Here is a selection of the comments that we have received in our postbag, so that you can see what other people think of the Abel and Mabel Ringing Simulators. If you find yourself quoted here, we hope you don't mind too much!
I bought Abel about a month ago. I think it is marvellous and have progressed from just call changes to Plain Hunt on 4, 5, 6, 7 bells on any bell, just by practising with Abel. It would have taken me another 2 years otherwise.
As a new user I can confirm that it [Abel] is excellent. I only installed my copy on Thursday evening, and was practising Surprise Major with it within ten minutes of installing. I have also been reminding myself of methods I haven't rung since the 1970s!
You’ve no idea how pleased I am to have this disc [of Mabel] to practise [plain hunt] with – it makes such a difference. I can do it at my own pace, repeat as many times as I need to, speed up when my confidence is there etc. For the first time I’m actually listening to the bells rather than ringing by sight only.
Just a note to say that I have purchased Mabel through PayPal, downloaded it, and it all seems to work OK. No problems at all.
I am emailing to ask you if you are still selling your Abel ringing simulator CDs as I have been told by various people that your programme is the best available.
The post came an hour ago with my [Mabel] CD and my wife wants to know why I am not back out in the garden! I have only played with it so for, but Wow!!! it's been worth waiting for.
I received the Abel CD a week ago. ... I am a very novice ringer, but on Friday I practised Plain Bob Minor, on the computer, for about an hour. I had had no previous experience of Plain Bob before this and I finished practising at 7.10p.m. I left straight away for my home tower (practice starts at 7.30p.m.) When I got there I managed to ring Plain Bob Minor on my own! (Well, this isn't exactly true, there were five other ringers in the band too!!) It wasn't a fluke, I did it twice! I don't think anyone else thought it was very significant, but I was so excited I went round telling everyone for the next two days. I have only been ringing for five months ...
I bought Mabel earlier today and I'm delighted with it. Many thanks. I have been playing with it all afternoon when I shouldn't have been, and it is very smooth so far. Many thanks for making it compatible with [Mac] OS 10.4.
At the Cathedral we are using Abel as our simulator program for all training. It is very good and overall I am happy with it.
Just to let you know I have been doing some good sales work for you here in Western Australia and am putting an order for 15 copies of Abel in the post today!
Just a quick note to thank you for sending the copy of Abel Simulator. We are having great fun with it and no bugs so far!!!! We also used the tracks of ringing with errors up in the tower at our practice this week and it was very useful.
I've got so much to learn about bell ringing but your Abel programme is amazing. With my eyes shut and just listening and concentrating (really hard) I find can 'ring' call changes on 6 or 8 bells by just knowing one's place in the row - something I'd never really understood before. As a relative beginner, the things that you experienced chaps never need to think about seem to take for ages to learn: but your Abel programme is brilliant.
Thank you so much for sending the updated programme. It is a delight! Peter and I showed it to the other ringers on Thursday night - this is a band that we have been training up and who are hoping to augment to 8. I am confident that Thursday's demonstration will result in a few more sales for you.
Could you please forward to the above address [Post Office, Braunston] one copy of Abel. ... As we are at present cruising round on our narrowboat I would be grateful if this could be sent as soon as possible, Braunston being our next mail drop.
I really must complain about the disruption to my daily routine since I purchased Abel and installed a 2cwt dumb bell with the rope falling in the room next to my kitchen. The temptation to ring a quick course of something while the kettle boils often proves irresistible and gets me into no end of trouble. My diet is suffering too because I've found that if I stick to sandwiches I can ring and eat at the same time!
I have tried the program briefly and found that it does more than I could possibly make use of and seems easy to operate.
Received ok and while I am still on the foothills it is working to my pleasure and edification.
I've just got mine last week and it really is good.
Thank you for your very prompt attention to my request for the Abel CD, I have installed it and find it even better than I thought it might be, only problem, keeping up with it.
Thank-you for speedy dispatch of my ringing simulator. I have found my own efforts very entertaining! My children (aged 6 and 4) are also going to get something out of this as both are very keen to ring but are, as yet, too small to learn on the Cathedral bells. Hopefully, this will give me some respite from the nagging I have had to allow them to have a go!
I am delighted with the way AbelSim performs and, compared with many products, its help screens are intuitive and actually helpful! ...When I started using it I was probably ringing little more than Plain Bob and Grandsire (Minor/Doubles). I now have quite an extensive repertoire of methods and learning bobs and singles is made much easier by practising at home.
Hi - I'm a ringer in the USA and heard about the AbleSim program. I have seen it in use and it looks absolutely fabulous! How could I order it and what is the cost?
Many thanks for sending our copy of the simulator, which we find excellent.
I have just been on the Oxfordshire Guild course at Easthampstead and learnt about your program Abel. I was most encouraged to find that my listening was not as bad as I had thought and might be acceptable if I worked at it. I enclose a cheque...
You recently sent me a copy of your CD Abel. It was so enthusiastically received, that I would like another copy please, this time as a gift for the tower captain!
Thank you for the CD of Abel Ringing Simulator. It has behaved perfectly. This is a very impressive piece of software and I thank and congratulate you on your creation! As one consequence of its enthusiastic reception here, I should be glad if you would kindly supply me with another copy...
I would be pleased if you forward the latest version of Abel. Myself and six colleagues are learning to ring at a tower where the bells haven't been heard for twenty years and we have been helped greatly by your program which one of us owns. I now want it on my laptop.
I would very much like to order Abel. I have a friend who has a copy and is thrilled with it.
I was very impressed with your Abel software when I saw it recently at a workshop at the Devon Guild Festival. I would therefore be pleased if you could send me a copy...
Would you please send me one copy of Abel. I have examined a number of bell simulator programs and believe that Abel offers by far the best value, both in performance and money.
I recently visited a friend who had your Abel program on their computer, which produced hours of fun, not to mention the odd method learned.
I purchased your MSDOS version of Abel a few years ago and I have to say that this has given a great deal of pleasure, not least to my wife who has become very arthritic and is no longer able to participate in the real thing. Having recently bought a new PC I feel that the time is now ripe for an update.
Please will you send me another copy of the Abel CD. It seems to be going down very well around here! I know I enjoy it enormously and find it very helpful.
Please could you send a copy of your great program Abel. I have read the review and had a little play on a friend's copy. I would like to congratulate you on an excellent program with great learning potential.