Most Ringing Remembers recruits were thrilled to have rung at their tower for last year’s Remembrance Day but enthusiastic new ringer and amateur film maker Chris Richmond rang at seven!
Podcast host, Cathy Booth, finds out that Chris’s enthusiasm initially stemmed from his interest in sound recording. His desire to record the sound of the bells led him up into a local tower, but it was the sound of the bells ringing down in peal was the final push he needed to take hold of a rope and learn to ring. From then on he’s been hooked.
New ringers bring all sorts of skills with them and Cathy hears about Chris’s brilliant project where, with the help of Norfolk’s ringing community, he is recording Norfolk’s church bells and uploading these into the ringing simulator at the Mancroft Ringing Discovery Centre in Norwich. This mammoth task has enabled him to visit some 55+ belfries so far.
Much to the joy of ringers who visit the centre they can now choose which Norfolk ring of bells to ring on. This includes some of Norfolk’s unringables and colourful thud buckets, which makes for a great game of ‘guess the tower’ when visitors arrive!
Top 5 takeaways
- Don’t underestimate the impact that ringing up and down well in peal can have, non-ringers can be amazed by the sound
- If you’re keen to hear a range of different church bells why not tune into BBC Radio 4’s ‘Bells on Sunday’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006sgsh
- Why not plan a visit to the Mancroft Ringing Discovery Centre and ring your way across Norfolk. Find out more at www.mrdc.org.uk or email info@mrdc.org.uk
- Interested in Chris’ You Tube videos? Take a peek here: https://www.youtube.com/user/djoska87
- Check out the website of your local ringing association – it’s bound to be a mine of helpful information
Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored by the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART). To find out more about learning to ring, learning to teach or other resources to support your ringing go to bellringing.org.