Name: Mike Clay
Hobby: Church bell ringing
Daughter: Our very on Beverley Clay!
My dad has always rung church bells as a hobby. Quite a different hobby, right? So I thought I’d interview him this week to help more people learn about bell ringing and see if it’s something they might be interested in.
HC: Bell ringing is a fairly unusual hobby. How did you first get in to it?
At the age of 12 I was invited by a couple of older boys who were already bell ringers that I knew from school if I would like to have a go and learn to ring. It sounded interesting and fun so I agreed. After a few initial sessions to learn how to handle a bell, I invited other friends to join me, which added to the occasion and created an element of competition to progress.
HC: What is it you enjoy about bell ringing in particular?
Bell ringing is a team activity as it takes one person to ring each bell and there are often 6, 8, 10 or even 12 bells ringing together! There is skill required to handle a bell safely, as they swing through a full 360degrees clockwise then anticlockwise and typically weigh up to one ton each. Much practice is required thereafter to ring your own bell in concert with the other bells. The sense of satisfaction in achieving good ringing, or striking, is hugely rewarding.
HC: What are some of the best bits about bell ringing?
I enjoy the mathematical challenge of ringing ever increasing “Methods” (pre-determined sequences or patterns) and “Conducting” different permutations without repeat. Bell ringing is both a mental and physical activity requiring a bit of coordination.
Ringing bells is a very sociable activity, both amongst those people with whom we ring regularly and also those in different towns and cities around the country. I may visit a new town, and I am immediately amongst like-minded friends. And of course visiting new towers and Cathedrals can be quite exciting too, such as St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
HC: What about the not-so-good bits?
It can be disappointing when the quality of the ringing is not what it might be. Like any team activity, it takes every participant to perform well in order to produce the best team product, be that a football team or an orchestra. Education, patience and practice are the best means to address this.
HC: What would you say to anyone wanting to get involved?
I would heartily recommend it to anyone wishing to take up a rewarding and engaging team hobby or sport. In Scotland we have the Scottish Association of Change Ringers, SACR, which is a good place to start and will help to identify the nearest rings of bells and points of contact. See www.sacr.org.
Image: www.sacr.org