Starting to teaching at Amersham was great – positive buzz and 5 learners all inspired and up for learning over the next 4 weeks…. 

The techniques for moving through the first stages worked magically with my son (11yrs) and he was ringing with both strokes together at the end with just a couple of fingers missing on the sally every so often but knows we will be retracing some/all of the steps again and again.  He refused to take his hoodie off and loved ticking off the stages – so much so, he asked to go back on the rope to add another one after we had stopped!  I asked one of the other new teachers to do that with him which also worked really well. Moving the teachers around and helping each out was brilliant. I totally loved it too. 

 I designed a quiz for the session –it kept everyone engaged and it cleverly got the adult learners asking questions of the teachers and each other, looking around the belfry etc etc whilst having a drink and biscuit break – chocolate was the prize so that worked too!  There is hope in Amersham!!  We are building the concept of the Amersham School of Ringing here – to serve the Chilterns with the simulator and our easyish 12 bells – to offer intensive handling teaching and early stage 12 bell ringing training too (Iain has been using some great techniques which have 6 ringers who a few months ago were all struggling with Grandsire Doubles now ringing decent well-struck changes on 12 (using the new method types).  Exciting times!!  There is our 12 bell entry band in the contest in March too so lots going on….

 Elva Ainsworth

 beginners quiz amersham ringing school