Rye’s church bell-ringers last week gave a warm welcome to their most far-flung visitor. Hailing from Brisbane in Australia, David Smith has rung with the Rye group on several
occasions in recent years. He’s also my cousin, and his visit prompted me to find out a bit more about this fascinating pastime.
I accompanied him to a couple of local towers, and discovered that, while it takes a while to learn to control a bell safely so that you can ring with others, it can become an
absorbing hobby that’s also a public service, and an activity that, apart from being interesting, is good for your mental and physical health.
Tower captain at Rye’s St Mary’s Church, Kevin Clifton, said that if anyone learns to ring (and the teaching is normally free of charge), they are welcome at virtually every bell
tower in the UK and around the world. It’s rather like a ready-made international network of friends. Contrary to popular belief, there’s no need to be a church-goer or indeed particularly religious to become a bell-ringer.
“It’s a very good thing for young people to learn, because it gives them an inclusive group to join in with and get to know,” Kevin said. “It’s not strenuous exercise, but it’s a good healthy activity that includes cardiovascular work and stretching, and it requires considerable mental concentration – so it’s good for young and old alike.”
This video from Sunday’s service shows the ringers in action with David Smith in the St Mary’s bell tower. Don’t forget to turn the sound up!
David Smith is very involved with the teaching of ringing around the world. He’s a tutor for the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART), an organisation formed in 2012 to promote the teaching of bell-ringing and to help train potential teachers. In fact, he’s one of three tutors in Australia and New Zealand – and there are only 22 worldwide.
As well as teaching in the Antipodes and UK, David ran a series of teaching courses in America and Canada in 2023. When his UK visit ends in late September, he’s off to Hawaii as a guest of the North America Guild of Change Ringers, whose annual festival is being held in Honolulu this year.
Originally from Maidstone, David emigrated to Australia in 1980 and rekindled his interest in bell-ringing in 2006. He later became president of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers (2015-2017) and has since occupied various executive positions in the international ringing community.
I accompanied David when he joined the Rye ringers for their usual church service ring last Sunday, but he was also invited to ring at Appledore’s St Peter & St Paul Church the previous day at the opening of the town’s Flower Festival, a wonderfully creative display where 31 different hobbies were portrayed in colourful floral fashion.
Videos from David Worwood
Image Credits: David Worwood .