[Bell Historians] St Clement Danes Strand

[alantaylor1 at _r9MdrBhhCKG3cBYQ7s2vV15Mq-8pyWH5O5OVE9jLyN9ya6zzV0VfBjGk_ei98nRtD1UM_MHb6bqOWXpxQ5-euc9xZ508wt1.yahoo.invalid]

As I said in my last posting, I will check again in the Westminster Archives
Centre about the 12th bell.

The carillon machine has been replaced Alan. The tower was hit by lightning
some 6 months ago. And, as the bell frame is attached to the lightning
conductor, the hammer solenoids and the carillon machine itself, plus the
clock, were burnt out.

The new machine is programmed to play about 60 tunes. And can be programmed
for more if wanted. I should say that we had no option. The old machine was
obsolete and the new is now standard. All in all it cost about £30,000. I am
pleased to say that the insurance company paid up.

In fact the extra tunes are now being used. Australia House requested their
National anthem and waltzing Matilda on Australia day. This we did. The
occupants of Australia House stood outside to listen. 

Whereas before the lightning strike the Sanctus bell was used,
electronically, as a service bell (Not a partially lovely sound) I have now
programmed it to ring the Angelus 3 times a day. The flat 4th is now the
service bell.

Each morning at 10am "Morning has Broken" sounds. Each afternoon at 5pm "Now
the Day is over". Over the Christmas period a number of carols were
programmed. I will in fact change the tunes from season to season. "Oranges
and Lemons" plays as before with an extra performance at 9pm. Yes, there are
people about at 9pm. In fact we now open the church when evening ringing is
going on. Sometimes 2/3 times a week. The bells bring in a lot of visitors.
We are lucky that there is no one living nearby to complain. I should say
that all bands are now meet by Michael Sprackling or myself. Ringers are no
longer allowed to collect the church keys.

You might remember Alan, that the "Air Force March" was far too slow. Well
you can alter the speed of any tune on the new machine.

To bring this totally up to date, we had all of the bearing replaced in the
year before last. Most of the runner boards and pulleys. And 4 of the
clappers had new tops fitted. This work was done by Whitechapel. David Town
now has the contract for an annual maintaince visit. And recently, with John
from Northallerton, sorted out the appalling oddstruckness. We will be
tackling the problem of the audibility, in the ringing room, of the bells on
the top frame very soon.

Alan

I query the posting from  Alan Taylor that there was an extra bell for
the carillon before the war. The inscription on the bell does not
support his proposal.
The ringing peal all have RECAST 19 FM 55 on the waist. The tenor has
on the opposite side RECAST 19 FM 79 WHITECHAPEL (on three lines).   
    The flat fourth the D bell has on the waist 19 FM 55.
It may be that this note was only required for the 'RAF' march
past.The other tunes are 'Oranges and Lemons' which is played at 9am,
12noon,3 & 6 pm ; and the 'Old Hundredth'. The carillon machine was
destroyed in the war, the tunes are now played from a computer chip.
The sanctus bell survived the blitz because it was hung at the top of
the tower. It was cast at Whitechapel by Robert Mot in 1588. The
Sanctus and the D bell are hung from a girder on the top tier together
with 5,6,7.

Alan




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