The Tower Handbook
16 – Full list of questions
- This page lists every question in The Tower Handbook. It has the same structure as the contents list but goes to the next level down (830 items rather than 115). The numbers against each entry are the page numbers of the original book. they don't apply in the online version but they can be used to help locate references from the Index.
- a. Why is this Handbook different from other ringing books? . . 1
- b. How will I find time to read such a big book? . . 1
- c. Will the Handbook really answer any ringing question? . . 1
- d. Will I be able to understand it all? . . 1
- e. Will the Handbook explain ringing terms I don’t understand? . . 1
- f. Does it answer questions that people avoid or argue about? . . 1
- g. How can I find a particular subject? . . 2
- h. How do I find things if I’m not quite sure where to look? . . 2
- i. If I find a mistake or omission, should I tell anyone? . . 2
- j. What will happen if I send off the comment form? . . 2
- k. Terminology . . 2
- a. How safe is ringing? . . 10
- b. What hazards are there in the ringing room? . . 10
- c. Is it OK to move around during ringing? . . 10
- d. How should I cross the rope circle during ringing if I have to? . . 11
- e. How do I tell whether a bell is up or not? . . 11
- f. Should we always lower the bells after ringing? . . 11
- g. How should we warn people when the bells are up? . . 12
- h. Is it better to stand the bells at backstroke? . . 13
- i. Can you ring with your tie out if you are a good bell handler? . . 13
- j. What should I do if the rope slips wheel? . . 13
- k. What happens if my rope breaks? . . 14
- l. What do I do if my rope breaks and the bell sets? . . 14
- m. If I have to push the bell off, what should I do? . . 15
- n. Am I perfectly safe when not ringing? . . 15
- o. What is the right length for a rope? . . 15
- p. Which is safer, lots of boxes, or long ropes? . . 16
- q. How can I cope with a rope that is too long? . . 16
- r. How do I tie a figure of eight knot? . . 18
- s. If I ring a bell up, can I tell whether it has a stay? . . 18
- t. What happens when a stay breaks? . . 18
- u. What should I do if the stay breaks or is missing? . . 18
- v. Should I ever go among the bells when they are up? . . 19
- w. Can I take precautions if I must go near a bell that’s up? . . 19
- x. Can I take precautions if someone aloft asks me to ring? . . 20
- y. What can we do if a bell sets with the rope off the wheel? . . 20
- z. A final word of warning . . 20
- a. Should we have a first aid kit in the tower? . . 21
- b. What should be in the tower first aid kit? . . 21
- c. What happens if we have a power cut? . . 21
- d. What would we do if a rope broke? . . 22
- e. Can we avoid ropes breaking? . . 22
- f. Can we prevent stays breaking? . . 22
- g. Is it possible to break a stay even if you do not bang it? . . 22
- h. Can I detect when a stay has been damaged? . . 22
- i. Can you ring a bell without a stay? . . 23
- j. What if someone opens the door while we are ringing? . . 23
- k. What happens if there is a fire? . . 23
- l. What is a hazard analysis? . . 23
- m. What happens if …? . . 24
- a. Need I come on time, if others are often late? . . 24
- b. Can I skip ringing to watch a favourite TV programme? . . 24
- c. Can I try my bell on my own before starting to ring? . . 24
- d. If I get tired when ringing, can I stop when I feel like it? . . 24
- e. Does it matter what sort of noise we make when we ring? . . 24
- fWhat should I do when I am not ringing? 25
- g. Does it matter if I don’t stand my bell when we stop? . . 25
- h. How can we encourage everyone to stand when required? . . 25
- a. What is good striking? . . 26
- b. How do we know whether our striking is good enough? . . 26
- c. How can we improve our striking? . . 26
- d. How can I improve my striking? . . 26
- e. Should I ring wider when following bigger bells? . . 27
- f. Is it worth trying to strike well if other people don’t? . . 28
- g. Should I compensate if someone else is too slow or quick? . . 28
- h. What does ‘Strike the roll-ups’ mean? . . 28
- i. Why does calling round take so long to get decent rounds? . . 28
- j. Should the first row after pulling off be slower than the rest? . . 29
- a. What does a visitor think when entering our tower? . . 29
- b. How should we treat a visiting ringer? . . 30
- c. Should I say ‘Thank you’ after ringing elsewhere? . . 30
- d. Should we have a visitors’ book? . . 30
- e. Should we provide information about the bells? . . 30
- a. Does the state of the ringing room matter? . . 31
- b. Can we make the ringing room more homely? . . 31
- c. Should we set up cleaning rotas? . . 31
- d. Should we have a spring clean? . . 31
- e. How can we control dust when sweeping the tower? . . 31
- f. Can we put photographs up? . . 32
- g. Do we need a faculty to change anything? . . 32
- h. How can we look after ropes? . . 32
- a. Should we record when we ring? . . 32
- b. Should we keep a scrap book? . . 32
- a. What about charity? . . 33
- b. What about service to the church? . . 33
- a. What is the oldest ring of bells? . . 34
- b. What is the oldest bell foundry? . . 34
- c. What is the oldest ringing society? . . 34
- d. What was belfry reform? . . 34
- e. Why are our ringing chambers where they are? . . 34
- f. What is the oldest university ringing society? . . 35
- g. What is the Central Council . . 35
- h. What is the origin of the Central Council . . 36
- i. What was the first periodical devoted to ringing? . . 36
- j. What is the origin of bells? . . 36
- k. Have metal bells always been the same? . . 36
