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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri size=3>I can shed some light on this and remove some of the speculation.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I will in due course write an article for the Ringing World about the Hanley bells saga, but a quick reply here first as it is current.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face=Calibri>I was at the church with the Conservation Officer yesterday, when she told me they had rejected our application to remove the bells (I am one of the owners).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I haven’t actually read the decision, but she said that although there were plenty of arguments for why the bells should be somewhere else, she had not heard any arguments for why they <U>shouldn’t</U> stay where they are, which is a different thing.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The strength of feeling and the power of the arguments from the local residents and Friends of St Johns, who do not want their war memorial bells to leave their church (and they are quite possessive and vocal), comes across much more strongly and persuasively than the calls of bellringers to have the bells somewhere else (where there is already a ring of bells) so they can be rung again. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The inability to ring the bells in their current location was not a consideration.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face=Calibri>I am sure that if there had been another home found for them within Stoke on Trent, especially a tower without bells already, the arguments would have swayed in favour of moving them because the local opposition would have been lower.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri size=3>In terms of safety, the tower has now been cleared of guano (£3,000 worth!) and so is safe in terms of going up the spiral staircase and going into the old ringing chamber.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Floors above are not safe because of the effect of the guano sitting on top of the timbers, and the access into the belfry is a bit dodgy.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A health and safety officer wouldn’t let you go into the belfry but ringers would see it as quite a normal level of risk.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri size=3>In terms of other fixtures and fittings of value, they all went years ago, and there isn't much in the ringing chamber. </FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face=Calibri>And finally in terms of the development of the building, the bells were removed from the sale at the last minute and gifted by the Diocese to Stone, subject to listed building consent, which has now been declined.</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri size=3>Simon Linford</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri size=3></FONT> </P> <br /><hr />Use Windows Live Messenger for free on selected mobiles. <a href='http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/174426567/direct/01/' target='_new'>Learn more.</a></body>
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