Interested in learning to ring? Bell ringers in Bedfordshire would welcome you as a new recruit! Read on to find out more about learning to ring and have a look at our What is Bellringing? page for more information.
If you’re interested please email our President, Linda Garton, President@bacbr.org.uk and she will put you in touch with a local tower where someone can teach you to handle a bell.
Bell ringing is a team activity that stimulates the brain and helps keep you fit (especially climbing some of those tower stairs!) and it also makes a glorious sound!
Ringers come from all walks of life and generally range in age from ten to those in their eighties. For many people ringing is a great hobby that allows them to meet friendly new people. As well as providing gentle physical exercise and being great for general wellbeing, it’s an excuse to get up from the telly and out of the house. Bell ringers of all abilities are encouraged to visit other towers and are always welcome to join practice nights throughout the country and abroad in countries where change ringing is also done, such as USA, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and France.
Ringing is well within the capabilities of most people, and you can learn to the level you are personally happy with. Ringers might be unmusical, or bad at maths, or not very strong physically, and some might have mental and/or physical disabilities of some sort – it’s really such an inclusive activity!
The initial learning can take several weeks or months (depending on the amount of ‘rope time’ you have), after which you can begin to ring with the rest of the band (that’s what we call a team of people who ring together). Most ringers practice once a week and ring before or after church service on Sunday.
Ringers come from all walks of life and learn at different ages. A young (teenage) ringer said this about ringing: “Over the past 2-3 years I have learned a lot, and it’s helped me improve my social skills and confidence as well as team integration. Bell ringing also has opened up the opportunity of going to new and exciting places which I always look forward to. I would highly recommend it to anyone!”
The Discover Bell Ringing website give a lot of facts and information about bell ringing – take a look here