- l. Why has the number of bell founders reduced? . . 37
- m. When was the bell-wheel invented? . . 37
- n. When was the handstroke invented? . . 38
- o. What were plain changes? . . 38
- p. When was method splicing invented? . . 39
- q. When was the first peal rung? . . 39
- a. Why severe penalties for overturning a bell in old rules? . . 40
- b. Why do some old ringers’ rules not allow ringing on Sunday? . . 40
- c. Why do we ring on five bells but not on seven or nine? . . 40
- d. What’s the point of peal ringing? . . 40
- e. What are the nine tailors? . . 41
- f. What is Italian ringing . . 41
- g. What is Devon call-change ringing . . 41
- h. What is double handed ringing? . . 42
- i. Is ringing music? . . 42
- j. Is ringing an art or a science? . . 42
- a. What is change ringing? . . 43
- b. Why do some people say changes and others say rows? . . 43
- c. What is the maximum number of different changes possible? . . 44
- d. Why is a peal 5040 changes long? . . 44
- e. Why are singles needed for an extent? . . 45
- f. What is a pure Triples or Doubles method? . . 45
- g. Can 5040 of Triples be achieved using only triple changes? . . 45
- h. What is a regular method? . . 46
- i. What is a double method? . . 46
- a. How did methods get their names? . . 47
- b. How did methods on different numbers of bells get named? . . 47
- c. What is the origin of the word belfry? . . 48
- d. What is the origin of sally? . . 48
- e. Why is ringing called ‘the exercise’? . . 48
- f. Why is a bob so called? . . 48
- g. Why is a single so called? . . 48
- h. Why is a touch so called? . . 48
- i. Why is the tenor not called the bass? . . 48
- j. What is the difference between a guild and an association? . . 48
- k. Why do ringers use ‘over’ and ‘under’ for ‘before’ and ‘after’? . . 49
- a. What is an odd struck bell? . . 50
- b. Why are some bells odd struck? . . 50
- c. How do we know when a bell is perfectly evenly struck? . . 51
- d. What makes odd struck bells difficult to ring? . . 51
- e. Why do bells sometimes seem more or less odd struck? . . 51
- f. Can muffles change the striking of an odd struck bell? . . 52
- g. What happens when a bell is up wrong? . . 52
- h. Why are some bells harder to stand when up wrong? . . 52
- i. How can I tell whether a bell is up wrong? . . 52
- j. Does it matter whether the bell is up wrong? . . 53
- k. Why do some bells go up wrong and not others? . . 53
- l. Can I make a bell go up right instead of wrong? . . 53
- m. If the bell goes up wrong, can I get it to go right? . . 54
- n. What can we do if the bell won’t go up right? . . 54
- o. Why do big bells seem to strike later than small ones? . . 54
- a. Why do ropes sometimes seem shorter than others? . . 54
- b. Why do ropes go stiff in winter? . . 55
- c. Why do some bells drop in cold weather? . . 55
- d. Do bells left up in winter fill with snow? . . 55
- e. Does it only happen at Christmas? . . 55
- f. Why are bells in wooden towers harder to ring in summer? . . 55
- a. If a bell ‘goes badly’ what is happening? . . 56
- b. What makes heavy bells harder to ring? . . 56
- c. What makes light bells harder to ring? . . 57
- d. Can I tell which bell is which without ringing them? . . 57
- a. Why are bells with long draughts harder to ring? . . 57
- b. Can you have bells with no draught at all? . . 58
- c. What is a drawn rope? . . 58
- dWhat makes ropes fly around?59
- e. Why do some towers have the ropes anti-clockwise? . . 59
- f. Does it make any difference which order the ropes hang? . . 59
- g. Why do some big bells have very large boxes for everyone? . . 60
- h. What happens when a rope slips wheel? . . 60
- i. What is a Yorkshire tail end? . . 61
- j. What is a splice? . . 61
- k. Why are most sallies striped? . . 61
- a. Why are some bells harder to set than others? . . 62
- b. Are all bells easier to set at handstroke than backstroke? . . 62
- c. Why do some bells tend to bump the stay but not others? . . 63
- d. Why do some towers break more stays than others? . . 63
- e. Why can’t stays be made strong enough not to break? . . 63
- a. What would be an ideal tower acoustically? . . 63
- b. Why do some towers shake? . . 64
- c. Why does tower movement come and go during the ringing? . . 64
- d. Why do spiral staircases usually turn to the right going up? . . 64
- e. What is the best location for the ringing room? . . 65
- f. How did they get the bells into the tower? . . 65
- a. How are bells made? . . 66
- b. Why are church bells the shape they are? . . 67
- c. Why do bells need tuning? . . 68
- d. How is a bell tuned? . . 68
- e. Why do bells rung full circle sound different? . . 68
- f. Why do bells have stays? . . 69
- g. Do all bells have stays? . . 69
- a. What is the best sort of seating for the ringing room? . . 70
- b. Is it safe to put a table in the centre of the rope circle? . . 70
- c. How can we keep our books tidy? . . 70
- d. How can we get furniture up the stairs? . . 70
- a. What sort of heater is best? . . 71
- b. How can we improve ventilation? . . 71
- c. What can we do if the ringing chamber is too hot? . . 72
- d. How can we stop the sun dazzling us on summer evenings? . . 72
- e. Should we have a carpet and curtains? . . 73
- f. What about refreshments . . 73
- a. Is it worth having a notice board? . . 73
- b. How can we keep track of who can attend when? . . 74
- c. How should we look after donations? . . 74
- d. What else could be useful in keeping things organised? . . 74
- a. What will help us keep the tower clean? . . 75
- b. How can we keep ropes out of the way when not in use? . . 75
- c. Should we have rope mats? . . 76
- d. How can we keep toddlers under control? . . 76
