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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Chris is quite correct about Starmer needing a
proper write-up. Some readers may recall my references to him in cnnection with
the former ring of three at St John, Eastbourne, in a Christmas Issue of the
RW article two or three years ago concerning lost towers along the Sussex
Coast.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I have found and in part read at
Loughborough an amazing amount of correspondence outwards, largely from E
Denison Taylor, which is in the main filed in Taylors' letter books. More
importantly there are a number of files which are laden with original letters
from WWS. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>What has always fascinated me is the fact that in
the midst of his involvement with Taylors (and the mutual respect which grew
between EDT and WWS), he became involved in 1919 with the bells of two
churches in Tunbridge Wells. At St Peter's, the parish church (where he was
organist) the old Warner eight was recast, not by JT & Co but by Gillett
& Johnston, and a very good ring they are. Not far away is the impressive
tower of St Luke's which contains a chime of eight - approximately the same
weight as St Peter's bells, and cast to ringing weights, also by Gillett &
Johnston. You can read about both installations on Lovesguide.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>In both cases he is described on the tenor bell as
CAMPANIS PERITO (bell expert), an appelation also employed on some of the Taylor
bells with which he was involved.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>From reading some of the correspondence I get the
impression that Starmer was very knowledgeable about his subject and was also a
considerable musician.That there was real friendship between him and E D T is
confirmed in the cordiality of their letters. Starmer has been portrayed (not
least by Jennings) as rather a pompous, self-opinionated figure, largely on the
strength of his styling himself "Professor of Campanology" at Birmingham
University (he was in fact Lecturer), but as with most things, the
tone of the letters gives another side to the story.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Starmer also got a bad ringing press through his
involvement with the Coventry affair, but other correspondence shows him to
have respect for change ringing and change ringers, even though his personal
interest lay in the world of the carillon.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>DLC</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=c.j.pickford.t21@GpNDdhlETY4Z-RKPq6UhHiKkNZ2RWmnuBT8YSkpZG_Tz9Pbztu5Zag_p_LJJkLpkd98tJMHk0CC6H-JnDhyEiyIbfGHhtg6KfLjHeAHss751.yahoo.invalid
href="mailto:c.j.pickford.t21@wBXrwwQlTKtDojQX4Ek52QiNl9lpnLurh6190sS3MiacOyq-3ob8VjtBYZpQzN-x1p6DmsCRjxOvLc5IgOAWfL-l_evKmY71GQ.yahoo.invalid">c.j.pickford.t21@btinternet.com</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> Monday, December 03, 2012 10:48
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bell Historians] W W
Starmer</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><SPAN style="DISPLAY: none"> </SPAN>
<DIV id=ygrp-text>
<P>Starmer still needs a proper write up I think, but there's useful stuff in
Jennings "master of my art" and maybe in Jill Johnston's book too. Can't check
right now as out of the country and sans ordinateur!<BR>C
<DIV>Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange</DIV>
<HR>
<DIV><B>From: </B>"Andrew Aspland" <<A
href="mailto:aaspland@yCuuys7UoKw8ZHiqirpO1H0SSaVABPwvhyClFrlWkDeWq9YqhUGZ9er6bLxpq458KhNdeR8waVK7HfE.yahoo.invalid">aaspland@yCuuys7UoKw8ZHiqirpO1H0SSaVABPwvhyClFrlWkDeWq9YqhUGZ9er6bLxpq458KhNdeR8waVK7HfE.yahoo.invalid</A>> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sender: </B><A
href="mailto:bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com">bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Date: </B>Mon, 3 Dec 2012 10:18:59 -0000</DIV>
<DIV><B>To: </B><bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com></DIV>
<DIV><B>ReplyTo: </B>bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com </DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject: </B>[Bell Historians] W W Starmer</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><SPAN> </SPAN>
<DIV id=ygrp-text>
<P>
<DIV dir=ltr>
<DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<DIV>Can anyone point me to an article either by or about W W Starmer and his
interest in bells. From Taylors records I find that he had various bells
cast for him. Also Dr Moody organist of Ripon Cathedral writes, at the
time of the recasting of the Cathedral bells, that he wishes he still had his
freind Starmer to advise him.</DIV>
<DIV>Yours</DIV>
<DIV>Andrew</DIV></DIV></DIV>
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