We have recently replaced the rope on one of our bells because it was badly frayed. The rope was left stretching during the week with a handy mud weight attached to it, swaying gently a few inches above the floor. We like to eliminate as much spring as possible because inexperienced ringers do not usually enjoy surprises. I went up to the tower to hoover the new carpets.  Yes, we have new carpets after making do with a cast-off from someone's childhood bedroom for decades.  Technically they are "new to us" since they were being left out for the bin men by a neighbour.  I did ask first before carrying them off in triumph. No expense is spared in our ringing room.

But I digress. I asked to meet someone up there because I wanted to try the new rope prior to a funeral that we are ringing for this week.  As I said, inexperienced ringers do not enjoy surprises. We met, we hoovered, we untied the mud weight, I raised the bell and had a little practice.  I lowered the bell and then it came to re-attach the weight.  This is where the trouble started.

Although I do have a physics "O" level, I do not think that the curriculum covered useful matters such as how to attach a heavy weight to a rope when the weight is too heavy to be held comfortably by a mature lady.  We stood the weight on a chair and tried to tie a knot but there was not enough slack in the rope. There was some considered discussion of how to raise the weight by a few inches. A biscuit tin was not substantial enough, an upturned bucket seemed rather flimsy – it might be good for a bit and then concertina, and there was no way we were going to rest a heavy weight on the box of handbells. Ever resourceful, we manoeuvred a folded chair on to the top of the first chair and placed the weight on that. My partner started to pull the rope to thread it through at which point a light bulb went off in her head.  We were approaching this all wrong.  There was no need to raise the weight by a few inches.  What would be infinitely easier and safer would be to lower the rope with one person pulling on the sally and thereby allowing the other person (the individual who can actually tie a knot that will not unravel once you cease looking at it) to thread the slack through the mud weight's handle.

So simple and it only took us 10 minutes to work out.