Ringing Forums

contractual interfaces do add complication, and need managing, but this wasn't just an isolated project. The architect (conservation surveyor) has far wider responsibility, including quinquennial and related work. The specialist builder was already doing a lot of other work on the church both before and after the bells project.
In the later project to install a screen between the ringing room and nave, we did give a prime contract to the glass company who was responsible for subcontracting the joiner and scaffolder, although we initially anticipated needing to employ separate contractors.
Full details on the tower website http://allsaintswokignhambells.org.uk/ASProject/

slight relapse, we rang several PPE methods before the break but Lessness was the safest for the first post break practice.

we have the first post CoViD Surprise practice tomorrow - standard 8 plus Lessness.

I've heard comments that make it clear members of the public can tell the difference between good and bad ringing if exposed to both. The fact that some are grateful for the bells being rung imperfectly could just mean they like bells and they've never heard any better.
Two relevant examples. 1 On an outing someone in the tea shop said how nice it was to hear their bells rung properly. 2 A message from a neighbour complaint about 'demented ringing' after a quarter fired out and the conductor let it struggle on too long.

some do some don't. We are all vaccinated.

When we needed pockets for an extra beam the work was done by the same specialist company that had already done work on other parts of the church. The bell hangers specified the hols. The builder cut them, the bellhangers installe the beam (bolted across the base of the existing beams and extending into the pockets) and the builder then filled the pockets (to a spec detemined by the conservation architect).

The muffles I grew up with had a buckled strap around the flight and leather thong around the shaft. Buckling the strap held the muffle in place while you tied the thong but unless you were really lucky with the holes the strap wasn't really tight. You could then focus on making sure the thong was really tight.
At one point we had muffles with two straps that were really difficult - they weren't long enough to wrap round like the pictures above.
The muffles we have now have thongs top and bottom. They are a bit more fiddly to put on because the muffle isn't held in place while you tie the bottom thong. OTOH you can potentially get both ends tight.
I do a half hitch on the first turn (strictly two half turns) and pull that really tight. Then I do however many turns are needed to leave the right lengths for the knot. Make another half turn and pull that really tight. Then hen add the slippery half turn (the bow) to lock it, and pull that really tight. NB by pull really tight I mean a couple of sharp tugs, not just a steady pull.

As late as the 1980s the Diary was using the convention for W & M that didn't fit the coursing order convention. I discovered that while rehearsing in my head a quarter that I was going to call, on my way to the church. At the end I hadn't got to 53246. I assumed I had made a slip and went through it all again but got the same result. When I got to the tower I wrote it out on paper to check. Fortunately something (can't remember what) gave me the idea of swapping over W & M and then the composition worked.
If I hadn't rehearsed calling it I would only have found the problem when it failed to come round at the end, which would have been embarrassing!