Ringing Forums

Given that Ringing today has been snowed off I have read the previous Surveys and comments so far . Couple of points for me based on my experiences in Devon.

There is talk of the stock of ringing tower being in good order , Prior to covid we lost a few peals due to broken ropes etc and whilst there is a lot of good work going on around bell restoration , my overall impression is that we are on a cliff edge of towers going out of action and not being fixed. Large parts of rural devon have little in the way of active towers and as such people to maintain them . Many rural churches have struggling finances - We provide ringing at a tower where the average congregation including the Churchwardens and vicar is between 5 and 10. A pretty six , kept going by splicing and resplicing ropes and fixing things like pulleys with second hand parts from towers nearby who have undergone augmentation etc. Went to a brilliant sounding G&J six in North Devon , had to repair a rope the condition of the frame was bad but saveable , no band , no interest locally , nothing has been done

Ringing and Method ringing , people make it sound bad that some ringers , don't want to progress into method ringing and are only interested in supporting the local Church on a Sunday and P/night. Its not a bad thing at all. Those that want to progress should have the opportunity, leave the rest alone !!!

Whilst another survey might be useful to some I'm not sure it wont tell us things we don't already know.

Most development in ringing is down to keen individuals rather that bureaucratic structures.

Appreciate it all sounds a bit doom and gloom , but that is the reality and where we need to be starting from.

I think you've got your answer - I wonder how much the cost of travel , accommodation etc etc cost compared to running it on line - tis only a meeting - given the rising cost of fuel and damage to the planet there has got to be a better way.

Have a look at - https://mbmcommercial.co.uk/resources/blogs/blogs/clubs-societies-and-the-gdpr-part-1.html

I think a few point are being missed here - Firstly the Bells in Church Premises are the property of the Church so they can set the rules, no point in arguing about it. If you dont like it go elsewhere. Secondly the analogy's given are a bit misleading as most contracts for use of Church Premises should contain sections around safeguarding appropriate to activity , i.e A Nursery School using a Church hall should have its own policies etc etc. John said TC has to do Leadership Level but i do 1:1 handling and only have to do foundation - That's not correct - the guidance states that anyone in a leadership role should undertaking the leadership module - you will also require a DBS certificate . I think its unfair to criticise the Church of England for being over cautious given the track record in the past and cases involving ringers who went on to be convicted. As for outings , we all have a responsibility to protect the young and the vulnerable and ensure that appropriate care is taken when visiting others locations. As a non vulnerable person turning up at a tower in another Diocese, then if they have appropriate safeguards in place at that tower its not a problem. If you have additional needs then make people aware beforehand so any additional measures can be put in place. There will always be one or two who go over board but in my experience that is not the general case. As for breaking links with the Church of England , thats just stupid given that the bells are there for the service of the Church and as a bonus we are allowed to ring them at other towers . Having said that I personally feel that the CCCBR and Guilds / etc are generally an outdated Victorian left over with most of the work to keep ringing going being undertaken by Individuals and groups, often not based or confined to geographical boundaries. Thats another debate

I agree . You need to be very specific with what you want and don't be afraid to go back and discuss quotes so you are sure you are comparing like with like in terms of the work being undertaken. Also I would avoid quotes with exclusions. I.e work to cut pockets in tower walls or installing lifting beams. If you have a builder doing part of the work and a bellhanger doing the rest and there is a problem you can end up with an argument over who is responsible. If it's all down to the hangers then when a problem arises its down to them.