Reasons to Get Out

and ring at other towers

Some of you may remember my husband talking about being a ‘ringing widower’? I’m pleased to say that the situation has only got worse, as I’ve been determined this year to master Grandsire Triples. I’d like to share with you some of my experiences (and the dreadful ramifications, for me personally) and suggest to you that if you’re still struggling to ring the same old thing, you should get out more!

So, reasons to ‘Get Out’:

More practice - really get to grips with that dodge that keeps tripping you up, by practising it more than once a week.
More help - other people may be able to explain things differently and I haven’t yet had my head bitten off by impatient, more experienced ringers when I’ve crashed, again.
More fun and friends - I’ve been to so many pubs and on quite a few ‘outings’ since I’ve made friends at different towers, (40 different towers over two years).
Improve skills - of course, you have to be willing to have a go. There is no point going out to ring (and this applies in your own tower too) and then sitting there saying, ‘Ooooh, I can’t do that’. So get up and have a go. So many people will be pleased to stand behind you and help. (Thank you to all of you who help me.)
Learn new methods - I’ve rung the treble to methods I’d never even heard of two years ago, and even had a go at crashing (crashing being the operative word here) my way through some of them!
Help other people - sometimes I’ve poked my head up through a trap door, tentatively asking, ‘Is there room for another?’ to be welcomed with a big smile and, ‘Great! Now we can ring 6 (or 8); you do plain hunt, do you?’ So from hoping to improve my own skills, I’ve improved someone else’s practice night!

At last I’m about to ring a quarter peal of Grandsire triples, yeah! That’s not all though, I’ve also learnt to ring touches of Stedman Doubles (just last week) and of Stedman Triples, now.

The dreadful ramification? Oh yes, Robert got his own back the other week. ‘I’m having a supper-meeting tonight, darling, you’re not invited. Can you go ringing somewhere, after you’ve set the table for six?’

That aside, don’t sit in your own tower not improving, go and get better. The ringers in your own tower will appreciate your efforts and be able to attempt new things as they can rely on you not to get lost.

Christine Harris, St Peters, Brighton

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