People have been sharing their ringing hopes for the year ahead. I do not usually make new year resolutions because every day is a new day and a chance to try again. There is no need to wait until one particular day to decide to lose weight/give up smoking/cut down alcohol/eat more vegetables or whatever is your particular weakness. But, with time on my hands in these quiet days before term starts again and everyone gets super busy, I have been unsubscribing from dozens of email alerts (surprisingly therapeutic – look for the unsubscribe button craftily hidden on every unasked for page), clearing photos off my phone, disposing of excess china etc. Decluttering my life is always a rewarding experience once I get round to it, and choosing a new year for a cleaner start seems sensible.
As for ringing hopes, I read others and realise that I am a very lazy person. Peals do not figure, quarters are not particularly sought after, except to mark something extra special – say a first of something that we have worked hard to achieve. Tower grabs are always welcome if the grabbing party are fun (a few are planned for New Year's Day) and some outings would be enjoyed. I have no desire to tick anything in my I Spy book or augment any ring in any tower. .
What I would like to do is
- ring handbells in the flesh at least once a week with like-minded people. Just to turn up, see who is around and enjoy a session whether it is teaching someone else to ring plain bob or having a band able to support me as I learn something new would be marvellous. Twice a week would be even better (but more than twice as unlikely).
- ring lots of call changes with experienced people who enjoy ringing call changes. I feel that a trip westwards is called for, but the only ringer I know in Cornwall rings at a rather heavy place so some handling work is required before I venture forth for a visit.
- to be able to ring up and down in peal without people sighing and looking disappointed. This probably sounds simple to many of you, but I can't do it, and because I can't do it I never volunteer to try because I know I will spoil what should be a magnificent sound. Therefore I have little chance of improving. It is a self-perpetuating circle. I ring up and down safely in my own time, and that is my present limit.
- Persuade someone to craft a proper maypole, set it up in the village and get a troop of dancers ready in time for The Coronation – handbells optional. My only experience with maypole dancing is with groups of 3- 4 year olds, a re-purposed netball pole (some ignorant person threw out the school maypole because they did not recognise it's relevance) and coloured ribbons, but I am sure that YouTube will offer some guidance.
A modest enough list, but I suspect that by this time next year I will have achieved all sorts of other things, but none of the above. Such is life.
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