- e. Should we have different size boxes? . . 76
- f. Can we cut down the sound level in the ringing room? . . 77
- g. Can we augment the sound in the ringing room? . . 77
- h. What can we do about the sound of bells in the church? . . 77
- i. How can we quieten a bell for handling practice? . . 77
- j. Should we number the bells? . . 79
- a. Should we keep our handbells in the tower? . . 79
- b. What should we use them for? . . 79
- c. What are hand chimes and bell plates? . . 79
- a. What is a simulator? . . 79
- b. What are simulators used for? . . 80
- c. How can I get a simulator? . . 80
- d. What is a dummy tail end? . . 80
- e. What are handcuffs? . . 80
- f. Our tower has a full length mirror, what was it used for? . . 80
- g. Does the mirror work? . . 80
- h. What would we do with a tape recorder? . . 81
- i. What would we do with a video camera? . . 81
- j. Do we need a model bell? . . 81
- k. What is a method maker? . . 81
- l. Do we need a writing board? . . 82
- m. Is a white board better than a black board? . . 82
- n. Is rectangular marked paper better than squared paper? . . 82
- o. What books should we keep in the tower . . 82
- p. Are some books too valuable to keep in the tower? . . 83
- a. Should we put trophies and certificates round the walls? . . 83
- b. When should we consider a new peal board? . . 83
- c. What can we do with peal cards? . . 84
- d. Is it worth keeping old rules and notices? . . 84
- e. What about old record books? . . 84
- f. What about old photos, pictures etc? . . 84
- a. What is our band trying to achieve? . . 85
- b. What if we disagree about our objectives? . . 85
- c. Should our objectives only be concerned with ringing? . . 86
- d. Should we publicise our objectives? . . 86
- a. Do we need tower officers? . . 86
- b. What if we don’t have any experts in our band? . . 86
- c. How many officers should we have? . . 86
- d. What needs doing? . . 86
- e. Can one person do everything? . . 87
- f. Which jobs is it sensible to combine? . . 87
- g. Do we need deputy officers? . . 87
- h. Should we elect officers? . . 87
- i. How long should the same person hold an office? . . 88
- j. Should we have a ‘maximum length of service’ rule? . . 88
- k. Who should be an officer? . . 89
- l. When should we start preparing new people for office? . . 89
- m. How can I prepare to be a tower officer? . . 89
- n. Who should hold the tower keys? . . 90
- a. Should we hold an annual meeting? . . 93
- b. Who should chair the annual meeting? . . 93
- c. What should happen at the annual meeting? . . 93
- d. What should the reports cover? . . 94
- e. What makes a good report? . . 94
- f. Should we hold any other meetings? . . 94
- g. Should the officers hold meetings outside the tower? . . 95
- a. Do we need to worry about legality as ringers? . . 95
- b. What is a faculty? . . 96
- c. Do we need to use special procedures with children? . . 96
- a. What sort of insurance is relevant to ringing? . . 97
- a. What does your tower need money for? . . 98
- b. Where does the money come from? . . 99
- c. How much should we charge for weddings? . . 99
- d. How much of the wedding fees should go to tower funds? . . 100
- e. Should we set fixed fees for peals, quarters and visitors? . . 100
- f. Should we charge steeplage? . . 100
- g. Where should the money be kept? . . 101
- h. Who owns the money in tower funds? . . 101
- a. What is a constitution? . . 101
- b. Do we need a constitution? . . 101
- c. Once we have a constitution can we change it? . . 101
- d. How can we get a constitution? . . 102
- 1Name102
- 2 Objectives102
- 3 Affiliation102
- 4 Officers102
- 5 General meetings102
- 6a Membership103
- 6 bMembership103
- 7 Termination103
- 8 Finance104
- 9 Rule changes104
- 10 Duties and conduct104
- a. What is meant by an unringable vicar? . . 105
- b. How can we avoid upsetting the local clergy? . . 105
- c. Do we all have to go to the services we ring for? . . 105
- d. What have the churchwardens got to do with the ringers? . . 106
- e. Should we be represented on the PCC? . . 106
- f. Can we avoid causing a distraction after service ringing? . . 106
- a. Who are our neighbours? . . 107
- b. Do we need to worry about the neighbours? . . 107
- c. What could happen if someone complains about the ringing? . . 107
- d. How can we avoid annoying them? . . 108
- e. What should we do if we have a complaint? . . 109
- a. Why should we care about the wider community? . . 109
- b. How can we help enhance the image of ringers? . . 109
- c. What can I do to enhance the image of ringers? . . 110
- d. How can we help foster an interest in ringing? . . 110
- e. Are the press difficult to handle? . . 110
- f. Should we give interviews? . . 110
- g. Where can I get more information? . . 111
- a. Is every tower suitable for an open day? . . 111
- b. When should we hold an open day? . . 111
- c. What should we show at an open day? . . 111
- d. Is there anyone we should not let up the tower? . . 112
- e. Should we have any ringing during an open day? . . 112
- f. Should we demonstrate a bell ringing? . . 112
- g. What about safety? . . 112
- h. How can we make it interesting? . . 113
- i. How should we manage an open day? . . 113
- j. What is an open practice? . . 114
- a. Why should I visit other towers? . . 114
- b. Which towers should we visit? . . 114
- c. How often should we visit? . . 115
- d. What should I say when asked what I ring? . . 115
- e. Will I be able to ring at churches when I am on holiday? . . 115
- a. Why do local guilds and associations exist? . . 115
- b. What do guilds and associations do? . . 116
