Emscote

[Mike Chester]

--- In bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com, "David Bryant" 
<davidbryant at h...> wrote:
> Dave Cawley writes the following re. Emscote:
> 
> Re Emscote. Picturesque though Mike Chester's account is, it was in 
fact blown up after the spire had been pulled down to the lower 
lucarnes. 

I have popped into the City Centre and had a look at film of the 
Coventry Evening Telegraph for August 1967 in the Central Library. I 
seems that, for once, David is not quite accurate.

Edition of Aug 2nd - Picture of workmen inside the church, pews gone, 
floorboards being ripped up.

Aug 4th - story stating that there had been an attempt to pull down 
the top of the spire, but the cables, which had been put through the 
louvres by local firemen, simply "cut through the old stone like 
butter". Another attempt was made on the spire was unsuccessful, "it 
rocked but refused to budge" so it they moved to the church itself 
and brought most of if down by pulling out the pillars supporting the 
roof. There are pictures on a different stage showing this happening 
and clearly showing that the spire was still on the tower.

(It also states that the churchwarden, one Mr Ron King, had filmed 
the events for the church records. I wonder if the film survives.)

Aug 16th; headline, "Church tower defies workmen ... then falls.

"After defying several attempts* by demolition workers to pull it 
down during the past fortnight, to the tower of All Saints' Church, 
Emscote eventually cam crashing to the ground - on its own accord".

It is as I suggested, they knocked a corner off the tower and tried 
to pull it over, failed, had a conversation as to what to do next and 
whilst this was happening the tower came down.

The picture on the page is the same as the one I posted and therefore 
it is of the moment that it came down. These events took place the 
previous day.

Mike

*IIRC one of these did involve the use of explosives.