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<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN lang=3DEN=
-US=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">Rec=
ently,=20
we have been concerned that there are certain circumstances where "local wi=
sh"=20
over what is shown for an entry in <STRONG><EM>Dove</EM></STRONG> (on-line,=
and=20
therefore in the next printed edition) has actually made that entry be=
come=20
"less accurate".<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><?xml:names=
pace=20
prefix =3D o ns =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"=20
/><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN lang=3DEN=
-US=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">A c=
ase in=20
point is Abingdon S Helen, where the previously "exact" weight of 20-1-6 (a=
s per=20
<I>Berks</I>, p4, the weight when canons were still present, and as appeare=
d in=20
<I><STRONG>Dove</STRONG></I>, editions 1 to 3) became shown in editions 4 t=
o 9=20
as the "approximate" value of 19=BDcwt consequent upon their removal.<SPAN=
=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, Tim Pett earlier this ye=
ar=20
asked for the previous exact figure to be re-instated on the grounds that 1=
9=BDcwt=20
was nothing more than a "guesstimate" and it could equally well be 20cwt,=20
19=BEcwt, or even 19=BCcwt, the bell not having been reweighed (nor the rem=
oved=20
metal weighed) at the time of alteration - to anyone's present knowledge.<S=
PAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><I><SPAN lang=
=3DEN-US=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">[I =
felt I=20
could not (at that stage anyway) refuse the request even though in my view =
it=20
"decreases" the accuracy of <STRONG>Dove</STRONG> unnecessarily simply beca=
use=20
that is the one weight it cannot be!. It MAY have been the result of a=
too=20
rigid interpretation (by Tim) of our deference to "local wish" about what=20
appears in an entry - and on which petard, I felt myself to be well and tru=
ly=20
hoisted!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><EM><SPAN lang=
=3DEN-US=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">The=
=20
deference to "local preference" however had been meant primarily in two oth=
er=20
instances, namely <o:p></o:p></SPAN></EM></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><FONT=20
size=3D2><SPAN><EM>(1) whether the placename (</EM>ie<EM>, that which is us=
ed for=20
positioning) should be that of a major conurbation (with the suburb as a=20
"secondary name") or that of the suburb itself (</EM>eg, <EM>should Whitchu=
rch=20
appear as such, or should it appear as "Cardiff,.... Whitchurch") or, indee=
d any=20
other name (such as St Samson becoming Golant, but Dyfrryn</EM>=20
<STRONG>not</STRONG><I><STRONG> </STRONG>becoming Bryncoch)<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>- something about which we had in=
vited=20
submission, see RW2000, p683; and <o:p></o:p></I></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><I><SPAN lang=
=3DEN-US=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">(2)=
=20
whether a ring should be shown as "unringable" when strictly that may not b=
e the=20
case but requests for ringing were to be discouraged for entirely local, go=
od,=20
and hopefully temporary reason.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </S=
PAN>I=20
do NOT wish, at this juncture to be sidetracked by either of those particul=
ar=20
issues, please!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><I><SPAN lang=
=3DEN-US=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">To =
clarify=20
better what we meant about "local preference", the section on=20
</SPAN></I><B><SPAN lang=3DEN-US=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">Acc=
uracy</SPAN></B><I><SPAN=20
lang=3DEN-US=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"> ha=
s now=20
been modified (and repositioned) in the on-line description webpage which I=
=20
suggest you re-visit if you haven't happened to read it in the last da=
y or=20
so.]<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN lang=3DEN=
-US=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">One=
way of=20
lessening the inaccuracy, and even possibly thereby "flushing out" some rea=
l=20
definitive knowledge, is to show such entries as the following=20
example:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none=
"><FONT=20
size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"><B><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Abingdon</SPAN></B><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11pt=
">, Oxon,=20
S Helen, <B>10</B>, <20-1-6 in Eflat.<I> <B>-Tue</B>=20
SU497967</I><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none=
"><I><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">with the following addition t=
o=20
description page at the place where tenor weight is described:</SPAN></I><S=
PAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none=
"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">"The < symbol is used as a=
prefix=20
to an exact weight where it is known that subsequent work (<I>eg,</I> the=20
removal of the canons) has reduced the weight of the tenor. This is felt to=
be=20
preferable to showing an approximate weight (which may simply be an=20
estimate)."</SPAN><FONT size=3D2> </FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN lang=3DEN=
-US=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">In =
my=20
opinion (and that of others I have sounded out) this presentation (which I=
=20
willingly acknowledge had been suggested to us several years ago now) recog=
nises=20
that the tenor weight <B>must</B> be less than 20-1-6 (assuming that that f=
igure=20
was right in the first place) but also that 20-1-6 is "the best that we=20
currently have at our disposal".<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </=
SPAN>In=20
the interests of providing the most accurate possible information within=20
<I><STRONG>Dove</STRONG></I>, we are now thinking of making this slight=20
presentational change in what I guess will probably be no more than 25 case=
s out=20
of just over 6000 entries.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN lang=3DEN=
-US=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">We =
would=20
like to hear (either "on list" or privately, via Dovemaster@c...) a=
ny=20
opinions that there may be (please, please restrict it to this one issue) b=
oth=20
on that method of presentation, in the short term within the on-line=20
version and in the longer term within the next printed edition, and on the=
=20
associated explanation.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Ron =
and I=20
will then make a decision.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =20
</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN lang=3DEN=
-US=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><SP=
AN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN>It would further help if you know person=
ally=20
(and without fear of contradiction) - and will let us know full details - o=
f=20
other cases where previously accurate tenor weights, whether or not no=
w=20
shown approximately, would benefit from a modified presentation as indicate=
d=20
above. In this way, even should we decide to make no immediate change =
in=20
presentation, such details <U>will</U> be recorded within the database for=
=20
future reference.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P align=3Dleft class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN lang=3DEN=
-US=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">In=
=20
advance, thank you for any comments you feel inclined to make.</SPAN><=
/P>
<P align=3Dleft class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN lang=3DEN=
-US=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">Joh=
n=20
Baldwin</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><BR>(029) 2055=20
4457<BR></P></FONT></BODY></HTML>