- c. What are associations, guilds, branches, districts etc? . . 116
- d. How can I find out about my local association? . . 116
- e. How good must you be to join a ringing association? . . 117
- f. Should we support our local association? . . 117
- g. How can the association help us? . . 117
- a. What is a ringing meeting? . . 117
- b. Should we always attend ringing meetings? . . 117
- c. Will we have to host a ringing meeting? . . 118
- d. What is a ringers’ tea? . . 118
- e. Will we have to put on a ringers’ tea? . . 118
- f. Where should we put the tea on? . . 118
- g. What sort of food should we provide for a ringers tea? . . 118
- a. What is a striking competition? . . 119
- b. What is a fault? . . 119
- c. Are striking competitions only for expert bands? . . 119
- d. Should we enter a striking competition? . . 120
- e. Can we train for a contest? . . 120
- f. How should we place our band for a striking competition? . . 120
- g. What method should we ring in a striking competition? . . 120
- h. Should striking contests be taken so seriously? . . 121
- i. What is a knock out striking contest? . . 121
- j. What is a striking ladder? . . 121
- k. What is a hat contest? . . 121
- a. How can we create the right atmosphere in our tower? . . 122
- b. How can we keep the youngsters interested? . . 122
- c. How can we make sure adult ringers are happy? . . 122
- d. Should all our ringers be expected to progress? . . 122
- e. How rapidly should we bring on learners in their ringing? . . 123
- f. When should we teach the theory of ringing? . . 123
- g. What is a touch book? . . 123
- h. Do we need more than one teacher? . . 123
- i. Should we have just one conductor in the band? . . 124
- j. How can we help all of the band to develop good striking? . . 124
- k. How can we make sure everyone feels wanted? . . 124
- l. Can we make use of ringers’ outside experience? . . 125
- m. How can we secure commitment from our ringers? . . 125
- a. When should we recruit? . . 125
- b. Should you ever reject a potential recruit? . . 126
- c. How many should we recruit at once? . . 126
- d. Should we take on more to allow for wastage? . . 126
- e. What age should we recruit? . . 127
- f. Where do we find new recruits? . . 127
- g. Should we recruit from the choir? . . 127
- h. Should we recruit outside the congregation? . . 128
- i. Should we take youngsters doing badges? . . 128
- j. How do you ensure trainees will be committed and regular? . . 128
- k. Should you ever give up with a hopeless trainee? . . 128
- l. What is successful recruiting? . . 129
- a. Should we cancel a practice if only a few ringers can come? . . 129
- b. What should we do if we meet short on practice night? . . 130
- c. Should the ringing master have a plan? . . 131
- d. How do I plan a practice? . . 131
- e. How many learners can be in at once? . . 132
- f. Should I place the band? . . 132
- g. What should we ring on practice night? . . 133
- h. What is a prime ring? . . 133
- i. What is a method of the month? . . 133
- j. When should we stop treating ringers as learners? . . 134
- k. Can we try something new? . . 134
- l. What is a wish list? . . 135
- m. Should we have a post mortem if some ringing fails? . . 135
- n. Does it matter what practice ringing sounds like? . . 135
- o. Should we stop ringing if a stranger enters the ringing room? . . 136
- p. What should we offer visiting ringers? . . 136
- q. How much ringing should each person have in a practice? . . 136
- r. Should we combine bell handling with the main practice? . . 137
- s. Should practices be predictable? . . 137
- a. Which Sunday services should we ring for? . . 138
- b. Which other services should we ring for? . . 138
- c. What if we can’t get enough ringers for special occasions? . . 138
- d. How long should we ring before a service? . . 138
- e. Should we ever cancel or change regular service ringing? . . 139
- f. What should we ring for services? . . 139
- g. Who should ring for services? . . 139
- h. When can our learners join in? . . 140
- i. Do we need to ring all the bells? . . 140
- j. How can we achieve acceptable ringing? . . 140
- k. What is a service touch? . . 140
- l. How can we get the best results ringing call changes? . . 141
- m. Which rows are most musical? . . 141
- n. How can we get to musical rows quickly? . . 142
- o. How can we get the best results ringing methods? . . 143
- p. How can we fit touches in the available time? . . 143
- q. Should we ring quarter peals for services? . . 144
- a. When should we ring for weddings? . . 144
- b. Who should ring for weddings? . . 145
- c. What should we ring for weddings? . . 145
- d. What is firing? . . 145
- e. Who should organise weddings? . . 145
- f. How should we organise weddings? . . 146
- g. How much should we get paid for weddings? . . 146
- h. What happens if wedding ringing is cancelled? . . 146
- i. Should we pay tax on wedding money? . . 147
- a. What is half muffled ringing? . . 147
- b. What is a muffle? . . 147
- c. How are muffles fitted? . . 147
- d. Which side is the muffle fitted? . . 148
- e. Where do we buy muffles from? . . 148
- f. When are bells rung half muffled? . . 148
- g. Are there any special types of ringing for half muffled bells? . . 149
- h. What is fully muffled ringing? . . 149
- a. What is a ringing outing? . . 149
- b. Who should organise the tower outing? . . 149
- c. How should I organise the tower outing? . . 149
- d. What can go wrong? . . 149
- e. If so much can go wrong why do people go on outings? . . 150
- f. How should we travel? . . 151
- a. Why should we have social activities? . . 151
- b. What sort of social events could we consider? . . 152
