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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A note on Simon's comment below.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>1. Fred Sharpe describes the old fittings on
Great Tom in the Oxford section of his "Church Bells of Oxfordshire". After
mentioning thir derelict condition, he specifically states that the lower half
of the wheel was missing altogether, and the shrouding and most of the
soling from the upper half. Two photographs show the frame as it then was -
braced king-post. He states that the bell had not been swung for over a
hundred years.So, again, I do not accept Richard's and now
Simon's theory that Fred rang the bell "up" before it was
rehung. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2. The work was carried out - 1/8-turning, all new
fittings and reconstructed frame - by Mears & Stainbank, and Great Tom
was officially rung (though Fred does not specifically state right "up") on 29th
May 1953 (after having been tried out the previous day) and then again for the
Coronation of H M The Queen on 2nd June. This is described by Fred in the
addenda page at the end of"Oxfordshire" and disposes of Simon's date of
"certainly before it was rehung in 1955."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>3. The pre-rehanging conditions are thus
summarised in the 1959 Mears booklet: "It ... was recast into its
presentr form by Christopher Hodson in 1680 ... It required sixteen men to swing
it owing to the rather crude methods of hanging, and finally this was stopped
owing to the risk of damage to the tower ... after he had been rehung he is now
swung on all great occasions, and can easily be rung by one man."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Clearly "rung" is in the general rather than the
particular sense. Much the same was said of Beverley's "Great John" at the time
of its installation: now, there is a Great Bell, in every sense!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Finally, Richard's Castle has been mentioned.
Whatever its clappering features, it was equipped with a stay etc; as I
think are the mighty Mears three at Newport, Rhode Island. which
featured on this site some time ago. All have balanced fittings, unlike (for
example, amongst single bells) the Great Bell of Tong and Holy Trinity
Southport, whose headstocks are of traditional ringing dimensions, in
wood and cast-iron respectively.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>DLC</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
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<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=yahoo@HJueWn10bzz5-8_gEmkMLBDZgX-HYr1l25lgu3v46IUBVovLQw3oHuwg4XQRPpTeCHUHV7loD27q6dRzUEBSa_kCKl-XyNeZ1CjS.yahoo.invalid
href="mailto:yahoo@HyYubHYL74qm4zw5_sb6I9F5ta5OOafwo79kdtnO_BkmxWrHhCjIyZfu5ku_BK0iOKx_SZ3CdB49yACwsNypSw.yahoo.invalid">Simon Bond</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com
href="mailto:bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com">bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, June 10, 2007 12:00
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bell Historians]
Oxford</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV id=ygrp-text>
<P>> As David B says, there is technically nothing to stop them<BR>>
being rung up provided they are roped properly; unless, of<BR>> course, as
at Oxford, there are obstructions.<BR>><BR>> DLC<BR><BR>Clock and
tolling hammers being the biggest obstacles in Oxford's case. The<BR>headstock
doesn't get past them once it gets high enough.<BR><BR>The full-circle
occasion being referred to was certainly before it was<BR>rehung (Whitechapel
1955). The massive wooden headstock is still in the<BR>tower. Were it not for
the hammers being in the way there is no reason why<BR>getting the bell all
the way up would be impossible.<BR><BR>SAB<BR><BR></P></DIV><!--End group email --></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>