I learned to ring in 1972 and have been a member of Wymondham Abbey tower since 1975.    For all that time the band has had more women than men

I am very new to bell ringing and still a learner in my view (circa 3 years since walking into a bell tower for the very first time to date)

I learnt to ring at University with a good band and though taught mainly by men, had plenty of females around. I cannot recall ever being told a bell was

Interesting stories - what comes across to me is how much people's experience differs, it really does seem to strongly depend on where
you ring.

I'm male, the ART teacher

I am fortunate in that I don't feel that I have suffered discrimination where I ring. I think my capabilities have been recognised
and ringing opportunities have certainly come my

I think of myself as a “started too late in life (when I was in my 60s) ringer”, rather than as a “female” ringer.  Gender does not come into it

I learnt to ring at school. It was a girl’s boarding school and while we were taught by a Mr, he was the only man at our practices. So, whether

I rang in a number of what would probably be labelled as "elite" peal bands from my late teens to mid-20s before moving abroad for work then having children.  I

I was taught to ring over 40 years ago. We were all given the same opportunities and encouraged to attend other practice nights. I have never knowingly suffered abuse based

I was taught to ring in my 40s together with my husband and children, all of us still ring now some 30 years later. In all the time I
have

Maybe l've been lucky, maybe l'm blind to it, but l have not noticed/been aware of any gender bias. I am female, and started ringing at
18, in a brand

I have never felt disadvantaged as a woman in bellringing. I learnt to ring at a twelve bell tower and received the same encouragement
as male members of the band