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<DIV><FONT color=3D#008000 face=3DArial size=3D2>A good and worthy idea of =
CJP's, so=20
I've followed suit on the "Put me down for =A3x if required" basis. I=
t=20
shouldn't break the bank if all members of the List felt able to make a=20
contribution.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#008000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Oh yes, the point about ha=
ndbells=20
lying around and being "lost" is now well made. I remember three othe=
r=20
such sets - one lot used to hang in the ringing chamber at St Alphege,=20
Canterbury and long ante-dated the augmentation of the bells there to six i=
n=20
1893/4. They (12 I think) were quite black and had 18th-century type=
=20
clappers with long unfelted spade-ended springs, and disappeared about=
1960=20
when the then ringing room was being decorated. Another set I remembe=
r=20
hanging quite unguarded in the ground-floor ringing chamber at Wiggenhall S=
t=20
Mary in Norfolk - subsequently I remember reading in the comic that they ha=
d=20
been stolen. A third lot must have been in a handsome box in the old=20
ringing chamber at Upper Sheringham, Norfolk. I went there in the mid=
-70's=20
to inspect the chiming apparatus which had been put in (and rendered the=20
"unrigable" bells actually unringable) and there was this fine box, with an=
=20
inscribed brass plate, handsomely fitted out inside - and just two large=20
handbells in poor condition.....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#008000 face=3DArial size=3D2>No doubt the story can be =
repeated=20
again and again. And where do they go, and what is the story behind so=
me of=20
the second-hand we now possess? For example, in the posession of the C=
hurch=20
of All Saints, Whitstable (in which parish both I and John Baldwin used to=
=20
live), there is a box of 39 Mears handbells, largest 29C. The box&nbs=
p;has=20
a handsome plate inscribed <STRONG>CITY OF GLASGOW / <EM>HAND BELL RINGERS =
/=20
</EM>1854 </STRONG>- how it came to be in the tower at Whits=
table=20
even our oldest ringer didn't know. Anyone got anything on the City o=
f=20
Glasgow handbell ringers ?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#008000 face=3DArial size=3D2>DLC</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0p=
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<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>Fro=
m:</B>=20
<A href=3D"mailto:c.j.pickford@t..." title=3Dc.j.pickford@t...=
m>Chris=20
Pickford</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
href=3D"mailto:bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com"=20
title=3Dbellhistorians@yahoogroups.com>bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com</A>=
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A=20
href=3D"mailto:dcbrookes@b..." title=3Ddcbrookes@b...>David=
=20
Brookes</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, May 30, 2003 10:00 A=
M</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Bell Historians] The Lee=
ds=20
handbells - a suggestion</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Whatever the issues of principle here - =
these=20
bells were clearly misappropriated if not stolen, as it seems unlikely th=
at=20
the church/ringers authorised alienation from the church - there may be l=
ittle=20
option but to bite the bullet and buy them back. To establish proof=
of=20
ownership, to trace their whereabouts over 60 years and offer=20
certainty that they were never lawfully disposed of may be impossible.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>As Anne Willis has already discovered, t=
he dealer=20
who has them now bought them from another dealer. At the Leeds end,=
the=20
aged verger seems pretty sure about what happened to them though (to deal=
with=20
Aidan's point) it's more likely that the parish quietly forgot about them=
=20
rather than claim on the church insurance for the loss. Without Sid=
's=20
long memory, all recollection of them would have been lost=20
altogether.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I gather from David Brookes that they have come to the conclusion th=
at=20
they will need to establish a "buyback fund" to recover the bells and tha=
t he=20
intends to raise this at the PCC meeting next week.</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Doesn't this case offer an opportunity f=
or this=20
List to be of practical assistance by securing funds to recover the=
=20
bells? I have already offered David a contribution if it be needed. Would=
=20
other list members be willing to contribute too? It would be good t=
o=20
take positive action to match the strong sentiments on this issue that ha=
ve=20
been expressed already on Bellhistorians.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Offers of support can be sent direct to David at <A=20
href=3D"mailto:dcbrookes@b...">dcbrookes@b...</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Chris Pickford<BR>Tel: 01732-456147 or (mobile) 07811-453525<BR>E-ma=
il:=20
<A=20
href=3D"mailto:c.j.pickford@t...">c.j.pickford@t...</A></DIV>=
</FONT></DIV><BR><BR><TT>This=20
message was sent to you via the Bell Historians' Mailing List. To unsubsc=
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TT>=20
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