By Alan Burlison on 10-Oct-2016 - As a learner I read Bob Cox’s review of the 2F teacher’s module with interest, particularly the Plain Hunt part as that’s the stage I am at myself. I have some thoughts on what helped me make the jump from call changes to plain hunt, which I’ve discussed with the other people I’m learning with. […] Read more
By Alan Burlison on 13-Sep-2016 - One of the most important but mysterious jobs in any tower is that of Steeple Keeper. You’ll recognise one when you see them – they’ll be sat in the corner of the pub after practice with a faraway look in their eyes, muttering to themselves about stays, garter holes, shrouds, dinglers, and twiddle pins and […] Read more
By Alan Burlison on 23-May-2016 - Along with the other learners in my tower, I’m in the process of learning Plain Hunt, mostly Doubles with covering tenor. We started out ringing the 3rd bell, as that way the order that you follow the other bells is easy as it’s just round in a circle – 4,5,1,2,4,5,Lead,Lead,1,2. Unsurprisingly the next thing we […] Read more
By Alan Burlison on 20-Mar-2016 - One of the things Chris, my ringing teacher, has encouraged us to do is to visit other towers. So far I’ve rung at eight different towers, and although at times it’s been quite daunting I have found it helpful. The bells in each tower all have their own ‘personality’, both individually and as a group […] Read more
By Alan Burlison on 06-Mar-2016 - I’ve recently begun ringing Plain Hunt Doubles and when I did it was suggested I started on the third bell. The reasoning behind that was that when ringing on third the order that you ring over the other bells is 4,5,1,2,4,5,Lead,Lead,1,2 which means that you are simply ringing over the bells in order. That means […] Read more
By Alan Burlison on 01-Sep-2015 - I read the Edington Training School, 2015 post with interest, as a mid-50’s learner myself I’m keen to hear the experiences of others. The bit about stay breaking struck a chord, within the first couple minutes of me being on a bell for the first time, doing just backstroke, the already-twice-repaired slider gave up the […] Read more