- c. How can we persuade everyone to support social events? . . 152
- d. How can we get enough people to make an event viable? . . 152
- e. What about events for people with young children? . . 152
- f. Should we organise tune ringing on handbells? . . 153
- a. Should we run fund raising events? . . 153
- b. What are good fund raising events? . . 153
- c. What are the secrets of successful fund-raising events? . . 154
- d. Should we combine social events and fund-raising? . . 154
- a. What makes bells suitable for teaching on? . . 154
- b. What makes bells less suitable for learning? . . 155
- c. What is the ideal ringing chamber? . . 155
- d. How can we make the best of the ringing chamber we have? . . 155
- e. Should we have a tower library? . . 155
- a. How can the rest of the band help the learners? . . 155
- b. Isn’t it a waste using good ringers for rough call changes? . . 156
- c. Should we have separate practices for learners? . . 156
- d. Can we use parts of the practice for different activities? . . 156
- e. Can I teach people without a band to practise? . . 156
- a. Why should we involve a trainee’s family? . . 156
- b. How can we win the family’s support? . . 157
- a. Who is responsible for teaching? . . 158
- b. Should teaching be broken into stages? . . 158
- c. What is the best way to teach? . . 158
- d. How should we set the scene? . . 159
- e. Should I tell people what they are doing wrong? . . 159
- f. Should we allow a learner to develop any faults? . . 159
- g. What rate of progress should we expect? . . 159
- h. Should we keep progress records? . . 160
- i. Is it better to hold back or push on learners? . . 160
- j. What is the right order in which to teach things? . . 160
- k. What is the best mix of theory and practice? . . 161
- l. How do we tell if a learner’s bell control is good enough? . . 161
- m. Should a learner have just one teacher? . . 162
- n. How can we maintain a learner’s interest when not ringing? . . 162
- a. What qualities do I need to teach ringing? . . 162
- b. Does the teacher have to be the tower captain? . . 162
- c. Must you be a perfect bell handler before you teach anyone? . . 163
- d. Will people take notice of me if I am not experienced? . . 163
- e. Must you be a good conductor to teach method ringing? . . 163
- f. How can I improve my teaching? . . 163
- g. How can I tell whether I am a good teacher? . . 163
- a. Why is bell handling important? . . 164
- b. How is bell control different from bell handling? . . 164
- c. How much should we explain before starting? . . 164
- d. What about the safety angle? . . 165
- e. Does it matter how one stands to ring? . . 166
- f. Should we teach rope handling separately? . . 166
- g. What is the ‘four stroke cycle’? . . 168
- h. What should we teach about rope pulling? . . 168
- i. What should we teach about balancing? . . 169
- j. What method should we use to teach bell handling? . . 169
- k. Should we break things down into small steps? . . 170
- l. How rapidly should we progress through the steps? . . 171
- m. Should we teach everyone the same way? . . 172
- n. Is it better to teach starting ‘bell up’ or ‘bell down’? . . 172
- o. Should I pull the rope as well as the student? . . 174
- p. How can I be sure the student won’t do any harm? . . 174
- q. If I pull, should I pull under or over the trainee’s hands? . . 175
- r. If the student gets into difficulties should I take the bell over? . . 175
- s. What is sweeping? . . 175
- t. Can you teach on heavy or very light bells? . . 175
- u. Should we expect to break stays when teaching students? . . 175
- v. Should we silence the bells for initial teaching? . . 176
- w. What handling problems should I watch for? . . 176
- x. How should I correct faults? . . 177
- y. When is bell handling teaching complete? . . 177
- z. What yardsticks should we judge bell control against? . . 177
- a. When should we teach learners to raise and lower a bell? . . 178
- b. Why is raising and lowering a bell important? . . 178
- c. Why do some people find raising and lowering in peal hard? . . 178
- d. Can we provide more practice raising and lowering in peal? . . 179
- e. What is the best way to teach raising and lowering a bell? . . 179
- f. When should we teach learners to raise and lower in peal? . . 179
- g. What is the best way to teach raising and lowering in peal? . . 179
- a. Why do we need to teach speed control? . . 180
- b. When should we teach learners about speed control? . . 180
- c. What should we teach learners about speed control? . . 180
- d. When should we teach learners to dodge? . . 180
- e. What is the best way to teach hunting? . . 181
- f. What is the best number of bells to teach hunting? . . 182
- g. Should we vary the order of the other bells? . . 182
- a. When should we let learners ring with other ringers? . . 183
- b. What should learners do before ringing rounds with others? . . 183
- c. With how many bells should a learner first ring rounds? . . 183
- d. Should individual tuition continue after ringing with others? . . 183
- e. How can we maintain interest with long periods sitting out? . . 184
- f. What problems do people have ringing with others? . . 184
- g. Do learners need a minder when just ringing rounds? . . 185
- a. When should we teach call changes? . . 185
- b. How should we prepare learners for call changes? . . 185
- c. Is there any pencil and paper work for call changes? . . 186
- d. Does it matter which way we call the changes? . . 186
- e. Should we add extra information when calling? . . 187
- f. Do people need a minder when ringing call changes? . . 188
