Ringing Forums

Many thanks
The two images shwoing the wooden screw and the thining hinges which I suspect may be blacksmithed?

I REALLY DO NOT ADVISE it!!! We used to ‘tie’ the larger bells up to get under them to clean. The dead birds and sticks etc could just about be dragged out with a broom handle/broom with the bells down but to get the rest and sweep we could not get to do it otherwise.
We had some blocks of 2 x 2 deal cut to length that were jammed tight between the end of the stay and the notch of the slider box.
We also tied ropes from the wheel spoke and also around the clapper slid up against the thistle to the frame but the jammed wood did the job and the ropes never came into play and if they did I guess there would have been damage to the set up. I hope.it should have given whoever (me!) time to get out The system worked but was in itself risky to set up so really only in extremis,

Thanks guys - gave me a laugh
Yes: I often bemoan the 'things that cross the pond' however where language is concerned I am mindful of the fact that American English has simply retained, inherited, a spelling or word that was in use before independence and or the Pilgrim Fathers = smile
In future I will reference the on line version of the manual although being of a certain age I prefer the paper of a book - where I can insert a bookmark (before anyone comments on that I am aware that one can do that to an electrnic version - though I am not yet certain what happens to that mark when the page is changed or replaced?)
On a completely other tack BT have made EE their cutsomer facing operation and we have thus 'been moved' with many inervitable unconsidred complexities - the pedant rests - ho hum

Yes I am aware of that use for the term e.g. 'holding' a chain wheel onto the bottom bracket axle of a bicycle however as I say in the trade that term was used for what we all generally call a split pin. If you think about it the cotter pin on a cycle is there to prevent rotation as is a split pin when placed in a castellated nut :-)

You will find that you will always need more :-) look at the make up of your band; how many over 65? How many young married and working with kids? the former will not always be with you - the latter may have to move for work at any moment
2 per bell seems reasonable and you may need more than one practice night for a while.
Yes it would be good were you to feel able to help the other two twoers back into life AND
in a worst case you have 8 so if necessry can drop back to ring just six of them (back or front?)

English style Full circle bell ringing must certainly be a unique traditional skill. The questions are how one vote does and how many supporters we may have? I sense an opportunity to get the art into all of the various local media and to really find out what people know about and think about it

Oliver,
As has been said the bells including any keys are the property of The Church and the incumbent is responsible for them to the Bishop and the Diocese, the Church Wardens if they exist are given that responsibility to report and maintain. They jointly and severally have responsibility e.g. if the ropes are used by someone to commit suicide by hanging.
Again changes though now only ‘major’ changes to the fabric require a faculty
If a Tower Captain (not necessarily a Ringing master) takes on that responsibility ...
We are all aware of the Revd Ellacombe. He could not have imagined that his ‘machine’ would decades later enable rings of bells to at least be chimed when they are no longer in a fit state to be 'rung'!
The only other comment I would make is that Bell and Ringing chamber and Tower door locks are often old to very old and the keys to old locks are often badly worn so care should be taken if it is contemplated to cut/make copies of these keys; using e.g. two keys with different degrees of wear can/may/will over time wear ultimately to destruction the internals of said locks

I have only just joined and just caught up with this so is it still going and if so how do you/would I know?

Just a light hearted romp