Us and Them 

I wrote this series of articles about the relationship between ringers and the public, for the newsletter of my local bellringers (see Sonning Deanery Newsletter  ). The relationship is a complex one, and since ringers are heard but rarely seen, non-ringers are often in the dark about what goes on in the bell tower. This sense of isolation can affect ringers too, and it is all too easy for them to look inward to the ringing community rather than outward to the wider community of which they are a part. The articles are listed below, with links to each.  The odd numbering reflects the fact that the editor thought one article was too big, so I split it into two.

• Part 1 – Introduction to the problems and opportunities. (Published Spring 2010) 

• Part 2a – Developing the relationship (Published Summer 2010) 

• Part 2b – Talking to non-ringers about ringing (Published Autumn 2010) 

• Part 3 – Recruiting from different parts of the community (Published Winter 2011)  

• Part 4 – Different types of recruit: Age (Published Spring 2011) 

• Part 5 – Different types of recruit: Motivation (Published Summer 2011) 

• Part 6 – Aptitude and being selective? (Abridged version published Autumn 2011) 

There is unlikely to be a part 7 unless feedback or questions prompt me to explore another aspect of the topic.