Ready to ring

There were only three of us to ring the bells this morning so there were not many variations we could ring.  The fourth bell has its new stay (a wooden bar that allows the bell to rest in the upside down position ready to ring.)  I did not realise that the ash wood for a new stay costs £90 so it is an expensive mistake if a learner breaks one. However, the old stay was about 40 years old so there can be no complaints.  A note of caution.  If the bells are up and ready to ring, there is no obvious indication of this in the bell ringing chamber.  A slight pull on the rope will cause the bell to descend and the rope below, if not controlled, will whip around the chamber and potentially wrap itself around a leg and haul someone up to the ceiling. This is how accidents can happen.  Consequently the bells are usually left in the down position for safety.