M1: 17 Nov 2018 - Gressenhall

50 Shades of Gressenhall!

Much enjoyment was had by all attending an informative, reflective and good-humoured ART Module 1 'Bell Handling' Day Course at Gressenhall, Norfolk, on Saturday 17^th November.

Opening our eyes to different teaching methods was Lesley Boyle, whose positivity and enthusiasm was soon rubbing off. A good mix of practical ringing and theory led to a constructive atmosphere, where experiences were freely shared to the benefit of all.

Eyebrows were raised by many of the group on the appearance of a pair of velcro handcuffs! We were assured these served as an important bell handling aid rather than for any other extracurricular activities… Indeed, the resulting cacophony of Velcro ripping was a signal that a learner's hands were straying from the correct technique.

No ringing practice can of course be classed as official without… cake! To which we were plentifully supplied by Nikki Thomas.

If those attending weren’t fired up to teach the next generation of recruits to our wonderful hobby before entering the ringing chamber, by the end of the day we all certainly were!

Thanks also to Mark Hibbard & the team at Gressenhall, custodians of a stunning tower set in the heart of the Norfolk countryside.

Matt Thornton