h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

You ring too! Just thought I'd drop by and give a quick hello. Where is your tower? I'm from St Michaels, Blewbury, an okay 18cwt eight nearish to Oxford.

Yes, I ring. My main tower at the moment is St Woolos in Newport, a lovely 21cwt twelve. I've also been donated a tower full of beginners at Bassaleg which is an eight just up the road from me.

Have you rung on the 16 in Birmingham yet? I think I've got the right person here, that's where your at Uni isn't it?

I'm scared of 16! I ring at a ten in Northfields, nice 10 there, and it's taken me a while to get used to them. I did, however, manage to ring Plain Bob Royal on the inside. This is a major development! Also Plain and Little spliced on 8 yesterday (just)... I'm learning! Just too slowly!

I know what you mean about the larger numbers. I learnt on an 8cwt six. I'd rung on eight a couple of times but nothing much. Then I went off to Uni in Worcester and had to move up to 8 and above, quite a shock to the system.

I'd like to visit the 16 just to say I'd been. One of these days perhaps.

Is there a student society at Birmingham? I was the one and only student ringer at Worcester so I found it a bit daunting when I first went up the towers. But everyone was friendly in typical ringer style.

The only person? You poor thing. No, the Birmingham Universtiy Society of Change Ringers is healthy, have their own practices, posh dinners, everything. I'm not a great member, as I can't ring with them on a sunday, and my practice attendance is sporadic due to music commitments

I wasn't completely alone. A group of us who were younger that most of the other ringers in the area founded Young St Johns, a break-away society for when tower politics became too heated. We've rung society peals, and have our own mini dinner.

Big posh dinners I haven't done yet, but I think I'm off to the Liverpool one in February.

Must be a pain not being able to get to practices regularly.

Yeah, I really miss the practices. Especially as I got to ring twice a week for a two weeks, it's amazing what a difference it makes!

I can't make the posh dinner- it clashes with the h2g2 Winter Meet-up! The bellringers aren't pleased but tough. I can't miss all these people! Nyssabird is coming over for heavens' sake!!

Nyssabird? Obviously I've not been around that much.

I couldn't ring for three weeks over the summer because I'd pulled all the muscles in my right hand. It drove me mad! At least I could still get up the tower and join them later for .

A harsh thing for any ringer to cope with! But at least you had the . A necessary obligation, I feel.

Gosh! It' ten o'clock already! Yet I feel like I been online only half an hour or so... time flies and all that...

How are things going?

Everything seems to be great at the moment. I've a peal to ring in Worcester on Saturday, and I'm ringing my first quater of Cambridge Royal on Sunday evening. This could be interesting I've only rung three leads of it before.

If you're talking of other matters, well I'm thouroughly enjoying myself. Shame he lives so far away.

Cambridge Royal? Nice! It was my goal to learn Cambridge over the holidays. Well, I got as far as the dodge places bit, but no furthur. I still can never remember where that fits in the line.. ah well. It'll come with time.

As for the other matters, to you. Have fun.

Well the St Woolos lot seem to have a lot of faith in my ability to learn lines. Once I know the poem I'm usually fairly reliable so I'll give it a go and see what happens. I don't ring Royal very oftern so missing 5/6 dodges will be the biggest problem.

Have you been able to get to a practice this term?

Other matters, so far so good. We'll see what happens with time.

I made it to the last practice as they were ringing down! But hopefully this term will be better as I'm not going to the rehearsals that used to keep me away unless I'm specifically called out. So i ought to make it to mist of them.

That's good news then. Plenty of needed to celebrate.

You may know a friend of mine then, she's in her final year of an opticians degree. She's another one who doesn't like the idea of ringing on 16. Can't say I blame anyone really. Rope sight would be impossible.

I'm welcome to the apres-ringing even if I don't mske the practice!

16 is just silly, I'm afraid. And surely the high ones must be really bouncy.

springy ropes.

Although I come from an area full of little bells, so I'm used to flighty ropes. Holding up for the larger bells must take a lot of proactice though.

I'm used to ringing an 18cwt 8, so mine are fairly middling. I did ring at my grandfather's tower in London though- the treble was 2cwt! How cute!

That's the same size as the trebble in one of my local towers. Most rings round here are fairly light.

I'm going to ring at Liverpool Cathedral soon so that should be a shock to the system.

Oh wow! Molto exciting! The closest I've got to that is singing in the Met. Cathedral. Which, admittedly, was amazing. But I still didn't get to ring. Not a surprise, as I was on a singing course at the time.