image of The LittleToze Mini Ring, Brisbane

Have Mini Ring, Will Travel

A recently delivered mini ring of 8 bells (tenor 10lb 10oz), from Mathew Higby in the UK, has now been installed in Brisbane in a specially adapted trailer (2.5 x 1.8 metres) as a fully transportable ring of bells able to be set up easily at virtually any suitable site. The ring which will be known as "The LittleToze Mini Ring" and has been donated to the Northern Towers Branch of ANZAB by Mike and Reg Toze. (Reg, a life member of ANZAB, has advanced Parkinson's Disease and has been unable to ring for the last 10 years).

The LittleToze Mini Ring leaving engineering works






On Sunday, 12th August 2018, the bells were taken from the works of KJ Precision Engineering in Geebung (a Brisbane suburb) to the lower car park at St Andrew's, South Brisbane, and set up.

The LittleTozeMini Ring pre-assembly

To that time I had only been the person to set the ring up (yes, it can be assembled by one person) and it took a little longer than anticipated, but with practice and a sequence of assembly this will shortly become second nature. Disassembly was, of course, quicker (15 minutes) but again a written organised sequence will cut this time down. The shortest time taken was winching the bells into the ringing position, with the longest being installion of the safety railings surrounding the ringing platform. Those of us who have rung the bells find that the layout of the ringing platform good and recent additions of rubber inserts between the frame holding the bells and the upright pillars have reduced the rocking movement of the trailer considerably to the extent that it is hardly noticeable.

The LittleToze Mini Ring

Harold Bartlett, David Arrowsmith, Hadden Arrowsmith and Ian McCulloch, try out the LittleToze Mini Ring
[absent Mike Toze (photographer) and Kellie Hajek]

Six of us gave the assembled bells a go and after a little practice rang courses of Grandsire and Stedman Doubles. Ian McCulloch even managed to ring two bells to plain hunt on 5. As we had kept going until it was almost dark a torch was needed in the end to finish off lowering the bell platform and getting the trailer ready for the road. It was then taken to Kellie Hajek’s garage, in the suburb of Greenslopes, for storage.

We are now looking forward to the next outing of the mini-ring and have discussed possible venues for this in the pub.

Mike Toze

This page supplements the ANZAB Mini-Ring and Simulator Directory, and records further information about the ring or simulator and its ringers.

Some of this has been provided by the owner or custodian, but most is historical and has been gathered by the ANZAB Webmaster since 2012.

Owners/custodians are encouraged to submit material for inclusion on this page, or suggest changes to its content.

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