Neglected Towwers

[David Bryant]

John Adams wrote:

> how many other rings have gone negelected because A.N.Other said they
> were past it, and nobody has been there since to look? Doesn't this happen
> often enough with church architects condeming the structure of a tower, only
> for the successor architect to then say it was perfectly OK in the first
> place?

Yes - certainly happens. I used to be in charge of a tower where the
local band had disintegrated as a result of the arrchitect stopping
ringing because there was a crack in the tower. This had actually long
been there, and strengthening measures including inserting a ring-beam
had been taken in the 1950s, so there was no problem. The architect
later changed his mind and decided that it was fine for the bells to be
rung, but they weren't for several years until I 'discovered' the
neglected tower and started a band again - the bells were quite a nice
six, which had been rehung in a new frame by Taylor's in the 50s and
went very well. Ringing every week plus a few quarters and peals on them
didn't do any harm - what a surprise!

David