Appeal of bells

Sometimes a chance remark can set the wheels in motion in unexpected ways... 
I was out country/barn dancing with some friends on Thursday afternoon, when Audrey said that the local church was starting up a handbell ringing group that evening.   Someone else said they fancied it too, so they both arranged to go along and give it a try.   
It didn't really interest me, but I said that I've always wanted to have a go at ringing the church bells (I demonstrated this with a mime of pulling a rope down!), and low and behold Audrey said she thought they needed new ringers at the church. 
She gave me a phone number to ring and two hours later I was up in the bell tower of the church!

This is Haxey church with the main entrance

The bell tower has it's own door 

The little slit in the side of the bell tower is the window of the room where the bell ropes are (click to enlarge)

The room is reached by a very narrow stone spiral staircase that seems to go on forever.
There's six bells of different weights (and sounds) and I had my first lesson on the lightest one - some weigh about a ton each.

Unfortunately I can't go again this week because I'm going to see War Horse the play, but I'll be raring to go the week after.
I'd never have thought that morning that I would be ringing church bells in the evening!