Do you want to learn to ring?

The bell ringers of All Hallows love to welcome new ringers into our family. 

The bells at All Hallows are a lovely ring of 8 bells. They can be rung open (heard outside) or we have the bonus of 6 of the bells ringing on a simulator so we can silence them and they can only be heard through the simulator in the tower giving the tower the fantastic capability of training new potential recruits without the worry of being heard as you learn the ropes.

It is FREE and there is no obligation or commitment. We hope you will find it fun and interesting and want to keep coming along.

Ringing does not need much strength or musical ability, but all ringers need to learn the skill and technique. 

Kirburton Bell Ringers follow a recognised teaching scheme so you can track your progress and there is structure to your learning. The scheme is called 'Learning the Ropes'

The only restrictions are that volunteers need to be

  1. At least 10 or 11 years old (to be tall and heavy enough to comfortably and safely ring a bell), Under 16s do need to be accompanied by an adult and
  2. Sufficiently mobile and comfortable to use our spiral staircase. Our staircase is tight but once you reach the ringing room there is more space than you believe.

If you are interested in learning to ring, or are not sure but are simply curious and want to find out more, please email [email protected] we will always be happy to arrange a visit for you to see if it's for you or not.

 

We were lucky enought to have Ted spend some time with us and learn how to ring so feel free to watch this video for a visual on how our lessons work.

Who can learn, and how?

We welcome anyone to come and have a go at ringing see if it's for you. The Kirkburton Bell Ringers are a small but welcoming family all sharing the same interest to keep the village of Kirkburton enjoying the bells that have been here longer than we have. 

You do not need to be very tall or strong.

You do need to be mobile enough to climb our fantastic and quirky spiral staircase.Otherwise, it does not matter what gender, race, religion, background, or age.

Learning the basics doesn't take long and if you love to learn something new you never stop learning the ropes.

We try to spread our learning availability across the year to ensure learners get the best experience they can and our volunteer teachers don't end up living in our tower. We try our best to make sessions work for you the learner and we understand other commitments can get in the way and we will try our best to accomodate this.

All we ask is if you are interested you give it a go and allow yourself a few sessions before making the big decission. 

What to expect (at a teaching session)

Learning the basics of ringing a bell cannot be done in a single session therefore we like you to attend a few sessions before you decide either way. Your first session you might feel like a natural or maybe your a bit ropey on your first session either way make sure you give it a few sessions before you make your mind up. If it is for you it will be worth it in the end.

Each learner is tutored under close supervision from an experienced ringer, and each lesson is staged to gradually build upon what was learned previously. 

It will take a few sessions before you are able to handle the bell on your own.

We follow the below structure:

  • Learn the technique and weight to pull the rope, and the tutor does the rest. Typically done in the first session.
  • Learn how to catch the 'fluffy' part of the rope (known as the sally). 
  • Learn how to combine steps 1 & 2. This may take a few sessions to learn technique and avoid over-pulling or under-pulling the rope.

As you progress on the above the Kirkburton Bell Ringing team will start to appear at your session and help you progress through the next stages before you attend an open ringing practice.

  • Other ringers will join you so you start ringing in rounds (other ringers ringing before and after you). This will increase slowly so you might start with a bell in front of you then increasing to a bell after you. This step helps you learn how to control the speed of your bell. The teacher will be with you closely during this time offering hints and tips to progress.
  • The next step is the same as above but the teacher now takes a backwards step and allows you to be in full control (help is never far away we never leave you on your own totally in bell ringing we never stop learning and always need hints and tips from those who have been ringing much longer than we have).

The above progresses you on through Bell Handling and the next part of learning is just as exciting but lets save that for when you join us.

As a Bell Ringer you never stop learning and that's all part of the adventure. No tower is the same either so once you advance on far enough you can explore other towers and develop your skills even further.