Here is a selection of the comments that we have received in our postbag, so that you can see what other people think of our 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.
Thanks to Mabel I've rung quarters of 19 methods in the last year, the majority Surprise minor, some just minor - none of which I've rung before - so it just shows what a difference it makes.
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 ...
A couple of weeks ago [...] we had 8 of the best ringers in North America joining us. I successfully rang a QP Lincolnshire and a peal of Yorkshire major without ever having it rung with real people. So happy with the program, itŐs easy to work with lots of flexibility for speed, touches and splicing.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Many thanks for sending our copy of the simulator, which we find excellent.
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!
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...
I have to say that [Abel] 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.