[Bell Historians] Big single ringing bells

[David Cawley]

Yes, Fred did do that, as he recounted when I was staying up at Launton; but I don't think he asked the Dean of Christ Church! The bell is (was) not chained up as it is swung only rarely; there are two tolling hammers - one for the clock and the other, which has (had) a conventional bell rope on it for tolling the 101 curfew strokes each night; the main rope is (was) a sallyless "gym" type.

There is a wonderful story about Great Peter of Gloucester being rung for the last time in 1878 in Gloucestershire (Bliss & Sharpe); and I am sure there must be something about Gt Tom of Lincoln which JRK will know about - or perhaps he was himself present :-)

The other "Great Paul" - in St Paul's Brighton was hung for ringing between 1873 and 1960, when it was rehung in the surviving and reconstructed part of the old frame for slow swinging. Before 1873 it and the other four bells (which thus formed 1,2,3,4,8 of an intended heavy eight) were hung with quarter-wheels. Now overhauled it is one of the -many- sights and sounds of Brighton.

DLC
----- Original Message ----- 
From: khsbelring at a... 
To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2003 12:09 AM
Subject: Re: [Bell Historians] Big single ringing bells


I spent some time with a Michael Denyer when we were both printing 
apprentices. On one occasion when I was chatting to his Dad, whom I knew very 
well , Charlie Denyer ( ex Ringing World Editor ) did tell me that he and 
Fred Sharpe had got special permission and actually rung Great Tom of Oxford 
up to the balance and stood it all be it without a stay. From what I 
understood , at that time, I was under the impression that Great Tom was 
actually chained to stop it swinging too far. Charlie Denyer did insist that 
they had stood it. hope this is of interest. Howard E. J. Smith.

Yahoo! Groups Sponsor 





This message was sent to you via the Bell Historians' Mailing List. To unsubscribe from the list send an email to bellhistorians-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]