Faith has been ringing for 40 years at Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria, British Columbia. She is a retired social worker.
My aunt, who rang in both Australia and England, introduced me to the bells in Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria, when she was visiting for Christmas in 1976. Fascinated, I started to learn in January of 1977 and have rung two or three times a week ever since.
There is nothing as great as ringing heavy metal bells with the rest of the band—all of us in disciplined concentration in order to achieve the desired pattern of sound. It has been a great delight to visit towers in other countries. Ringers ‘from away’ are always welcome to join with a local band regardless of their level of expertise. I have ‘scored’ ten towers in Australia, six in New Zealand, one in Ireland, several in England, and several in the United States and Canada.
The most satisfying event in my ringing career was participating successfully in a quarter peal of Plain Bob Maximus in Toronto.
My advice to someone who is interested in learning to ring is to be willing to devote at least a year of your time to it. At that point, you will know whether or not it is for you. The early stages of learning are sometimes frustrating, but persistence pays dividends.
