The Charmborough ring - a portable belfry

For this episode, show host Cathy Booth stays close to home and interviews her ringer husband, Roger, a trustee of the Charmborough Ring. Not just your average mini-ring, the Charmborough Ring is the heaviest portable ring of bells in the country. Heavier, believe it or not, than some rings of tower bells. So how many people does it take to put up a portable belfry? Roger expertly talks us through the answer to this and all the other essentials, such as how much it weighs, how long it takes to put up and how big your car needs to be to tow it.As well as talking through all of the practicalities, Roger shows how portable belfries and mini-rings are an inspirational recruitment tool and can lead to ringing in the most exciting places. Anyone up for ringing a quarter peal on a boat?The message comes across loud and clear - if you can’t get people up to the bells then take the bells out to them!Top 5 takeawaysThe difference between a mini-ring and a portable belfry is the weight of the bellsWhy not think about hiring your nearest mini-ring for your next recruitment campaignIf you’d like to hire the Charmborough Ring or just find out more then visit their website at www.charmborough.orgIf you’re interested in what other mini-rings there are, try www.campaniles.co.uk or https://www.nsacr.org.uk/LDMB/Imagine ringing on a boat or the back of a lorry! What unusual location would you like to ring in?Podcast team:Anne Tansley ThomasEmily Roderick John GwynneEmily WattsCathy BoothRinging 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