Fed up with all the usual New Year's resolutions? Then how about trying campanology, the art of bellringing?

It's a fascinating folk skill handed down from generation to generation and local tower captains are always looking for new recruits.

St Mary's captain Keith Lewin, 61, said he first became interested in the ancient craft when he was riding near the Luton parish church on his bicycle.

"I liked the building and heard the bells ringing. So I stopped to listen – and I've been involved ever since," the retired English teacher said.

"If you're taught how to ring properly, you never forget. Some people come back after a gap of 20 years."

It's a hobby that would suit anyone – from youngsters to senior citizens. Sometimes whole families pull together. Initial teaching is on a one-to-one basis and most beginners are capable of joining a band within a few weeks or months.

You don't have to be particularly musical or mathematical to enjoy ringing. But it helps if you're co-ordinated with a good sense of rhythm.

It's an exhilarating skill that involves team work, provides a vital service for the church and offers a good social life as well as an opportunity to continue learning something new.

Novices start by learning ringing methods and how to control the bells, which are graduated down the scale from the smallest – the treble – to the biggest – the tenor.

The bells are tuned to a normal scale and it is usual to start with ringing down the scale, a sequence known as 'rounds'. The order in which the bells sound can be altered to give different sequences known as 'rows' or 'changes'.

It's been calculated it would takes 27 years to ring all the changes in a 12 bell tower. The different methods all have their own names, ranging from Plain Bob to Grandsire Trifles, Yorkshire Surprise, Belfast Express and Reverse Canterbury Pleasure Bob Doubles.

The particular pattern of swirling sound – called change ringing – is unique to England, although it can also be heard in English-speaking countries such as Australia, New Zealand, America and Canada. There are also a few in various colonial outposts in Africa.

Change ringing evolved in the early part of the 17th century and hasn't changed much over the years.

Bells are to be found mainly in Anglican churches. Most towers contain six bells although this varies considerably.

Cathedrals and major churches usually have 10 or more. St Mary's in Luton has 12, St Nicholas at Barton eight and St Peter's in Lilley six. They call people to worship and are also used at weddings and to celebrate national events.

In times of grief or disaster they are muffled and sombre.
Keith, who lives in Meadhook Drive, Barton, recalled the joyful peal of bells up and down the country when hostage Terry Waite was released. The church envoy had been held in Beirut for almost five years.

Keith has rung at various churches around Britain, including Westminster Abbey which he said was "a rare privilege, it's like a closed shop."

He described Liverpool as having "a particularly interesting tower" but his two favourites are St Mary Redcliffe in Bristol and All Saints, Inverary, which has a "very nice ring of bells".

Volunteers usually practise once a week and ring before service on a Sunday, as well as at weddings and other occasions.

All ringers are members of diocesan or county guilds affiliated to the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers. The Council produces a weekly magazine, The Ringing World, which Keith said "brightened up my Fridays".

>> If you would like to take up bell ringing contact St Mary's parish office on 01582 721867.