St Michael's Star Street, Paddington

[Susan Dalton]

Someone (Jim Hedgcock?) was asking about the above. The fittings were in a
bit of a state by Sept. 1966, when I first went there to take photographs
etc., so we only pulled up one or two bells singly. The tower didn't fall
down, even though after World War 2 not much of the rest of the church
survived to help to buttress it. Ron Dove told me the story that when he
rang the back 6 between the Wars, with Charlie Kippin and others (May 1933
it was - see RW 23 June 1933), the churchwarden who gave them permission
asked them to wait until he had moved his car away from underneath the tower
before starting to ring.

Bells, frame and fittings were by Warner, 1861. There was a very minor
rehanging, retaining the strap-type gudgeons, in 1912, again by Warner.
Tenor was said to weigh 19-2-14 which would be consistent with diameter of
48.5 inches, note E, and Doncaster head (beg pardon, Doncaster canons we
must call them now). 1, 2, 3, 5 hung on the upper tier and 4, 6, 7, 8 below
and they all swung in the same direction. Tower was built of brick,
rectangular (i.e. oblong) on plan, and walls were 2-and-a-half bricks (i.e.
less than 2 feet) thick at belfry stage.

I was present on May Day 1967 when these really rather impressive bells were
dropped or thrown out, prior to the demolition of the tower - a sad moment.
No Keltek in those days... The metal went to pay for a light 8 at Tooting
Graveney: Tony Clayton can tell you all about that.

Leamington R C church tower must sway every bit as badly as Baldersby would,
or Star Street would have, or Gosport did. I dispute the notion that the
very fine ring of 5 in the magnificent Taylor 1856 iron frame at Kingweston
is too big for the tower. Personally I have a considerable affection for
"over-belled" towers and a huge distaste for piddling little rings of bells
in big towers (no names, no stone circles...) Three cheers to the Venns,
father and son, for ensuring that Hayes (Middx) and St Buryan got suitably
dignified rings while they were about it.

C D