[Bell Historians] Re: Bixley, Norfolk

[Richard Offen]

--- In bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com, "Neil Skelton" 
<neil.tcct at v...> wrote:
> It may be that the two Phelp's bells were stored temporarily in 
Burham Old
> Church after removal from the 'new' church which was demolished 
1981.
> Certainly they were not there on 11th July, 1980 when I 
photographed and
> took a rubbing of the de
> Wymbish bell on 11th July, 1981.
> 
> At the time of the theft I was TCCT Field Officer for Kent. I 
discovered
> the theft of the de Wymbish bell in 1982 after the church been 
broken into
> within a day or two of my visit. The tragedy of this was that after
> pressing, what was then the Redundant Churches Fund, to get the 
bell hung in
> the tower and had been doing so for two years, it was stolen a 
matter of
> days before it was due to be hoisted back to its former home.
> 
> I am in possession of a set of photocopied newspaper cuttings 
relating to
> the removal of
> the bells showing one of the Phelp's bells being lowered by 
Richard Offen
> and Sean Smith. Anotations by DLC give the date of this operation 
as 1981?
> This date does not tie in with earlier date on which the de Wymbish 
bell was
> returned to the old church which was definitely there in 1980! The 
name of
> the publication(s) and dates are missing. As any
> historian should know it is essential to include the name and date 
of
> publication! Quite apart from the interests of accuracy, it does 
aid a
> failing memory!
> 
> Neil Skelton.

Hmm! Interesting. When I get back to the UK next month, I'll look 
through my files and see what dates I have for all the operations at 
Burham!

R