Where are you based?
Cambridge
When and where did you learn to ring handbells?
My first experience of handbells was not ringing methods but ringing the handbell part to Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde in a concert, when I was at school. I don't remember actively learning to ring methods on handbells. When I was a teenager, I was encouraged by my more experienced Birmingham friends to ring a peal of Plain Bob Minor and I rang a few peals before we moved to Cambridge, which is where I really started to ring handbells.
Who has influenced your handbell ringing?
My husband, Dave, has rung in all my handbell peals and has "encouraged" me to ring things I would never have imagined I could ring. My motivation for ringing more handbell peals was because we couldn't both go out ringing when we started a family. Handbell ringing was something we could both do at home. My son, Henry, has encouraged me to be a bit more confident about my abilities and was the driving force behind me calling a peal of Stedman Triples recently. All four of us in the Pipe household ring handbells, although I am the least enthusiastic and least able handbell ringer in the house - they are all handbell bonkers!
Blue lines, place notation or structure?
Definitely not place notation. I generally ring the trebles so I think about the blue line in relation to the treble. Watching the treble is fairly crucial to me knowing what's going on so I guess I use the structure based on the treble. Having the treble in my hand is particularly helpful when ringing peals of treble dodging minor, (magic blocks or otherwise) as the method changes when you go above or below the treble.
Trebles or tenors?
I would always opt to ring the trebles but I have found ringing the trebles to surprise on higher numbers pretty challenging and would probably benefit from learning to ring two inside bells. I say I prefer to ring the trebles, that is except when ringing Stedman. If it's Stedman, I only trust myself to ring the tenors!
Quarters or peals?
I'm happy with the very occasional peal. I have rung just over 50 handbell peals in the past 30 years. These have included peals of treble dodging minor, some surprise major, royal and maximus and a fair few peals of Stedman Triples – which I love. I was persuaded to ring a long-length of Stedman Triples some years ago which was the best peal I have ever rung in but left me drained. Losing the first attempt at the long-length of Stedman Triples after over 7,000 changes and having already heard rounds at the half-way, one-peal-down mark was a low point! I didn’t think I had rung very many handbell quarters but Bellboard informs me that I have rung 30ish – maybe the shorter length means they are not that memorable.
What is the most unusual place in which you have rung handbells?
I don't think I have rung anywhere really unusual. I have enjoyed ringing peals with friends who have moved abroad, meaning I have rung handbell peals in Germany and in India. I have rung handbells at a few weddings, which is always nerve-racking for me as I am not a confident performer. The vast majority of my handbell ringing has been peal ringing in my own house!
What is your favourite handbell-ringing anecdote?
I have umpired the long-length peals of treble dodging minor on handbells that we have in our house. These were an eye-opening experience as I got to experience seeing what the ringers went through, both physically and mentally, during the sustained periods of ringing. When the band were planning on attempting the 72,000 treble dodging minor, one of the ringers sent me a medical supplies catalogue and asked me to look for something appropriate that could tackle the issue of needing to go to the toilet during the peal, which would last around 24 hours. I found just the thing and sent him back the bookmarked page containing the various options for purchasing straightjackets!
Any further comments about handbell ringing in general?
I am reminded of the times when Henry was a toddler and he used to sneak downstairs during handbell peals, knowing we wouldn't be wanting to stop. He didn’t ever disturb the ringing though, he just used to curl up on the sofa silently and go to sleep with the sound of the bells. I am very pleased to have raised two very good handbell ringers and pleased that they continue to enjoy their handbell ringing at a level that I will never achieve. Watching them perform on occasions such as the ASCY dinner and at the US embassy makes me proud. However, I do like to remind them of the hundreds of courses of plain bob that I rang with them when they were little. I am not a natural handbell ringer and find it much harder than ringing tower bells. I think this is probably because of my over-reliance on the visuals when ringing. I don’t think it is a coincidence that some of the more able strikers on towerbells are also accomplished handbell ringers. Having witnessed how truly exceptional handbell ringers perform, I have a lot still to learn.
Next time: Ian Turner