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<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">The whole problem of categorisation - as
already implied by several contributors - is that hard and fast rules based on
weight, location, bell type etc just won't work. I do agree with John Harrison
that weight is the logical criterion to apply - but it doesn't work here. It's
the search for an alternative that has led to the discussion</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">If there is to be a divide between
mini-rings and others - given that we're in "personal space" here and in a zone
where imposition of rules from outside won't be acceptable - one option might be
for owners to indicate in which category they feel their ring belongs. This
could be on the basis that once an option had been selected it can't be changed
for convenience (e.g. switching from mini- to other in order to claim record
lengths in both categories) - and there might have to be some scope for "peer
review" to ensure that rings end up in the categories in which "most people"
agree they belong.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">At the end of the day this is about
changeringing performances on these bells - and how to classify them - rather
than about the bells themselves. I do rather think that this leads us away from
thinking about physical properties and recognisable criteria into something
rather more complex - and yet, as DRL suggested earlier, there probably is a
fairly general consensus about what is a mini-ring and what isn't even if it
can't be readily defined in words or rules,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">CP</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>