I DON'T spend every Friday night trying to pull Sally although apparently, I should.

Before I get too many raised eyebrows though, the Sally I'm talking about is the tufted handgrip on a bellringer's rope. Last week, I became an honorary bellringer for the night at St Mary's Church in Langdon Hills. And, after just one evening of getting to grips with Sally, I discovered she's quite a handful.

You wouldn't think ringing a church bell would be difficult, but when you've got six of them going at the same time, things start to get very confusing.

Still, it's a hobby that more than 5,000 Brits regularly indulge in and according to Steve Nash, master of the Essex Association of Change Ringers, its popularity shows no sign of letting up.

Head honcho of the Langdon Hills bellringers, Berkshire-born Steve was to be my mentor for the night. An avid churchgoer, the 42-year-old started practising at the tender age of 11 and even has bellringing to thank for meeting his wife.

When I met Steve at St Mary's, we were joined by several other bellringers from different parts of the county. From Stanford to Prittlewell, they had come from all over the place but what was most surprising were their ages.

In Langdon Hills, two 15-year-old twins regularly practise alongside people in their 30s, 40s and 50s and it's the same story in many other churches, putting paid to the myth that all bellringers are old and grey.

Everyone was armed with a bottle of water, almost like they were attending a strenuous aerobics class. But little did I know how much they would need it - bellringing can be an exhausting business.

As the group prepared the bells for the session, one member came up to me and said, matter-of-factly, "Don't be alarmed if you feel the walls moving."

I was also advised to sit with my feet flat on the floor, incase I got "strung up" by the ropes and soon began to wonder what I had let myself in for after staring at some complex diagrams on the walls. They detailed the different combinations and methods of ringing you could do at St Mary's and according to Steve, there's over 750.

"They're all up here in our heads, unfortunately," he said, tapping his brow with a smile. "With bellringing you're always learning and there are always going to be new challenges.

"It can take a number of weeks to learn a bell but really, it's all about co-ordination and timing," Steve revealed. "We aim for perfect striking with no crunches or gaps but it can take a lot of effort to get to that point."

If you're good enough, bellringing can be a very profitable hobby. You get paid for Sunday services and weddings and can also take part in special performances, lasting up to three hours.

However, the weekly practises, which take place in most churches across the country, can often be tailor-made to who's attending and our session began with a breathtaking display of skill.

I was treated to the sound of several different bellringing combinations and sat back, strangely humbled by the sound of church bells ringing out. And although the well-trained ears around me picked up a few mistakes, I thought everything sounded perfect.

"Arguing over who's gone wrong is all part of practise night," Steve laughingly reassured me. "It's a very English pastime and a very social thing.

"If you're on holiday, you can look up the churches in the local area and go there to practise. And where there's a church, there's normally a pub nearby so it's a great way to meet people."

Before you can call yourself a competent bellringer, you have to know all about things like ringing rounds, called changes and plain hunting, to name but a few. So when my turn to have a go came around, I was more than a little nervous.

Although Steve had given me a little bellringing book, there seemed like so much to take in and as soon as the first bell had been rung, my brain seemed to empty.

I was only practising my backstroke - the simplest stroke you can do - but even then I wasn't sure whether I should be looking up or at other people. Under Steve's watchful eye though, I was pleased to find I could do the basics and the group even went as far to say I was "a natural".

To master the art of bellringing - or even learn half the combinations - would take years but at least it's a hobby where you can tell if you're improving. Like Steve said, it's also a good way to make new friends and if you're looking to tone up your arm muscles, I doubt you'll find a more effective form of exercise.

For more information about bellringing, visit your local church or log on to www.eacr.org.uk.