Dublin Bellringing Outing - Christ Church Cathedral

[1BODGER95]

i have often wondered how one ends up with 16 bells in a tower? how does it happen haha! has anyone got some history for me? :)

[Egg99Rhubarb]

@1BODGER95 Competition with St Paddy's, who have the (fractionally) larger tenor. So Christ Church made up for this by bunging a few bells on the front end!

[simonbellringer]

16 doesnt sound too bad!! Although I still say anything above 12 is a waste of time... I have rung 14 at Winchester though!!

[Egg99Rhubarb]

@simonbellringer What did you ring? We rang the Plain Hunt awfully here. Above twelve isn't necessarily bad; depends on the method - although most of them just add more hunting between the work.

I've enjoyed my peals on fourteen and sixteen, even though it does take longer!

[simonbellringer]

@Egg99Rhubarb I was just ringing rounds at the time - though they did do PH 14!!

More recently, I did PH 13 at Painswick - a 12 with an extra treble - interesting, but could have done with better acoustics, Painswick's acoustics are notoriously bad!!

[bellminsterboy]

@simonbellringer Ringing at Winchester Cath on Aug 24th - Care to Come?? It is the District Ringing Practice

[simonbellringer]

@bellminsterboy Nah, I've grabbed Winchester!! Beat my dad to ringing on the 14 too!! :)

Much as Id like to, I believe Im away, and IU wouldnt have transport from sunny ol' Swindon!!

[Egg99Rhubarb]

@bellminsterboy The Portsmouth District have the Wednesday before that booked. Is yours just as much of an annual farce as ours is?

[bellminsterboy]

@Egg99Rhubarb On your events list, it says August 24th District Ringing at Winchester Cathedral!

[Egg99Rhubarb]

@bellminsterboy Winchester Cathedral let the bells out to the other districts over August, every year,

Portsmouth have Wednesday 17th.

C&S have Wednesday 24th.

The other districts have got the rest of the dates - but I can pretty much guarantee the most advanced thing being rung will be Grandsire 13 (badly).

[bellminsterboy]

@Egg99Rhubarb thats strange because both at Sopley, Ringwood, Bournemouth and Christchurch all say the 24th

[Egg99Rhubarb]

@bellminsterboy That's because Sopley, Ringwood, Bournemouth and Christchurch are all in C&S District...

[bellminsterboy]

@Egg99Rhubarb ok i understand now :)

[SrWilson3s]

Its just skill and technique that is all the bearings and swing take the bell weight for you. Just long good pulls and you cannot go wrong.Btw heaviest I have rung is York 59 cwt.

[KDowner94]

my heaviest bell so far is theTenor at Ryde on the Island weighing 26.5cwt. Its a bit of a lump really

[elvis459]

I wish I could be part of that group, they all look sooo happy in their work.

[louisisyourgod]

Well done to the treble ringer for holding the first backstroke up! And the tenor ringer of course! lol

[1BODGER95]

Well done on ringing that tenor.

Did you set it when the stand was called?

[Egg99Rhubarb]

Absolutly not! Lol! It was really light set. Hard work to ring too, you couldn't relax even for a second without it dropping on you.

[1BODGER95]

I know the feeling, but I never ring bells as big as this, because I am half the size of you.

[Egg99Rhubarb]

You need to accept as soon as possible that it has nothing to do with size, it honestly is all about technique. I think I'd rung Winchester Cathedral tenor (35cwt) when I was about 12? It may not have been blow perfect, but I still rang it on my own, so it has nothing to do with being small :)

[Egg99Rhubarb]

The thing is, if people go round saying it's about size, no women would ever ring round the back cos guys are naturally bigger than girls. I've recently been trusted to ring the back bells round Portsmouth Cathedral when we ring Bristol Royal, and I like to think I'm just as good as some of the men that ring round the back there!

[anonmonen]

Im constantly being told its all about size - but that has nothing to do with bellringing,,,,, or has it???

[simonbellringer]

@Egg99Rhubarb I can manage a 26cwt bell OK, am looking forward to sampling the 35cwt tenor at Westbury, Wilts on Saturday :)

[1BODGER95]

I'm constantly told; "it's skill not brute force". The heaviest bell I've rung weighs 16 and I was pulling it at a smaller force with wich I ring on the front end.

I rang the back 5 at Manchester Cathedral (28cwt) and I rang the second. I'd only been ringing 6/7 months, as you were, I was not blow perfect, but I had the skill to keep it up. =]

[timmeh1507]

@1BODGER95 you'll be alright Bodger, I think size has a slight bearing on pulling off, if like me you are quite slight you may need to rock the bell on its stay a few times before pulling it off. The heaviest I've rung is the 10th at Liverpool which is 39-1-3 and honestly it's the most beautiful bell to ring you can imagine. Takes a few pulls to get it in the right place at first though!