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 Bellringing


BellringersEnglish style bellringing is a fascinating activity that requires physical co-ordination, a sense of rhythm and good listening skills. It provides mental and physical stimulation, along with the social aspect of working with other ringers. Rounds on six
Image courtesy of Fortran Friends

Look at these pages to find out about different aspects of bellringing:

How ringing works  
The sound of ringing 
Find out about ringing you hear 
What ringers get out of ringing 
Talks on ringing 
Changeringing shapes   
Ringing and maths  
Ringing music 
Ringing simulators
My counter-rotating dumbbell
Lots of ringing websites 
Ringing glossary  
Pictures

Looking back at things I have done in my ringing career shows the breadth and richness that ringing has to offer.

Follow the links to find out more

Ringing

I learnt to ring in 1959 at St Wilfrid's, Kirkby in Ashfield. I later rang in the first peal on eight after they were augmented.

I rang with Southwell Diocesan Guild and E Derby and W Notts Association

I am a member of the Cambridge University Guild of Change Ringers.

I rang at Guildford Cathedral before I married.

I have rung at All Saints Wokingham  since the late 1970s.

I celebrated 50 years of ringing with a peal of Kirkby-in-Ashfield Surprise Major rung at Wokingham, with a band  including people who rang with me in Kirkby and Cambridge as well as Wokingham. ( details & picture )

  Teaching

A lot of my time is involved with training. I served many years on Oxford Diocesan Guild Education Committee and as Training Officer in Sonning Deanery Branch .

I am a member of the Central Council of Church Bellringers , and served on (and chaired) Education Committee, PR Committee and Biographies Committee.

I have run courses in many parts of the country, including over 30 listening courses .

My most unusual assignment was teachthe the actors who played ringers in Midsomer Murders episode ' Ring Out Your Dead'. See the article about making the programme.

Writing

I have written several books on ringing including The Learning Curve, 102 articles about learning and teaching, The Tower Handbook (now on-line ) and The New Ringer's Book

I wrote a articles about music in ringing  after being invited to give a talk to a group of musicians.

My book 'Living Heritage ' is a social history of ringing in Wokingham over 300 years, written mainly for non-ringers, as is 'Bells & Bellringingpublished by Shire Books.

I have rung in hundreds of different towers, enjoying the universal welcome of ringers. For details of over 6000 ringing towers, see Dove's Guide.

Technology

I use modern teaching aids including simulators. and a strikeometer (Cirel) I have produced training aids, including CDs and !Strike .

I made a counter-rotating dumbbell (which works with a simulator). I didn't realise it at the time, but it is based on a similar principle to that used by my namesake, the 18th century John Harrison in his early clocks.

Years ago, I built some interesting models  to represent change ringing.

I do talks on ringing, including the music of ringing , technology of ringing and the maths of ringing

Links 

Explanation of how ringing works What ringers get out of ringing Links to lots of ringing websites Change Ringing Wiki Talks on ringing Ringing and maths Discover Bellringing

A few pictures

Click to enlarge and use arrows to move between them.

01WokAS.jpg
All Saints Wokingham – my home tower

See: Tower website
020K-in-A60s.jpg
St Wilfrid's Kirkby-in-Ashfield
(early 1960s) where I learnt to ring
03InvBeach.jpg
Inveraray tower dwarfs the town
 
See: Bell Tower website
04InvTrees.jpg
Inveraray tower framed by trees
 
 See: Bell Tower website
PracticeApr11.jpg
Bird's eye view of a ringing practice
07PuntRing.jpg
Ringing handbells on the river in Cambridge 
11JAH+Tenors.jpg
Bells are big – this one weighs ¾ ton
13BellsUp.jpg
Bells ready to ring

All material Copyright © 1964 - 2020 John Harrison.


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