<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:10pt"><div><span>When I learned to ring at Ormskirk around 1980, I was told by some of the surviving pre-war ringers (John "Jack" Brown and Jim Dilworth) that young lads were urged to use the toe <br></span></div><div><span>straps on the tenor box when ringing the old 25 cwt tenor in order to encourage growth spurts! I always had the impression that they were not entirely winding me up!</span></div><div><br><span></span></div><div><span>Bryan McCahey<br></span></div><div><br></div> <div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div dir="ltr"> <font face="Arial" size="2"> <hr size="1"> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> Dennis Powney <dennis.powney@53JFj8jOwt-N186uU0CbOv7egokihYsOuiFhKRMJuSiftZn8zvF43GLDPiiKFmUZhKSEuTxSSZ1bajcvTbI.yahoo.invalid><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b>
Historians Bell <bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com> <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, May 9, 2012 12:11 PM<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [Bell Historians] Toe loops [1 Attachment]<br> </font> </div> <br>
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<div>Toe loops were present at Bromham Wilts, 6 bells, until we removed them<br>
prior to laying a carpet about 30 years ago. I was told by 'Bert Hughes<br>
c.1885 -c.1960 that in bygone years the ringers frequently chimed the bells<br>
for services and that the toe loops were used for that purpose. Perhaps if<br>
the band was short of six competent ringers then non ringers could be<br>
co-opted and quickly shown how to chime, so ensuring that all six bells<br>
sounded each Sunday? Thinking about it this may have been a good way of<br>
attracting ringing recruits from the congregation! I did not realise that<br>
the toe loops may have been rather unique or I would not have disposed of<br>
them. From my memory the metal parts that secured the leather strap to the<br>
wooden floor looked as though made by the village blacksmith. The floor<br>
below each strap was quite worn away showing that many shoes, and hob-nailed<br>
boots, had slid into them over the years.<br>
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Dennis Powney.<br>
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