[Bell Historians] Copy of a letter to the RW re Church bells.

[Richard Offen]

--- In bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com, "Ken Webb" <kenwebb at r...> 
wrote:
> All
> Any comments?
> Ken
> 
> 
> Sir,
> 
> Time to list the bad as well as the good?
> 
> I think we need to change the focus & look at the total stock of 
bells,
> bellfittings & bellframes in churches.
> 
> The mandatory CofE church quinquennial states what is poor & needs 
attention
> now or soon - I suggest paid experts need to produce quinquennials 
regarding
> bells, bell fittings & bellframes. I suggest bells & frames are 
generally
> ignored unless the ringers identify a problem - out of sight, out 
of mind?
> The bell trade should be paid to examine & report on bells, 
fittings & frame
> every 5 or 10 years - they are the full-time experts with wide 
experience of
> the good & bad. The report should include details of the 
ringability of the
> bells - so, where the bells are ringable, would include a member of 
the
> belltrade personally ringing each of the bells with a typical band. 
A copy
> of the report would go to the PCC, local ringers, the DAC, local 
ringing
> association etc. The report would include an analysis of the tuning 
& tone
> of the bells, the quality of the casting, the rarity of bells by the
> founder, soundbow wear, clapper suspension safe etc. The report 
would
> recommend work, including tuning, recasting & rehanging where the 
existing
> installation was less than good. This report would be used to 
support
> proposed work & grant applications. There would need to be 
consistency of
> judgement & reporting.
> 

This is an extremely laudable idea, but not one, I fear, that would 
be practical. 

I am sure that the foundries and bell hangers would say they simply 
do not have the staff to carry out regular inspections of the type 
you described above. The cost of recruiting, training and 
maintaining a band of 'bell inspectors' (wouldn't mind the job 
myself!), not to mention paying exorbitant indemnity insurance 
premiums for them, would have to be reflected in the fee charged for 
such services. This would, no doubt, run to several hundred pounds 
per inspection.

At present, the diocesan authorities foot the bill for quinquennial 
inspections. Knowing how the church authorities continually plead 
poverty these days, I very much doubt if they would be willing or 
able to foot the bill for such additional specialist advice. 
Speaking as a former churchwarden, I can't think that many parishes 
would be able to afford, or justify, the regular expense of such an 
inspection either.

I know this sounds negative, but we do need a degree of reality 
sometimes!

R