[Bell Historians] Notable Bells of the British Isles

[David Cawley]

In reference to CJP's and Mike Chester's contribution, when I was compiling 
the present "Great Bells" list for the Ringers' Diary, I wrote to quite a 
few local authorities to get particulars. All were very helpful, and quite a 
bit of the information was of use. On 9th December 1980, the Chief Executive 
at The Town Hall and Civic Centre, Sunderland SR2 7DN wrote to me:

Dear Mr Cawley
Bells from Sunderland Old Town Hall
With reference to your letter...the bells, and, in fact, the whole mechanism 
of the clock from the old Town Hall are still in existence.
The four chime bells are stored in the service yard here at the new Town 
Hall and Civic Centre, and the strike bell, which, as you suggest, weighs in 
the region of 4 tons, is stored by my Council's Public Work Department. All 
the bells were cast in 1889 by John Warner & Sons of London.
The clock mechanism is also crated and stored here at the Civic Centre...(it 
is by) Messrs.William Potts & Sons of Leeds.
Up to the present time, no decision has been made as to the future of the 
bells or the mechanism.

Well, that was 25 years ago. Unless anyone knows anything more, I will write 
on the strength of the concluding "do not hesitate to get in touch..." and 
advise the list accordingly.

Happy Easter everybody

DLC

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Chester" <mike at rScOmnbAgW12XPABiDaHswG0Qaiuzoe4UiB2Vn8Mj9-b0c3OQop_FAgewIlqLevjF7EN6ZnWoKNGksbf4Q-8CnLFac4D.yahoo.invalid>
To: <bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, April 14, 2006 7:51 PM
Subject: Re: [Bell Historians] Notable Bells of the British Isles


> --- In bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com, "Chris Pickford"
> <c.j.pickford.t21 at ...> wrote:
> correct weight (clarified by Nigel Taylor)
>>
>> Don't know about Sunderland, and would be interested to hear more
>>
>
> The story, as I have it, is that when the old Town Hall building was
> demolished the quarter bells were stored somewhere in the new Civic
> Centre, (the car park comes to mind for some reason), and the hour
> bell went to a depot just off the Durham Road, (was it Eden Vale,
> Howard?).  All trace of the bells was lost around the mid/late 80s and
> there was certainly nothing there when the depot was redeveloped a few
> years ago.
>
> I think that it is reasonably safe, but not 100% certain, to assume
> that the bells were stolen for scrap.
>
> Mike
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> Yahoo! Groups Links
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