In 1963 at the tender age of 13 I became a bellringer. There was an appeal during the church notices, and my brother and I went to see Mr Brown after the service. This decision changed my life, vastly for the better.
As a teenager, ringing was a fascinating hobby. There is a lot of skill to be picked up, not just in physically handling a bell with precision but also in the brainwork of knowing where amongst the other bells to place it. I was welcomed into the band and the rest of the group (both adults and fellow youngsters) just treated me as an equal.
Then off to university, and what an asset knowing bellringing was! Like most such institutions, my university already had a thriving ringing society, and I could join that. An instant group of friends. An instant social club. An instant release from the books and study. Looking at the volume of present-day talk about the need to acclimatise new students, I now realise how lucky I was.
And then entering the real world, I found that if I just turned up at virtually any tower I would be welcomed and invited to join in. More instant friends. And it just so happened that on one such visit I met my future wife. I can't guarantee that matrimony follows inexorably from learning to ring, but you'd be amazed how often it occurs.
You might say that English-style bellringing defines England; that hearing bells ringing the call to worship on a Sunday morning is what England is all about. So should one learn to ring simply because one is embarking on a long-established English tradition that one would like to help maintain? Or should one learn because it's a challenge, a constant challenge, with a long road of attainable achievements? Or should one learn because one will find oneself surrounded by one of the friendliest environments around? The answer of course is 'all the above'. Contact me or Jane Mellor to find out more.
Steve Smith (April 2025)
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