- g. How often should I call a change? . . 188
- h. Does dodging count as call changes? . . 188
- i. How can we prevent boredom in call changes? . . 188
- j. What exercises can supplement practice in call changes? . . 188
- k. Is call change ringing a dead end for method ringers? . . 188
- l. Does cartwheel ringing improve call changes? . . 189
- m. What is the next step after call changes? . . 189
- a. What are the key elements of teaching method ringing? . . 189
- b. What about learning the numbers? . . 189
- c. When should we set a learner’s sights on method ringing? . . 190
- d. How soon should we start to teach people methods? . . 191
- e. What methods should we teach first? . . 191
- f. Is Grandsire a ‘dead end method’ to teach? . . 191
- g. Which bell should we put people on for their first methods? . . 191
- h. Should learners write out methods before ringing them? . . 192
- i. What is the best way to teach a method? . . 192
- j. Should we ignore striking while people learn a method? . . 192
- k. Why do some people take so long to learn basic methods? . . 192
- l. How long should people take to learn to ring methods? . . 193
- m. Can we tell learners too much? . . 193
- n. How should we judge success in teaching method ringing? . . 193
- a. What is ropesight? . . 193
- b. Can you teach ropesight or does it just happen? . . 194
- c. When should we teach ropesight? . . 194
- d. Does learning the numbers help develop ropesight? . . 194
- e. What conditions make ropesight easier or harder? . . 194
- f. How can we help people to develop ropesight? . . 195
- g. What exercises can help people develop ropesight? . . 195
- h. How can we make ropesight easier in the early stages? . . 196
- i. What problems do people have with ropesight? . . 197
- a. Can you teach someone to strike well? . . 197
- b. When should we start teaching learners about rhythm? . . 197
- c. What factors make good striking harder or easier? . . 198
- d. Which bells are best for learning a good rhythm? . . 198
- e. What conditions help develop a rhythmic ringing style? . . 199
- f. What exercises can we use to help develop rhythm? . . 199
- a. When should we start teaching learners to listen? . . 200
- b. How can we help someone who can’t hear his or her bell? . . 200
- c. What conditions make listening easier or harder? . . 201
- d. What exercises can we use to help develop listening? . . 201
- a. Should we teach everyone to conduct? . . 203
- b. Why do so few people conduct? . . 203
- c. How can we teach conducting? . . 203
- d. How many stages before you are a fully fledged conductor? . . 204
- a. Should less experienced ringers fill in to get more practice? . . 205
- b. Does it matter how I strike if the ringing is rough anyway? . . 205
- c. Does it matter if I go wrong in a beginners’ touch? . . 205
- d. Should I adapt to other people’s striking? . . 205
- e. Should I hold up over a learner who rings consistently wide? . . 206
- f. Should I hold up over a learner who rings erratically wide? . . 206
- g. Does it matter where I look when filling in? . . 206
- h. Where should I look when filling in? . . 206
- i. Can I give non-verbal advice when filling in? . . 207
- a. Where is the best place to stand? . . 207
- b. Where should I stand for a learner’s first attempt at rounds? . . 207
- c. Should I say anything before ringing starts? . . 208
- d. What should I look at while standing behind? . . 208
- e. What should I say? . . 208
- f. What if it has no effect? . . 209
- g. How much should I say? . . 209
- h. When should I say it? . . 209
- i. How should I say it? . . 209
- j. Should I point? . . 210
- k. Are there times when I should hold back? . . 210
- l. Should I comment on handling and striking? . . 210
- m. Should I say anything afterwards? . . 210
- a. How long should I wait before calling Go? . . 211
- b. When should I call the ringing round? . . 211
- c. Should I stand the bells instead of calling them round? . . 212
- d. Should I try again if the first attempt fails? . . 212
- a. Is learning to ring different from learning any other skill? . . 213
- b. What sort of bells should I try to ring? . . 213
- c. What are the main things to learn in bell handling? . . 214
- d. What is the difference between pulling and checking? . . 214
- e. How much force should I put on the rope? . . 215
- f. Why does the rope always try to slip out of my hand? . . 215
- g. How can I control my rope length? . . 215
- h. How do I know where to catch the sally at the handstroke? . . 216
- i. Is raising and lowering part of bell handling? . . 216
- j. What do people mean by a good handling style? . . 217
- k. Does it matter how I ring so long as it feels OK? . . 217
- l. How will I know when my bell handling is good enough? . . 218
- m. Will I get taught all I need to know about bell handling? . . 218
- a. What should I be trying to do? . . 218
- b. What should I do if the bell in front is in the wrong place? . . 219
- c. What should I do if I get lost? . . 219
- d. What pitfalls should I try to avoid? . . 220
- e. How do I cope with odd struck bells? . . 220
- f. Which way should I face? . . 221
- a. Are rhythm and good striking the same thing? . . 221
- b. What are the essentials of good striking? . . 221
- c. What exactly do we mean by rhythm in ringing? . . 221
- d. What is ringing by rhythm? . . 222
- e. How does ringing heavy bells help develop rhythm? . . 222
- f. How does ringing light bells help develop rhythm? . . 222
- g. Are there any golden rules? . . 222
- a. Does listening matter as long as I strike in the right place? . . 224
- b. Is hearing one’s bell harder on higher numbers? . . 224
