[Bell Historians] Mirfield

[Andrew Aspland]

I have to admit to never having rung at Mirfield, am I to consider
myself lucky?! Do they still have Yorkshire tail ends?

Yes indeed they do have YTEs - as if ringing there was not difficult enough
anyway.

What is it that makes them poor? Are they a mixed bunch or by one
founder? If they are by one founder, why was the bill for them paid?!
Does the tower help or hinder?

They are a complete Taylor ten cast in 1869. As originally cast the treble
was nearly a semitone sharp (second of twelve) but this has now been
corrected. They were put on ball bearings in 1934 and treble and fourth on
CI headstocks around 1980 (when the treble was retuned).

The tower is large and solid - the ringing room of a reasonable height and
quite well presented - the entry in Dove "10, 30-1-22 in D" looks good but
they are a real effort to ring, sound unimpressive and don't match up the
other bells in the area. If well maintained and in London they would
probably have a following!

They are reputed to be a Grimthorpe ring and whilst Doncaster, Ossett and
Far Headingley took advantage of cheap recasts in the first part of the C20
Mirfield were quite happy with their bells and didn't want them recast -
fools! Did St Paul's ever get the offer? Burton on Trent were redone
weren't they?

I went to do some maintenance before a peal a few years ago and found the
sixth hanging about 10mm loose on its headstock! There is much bumping when
the bells are rung and a quarter of Bob Royal on the tenor was about all I
could stand.

I think there are worse tens - for me North Shields are such a clunky sound
that the reward is nil even if the effort is not great. I think the worst
ten might be one of those rather light tens with no musical quality to
reward you - and not enough effort required to save you a trip to the gym.

Andrew