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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>You ought to have heard the eight at Mango=
tsfield=20
(aka Maggotsfield), Glos. Cast and tuned by JW & Sons Ltd in 1921. Irem=
ember=20
the first time I heard them; I think it was the last peal on those bells - =
the=20
striking was fine, but the most dreadful racket was being made. Yet they=20
supported a very good band of ringers under John Jefferies and his family r=
ight=20
up almost to the end.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I was given the task of helping to look af=
ter the=20
parish in 1992/3, by which time the back three had become unringable; it wa=
s=20
very necessary to get something going on which the people could become focu=
ssed.=20
The bells project was the outcome, and an excellent new ring was cast by=20
Taylors. I remember being present when the tenor was being persuaded (with=
=20
difficulty) to part company with its latter existence. Apparently JW & =
Sons=20
Ltd had vast quantities of shell-cases left over after the Great War; I am =
not=20
sure what they were made of, but wouldn't be surprised if some of them foun=
d=20
their way into Mangotsfield's old bells.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>They were supposed to be tuned "on th=
e=20
harmonic principles advocated by Canon Simpson". That did not happen, and i=
f=20
anyone is interested in the pitches, I will post them up.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>RCO asks about Christ Church, Erith. I ran=
g there=20
last year and enjoyed them, but I am informed that this is not a universal=
=20
sentiment.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>DLC</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
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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:richard.offen@o..." title=3Drichard.offen@o...>=
Richard=20
Offen</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>Sent:</B> Sunday, June 20, 2004 11:06=
=20
AM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Bell Historians] Warners=
and=20
Harmonic Tuning</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><TT>Having looked at the major player of the 20th century =
in=20
this field <BR>(and Alfred Bowell), we ought to think about Warners and w=
hat=20
they <BR>got up to ("if we must!" I hear you sigh!).<BR><BR>Chelmsford=20
Cathedral are approaching harmonically tuned, but, in my <BR>opinion, not=
near=20
enough to be pleasant! I seem to remember <BR>Daresbury, Cheshire a=
s=20
being pretty near to harmonically tuned, but <BR>it is nearly 40 years si=
nce I=20
rang there! <BR><BR>What are Christ Church, Erith=20
like? It's so long since I rang <BR>there, I can't remember, =
but I=20
don't remember them making a huge <BR>impression on me.<BR><BR>It's clear=
that=20
they were getting close to a shape that could produce <BR>an octave hum a=
nd=20
the other partials in correct line, but some of <BR>their individual bell=
s of=20
this type were dreadful. The sixth (now <BR>eighth at Wye was=
cast=20
in 1913 (or was it 1914?) and was best <BR>described using Bill Theobald'=
s=20
famous simile involving a cow's <BR>bottom and sundry other anatomical=20
features! After tuning at <BR>Whitechapel (no Mr Hedgcock, th=
ey=20
did NOT hack great lumps out of <BR>it!), it came back as a superb=20
bell. I gather from Matthew Higby <BR>that the Warner bell in=
the=20
new ring at Marston Bigot has tuned up <BR>exceedingly well too.<BR><BR>S=
o=20
when did Warner's start trying to produce bells with octave hums <BR>and =
did=20
they ever achieve a decent, harmonically tuned ring of=20
bells?<BR><BR>Richard<BR><BR></TT><BR></BODY></HTML>