Fun with Bells

This episode is jam-packed with practical tips as host Cathy Booth, with the help of three engaging guests, explores how to get positive bell ringing stories into the media.

First off, ringers Matthew Butler and Kate Flavell talk Cathy through their experiences of making the news - either after being contacted by local radio, TV and the press, or trying to hit the headlines themselves.

Cathy then gets a very different perspective from interviewing journalist Andrew Napier, who very helpfully explains how things work from the other side.

So if your Facebook post goes viral, or you have a great news story to share, this podcast provides the perfect preparation for your interview, photograph or press release. If you do get the call, just go for it - see it as yet another opportunity to bust that myth that ringing involves monks being yanked up in the air!


Top 5 Takeaways

• Think of the one key message you want to get across and don’t be afraid to repeat it.
• Practice explaining change ringing in a short and simple way that absolutely anyone can understand.
• For TV, print and social media, think about the visuals and remember to try and feature a range of ringers from different demographics if possible.
• If approached by the media always check what the story is and what they want from you. As a backup up though, always be prepared to answer questions about noise complaints, just in case!
• Don’t be disappointed if your story doesn’t get featured or you work hard to set up an interview but it is cancelled at the last minute, the news agenda does move very fast.

Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored by the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART).  To find out more about learning to ring, learning to teach or other resources to support your ringing go to bellringing.org

Podcast team:
Anne Tansley Thomas
Emily Roderick
John Gwynne
Emily Watts
Cathy Booth

Ringing by:
The Cambridge Youths (supplied by David Richards) and for later episodes, The Liliputters Guild (supplied by Simon Edwards).

For bellringing training and support for teachers and ringers see: bellringing.org

Ever wondered what it’s like to learn how to ring church bells? Podcast host Cathy Booth catches up with both learners in Winchester and teachers at the Association of Ringing Teacher’s conference to find out.

It’s clear that all the beginner ringers love the challenge of learning, especially enjoying the feeling of being focused and in the present. However, ringing isn’t quite as easy as it looks. It’s just as well that there are plenty of patient teachers there to help. So listen to your teacher, take small steps and keep going - and if you go through a rough patch, just remember how much progress you have already made.

The good news is that the one thing that everyone agrees on is that the most important thing about ringing is to have fun. That, and don’t forget to breathe!


Top 5 Takeaways

• When learning to ring, pull the sally hard at handstroke and stretch up at backstroke – remember that your hands need to go all the way up and all the way down
• Once you can safely ring a bell, work on your listening skills. Begin by trying to hear your bell before working up to hearing all the bells in the row
• Focus on learning one thing at a time. When you have mastered that, move on to the next thing
• Don’t expect miracles and become despondent if you feel you are not making progress. There is a lifetime of learning ahead. Don’t worry, the lightbulb moments will come, so enjoy them when they happen
• Interested in learning to ring? Visit ringingteachers.org/get-involved/learn-to-ringand Rose will help you find a teacher near you

Podcast team:
Anne Tansley Thomas
Emily Roderick
John Gwynne
Emily Watts
Cathy Booth

Ringing by:
The Cambridge Youths (supplied by David Richards) and for later episodes, The Liliputters Guild (supplied by Simon Edwards).

For bellringing training and support for teachers and ringers see: bellringing.org

This thought-provoking episode sees host Cathy Booth catch up with Emily Roderick, who after volunteering to support the podcast now finds herself featuring in it!

One of the age-old questions that ringers rarely agree on is ‘what exactly is ringing?’ - is it a sport, is it music, or is it art? Ringer and artist Emily is currently exploring ringing from the perspective of performance art, with an Arts Council England grant to boot. What follows is a fascinating discussion into the creative process and where imagination can lead to.

So, if you are a ringer interested in performance, or an artist interested in ringing, now’s your chance to get involved. Get in touch with Emily, and who knows what might happen next ...


Top 5 Takeaways

• If you’re learning to ring, try to ring as many different bells as possible as it will help improve your bell handling
• When ringing, pull all the way down, keeping your rope as straight as possible
• Immerse yourself in the different aspects of ringing, it might give you a new perspective
• Bell ringers are a fascinating bunch of people – find out what creative or artist skills your band has, and have a think about what you could make the most of their strengths and outside interests
• Follow Emily on Instagram @emilyhrodders https://instagram.com/emilyhrodders?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored by the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART).  To find out more about learning to ring, learning to teach or other resources to support your ringing go to bellringing.org

Podcast team:
Anne Tansley Thomas
Emily Roderick
John Gwynne
Emily Watts
Cathy Booth

Ringing by:
The Cambridge Youths (supplied by David Richards) and for later episodes, The Liliputters Guild (supplied by Simon Edwards).

For bellringing training and support for teachers and ringers see: bellringing.org

Are your bells too loud, or too quiet? Could some simple tips help your hard-of-hearing ringers to cope better in the tower? This podcast sees host Cathy Booth and guests explore the fascinating world of sound.

First, Alison and Chris share their experiences of ringing whilst using hearing aids, and come up with some terrific tips to make life easier both in the tower and in the pub afterwards.

Then Cathy quizzes her husband Roger on sound levels in towers. Turns out that it’s not just the decibel volume that matters, but reverberation and structural sound count too. Nobody wants a bad case of ‘clapper knock’!

Whether you want to soak up the sound with wall-to-wall carpet or crank up the volume by leaving all the doors open, this podcast is perfect for you.


Top Five Takeaways

• Conductors – tell those outside the circle to be quiet, catch the eye of the ringers before involving them in a change and call ‘that is all’ at the end, rather than ‘that’s all’
• Ringers – if you are new to hearing aids, experiment using the ‘music’ or ‘speech enhancing’ setting, depending on your needs. Stand where you have a very good view of the conductor and work extra hard at your ropesight
• Use a mobile app to quickly check the decibel volume in your ringing room – if it is too high then bring in some professional advice
• Check out Mike Banks’ presentation ‘Sound control inside and outside of your tower’ https://cccbr.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Mike-Banks-Sound-Control-slides_2.pdf
• Got concerns about your hearing? Get these checked out as soon as possible. Several studies have found a link between untreated hearing loss and dementia risk. Why not try the RNID’s free online hearing check www.rnid.org.uk/check

Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored by the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART).  To find out more about learning to ring, learning to teach or other resources to support your ringing go to bellringing.org

Podcast team:
Anne Tansley Thomas
Emily Roderick
John Gwynne
Emily Watts
Cathy Booth

Ringing by:
The Cambridge Youths (supplied by David Richards) and for later episodes, The Liliputters Guild (supplied by Simon Edwards).

For bellringing training and support for teachers and ringers see: bellringing.org

No, we’re not talking about tyrannical tower captains, caustic conductors or belligerent tenor ringers here, but the wide and wonderful variety of wildlife that ringers and steeple keepers share their bell towers with. 

David Bagley fascinates host Cathy Booth with descriptions and anecdotes of both welcome and unwelcome species, and advises on how to either encourage them or get rid of them. No, it’s not just bats in the belfry, as insects, mammals and birds all seem to enjoy the atmosphere and make themselves at home. 

As well as some fascinating facts, this podcast offers some great excuses for losing a quarter - just blame the distraction caused by that cheeky mouse, plague of ladybirds or rare sighting of an assassin beetle!

Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored by the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART).  To find out more about learning to ring, learning to teach or other resources to support your ringing go to bellringing.org

Podcast team:
Anne Tansley Thomas
Emily Roderick
John Gwynne
Emily Watts
Cathy Booth

Ringing by:
The Cambridge Youths (supplied by David Richards) and for later episodes, The Liliputters Guild (supplied by Simon Edwards).

For bellringing training and support for teachers and ringers see: bellringing.org

This second sojourn into ringing in redundant churches sees show host Cathy Booth discovering two more exciting projects where ringers have joined forces with the Churches Conservation Trust.

When someone suggests you take the keys and check on the bells in a redundant church, big things can happen. Such an invitation proved inspiring to Andy Cope and his partner who have transformed All Souls in Bolton into a community ringing centre with a winning recruitment strategy.

Meanwhile, the vision for a national centre of ringing in Northampton is coming together beautifully, as Simon Linford updates on progress. Close your eyes and imagine the perfect place - nice ring of eight next door, set of training bells, state of the art simulator, a ringing library and a real ale pub. Yes, you heard that correctly, a pub! Is it too early to book an outing? 

Top 5 Takeaways

• Find out more about The Churches Conservation Trust, including how to get involved and support your local historic church at www.visitchurches.org.uk
• Keep track of progress at the National Ringing Centre https://www.pdg.org.uk/latest-news/national-ringing-centre-at-st-peter-s-and-the-old-black-lions
• Discover All Souls, Bolton https://allsoulsbolton.org.uk/home/about-us/, check out all the community activities on offer https://issuu.com/allsoulsbolton/docs/asb_community_brochure_2019 and watch this short introduction to the bells (2) Watch | Facebook
• Fancy a couple of nights sleeping under the nave? Go Champing, for your next ringing outing https://champing.co.uk
• Take some tips from All Souls ringers’ recruitment. Tower tours, taster sessions and a sixth-form feed into university ringing societies are all great tactics

Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored by the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART).  To find out more about learning to ring, learning to teach or other resources to support your ringing go to bellringing.org

Podcast team:
Anne Tansley Thomas
Emily Roderick
John Gwynne
Emily Watts
Cathy Booth

Ringing by:
The Cambridge Youths (supplied by David Richards) and for later episodes, The Liliputters Guild (supplied by Simon Edwards).

For bellringing training and support for teachers and ringers see: bellringing.org

What do you get when you cross The Churches Conservation Trust with bell ringers?  Show host Cathy Booth finds out, in the first of two special episodes. In this month’s show, Cathy meets Neil Skelton, David Bagley and Neil Dodge to discover what exciting projects can develop when ringers get involved in supporting historic places of worship.

From remote rural churches where ringers breathe new life into neglected spaces, through redundant churches that become popular unofficial ringing centres, to urban towers reclaiming their proud ringing heritage - the CCT and bells appear to be a winning combination.

As well as hearing about some inspirational projects, there are also some great tips for towers to visit and fascinating bits of history. And it wouldn’t really be a Fun with Bells podcast if there wasn’t a rollicking good tale about a high-profile dispute between some determined ringers and a disagreeable vicar.


Top 5 Takeaways

• Find out more about The Churches Conservation Trust, including how to get involved and support your local historic church at www.visitchurches.org.uk
• Fancy a trip to St Giles in the ‘lost village’ of Imber? Find out more about the church and its bells at imberchurch.org.uk
• Check out what the CCT has to say about St Peter’s Sudbury at https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/st-peter-sudbury.html , take a look at upcoming events at www.stpetersudbury.co.uk and follow progress with their restoration project on Twitter twitter.com/@StPeterSudbury
• Want to grab the bells of St John the Baptist, Strensham? Take a look at their website http://www.bagleybells.co.uk/strensham/strenshm.htm and then email [email protected] 
• Can’t make it to Strensham in person? No problems, get over to YouTube to watch this great presentation about the church and the bells https://youtu.be/p6dWyB9-Gag or watch a video of the eight bells ringing some Stedman Triples https://youtu.be/a3uEkxf6hq

Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored by the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART).  To find out more about learning to ring, learning to teach or other resources to support your ringing go to bellringing.org

Podcast team:
Anne Tansley Thomas
Emily Roderick
John Gwynne
Emily Watts
Cathy Booth

Ringing by:
The Cambridge Youths (supplied by David Richards) and for later episodes, The Liliputters Guild (supplied by Simon Edwards).

For bellringing training and support for teachers and ringers see: bellringing.org

This episode sees host Cathy Booth explore the question of what ringers wear. You may or may not be surprised to hear that the answer is not bell-bottom jeans.

Guests Deb, Alex, Elizabeth and Michaela touch on history, safety and decorum as they share experiences, research and anecdotes on what to wear, or more importantly what not to wear!

At times this could be mistaken for an episode of ‘carry on campanology’, particularly when it comes to the topic of wardrobe malfunction. Preserve your modesty at all costs by avoiding floaty frocks, bringing back braces and being mindful of who is following you up the ladder.

And as always, bell ringers love a controversy - polo shirts with tower logos on? Good or bad? You decide ...


Further Reading

• Ladies – looking for some clothing inspiration, while ringing your peals? Check out Linda Garton’s ‘From Hats to Bikinis‘ on YouTube. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTK-xazWFto
• Preparing for the colder months? Arthritis gloves are good in cold weather and even have little rubber bobbles to help grip the rope! Link: https://www.verywellhealth.com/best-arthritis-gloves-2552025

Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored by the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART).  To find out more about learning to ring, learning to teach or other resources to support your ringing go to bellringing.org

Podcast team:
Anne Tansley Thomas
Emily Roderick
John Gwynne
Emily Watts
Cathy Booth

Ringing by:
The Cambridge Youths (supplied by David Richards) and for later episodes, The Liliputters Guild (supplied by Simon Edwards).

For bellringing training and support for teachers and ringers see: bellringing.org

This month instead of a podcast episode, we are launching a social media competition.

The podcast will be back in the Autumn.

For more details about the competition, go to funwithbells.com/competition.

Podcast team:
Anne Tansley Thomas
Emily Roderick
John Gwynne
Emily Watts
Cathy Booth

Ringing by:
The Cambridge Youths (supplied by David Richards) and for later episodes, The Liliputters Guild (supplied by Simon Edwards).

For bellringing training and support for teachers and ringers see: bellringing.org

Hot on the heels of the launch of the new Learning the Ropes Advanced Call Change Scheme, show host Cathy Booth chats with four call change aficionados.

Clare, Dee, John and Ian are all delighted to see the new scheme in place and look forward to the huge benefits it will bring. With the focus on good listening and bell control, the scheme aims to recognise the skills of call change ringers across the country and result in accurate, musical and stylish ringing.

But should you call the changes up or call them down? Possibly the most controversial question tackled by this podcast since the ‘jam or cream first’ cream tea rumpus! Thankfully Cathy’s guests handle this and other sensitive subjects knowledgeably, diplomatically and amicably. That is, until someone brings up the handstroke gap …


Top 5 Takeaways

• Find out about the new Advanced Call Change scheme and get your ‘log book’ at the Learning the Ropes website 
• Fancy calling some call changes but lacking on confidence – why not try calling them from outside the circle?
• If accurate striking is your goal, try practising with a simulator – your band of ‘robot’ ringers will keep you in place
• Want to help your band to get to grips with call changes? There are some great resources in the ART toolbox 
• Interested in finding out more about Devon Call Change ringing? Check out Cathy’s earlier interview with Ryan Trout

Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored by the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART).  To find out more about learning to ring, learning to teach or other resources to support your ringing go to bellringing.org

Podcast team:
Anne Tansley Thomas
Emily Roderick
John Gwynne
Emily Watts
Cathy Booth

Ringing by:
The Cambridge Youths (supplied by David Richards) and for later episodes, The Liliputters Guild (supplied by Simon Edwards).

For bellringing training and support for teachers and ringers see: bellringing.org