The communications team are busy re-designing the generic tower pages for this Website, and it would be really helpful to have some feedback from ringers who might one day plan to visit some of the towers.
When you arrive onto a tower’s own website or webpage, what information do you hope/expect to find there? I don’t want to miss anything or conversely load down the landing page with too much. Please tick all you like to see, and if you think there is something missing, use the reply box at the bottom of the poll.
WPBELLS 
I like a tower website which gives me all the information I need, without having to open a second window to view details in Dove’s Guide.
Me too but as a webmaster I don’t much like copying information over which can subsequently change. I would prefer to embed the dove page into the tower page but it isn’t currently possible.
So the compromise is we duplicate the most important information (postcode and number of bells and tenor weight, and of course practice night) and bear the effort of keeping the 2 websites in synch.
Well done for seeking further information
It has mostly confirmed what we already though, but the biggest surprise is the popularity of “parking and access” information which we have only just started to think about.
Good work! As a frequent visitor from Australia I find it really frustrating that there isn’t a single website where I can get practice-night details of ALL UK towers – Dove probably comes nearest. It is often hard to know which Guild or Branch website to seek in a given area.
Your comment is noted David. Dove is closest but not all local bands realise they should link their website in with Dove… so many of the “website” links are frustratingly blank. Please come and ring in Winchester and Portsmouth Guild soon!!!
The other frustration is keeping websites up to date
That always a struggle if the local band don’t think their website is important.
I am visiting in the area on a Friday night and find it frustrating that practice nights are not listed by the night they ring on.
My local area does it by days and the number of bells in the tower as search options.
Gloucester and Bristol
Hope to be able to visit a tower when at my sisters
Hi Michelle,
That type of search is really simple to do in the Dove Online system so I recommend you visit the page http://dove.cccbr.org.uk/dove.php and put in the post code of your accommodation, specify Friday and how many miles radius you want to travel.
No point reinventing the wheel!
Rosalind
The item “likely to be rung” I have ticked as a ‘nice to know’ when visiting a new area – the question I usually ask when I phone to check.
It may be too difficult or misleading to populate though!
Hi Alistair,
Are you referring to which methods are likely to be rung? As the news posts build up, and people report practice nights and also planned “methods of the week”, it should be relatively easy to work this out.
It’s not hard and fast data which can be recorded for all time, of course, because it depends which members and visitors come. So I think news posts, which have a limited life on the website, are the best way of recording this.
Rosalind