• Oliver Lee
    25
    I don't wish to moan but my father and I are in something of a predicament with the ringing at one of our towers (which is the same tower that i mentioned in my previous discussion on "limited opening ringing") and we are looking for advice about what to do, until comparatively recently we used to have a specially devoted practice for doubles and minor before the start of the main practice but as the tower captain is so keen on improving his so called "favourites " rather then the rest of us it has become something of a free for all and now we are lucky if we even manage to scrape through a badly struck touch of bob doubles (which is usually to help out a learner). if this wasn't bad enough he seems to have an unhealthy obsession with "bob courses" of grandsire triples as well as plain hunt on 9 and 11 (which generally sound horrible as none of our band can even on ring on higher numbers!) if we where learning these two things it would be all very well but as we barely get a chance to ring the stuff we are learning (which is bob minor for my father and cambridge for myself ) we are starting to run out of ideas and I was wondering if anyone can recommend some stratergies (or some alternative practices in the west Essex east hertfordshire area?)
  • Lucy Chandhial
    110
    I think your best chance of getting local advice is to talk to the district ringing master for the relevant part of Essex (and Herts) as they will probably know the level of ringing at the various practices. Most Association websites give you practices by practice night so if Thursday is the specific aim that will narrow it down.
    It’s also worthwhile to talk to the tower captain about your concerns and try to find out why he is focused on Grandsire triples, for example.
    Some tower captains focus more on the ringers who ring with them on Sundays and see others who join the practice as ‘visitors’ who are there to support more than to gain.
    In general improving your ability to plain hunt on 9 or 11 is helpful towards an end goal of ringing Cambridge because it requires you to place your bell precisely so don’t discount this kind of ringing as good for your overall skill set. But if it is a struggle for too many of the band I can see how that makes it hard to benefit from it.
    A practice which has enough ringers to try plain hunt on 11 might also mean the tower Captain worries about the number of people sitting out when practicing minor. It could be a useful conversation to see if they are aware of people’s ringing goals and whether others in the band would also benefit from more ringing of minor and therefore not mind having less total ringing time if it is more targeted ringing time.
  • Rosalind Martin
    31
    It sounds as if the practice night has become a victim of its own success! If this is not your home tower, you don't have to keep attending.

    I agree with Lucy, even without an opportunity to ring Cambridge, you can still be improving your skills. I found in that "aiming for Cambridge" phase, the most valuable rope time was a local "Plain Bob doubles and minor only" practice which I attended as a helper. It helped to embed the dodging positions properly and made the bobs and singles completely familiar.
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