[Bell Historians] (unknown)

[Michael Wilby]

Bill H:

> Three different things about these bells:
> 
> 1) I was very fond of their sound - as a casual
visitor, not as 
> someone who had to ring on them every week! They
were astonishing, 
> especially the tenor, and I was very glad they found
a new home. With 
> the loss of St Bride's, whatever one's view of their
sound, these 
> bells are historically very important.

I think this is a fair view. They were a unique
sound, but I 
don't suppose I would have appreciated ringing on them
week-in week-out
as they were. Norman Summerhayes once described St
Bride's as being
"somewhere between (the old) St Martin's-in-the-Fields
and (the old) 
Shoreditch". Not necessarily praise...

> 2) (I have told this tale before, but the benefit of
advancing age is 
> that one can tell stories over and over). When the
bells were 
> refurbished between the wars, I understand the tenor
was actually on 
> the tuning machine at Whitechapel, but was taken off
untuned because 
> there was some discussion over payment of the bill.
If anyone can 
> give a substantiated version of this tale I'd be
glsd to hear it.

I'd heard it too, but the other way round: that tuning
had already started on
the tenor when the money ran out. The tenor was taken
off partially tuned
but the other eleven were untouched. The fittings
were cobbled together,
and a very large clapper put in the tenor. This would
certainly explain its
sound, and how all the bells have dramatically
improved since their recent
tuning. Any other versions of the story?

MPAW.

=====


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