[Bell Historians] digital recordings and other things

[jimhedgcock]

I support what David says concerning the ringing at Star Street. 
Around the time that I was in Canterbury(1966-1970) there was ringing 
arranged at a number of London 'unringables' - Prebend Street, 
Islington, Shadwell, Walworth, Hammersmith, Pimlico(10) Bermondsey 
etc. I believe that these activities were organised by the same 
group of people. I also understood that attempts were made at Star 
SStreet, but as David says, the tower movement was alarming and only 
small combinations of bells were rung. Hence my surprise at reading 
that there was a recording of them.--- 

In bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com, "David Cawley" <dcawley at w...> 
wrote:
> I'd forgotten that I turfed Jim off St Dunstan's tenor: one of 
the "niceties" :)
> 
> I am, pretty certain that we have discussed Star Street on this 
page before. However, and very briefly, they were last rung in 1933 
according to RHD, which is just before JT&Co put in the Ellacombe.
> 
> I visited the ruined church of St Michael, Star Street several 
times, and took details. On 4th November 1966 we did ring one of the 
4 bells in the top tier up - the 3rd, I think - and there was 
sufficient visible movement from outside to convince us that even 
that was a risky undertaking. 
> 
> I would be very surprised to hear that the bells had been rung 
after 1933; more especially after the bombing had compromised the 
tower stability of the tower; and cerrtainly after c1962 when kids 
got in and set the clock room alight. Several of the bell wheels were 
severely damaged.
> 
> I think that the JP recording of St Dunstan's is the only one, and 
I had understood that someone was going to "clean it up" and make it 
available.
> 
> DLC
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: jameshedgcock at h... 
> To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com 
> Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2003 9:44 PM
> Subject: [Bell Historians] digital recordings and other things
> 
> 
> I was pleased to read somewhere that digital recordings of Star 
> Street and St. Dunstan in the East, London, amongst others, are 
to be 
> released for sale.
> I also remember reading that certain bells' reputations get 
better 
> the further into history passes the last event of their ringing.
> I was not aware that Star Street had been rung. I had always 
> understood that the ringing of selected bells/ combination of 
bells 
> caused excessive tower movement and that even those intrepid 
> individuals decided against ringing them. Christopher?
> In 1969, as a new student in Canterbury, I took the opportunity 
to go 
> up to London, to collect a few towers on the University of London 
> Dinner Day. London held a fascination for me, and I was 
excessively 
> keen to ring at the London towers. Until that time I had only 
rung 
> at St. Martin in the Fields (badly), although Dennis Beresford 
was 
> very kind to me; and at Stepney. I had listened to Bow and St. 
> Clement Danes on a Lord Mayor's Show day and had been impressed 
with 
> the standard of ringing and quality of the bells.
> To everyone's surprise, and delight St. Dunstan in the East were 
> opened for ringing. This was the occasion when I was introduced 
to 
> one of the niceties of London ringing. You don't catch hold of a 
> bell in some places until you are asked to do so. No such 
niceties 
> where I came from, where you could catch hold for anything you 
could 
> ring - and things you couldn't. I remember well David Cawley 
turfing 
> me off the tenor for Stedman Triples and Ranald being asked to 
ring 
> it. My indignity was restored somewhat when David kindly asked 
me to 
> ring in the next touch.
> This is where, wearing my full body armour, flack jacket, and tin 
> hat, I poke my head above the parapet to state that the bells 
that 
> most impressed me that day were Cripplegate.
> John Pladdys has a rather poor recording of St. Dunstan's, so I 
will 
> be pleased to have my memory refreshed. I just hope that 
technology 
> is not used to enhance what the sound actually was.
> My other lasting memory of the day was scrounging a lift to St. 
> Dunstan's with George Bonham and his friend in a bubble car!
> 
> 
> On another matter, I am pleased that Nigel Taylor was so kind as 
to 
> make comment about Liverpool Cathedral tenor. Thank you. I 
eagerly 
> await further comment about the initial question.
> 
> 
> 
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