...The only website for the young ringer

Ringers who start ringing at a 'young' (compared to 'old') age have loads of things to contend with that adults never even dream about. Here's a few tips.

• Got long sleeves which catch the rope when ringing? Flared sleeves can be really annoying when you ring; also they can be potentially dangerous if they catch the rope. Solution: Use a couple of safety pins to secure back any annoying sleeves inconspicuously!

• We all get sore hands after ringing with stiff ropes, quarters and peals. Rub Surgical Spirit B.P. on your hands prior to ringing outings and long lengths. Surgical Spirit B.P. is a clear liquid that you rub on your hands, and it hardens them, preventing blisters. It comes in this big bottle and they sell it at most chemists. It really stinks but it really works. Just don't put it on blisters that have popped, coz it makes them sting.

• Also for sore hands with blisters that have popped, wrap them in micropore, which is surgical tape. It will stop the germs and bacteria in the rope when you ring getting into the blister and infecting it. Most chemists sell it in little boxes, but the actual roll of micropore looks a bit like masking tape.

• If you're a learner, then this tip is useful, if your experienced, then just skip this one. When you go ringing, make sure you have the appropriate clothes on. There's nothing worse than toggles or strings getting caught up in the rope, and you going up with it. Tuck drawstrings in, and when you buy new clothes, make sure that you can reach up in them. It can prevent an embarassing situation with ripped clothes!

• When you catch hold of a rope to ring, (if you've got small hands) make sure it's got a relatively thin sally, so that your fingers can actually wrap around it easily. It's really annoying to have a fat sally that you can't grab hold of!

• If you're quite short in height, then see if you can get hold of a tail end. A tail end is a small loophole of rope, which can be tied on to the tail end of the bellrope, thus making the rope longer so you can reach it without a box. Then you can carry the tail end around with you, so that when you need some elevation, you can have it without relying on a box. It's also useful if there aren't any boxes at a tower. The only problem is if you can't reach the sally. Anyone with suggestions of methods of extending sally's let me know!

• When you ring on heavier bells, remember that when you ring round the front end you have to strike a bit wider over the bigger bells, because they have bigger wheels than you. This also works in reverse, so if you ring round the back end, you have to strike closer to the smaller bells, because they have smaller wheels than you.