Alongside the podcast episode you can watch the accompanying video below:
The learning experience!
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 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!
Meet the Learners
Meet the Ringers
Meet the Ringing Teachers
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 onto 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