Electronic bells

[Alan J.Birney]

It would seem that some parishes do not seek advice about electronic 
bells and electric chiming systems with regard to the bell 
installations they allready have eg.
Lancashire-chime of eight tubes,very easily refurbished at little cost
(we are talking under two hundred pounds to do the job properly). one 
bell required rehanging on the frame,all frame treating,new rope on 
one bell,hammers rustproofing,etc- all well within the means of 
anyone in the parish with enough get and go in them.
North Yorkshire-ringable set of three bells now rendered unringable 
due to electric chimimg hamers being fitted in the swinging path of 
each bell-this job was done by the clock company Andrew refers to.
But what about this-about ten years ago,I was working my 
way through looking at bells in the churches in Preston,Lancs.
I arranged to look at a single bell installation,but when I got 
there,the bell had been removed a couple of weeks before and had been 
sold.
Talking to a ringing cleric who lived in the area at that time 
revelealed some amazing information-the church in question had no 
permission to remove the bell and sell it,nor had they applied for 
permission. The information had been kept in the parish until my 
visit.
What a waste,a bell that was deralict sold for a few hundred pounds 
scrap value.
Alan