1) Why were the inscriptions on the = two=20 trebles reproduced from two out of the collection of bells sent in for= =20 scrap? I wouldn't have thought the inscriptions are of much note, and nothi= ng=20 was reproduced on the back six.
[Andrew Aspland] I don't know - the Sculcoates be= ll was=20 from a ringing peal but not the Sheepscar bell - maybe RHD bought thes= e two=20 bells on condition that the inscriptions were=20 retained.

2)=20 What were they doing scrapping a medieval bell (Luddenden) at this late a d= ate?=20 By this time such things were frowned upon at the very least.
[Andrew Aspland] It w= as not=20 infact medieval but from 1718!

3) What happened to the back seven= bells=20 from Sculcoates, Hull - I'm particularly interested in this as I'm workin= g on=20 a long-term project on the bells of the York Diocese, which Hull is=20 in.
[Andrew=20 Aspland] The treble was discovered in a demolition contracters=20 yard. The front five were all Warners 1899 - Stipetic may know lots= =20 more.

4) "So that High Hoyland would not be devoid of a bell the Sanctus b= ell=20 from the
closed St John's Church, Tong Street, Bradford was fitted up = for=20 chiming." - Is this the church that had a 6 bell frame with the 4th = and=20 tenor in it?
[Andrew Aspland] No idea!

5) "Th= e=20 single bell of 6.125 cwt. from the "round church" [All Saints=20 Pilgrim
Street] Newcastle" What happened to the ring of eight from her= e?=20 Aren't they said to have been destroyed by fire?
[A= ndrew=20 Aspland] Yes they were.

Given that scrap bell metal was ve= ry=20 valuable at this period, I find it somewhat surprising that St Wilfrid's = is=20 such an 'on the cheap' job, considering the value of surplus bell metal w= hich=20 there must have been. The frame is timber and appears to be locally made;= the=20 front six have headstocks of steel bar (cast iron stocks are on the back = two=20 only), and the bells are not at all easy to handle although they sound ni= ce=20 enough. I always assumed that money had been short, but from this it does= n't=20 really look like it. I wonder why the whole lot wasn't obtained fro= m=20 Taylor's with cast iron stocks to all bells?
[Andrew Aspland] It= was not=20 necessarily a good time for Taylors - the softwood wheel centres are a Ta= ylor=20 thing not RHD and the bar headstocks maybe the same. The frame was = made=20 in Horbury and sat on the floor at first! In 1980 it was put=20 on girders and lifted 2 feet higher. I have just disovered how= ever=20 that the girders don't do a good job of supporting the frame sides and it= may=20 be possible to make a big difference to the stability of the frame by=20 improving this.