Dove / lost rings / national bell register

[fartwell2000]

--- In bellhistorians at y..., David Bryant <djb122 at y...> wrote:
> There has been discussion on various of the email lists about Dove, 
the
> definition of lost rings and the possibiluty of a national bell
> register, and I think there is scope for well informed discussion 
of all
> on this list - all seem to tie up together, anyway.
> 
> Firstly, Dove and lost rings. I've heard very few people comment
> favourably on the latest Dove. It has fours now, which is good, but
> other than that it is considerably worse than previous editions. 
Chimes
> are now excluded (why?) and this makes the question of whether a 
ring is
> just unringable or has been 'lost' by being converted into a chime 
much
> moree pertinent, as if it's considered a chime it will be removed,
> rather than placed in italics as previously. Likewise, heavy, lost 
and
> transferred bells have gone. I would like to see all of these 
return,
> and I know many others think likewise. Why were they removed? Is it 
just
> that it was too much effort to update them.
> 
> I have to say I've been disappointed by the attitude of the 
compilers of
> 'Dove'. I was specifically asked to advise on semitones, but when I 
did
> my suggestions were largely ignored and the result is the present
> illogical way of desribing them - descriptions such as 13 plus 6b 
are
> NOT correct. Technically, 13 plus 7b is, or more sensibly 12 plus 0 
and
> 6b, as in earlier editions of Dove. What was the problem with that? 
So
> far as I can gather, there is no intention to put the removed 
sections
> back for the next edition, nor to use a more logical description for
> semitones.
> 
> 
I personally am very dissapointed with the latest Dove.
Perhaps the compilers will consider reverting back to a 
similar style of previous additions-Too much has been dropped from 
the latest edition.
I like looking at various installations-rings and chimes and I used 
to find the listings of chimes very useful when planning bell hunts.
I would welcome the addition of three bell towers to Dove.
Have the compilers really thought about what was wanted in the 
present edition,and if so what was the reason for dropping so much of 
the previously useful content?
Alan