Clare McArdle

Clare learned to ring in the 1970s at Harborne in Birmingham. Although she rings methods, she has always enjoyed ringing and calling call changes throughout her ringing career. 

Clare is one of the founders of the Birmingham School of Bell Ringing. The School was established in 2013 to professionalise ringing training and provide an environment where students can guarantee that they are taught well, at their own pace, and get to a position where they are a valued member of a local band of ringers.

The inspiration for the Learning the Ropes Advanced Call Changes scheme came from a survey of LtR ringers and teachers, which showed that a major barrier to progress was the lack of reliable helpers and conductors to support the progression of new ringers from call changes into method ringing, especially where new bands were being taught. Taking a critical look at the original Learning the Ropes scheme Clare could see that a parallel scheme focussing on call changes could address this and so, the Advanced Call Changes scheme was born. The scheme draws on the Devon Call Changes tradition for much of its higher levels, but there is a big emphasis on developing versatility and conducting skills at all levels.

This entry was written in May 2022.