We’re taking inspiration from our very own longest-serving DCHS nurse Barbara Craven who is proving it’s never too late to try something new.
Barbara, aged 73, has loved the sound of church bells since she was a little girl, being taken to church by her mum on Sundays. She’d always harboured an ambition to try bellringing and thought she may be too old to join. But the Tower Captain (bellringing leader) at Chesterfield’s Crooked Spire told Barbara: “Bell ringing is for all ages from 10 years onwards”.
Despite working 30 hours a week in the clinical navigation team, grandmother Barbara decided it was now-or-never to try her hand at learning the ropes for real.
In July 2024, she joined the bellringers at Chesterfield’s Crooked Spire and has loved every minute of it, attending practice nights each Monday in the bellringing chamber.
Barbara said:
“It’s good fun and challenging. I’m learning new skills, getting to know the feel and sound of the bell; to know where the bell is on the ‘stay’. It’s a real art, ringing a set of tower bells and it has its own language, which I don’t yet fully understand.
“The walk up to the belfry is a bit of a workout in itself! There are 60 twisting medieval steps up and then there’s plenty of stretching and pulling, learning to manage the rope to control the heavy bell. There are 10 bells in total the heaviest is 1,285 kgs.
“It’s good exercise, mentally and physically. I need to concentrate very hard and maintain good co-ordination reaction times – it’s a bit like learning curve, remembering what to do at what time, and not let go of the rope!”
You can find out more about bellringing at the Crooked Spire here or contact Tim Ball, email: bellringer@crookedspire.org
Barbara added:
“It’s very satisfying to be able to ring the bell correctly and with others is great teamwork! I should have done this years ago! Just come and have a go, the group are so welcoming.
“I’ve always liked the lovely, happy sound of church bells. It’s uplifting to hear and it’s like they are calling to you.”
We are full of admiration for Barbara’s get-up-and-go. A recent IRIS award winner, Barbara is a much-loved role-model in her team and has talked in the past about her passion for nursing well into her 70s. You can read her career story, first published in 2023, here: Meet Barbara: 71-year-old nurse and role model.
She still has other ambitions, one of which is to make a train arrival announcement at a railway station over the Tannoy-system. Do you know anyone who could help Barbara achieve this?!