Bellhandling Challenge!
Bell Handling and Control
You may safely ring well struck call changes with a style very different from what follows, but it will make ringing methods much easier if you can ring like this. It is meant to be helpful and in no way a negative criticism of anyone, so please don’t take it that way. The important things are your good intention, doing your best and especially being there for service ringing.
Check list – for ringing average weight bells.
Tick those that apply to you, and if you are not sure ask someone to watch you and say. For any you do not meet don’t just have a go, get assistance learning how. This is fun to do in a group- watch each other and use it constructively, not unkindly!
Basics
1 Tail end in my left hand, my right hand is above my left on the rope so my right foot is slightly forward of my left
OR Tail end in my right hand, my left hand is above my right on the rope so left foot is slightly forward of my right.
2 The same hand is above the other on tail end and sally.
3 My hands are close together on the sally and on the tail end.
4 Never do I look up to look for the sally coming down.
5 When I hold the sally, the tail end is my side of the sally, held there only by my thumb, and the rope loops over the back of my hand toward the floor.
6 My elbows move to the side of my body in mid-pull.
7 I pull the tail end down until my hands are below my elbows.
8 I pull the sally down with both hands until they are below my elbows.
9 Both of my hands release the sally at the same time.
10 The rope moves up and down about 5 to 20 cm directly in front of my nose at all times.
11 The whole rope rises and falls without flapping/flying around.
12 Once I have caught it the sally never slips through my hands.
13 Except when standing the bell, the stay never rests against the slider.
14 In normal ringing my back stays straight, I lean neither forward or back.
15 When asked I usually stand the bell at handstroke at first attempt.
More difficult
16 When asked, I can stand the bell at backstroke at first or second attempt.
17 From the movement of the rope I know when the bell sounds.
18 Facing out from the circle so I cannot see the bell I am following I can ring rounds well.
Even more difficult, most ringers cannot do this
19 Facing out from the circle I can ring well struck call changes.
Not impossible but . . . . .
20 Facing out from the circle I can ring well struck plain hunt.
