Broadcast Service

[jim phillips]

A single bell will toll before and after the above service at St Paul's on
Wednesday 9th September. The service will be broadcast on LW and parts
probably on BBC1 and ITV. The bell to be used may be of some interest to
historians as it will be the Philip Wightman bell of 1700 hung for full
circle ringing. The bell will toll for 15 minutes before the service time
of 13.15 and it will also toll for 15 minutes after the service which will
end at approx 14.10. The bell will be rung full circle. The late Ranald
Clouston inspected the bells in October 1976 and recorded the following
details of the bell:-

Inscription: MADE BY PHILIP WIGHTMAN 1700 (Fleur-de-lys border)
Diameter 49&5/8. ins. Approx weight 21cwt. Note Eflat-.12.
Worn soundbow 3&1/16 and 3&1/16 ins
Number of canons. six. Type of straps 2pairs screwed
Lip to shoulder at tangent 34&5/8.ins
Tuning marks. none.

O.S. 5 - 8 - 12 - 23
Simpson. 5 - 9 - 12 - 24

Nominal 618 cycles/sec. Eflat-.12
Fifth 455 " Bflat-.42 5.30
Third 372 " Gflat+.09 8.79
Fundamental 296 " D +.13 12.75
Hum note 163 " E - .20 23.08

The bell has been subsequently rehung by Whites of Appleton on a canon
retaining cast iron headstock. There cannot be many original Wightman bells
hung for full circle ringing. The note approximates to the ninth of the
twelve and was in fact rung to Stedman Cinques by Michael Moreton when the
rope on the ninth broke at the commencement of Sunday afternoon ringing some
30 years ago. It fitted in quite well but made a rather curious rope
circle!