Tower Tours

Bellringers, it appears, are a bit like train spotters, in fact some are both. They like to make lists. One common activity is to go tower bagging. Some take this to great lengths and not only bag towers in this country but all over the world. This involves making advance arrangements to turn up at a tower and then going along at the appointed time and ringing there.

Of course you can't ring on your own so quite often bands will go out together on a tour. Our fledgling band went on our first tower tour yesterday and bagged three towers. The last one at Newton Le Willows had 10 bells, which is the same number which we will have in our tower, and this was our first opportunity to ring 10 bells.

After ringing we repaired to the pub where we had a lovely meal and a couple of beers. Have I mentioned that bell ringing also seems to involve a lot of beer drinking?

It seems that it was always thus as these two extracts from the history of bell ringing illustrate:
1700s
In the rural areas, standards of behaviour deteriorated with bell ringers described as layouts and drunks. Often locals saw an opportunity to earn a few shillings however this was often transferred quickly from the church tower to the village inn. Any and every opportunity taken to ring, for which the tavern keepers were very grateful. Attendance at church services was considered no part of bell ringing.

1800s
Change ringing began to lower in social esteem, with swearing, smoking and a barrel of beer in the tower normal. Some belfries became notorious as the meeting place of the village riff-raff, who indulged in heavy drinking and riotous behaviour. A deep rift developed between ringers and clergy, with some towers closed by their incumbents. The ringers often broke into the belfries to ring or drink and were usually very independent, reserving the right to choose when to ring. High Wycombe, Bucks in 1832… bells rung out to celebrate the passing of the Reform Bill but a few days later on the occasion of the annual visit of the Bishop the ringers refused to turn out as a mark of their disapproval at his having voted against the Bill in the HoL.

It seems we are following in a time honoured tradition.