Chapter 7

Since going to University, Archie had fallen in love with bell-ringing. A funny thing to fall in love with. A specialist activity you would think, but in terms of his alternative role in the armed forces it had always allowed him to be anywhere in the country. He could discreetly investigate what he needed to and the pastime provided cover throughout the day and evening for his daytime and nocturnal activities.

He had found campanologists to be a mixed bunch as a whole. Like so many pursuits, only men took part until the mid-twentieth century, and he could well believe, as he had been told, that not long before then every ringing chamber had a barrel of beer easily accessible to the ringers.

The image of the leather sandal, beer barrel bellied and bearded, middle aged man and his secretive hobby had moved on, but to be a campanologist was still a pastime not fully understood. The exercise was still viewed as secretive, with its societies and guilds, and many of the inner groups were by invitation only.

Archie, with his innate sense of rhythm, natural team playing abilities and dedication to hard work, did not take up the challenge lightly. If he could take forward a new activity, he always wanted to excel and this was particularly the case with this new hobby. A mix of physical exercise, rhythm, memorising of patterns and an ability to be aware of what all the ringers in the tower and their respective ropes were doing, Archie quickly caught on and proved himself to be a natural.

Most ringers would take a year just to learn how to handle the bell and be fully competent with their rope. The two part motion would involve being in control both at hand-stroke, by catching the fluffy “sally”, and then also at back-stroke by holding the “tail end” of the rope. At back-stroke, most of the rope whirls itself into the bell chamber, wrapping itself around the wooden wheel, and Archie had developed a mastery of these basic two elements to have full control over all the bells in the tower within a couple of months.

Furthermore, normally, progression by way of rounds to call changes and then to method ringing would take the average ringer years. Archie grasped the harder methods extremely quickly. His analytical mind and perfect rhythm meant that he had picked up some of the complexities of the more challenging ringing methods within a couple of years. He had recently achieved a complex peal of spliced surprise major rung on eight bells and was currently working towards similar of royal, rung on ten bells.

The ringing band at Portsmouth Cathedral were rightfully proud of Archie and had brought him into the very heart of their group. He had been part of the recent striking competitions held within the Winchester and Portsmouth Diocesan Guild and, whilst not winning this year, he had rung as well as any of the ringers. He had gained their trust and confidence and this was extremely useful to him.