------=_NextPart_000_0027_01C5AD8D.F466D0E0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I had a look at the interesting ring of twelve at Midsomer Norton on Sunday= . These were a ring of eight by local founders (Bilbie and Roger Purdue), r= ehung by Taylor's in the 1950s (I think) in a cast iron lowside frame with = cast iron headstocks, Hastings stays, etc. In 1976, the bells were augmented to 12 using the installation from St Mark= 's, Lyncombe, Bath (which still stands as a community centre - the tower ca= n be seen from the train immediately to the south of Bath station). The ins= tallation at St Mark's was a complete job by Taylor's 1894; a ring of six w= ith a tenor of 10 cwt, with cast iron lowside frame and cast iron headstock= s. When the Midsomer Norton bells were augmented, a new grillage of RSJs was b= uilt beneath the existing frame, and four pits constructed using seven of t= he eight framesides from St Mark's. The four new trebles were cast by White= chapel from the metal of the ring of six, all of which were scrapped.. The = lower frame contains bells 1,2,5 and 8, with the remainder being in the 8-b= ell frame above. The bells in the upper frame have Hastings stays, while th= ose below have traditional stays and sliders. With the exception of the clappers, the fittings to the four trebles are al= so from St Mark's. The headstocks (with new gudgeons and bearings) are from= the front four of the six. The wheels of the treble, 3rd and 4th are from = the respective bells in the six, but that on the 2nd appears, so far as I c= ould tell, to be from the 5th. With it being a ring of 12, the trebles are = hung out further than would have been the case with the six, and thick timb= er blocks are fitted between bells and headstocks. David ------=_NextPart_000_0027_01C5AD8D.F466D0E0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable