<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18828"></HEAD>
<BODY style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>This reminds me of the encounter between a certain
architect in Kent and the famous Harry Parkes, Principal Bellhanger at
Whitechapel, when the eight bells at Mersham were being restored in the
late 1960's. They'd previously hung in what could only be described as the
remains of a hollow-square 4-bell frame of some age. The architect (a SPAB
member) wanted at least the foundation beams retained - Harry's direct
response was, "Mr Architect, please give me permission to remove these beams. I
will personally deliver them to you and set them out in your garden, and
when you get up each day you can open the window and look at the
buggers!"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>My own experience with SPAB has been mercifully
limited, but one occasion immediately comes to mind from my Bristol DAC Adviser
days. It was a ring of five in a very short tower of only two stages. The frame
was mid 17th-century, and despite the usual sundry patchings was
physically 'all there'. However structural distress was becoming
apparent in the tower. Before my time an estimate for a new frame etc was
obtained, the old to be cleared out. My own feeling was that it was a good, if
not significant example of a frame designed for change-ringing bells, made
at the time of the rise of change-ringing. As it was no longer fit for ringing,
and as bells could not be hung beneath it, I suggested that the frame
should receive basic repair to allow it to be hoisted and placed upon two new
foundation beams higher in the tower, with a new frame for six in its
place. Again, there was a SPAB architect, and his and the Society's
response was both negative and acrimonious. What especially galled me was that
it was stated that the architectural history of the tower would be
compromised if the old frame was raised in it for purposes of preservation;
further, that the introduction of two new beams to support it would
compromise its integrity; the latter despite the fact that all
three original primary suporting beams had themselves been replaced
around 1900 - presumably not "compromising the frame's integrity". The
bells remain unringable.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>DLC</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial> </FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"
dir=ltr>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=lists@Lz5mmnfG6eCyrdtGxRWe44tr-CQyXBxxDY4y-Q7UMG9uqcahGve4C8M7bVzPcEzvaffdxCvbrf26D5mq7MxgePQ3XzxxTQ.yahoo.invalid href="mailto:lists@dqZAOyL23R6EkGM7wZOsdFCro-Dne4z4dwsWkXFyKj3iH4wqZZsa5CHsSAg5wqKFijZGp5brDI3lUTQI59Q.yahoo.invalid">Humpers</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> Friday, October 23, 2009 12:19
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bell Historians] Spare H
Frames.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><SPAN style="DISPLAY: none"> </SPAN>
<DIV id=ygrp-text>
<P>Send them to SPAB. I'll pay postage :-)<BR><BR>Mark<BR><BR>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>2009/10/23 <SPAN dir=ltr><<A
href="mailto:matthewhigby@dAx3el4FxqEWtHYR16L4LPeNSkxnfR-AkNE7IEQ8ZnOpiufusnLZ-mMrzMbICsxmiQvgVjBBqitGZ1w.yahoo.invalid">matthewhigby@<WBR>aol.com</A>></SPAN><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid"
class=gmail_quote><DIV
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255)"><SPAN> </SPAN>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<P><FONT color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>
<DIV>Dows anyone want 3 suprlus Gillett & Johnston H type sideframe
castings? They are in good order. dimensions available on request. Free to
collector, but I need them gone by the end of next week or they're going in
the scrap skip!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Matthew </DIV>
<DIV>07971 441042</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 size=2 face=Arial>Matthew Higby & Company
Ltd,<BR>Church Bell Engineers,<BR>6 Hill View,<BR>Timsbury,<BR>Bath,<BR>BA2
0EL.<BR>Tel: 01761 233757<BR><A href="http://www.bell-hangers.com"
target=_blank>www.bell-hangers.<WBR>com</A></FONT></DIV></FONT>
<P></P></DIV>
<DIV style="COLOR: white"
width="1"></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR>
<P></P></DIV><!--End group email --></BODY></HTML>