- c. How can I pick out my bell from all the others? . . 224
- d. What is ‘ringing by ear’? . . 225
- e. How can I practice listening? . . 225
- a. What is ropesight? . . 225
- b. If ropesight is important how can blind people ring? . . 226
- c. Why do people with glasses have problems with ropesight? . . 226
- d. How does ropesight work? . . 226
- e. What are the techniques for ropesight? . . 227
- f. How can I improve my ropesight? . . 229
- g. Does ropesight always work? . . 229
- h. Why is ropesight harder for higher numbers of bells? . . 229
- i. Can I allow for harder ropesight on higher numbers of bells? . . 230
- j. Why does ropesight become harder if I get out of place? . . 230
- k. What is ‘ringing by eye’? . . 230
- l. From which bell is it easiest to see what is happening? . . 230
- a. Why do we learn call changes? . . 231
- b. What do I need to learn to ring call changes? . . 231
- c. Do I need to know about different ways of calling? . . 231
- d. What are calling up and calling down? . . 232
- e. Are these the only ways of calling changes? . . 233
- f. Can I work out which calling method is being used? . . 233
- g. How soon after the call should I start to move my bell? . . 234
- h. How do I know whether I am striking correctly? . . 234
- i. Are some parts of a touch more important than others? . . 234
- j. What can I do if someone else goes wrong? . . 234
- k. When can I consider I am a competent call change ringer? . . 235
- a. Is it worth bothering with dodging practice? . . 235
- b. Why do I find hunting so difficult when it looks easy? . . 235
- c. How many different speeds do you need to be able to ring? . . 236
- d. Why does ringing fewer bells need more effort? . . 236
- e. Why are some dodges more demanding than others ? . . 236
- f. Why is counting my place important? . . 236
- g. Will I always have to count my places? . . 237
- h. How do I know the order the bells come in? . . 237
- i. How do I know when to lead? . . 237
- j. What do I do if I can’t see which rope to follow? . . 238
- k. What can I do if someone else goes wrong? . . 238
- l. What pitfalls should I try to avoid? . . 238
- a. What do I need to learn to ring simple methods? . . 239
- b. How many ways are there to remember a method? . . 239
- c. Which is the best way of remembering methods? . . 240
- d. Does it matter where you start? . . 241
- e. Why is knowing where I pass the treble important? . . 241
- f. How do I know which way round to dodge? . . 242
- g. How do I know which bells to make places over? . . 242
- h. How do the pieces of work fit together? . . 243
- i. What should I do if I don’t know where I am? . . 243
- j. How should I learn what to do at calls? . . 243
- k. What are course and after bells? . . 244
- a. What do we mean by intermediate? . . 244
- b. What should I know about method structure? . . 244
- c. What methods offer useful steps beyond Plain Bob? . . 245
- d. What is a reverse method? . . 246
- e. What is a double method? . . 247
- f. What is one method above the treble and another below? . . 248
- g. How does knowing above and below the treble help? . . 248
- h. What is a 6ths place version of a method? . . 248
- i. What is coursing order? . . 249
- j. How does knowing the coursing order help? . . 249
- k. How do I know what the coursing order is? . . 249
- l. Should I count the coursing order from the bell I am ringing? . . 249
- m. Does the coursing order change? . . 250
- n. How do I use the treble to help remember what to do? . . 250
- o. So where should I set my targets? . . 250
- a. Why is learning more complicated methods different? . . 250
- b. What is the best way to learn a method and why? . . 251
- c. Do I need to bother with the theory? . . 251
- d. How can I memorise the blue line? . . 251
- e. What are place bells? . . 252
- f. What is the place bell order? . . 252
- g. How can I work out the place bell order? . . 252
- h. How can I remember the place bell order? . . 253
- i. What are the letter codes sometimes given with a method? . . 254
- j. What is the pivot bell? . . 254
- k. What is the advantage of learning methods by place bells? . . 255
- l. What if I get lost while ringing by place bell? . . 255
- m. Can I mix place bell and other ways of learning? . . 255
- n. How do the pieces of work fit together? . . 255
- o. Are there any quick ways to learn a new method? . . 256
- p. Does it matter what I call the pieces of work? . . 257
- q. What is place notation? . . 257
- r. Are all methods like those described above? . . 258
- s. Where can I find information about learning methods? . . 258
- t. How can I learn a method so as to ring it confidently? . . 258
- a. Do I need to bother? . . 259
- b. How is a conductor different from a bob-caller? . . 259
- c. How do I remember a touch? . . 259
- d. What are the calling positions? . . 259
- e. Are all methods like this? . . 261
- f. How is the coursing order useful? . . 261
- g. How do I check the coursing order? . . 262
- h. What happens at a call? . . 262
- i. What is transposing and how do I do it? . . 262
- j. Which bells are affected at which leads? . . 263
- k. How do I know who does what at a bob? . . 263
- l. How do I know when to call if I am not ringing the tenor? . . 263
- m. Can I transpose the coursing order in Grandsire? . . 264
- n. Can I transpose the coursing order in Stedman? . . 265
- o. How can I keep the bells right? . . 265
- p. How can I see what other people are doing? . . 266
- q. Can the coursing order help me to call? . . 266
- r. Do I need to prepare to call a touch? . . 266
- s. What is the difference between a lead head and a lead end? . . 266
