Good Striking
by Helen Beaufoy
Norman Coombs with his band
in 1967
Teaching learners can be frustrating. Sometimes the things you tell them take a long time to sink in. However, they don’t usually take thirty eight years.
When I was learning to ring, my instructor, Norman Coombs completely baffled me by sometimes telling me that I should watch the bell I was following for the whole of the pull, and sometimes telling me that I should look around for the next bell to follow as soon as I’d found the last one. How on earth, I wondered, was I supposed to watch the bell I was following and look around for the next one at the same time?
Well, thirty eight years later, I’ve finally worked it out! Whilst driving along the dual carriageway, it suddenly occurred to me that while I’m overtaking, I’m looking straight ahead, BUT I am still watching the car I’m overtaking. Next time you’re ringing, try it – it really does work!