Learning to ring bigger bells has been an uphill battle as a female ringer. I learned to ring at University and after seven years could ring eight spliced but would

In general I have spent my life bucking the trend on what girls and women are expected to do (sports, hobbies, career, temperament, family – well lack if it). For

I learnt to ring a bell aged 12, the daughter of a ringer, but really started my ringing journey from the age of 16. I cannot say that any of

 A few years ago, I called a peal. When it was published in the RW, I noticed I was the only female peal conductor that week. I had a millisecond's

I think there are several reasons for the imbalance, some valid, and some definitely not. Women are generally physically weaker than men, and this feeds into the idea that women

At a District Meeting two or three years ago we welcomed two male visitors. One of them had phoned in advance to check that they could come and naturally they

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

Two women/girls in our tower were encouraged to ring the Tenor (15 1/2 cwt) and made a habit of it (though neither progressed to turning it in - yet).  In

When I started ringing as a short 14yr old (admittedly a long time ago!) the tower possessed one box, height about 6 inches, for a reasonably heavy ring of 8

I am always happy to ring one of the smaller bells – the lighter the better.  I learnt to ring on very small bells and have always enjoyed them.  Many

After I had learned a few methods I started going to other local practices and learned to call simple touches at a local tower where I
was the most experienced

One example: I tried to convince a male tower captain that his overwhelming tendency to place only male ringers around the back was a
problem. During the conversation he argued

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 in a tower where it was clear that I would be expected to ring the heavier back bells, there was no gender discrimination. I was excited

I feel that I have been very fortunate in the support that I have received from a significant number of ringers of all standards over the
years when it comes

You have asked for  instances when I have felt that there was gender discrimination. Here's a few:

• during a routine practice night, comments are made if the line up to

I was encouraged to call touches at my tower. I felt at that time when the feminist movement was on the rise that I had try and ring back bells/call

I learnt to ring in the 1980.  I attended an all girls school (not sure if that is significant) and my family always treated boys and girls the same with

I was taught to ring by a woman in a fairly well balanced tower. The male tower captain encouraged others to conduct, I was able to ring every bell in

In my early years I happily rang the eleventh at York Minster and the tenor at St.Nicholas Pier Head, Liverpool (not to methods). In my late twenties I rang in

I'd like to reflect on my time at a particular tower. I loved my time there and was made very welcome by the band. I arrived capable of Cambridge Major

I was ringing at a cathedral after a 12-bell. The person running the ringing and asked, in a cheeky way, if I would be ok Ringing the tenor.  I defo

I think part of the problem (of women not having as many opportunities as men) is misplaced protectiveness to females, coming from those in charge. I have noticed females being

I was taught to ring in my thirties at a local village church. After a few years, I started calling changes, touches and QPs, mostly out of necessity. Together with

I was asked into a peal at Ambleside, a lovely 32 cwt 8 in Cumbria, and if I wanted the tenor.  I said, "Sure, let's ring Stedman".  The organiser said

Very recently, my husband and I were set a question about how I felt about ringing a perfectly ordinary 15cwt tenor.  The answer was on a scale of 1 to

When I had been ringing a year or two, I remember going to visit a relatively heavy ring of bells and catching hold round the back. Afterwards, a ringer pulled

I learnt age 12 on a heavy 19cwt 6 so had to learn to ring reasonably heavy bells. I usually rang treble to the third. We were encouraged to ring