Here is a previous article featured, about 'tower grabbing'.
In Preparation for New Year tower grabbing opportunities, here is Stay Bender to give you a few tips about...
1. Keep a Record
Keep a record of all the towers that you've rung at, either by buying a copy of Dove's Book, which is a list of all the towers with bells in the world. Alternatively, buy a copy of the computer program Towerbase, which is the same, but is on your computer instead. Then write in all the towers that you've ever rung at, and when you rang there.
Subscribe/borrow parents/home tower's copy/ies of the Ringing World, which is the journal for ringers, published every week. Alternatively, check the on-line ringing news organ Campanophile, @ www.campanophile.co.uk. These two things are places where you can find details of tower grabs, meetings, new rings of bells etc. that are near you. Then choose the event that you wish to go to. (Remember to check with your tower captains first, to make sure that you are capable of handling the bells).
Save up pocket money to pay for Day Ticket/Tower Donation.
Be EXTRA helpful around the house for two weeks prior to event, e.g. Wash car, hoover carpet, be nice to siblings, actually do your homework, etc.
One week before the chosen event, catch your parents in a good mood, then ask if they're feeling generous. Then suggest going on a little "family day trip" next week, to the place where the event is. After this has sunk in, casually suggest that there's a ringing event in the same area, which you would like to go to. And because you've been so angelic in the past few weeks, they'll want to reward you. (If they're ringers, they'll probably want to go anyway).
Go to outing/tower grab/meeting, afterwards remembering to write towers you visited in your records (However you wish to store them)
...Stay Bender recommends that you do not try this trick too often, as the unsuspecting parent may get a little suspicious and realise what you are really up to!!!
Important
Please remember to check with your tower captains before ringing at other towers, to make sure that you are capable of handling the bells, and also remember to ring within your capabilities.
This page was last updated on 6/12/02