Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers

The Roslyn McKenzie Mini-Ring

On Sunday, 13th May 2018, bellringers converged from Melbourne, Bendigo and Ballarat to a place not well known for its ringing capacities - Rocklyn, Victoria - to be precise, Jim Smith's family farm, and one of the commodious sheds, with a sensational wood stove made of three 44 gallon drums. It was just as well, as it was very cold.

Why were we gathering there? It's where the new VicANZAB mini-ring was first set up for trial and testing. Unknown to us, we were there to be tried and tested ourselves.

Jim was just about organised by the time we'd figured out just which shed, and the first attempts at ringing began. After I'd gotten over the surprise of being my own slider and stay, and watching what the bell was doing, and being told off for looking, I found it fairly ok. There were debates about whose arms were too long, whether the ropes were too high, and whether we should sit down, and remember it's only one handed (I know/then why have you got both hands on the sally?) and after some very ropey (pun intended) attempts, suddenly we found rounds and by the end of the afternoon were quite pleased with ourselves, attempting plain hunts and Plain Bob without too much drama, although there was some.

The Roslyn McKenzie Mini-Ring and was generously donated to VicANZAB by John Martin. It will be on display and ready for use at the 2018 ANZAB Festival.

There was also a delicious lunch of soup, sandwiches and sausage rolls provided by Anne, very welcoming on such a cold day, and a nice dog named Meg who was unfazed by all the activity. It was a wonderful afternoon and quite historic, we all had special beanies to wear compliments of one of Sue's clients. And the mini-ring survived it's test and so did we.

Edith Fry
(first published in the VicANZAB newsletter, Calling Changes, June 2018)