charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1"=
>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Andrew Wilby wrote:-</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><EM>Clearly there were very strong emotions about G&=
;J at=20
Whitechapel and not without reason. Johnston's business practices were very=
=20
dodgy to say the least. There are many sets of G&J handbell=20
around acquired by Tower Captains who promoted the case for=
=20
G&J to get the job to their Parishes even if their quote was worse than=
the=20
competition. Yes we would now call it bribery and so it was then. Ther=
e is=20
evidence to suggest they he had local agents in many areas including around=
=20
Towcester in positions of authority who promoted his business without decla=
ring=20
an interest.</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><EM></EM></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><EM>Say what you like about his products but as a busin=
ess it=20
stank and deserved to go under. My Grandfather worked for him on the clock =
side=20
at one time so I don't say that without some family inside=20
knowledge!</EM></FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Cyril Johnston was very keen to win the co=
ntract to=20
rehang and recast Evesham Bell Tower bells in 1951 from 10 into 1=
2 and=20
submitted the lowest tender to do this work. The competitors were Taylors a=
nd=20
M&S. Taylors' price was second lowest. Unfortunately for Cyril Johnston=
, the=20
local man, Geoffrey Hemming (Gerald Hemming's father, wanted Taylors to do =
the=20
work. There was a fairly high-brow Committee overseeing the Bell Tower=20
restoration work at that time and this included the rehanging and recasting=
of=20
the bells. The Committee, of which Geoff was a member, were generally=
=20
agreed on accepting G&J's price for the work, but Geoff argued strongly=
and=20
in every way he knew against signing with G&J. One of the reasons he=20
used was that G&J offered a competitive price intially, but increa=
sed=20
this during the work by the addition of 'extras', usually to the point that=
it=20
nicely exceeded the competitors' prices. Geoff had heard of places where th=
is=20
had happened elsewhere. He even wrote to Ron Dove, who had worked at G&=
J, to=20
ask if he would confirm to the Committee that G&J operated such=20
practices. Ron Dove confirmed to me in the late 1980's that =
such=20
a request had been made of him by Geoff, although Ron declined to do s=
o.=20
Eventually the Committee met to agree the acceptance of G&J's tender,=20
Geoff's pleas, reasons and anything else being overlooked by the=20
majority in favour of the all-important lowest price.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>So how did Evesham end up with a Taylor ri=
ng? Geoff=20
had realised that the date of the Committee meeting was past the perio=
ds of=20
validity of the tenders. He pointed this out and forced a motion to invite =
the=20
tenderers (by this time just G&J and Taylors) to re-quote if they wishe=
d.=20
This was agreed. Between this time and the original submission of the tende=
rs,=20
there had been an increase in bellmetal prices. Geoff reckoned that G&J=
=20
would take the chance to increase their price. He advised (or more=20
likely told) Paul Taylor to hold his price steady. The re-qu=
oted=20
tenders came in with G&J's price increased, as expected, =
;and=20
with Taylors now the lowest price. The rest is history, as they s=
ay.=20
Cyril Johnston was spared the cost of a set of handbells in this case (Geof=
f=20
already had a set anyway) - and probably the tea - but I guess he=
=20
was very unhappy to be beaten by the local man.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Chris Povey</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>