Newcomers

Firstly, if you're considering coming to Aber to study, welcome! One of the great things about coming to university is the chance you get to try out something new. Bell-ringing is probably something you've never considered trying but we hope you'll come along and see what's involved.

Why Ringing?

Well, first and foremost, ringing's great fun! There are about 40,000 bellringers in the UK, and 40,000 people can't be wrong! And with that many ringers, it's a great hobby socially too. No matter where you go in the UK, you're never far from a tower with bells and a band of ringers who will welcome you.

All sorts of people are ringers. Many people seem to think that you have to be musical or perhaps mathematically-minded to ring, which isn't true at all. We certainly don't conform to any stereotype - most of us don't even look all that much like Quasimodo! Some people seem to think that you need to be quite strong to ring the bells, and this isn't true either. The heaviest bell at Llanbadarn Fawr weighs in at just under a ton, which sounds a lot heavier than it feels! Not all ringers are churchgoers or religious either.

What's Involved?

Well, the 'CR' in AUSCR stands for 'Change Ringers', which is the proper name for the type of bell-ringing we do. Basically, this means that we don't ring tunes, but start off by rhythmically ringing a descending scale and then change the order in which the bells ring in various different ways. These "methods" mean there's always something to learn, so ringing never gets dull and is always a challenge.

As well as our own dinners, tours and striking competitions, we regularly join the Welsh College's Society of Change Ringers on their tours, ringing in towers and towns you may otherwise never go to! It's always a good laugh and a great opportunity to improve your skills and meet a whole load of new faces!

How Can I Get Involved?

We have a stall at the Fresher's Fayre every year, so hopefully we'll see you there! But if you've missed it, don't panic! Come along on a Thursday evening to St Padarn's in Llanbadarn Fawr for 19:30. For the first few weeks of term we'll meet you at the Porters Lodge (the main university entrance) and show you the easier and quicker ways to get to the tower for those living on campus. You can also check out the Llanbadarn page for all you map-related needs!