stories

Beasts in the belfy
January 12, 202300:28:52

Beasts in the belfy

No, we’re not talking about tyrannical tower captains, caustic conductors or belligerent tenor ringers here, but the wide and wonderful variety of wildlife that ringers and steeple keepers share their bell towers with.  David Bagley fascinates host Cathy Booth with descriptions and anecdotes of both welcome a...

What Ringers wear
October 13, 202200:41:02

What Ringers wear

This episode sees host Cathy Booth explore the question of what ringers wear. You may or may not be surprised to hear that the answer is not bell-bottom jeans. Guests Deb, Alex, Elizabeth and Michaela touch on history, safety and decorum as they share experiences, research and anecdotes on what to wear, or more importan...

Superstition
October 14, 202100:23:58

Superstition

Avoid all ladders, black cats and don’t whatever you do break a mirror in your rush to listen to this month’s Fun with Bells podcast on bells and superstition. From birth, through to death and beyond, bells have had played a fascinating role in the customs around our key rites of passage. Amongst the many sp...

Love under lockdown : Belfry proposal, survey results & Valentine message
February 11, 202100:29:21

Love under lockdown : Belfry proposal, survey results & Valentine message

Love is very definitely in the air at the Fun with Bells Podcast this Valentine’s Day, as host Cathy Booth explores ringing’s tender side. First, we hear the heart-warming story of Jo and Graham, whose romance continues to deepen from Ringing Remembers, through Ringing Room, and to a very memorable lockdown ...

Spooky Stories from the Ringers' Arms
October 31, 202000:24:16

Spooky Stories from the Ringers' Arms

Ringing can be spooky at the best of times – you may get shivers down your spine with a nicely struck touch of Stedman, or perhaps an eerie sensation of being watched when you’re on the treble. However, for Halloween, Fun with Bells turns up the terror with this chilling collection of ghostly goings-on. Yes,...

Weird and wonderful bell towers (2 of 2)
September 10, 202000:25:06

Weird and wonderful bell towers (2 of 2)

Following on from last month’s edition, podcast host Cathy Booth reveals another dodgy dozen or so weird and wonderful towers. WARNING - this podcast contains details of hair-raising ringing environments, definitely not for the nervous ringers amongst you!  Enjoy another litany of trapdoors, spiral staircases...

Weird and wonderful bell towers (part 1 of 2)
August 13, 202000:25:30

Weird and wonderful bell towers (part 1 of 2)

These tales of weird and wonderful towers are definitely not for the faint-hearted ringers among you. Podshow host, Cathy Booth, invites us behind the scenes of 15 of the most outlandish ringing environments from across the world, featuring trap doors, vaults, ventilator shafts, crawlways and external ladders. Clock cases...

Lifting the WWII ban on ringing
May 08, 202000:30:47

Lifting the WWII ban on ringing

This is the abridged version of ‘ thirty voices, seventy-five years, one story ’ aimed at non-ringers. Originally timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of VE day, this unique episode sees host Cathy Booth, joined by a whole cast of ringers, bust the myths about the complete ban on ringing during World ...

Thirty voices, seventy five years, one story
May 07, 202001:13:26

Thirty voices, seventy five years, one story

Originally timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of VE day, this unique episode sees host Cathy Booth, joined by a whole cast of ringers, bust the myths about ringing during World War II. This is the full version of ‘thirty voices, seventy-five years, one story’ . And what a story! Bell towers across t...