Walk on the river bank

There were thirteen at bell ringing last night so it was possible to ring all twelve bells which is something of a rarity. It is a fairly novice band so only call changes were rung. Even those of us who ring methods would struggle to ring anything much on twelve bells. Most of us ring on six or eight. Above this number, rope sight becomes much more difficult. Rope sight is the ability to see your own bell's position in the sequence of descending ropes at any moment. That position usually changes with each pull of the rope according to the method and it takes a long time to acquire this skill. Initially, all that can be seen is a flurry of coloured rope. For quite a while the learner is more concerned with not losing control of a lump of metal that may weigh up to a ton. Lack of control can lead to accidents and being taken up with the rope. When you hit the ceiling you tend to let go unless the rope has wrapped itself around you. Seriously though, supervision of learners must be thorough. A friend lost a little finger in a ringing accident. That should not put anyone off. Ringing cannot be classed a dangerous sport! It is a good team activity that helps develop considerable mental agility as well as helping with fitness.

The weather turned cold and clear this afternoon. These two were enjoying a walk on the river bank.