Bell ringing training centres, outreach and heros

The world of 12 bell ringing on enormous bells is indeed a rarefied one, but that there is an overriding sense of outreach and community in Mark Regan’s in-depth and wide-ranging conversation with podshow host Cathy Booth. Being ringing master at Worcester Cathedral, having rung about 2,400 peals, helping set up the first bell ringing training centre in the country and being involved in an amazing number of bell rehanging projects there is a lot to get through!

According to Mark, the secret to all successful bell projects is having a strong purpose and good communications, especially getting the Church and PCC on your side. Enthusiasm helps too and this interview may just well inspire you to aim higher with your own projects. Or even just to get to grips with routine tower maintenance.

One of the highlights of this show is where Mark talks about the people that that both encouraged him and inspired him to become the ringer that he is today. And by the sounds of it, Mark has himself become a role model for a new generation of ringers – especially Sam who recently strapped Liverpool Cathedral tenor at the tender age of ten. Fantastic stuff!

Links

• www.worcesterbells.org
• www.stpeters-cathedral.org.au/music/ringing-centre
• www.mrdc.org.uk

Top five takeaways

• Who are your role models? Could you inspire the next generation of bell ringers?
• The key must-dos about steeple keeping are: Never work in a tower on your own, learn how to splice a rope, learn how to tighten up nuts and bolts, learn how to centre clappers, make sure that pulleys turn round, use polypropylene modern ropes, use modern top ends, keep wheels treated, paint everything with rust inhibitors and keep the pigeons out!
• The most important thing about any bell project is communications and keeping everyone on side.
• Why not visit your nearest training centre and try out their dumbbells – you won’t have to queue up like usually happens on practice night.
• If possible, open up your tower for visits from schools and clubs, engage more with your audience and get out and about in your community.

Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored by the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART).  To find out more about learning to ring, learning to teach or other resources to support your ringing go to bellringing.org

Podcast team:
Anne Tansley Thomas
Emily Roderick
John Gwynne
Emily Watts
Cathy Booth

Ringing by:
The Cambridge Youths (supplied by David Richards) and for later episodes, The Liliputters Guild (supplied by Simon Edwards).

For bellringing training and support for teachers and ringers see: bellringing.org