August is normally fairly quiet for ringing. We don’t ring on Sunday evenings, just mornings and Monday practices. Monday 5th August was looking very thin and we weren’t sure we would have enough but it turned out to be one of the liveliest practices all year.
A colleague from Easthampstead asked if they could bring their young ringers to our practice to give them more variety. We always welcome visitors and invited them to join in the training session before the main practice where they would be able to experience ringing with our simulators. Judging from the exuberance they appreciated it all.
In the practice proper, as well as four enthusiastic youngsters and four experienced ringers who came with them, a ringer from Herefordshire joined us. Then part way through we had three more visitors – not ringers but a local resident who brought his granddaughters from Scotland to watch us ringing. They were fascinated and went away happy.
After the practice we took the young ringers up the tower to see the view from the roof. It was about an hour after sunset and very definitely dusk but there was still plenty to see and they really appreciated it.
The dusk experience was repeated when we hosted a large group of cubs in the tower some weeks later.
We are always happy to welcome visitors, ringers or non-ringers, from the Parish or elsewhere, to ring with us or just see what ringing is about. For more information see the tower website: allsaintswokinghambells.org.uk
John Harrison (August 2013)
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