- t. What use is coursing order if the bells don’t always course? . . 267
- u. Where do I find touches and compositions? . . 267
- v. Can I make up my own touches? . . 267
- w. Does falseness matter? . . 268
- x. How long will it take me to become a good conductor? . . 269
- y. Where can I get more information? . . 269
- a. What happens when I know all I need to? . . 269
- b. Why try to learn methods that are too complicated for me? . . 269
- c. Is it worth learning things we will never ring here? . . 269
- d. Will I go backwards if I have to reduce my ringing activity? . . 270
- e. When will I be too old to learn? . . 270
- f. Is learning just about new methods? . . 270
- a. Are all frames the same? . . 271
- b. Is a metal frame maintenance free? . . 272
- c. How long should a metal frame last before it needs painting? . . 272
- d. How long would it take to paint a frame? . . 272
- e. What precautions should I take when painting the frame? . . 272
- f. What sort of paint is best for metal frames? . . 273
- g. Does a timber frame need preservative or painting? . . 273
- h. When should I tighten the nuts on a timber frame? . . 274
- i. How do I know whether the nuts are tight enough? . . 274
- j. Will the nuts dig into the frame if I keep tightening them? . . 274
- k. Should I wedge the frame to the tower if it isn’t rigid? . . 274
- a. Do metal headstocks need regular attention? . . 274
- b. Do timber headstocks need regular attention? . . 275
- a. What’s the difference between plain and ball bearings? . . 277
- b. How often do I need to lubricate plain bearings? . . 277
- c. What do I use to lubricate plain bearings? . . 278
- d. How often do I need to lubricate ball bearings? . . 278
- e. How do I know when to lubricate ball bearings? . . 278
- f. What do I use to lubricate ball bearings? . . 279
- g. Grease is seeping from a ball bearing – is this a problem? . . 279
- h. Is there anything else I need to do about bearings? . . 279
- a. What are wheels made of? . . 279
- b. How do I look after wheels? . . 279
- c. Does a warped or twisted wheel matter? . . 280
- d. What happens if a wheel seems to be damaged? . . 280
- a. What sort of wood is a stay made of? . . 280
- b. Why are some stays curved and some straight? . . 280
- c. When do I need to check the stays, and what do I look for? . . 281
- d. We keep on breaking stays – should I obtain stronger ones? . . 281
- e. What is a Hastings stay . . 281
- f. Where do I get new stays? . . 282
- g. Why are some sliders curved and some straight? . . 282
- h. How often do I need to grease the runner boards? . . 282
- i. Do runner boards ever fail? . . 282
- j. What is a pendulum slider? . . 283
- a. Why have pulleys? . . 283
- b. Do pulleys matter much? . . 283
- c. How do I look after pulleys? . . 284
- d. Can anything actually go wrong with a pulley? . . 284
- a. Do clappers need oiling or greasing? . . 285
- b. How do I know if the clapper bearings are worn? . . 285
- c. What are twiddle pins for? . . 285
- d. Should I take the clapper out of the bell? . . 286
- e. What is an SG-iron clapper? . . 286
- f. What is a clapper stay? . . 286
- g. What is a clapper buffer? . . 287
- a. What attention do ropes need? . . 287
- b. How can we reduce rope wear above the sally? . . 287
- c. Why do some ropes have a leather sleeve round the rope? . . 288
- d. How can I prolong rope life below the sally? . . 288
- e. How can I stop tucks coming undone? . . 288
- f. How can I stop the rope end fraying? . . 289
- g. Why do bits of fluff come off the sallies? . . 289
- h. Do sallies ever break? . . 289
- i. Why do ropes seem to fail very quickly? . . 290
- j. Do you need to put lubricant on the ropes? . . 290
- k. Can I repair broken ropes? . . 290
- l. What is a splice? . . 290
- m. How do I do a splice? . . 291
- n. Are all splices the same? . . 292
- o. Should we use synthetic ropes? . . 293
- p. Can the whole rope be made of synthetic material? . . 294
- q. Can you splice synthetic rope into hemp? . . 294
- r. How do I work out the length of replacement ropes? . . 295
- s. What can we do about damp ropes? . . 295
- a. Do the bells themselves need maintaining? . . 295
- b. How are bells tuned? . . 295
- c. What is quarter turning? . . 296
- d. What can I do about an odd-struck bell? . . 296
- e. How can I tell whether a bell is odd struck? . . 297
- a. What is sound control? . . 298
- b. Can the sound be permanently reduced? . . 298
- c. Can sound control be made variable? . . 298
- d. Should we consider fitting sound control? . . 299
- e. What is the best type of sound control? . . 299
- f. How effective is sound control? . . 300
- a. What precautions should I take when doing maintenance? . . 300
- b. What should we do about lighting? . . 300
- c. Is the lighting in our tower adequate? . . 301
- d. What about emergency lighting? . . 301
- e. What should we do about access to tower and bell chamber? . . 301
- f. Do we need to worry about the lightning conductor? . . 301
- a. Do I need to do anything special about nuts and bolts? . . 302
- b. What are coach screws? . . 302
- c. Do louvres need attention? . . 303
- d. What sort of tools do I need for basic maintenance? . . 303
- e. What about the church clock? . . 304
- f. What about other chiming devices? . . 304
- g. If we have bats in the belfry, what should we do? . . 305
- h. Where do I go for advice? . . 305
- i. What maintenance books are there? . . 305
Terms listed in the index refer to the main body of the text (sections 1 - 14). Terms that only occur in the glossary (section 15) are not included in this index.
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