots of things wrong with ringing! The old boys clubs are not listening, they have had their day and aren't interested any more. It takes individuals to make things happen, so take the initiative and organise something. I remember the first peal I organised. I miscalled it!! but it was a success in every other respect and it gave me a small network of ringers to build on. Perhaps start with quarter peals, not everyone is peal fit nowadays!. I suppose what I am saying is that we should be excited about our ringing. Enthusiasm is infectious, its too easy to say we've done all this before.

Finding your own group, while it sounds good would be harder, especially for lesser connected ringers. — Martyn Bristow

Martyn, I agree, of course. Have you canvassed your local branch on this. Part of their role is to help ringers at all levels.

It needs leading from the association level, as my branch isn’t even ringing quarter peals. — Martyn Bristow

Martyn, I don't think associations are very good at this. It's best to organise things yourself if you can. It's helpful if the branch is organising surprise practices but why not try to get that "critical" mass together yourself. Ringing doesn't have to be under the auspices of the branch or association.

I think one of the problems with raising and lowering is that many learners are not taught to do it soon enough. Raising and lowering are often seen as peripheral skills rather than esential ones. Confident control of tail end length is a critical skill for good ringing. — Phil Gay

I agree Phil, We teach ringing up first, before the learner can ring. This gives them a feel for the bell and managing the rope. Ringing down follows once basic bell control is established. Ringing up and down are critical safety aspects of ringing. If a novice has a problem e.g. the bell comes down a bit, they must know how to take coils and manage the bell safely.

I found it too intense and put it on the back burner!

If you were asked that question, how would you answer? — Vicki Chapman

Perhaps invite them to take photos and write an article about their visit - for the tower, the cathedral and for the Cathedral Music Trust. See if you can find a connection between ringing and singing. How many ringers are/used to be choristers? Is there a connection. Three of our ringers are in the church choir, although I appreciate that at a parish level the relationship is quite different.

It might be sociable, good for toning the arms, mentally stimulating, a means to celebrate local and national events etc. but have we really moved so far away from the original purpose that bells were hung in church towers that ChatGPT did not come across mention of ringing as a service to the church? Has that connection gone or are we too embarrassed to mention it? — Mary Jones

Could it be possible that for the majority of ringers "calling people to worship" (I hate that term) is not their raison de etre? They enjoy ringing for all the reasons you mention, which includes Sunday service ringing, and many do so at several churches each Sunday, but go about it modestly as part of their enjoyment in ringing. I am a champion for announcing the presence of the church in my community but I am ringing to mainly not practising Anglicans although I know that the sound of the bells brings comfort to many parishioners.
We are always ringing to the service of the church whatever the occasion, not just for services, because we do so with the church's permission, and people can't avoid hearing the bells, so I don't think service ringing needs to be singled out. Fee advertising!!!
Having said that, we do expect our ringers to ring on Sundays, but let's admit it, we ring because we enjoy it. The reason for things exisiting changes with time. If ringing for service was our main purpose there would be precious little ringing!