What started as part of a Duke of Edinburgh Award has led to a lasting interest in bell ringing for Warwickshire teenager, David Snell.
David first learnt to ring to complete the skills section of his Duke of Edinburgh Award. Although he initially intended it as part of the award, he soon found himself enjoying both the challenge of ringing and the opportunity to visit churches and meet other ringers.
David and his grandmother first contacted St Margaret's Church, Whitnash, where they were introduced to Tower Captain Tom Houghton, who oversees ringing and training at the church.
At first, David was unsure whether he wanted to continue. However, once he was able to ring with the rest of the band independently, he began to enjoy it more. He especially enjoyed learning new methods because of the mental challenge. Methods are the different patterns that bell ringers learn and perform together.
After learning plain hunting, one of the first methods most ringers master, David began visiting other towers. With lifts from his father, Mark, and his grandmother, and encouragement from his teacher, Annie Hall, in Warwick, the number of churches he had rung at soon began to grow.
David has now rung at around 50 towers, including St Mary's, Warwick, Coventry Cathedral, St Mary's, Nottingham, and York Minster. Along the way he has developed his ringing skills and experienced a wide variety of churches and bell towers.
He is also a member of the Coventry Spires Youth Ringing Team, through which he has made friends with other young ringers and recently competed in Nottingham.
Among the churches he has particularly enjoyed visiting are Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon, where he saw Shakespeare's grave, and York Minster. His ringing has also taken him to churches across Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and Nottinghamshire.
Looking ahead, David hopes to ring at Liverpool Cathedral and would like to continue developing his skills by learning more complex methods and taking part in more quarter peals and peals.
David's experience shows how bell ringing can become much more than a one-off activity. Church towers across the diocese welcome learners of all ages, whether they are looking for a new hobby, an opportunity to contribute to church life, or simply to learn a new skill.
Anyone interested in finding out more about learning to ring can visit the Bell Ringing webiste.