Bell ringing was always on my bucket list. Ironically, neither of the two churches where I spent most of my childhood, South Wraxall and West Overton, had ring-able bells at the time I was there. My grandparents were church wardens at St. James’ in South Wraxall for most of the 50 years they lived in the village, and I have very fond memories of being allowed to chime the Sanctus bell for 5 minutes before Sunday services.
Fast forward to adulthood and after 8 years of adventures living in mainland Europe with my husband’s work, and with three children in tow, we returned to England. Bell ringing time!
We relocated to the beautiful village of Edington in the heart of the SDGR countryside. Little did I know that this would be a prime location for bell ringing thanks to its proximity to the Devizes Branch ringing centre.
I started ringing in January 2024 (thank you Mark Noble, Edington/Bratton) and took part in the branch Novice striking competition in the April as a last-minute replacement for someone who couldn’t make it. The first time I rang the call change test piece was at the competition! I trebled to my first quarter peal in November 2024 and rang inside to plain bob doubles the following year.
It was the striking competition that really opened my eyes to the world of bell ringing. Here I was, among lots of other people who also loved bell ringing. And they were speaking another language of striking and clipping and tenoring. I had a lot to learn and got stuck in.
Two things then happened at the same time. The first was several conversations about the novice striking competition: how to simplify the handicap system and how to give people an opportunity to hear well-struck rounds? The second was a change to the Guild rules which meant that learner ringers were no longer registered, posing a huge risk that we would lose sight of and connection with our new ringers. How would we keep in touch with new learners to make sure we are supporting them along their learning journey? How would we connect with our new learners, creating more social, supportive and inclusive events to build a stronger foundation for lifelong ringing no matter when they start.
As a Branch, there was enthusiasm to explore these questions. Christine Purnell, Devizes Branch Chair, invited newly appointed Vice-Chair, Sarah Dow to set up a sub-committee. Sarah gathered six other members from across the branch representing all levels of experience, and Sound Start was born. The team consisted of Sarah Dow (Keevil), myself (Edington), David Norman (Trowbridge), Louisa Davison (All Cannings), Jeremy Davies (Great Cheverell), Chris Stirland (Trowbridge) and David Hacker (Melksham).
We spent the summer sharing experiences, brainstorming ideas and discussing proposals to recruit and support new ringers at the start of their ringing journey. We asked ourselves questions like:
- How do we keep track of new learners?
- How do we create better dialogue with towers that struggle to retain new ringers?
- How can we ensure teaching is done well and safely?
- How can we create opportunities for learners to hear excellent ringing?
Our mission became clear: Everybody Counts.
Sarah and I were lucky enough to attend a Novice Social event in the Mere Branch (thank you Len Roberts, Nick Dallison, Michael Williams and Judith Williamson!). It was fabulous to see how inclusive the day was, welcoming ringers of all standards, whether they were ringing one stroke or independently. The idea of organising our own Learner Day was born.
With the 125-year anniversary of the Devizes Branch in 2026, Christine was keen to hear the Sound Start recommendations and to get going! At the AGM in January, we shared the full report (thanks to Sarah’s amazing work) which covered:
- New learner registration and database
- Creating new learner starter packs
- Encouraging towers to teach using ART as a common platform
- Forming closer relationships with local towers
- Providing members with more opportunities to hear really good ringing
- Creating a Learner Engagement Officer position on the branch committee
No prizes for guessing that new Learner Engagement Officer (LEO) is me! I’m so looking forward to getting to know all the learners in our branch. Connecting, encouraging and supporting learners with their bell ringing is super exciting.
I’m delighted to confirm that our first Learner Day with Rounds Competition is only around the corner! The date is fixed (28th March). The tower is booked (Edington). The participant’s list is already full (24). The helpers have been rounded up and deployed to their positions (thank you everyone!). I couldn’t be more excited.
The participants will spend the morning taking part in three workshops.
- Rhythm led by Chris Bush
- Listening led by Robert Livsey
- Bell handling in the tower with Dusty Millier overseeing the 1:1 tutoring
After the workshops, there will be opportunities for opening ringing before an exhibition band demonstrates 4 minutes of rounds (no pressure Ringing Master, Giles Wood).
During the afternoon, we’ll be staging a rounds competition for the participants. We will support them by mixing in experienced ringers. And the judges will have HawkEar to help them provide feedback for individual ringers. Very cool!
Why not come and see the event for yourself? There will be plenty going on in addition to the participant program. We’ve Peals on Wheels in the car park (thank you Julian). We’ve Guild clothing samples, a bell ringing book shop/library, and information displays about the Guild and the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART). There will be a bring ‘n’ share lunch from 13.00 in the church. It would be fabulous to see you there in support of our learners.
I’m excited and proud to be supporting the next generation of bellringers and look forward to connecting with the Devizes branch towers.
Caroline Noonan
LEO (Learner Engagement Officer), Devizes Branch
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Celebrating 125 years of the Devizes Branch with a Sound Start where Everybody Counts.
