You spend ages not ringing at all, then several nights come on you at once.  Last night reunited our original foursome, after a long stint of work-related and holiday-related absence.  It had been a while, so the plans were relaxed, and eventually, wine-soaked.

We reviewed some of our methods of the last year, and made the pleasant discovery that we could still manage to ring London (which had so thoroughly eluded us last autumn).  The Bristol may need some extra revision.

Ringing with the same people regularly for years brings an extra pleasure to handbell ringing.  We all know what kind of mistakes we each make, communication is efficient, there is a whole background stress that is simply not there.  The handbells drop into their grooves and the gentle music fills the room.  It is comfortable - a quiet and concentrated interlude in an otherwise boisterous week.

It will have to do for a while, we we create some of our own holiday-related absence for a couple of weeks.