M1: 23 Sep - North Shields

How wonderful to receive a course report in this form. Thanks to John Elliott for writing the poem and to Neil Donovan for acting as his Tutor and muse.

I didn’t want to go;
But thought I must
Because I need to know
If I can trust
The knowledge that I use.
It’s good enough
If no-one can accuse
Me, off the cuff,
Of teaching folk to ring
In such a way
That isn’t quite the thing
For every day.

But now I must admit
That I was wrong;
The course was quite a hit;
For all day long
I polished my technique
And could observe
What I admit was weak
For me to serve.
And with my ringing friends
Could teach good sense;
For better work depends
On confidence.

So thanks to those who ran
And organised
The course and future plan;
Who realised
That ringing teachers need
To be aware;
So that they can succeed
In taking care:
But most of all, we know
The great support
That ringers always show
Cannot be taught.

Teaching Bell Handling

Practical advice for teachers, right from the first lesson.