[Bell Historians] Ice Cream Rings (was Scrap Metal Prices)

[David Cawley]

Reminds me of the good old days at St Alphege Whitstable (formerly Seasalter) Kent. My father was CW and there was just one bell of 12 1/2-cwt and eight tubes. I asked Paul Taylor & Bill Hughes to quote for a ring of six totalling 12 1/2-cwt with a 2' 0" tenor. PLT quoted £1350 and WAH £960 for such a ring in E and G respectively. That was complete and installed in the tower.

We were then given the five front bells - two of them in pieces - from Tottington, Norfolk, totalling 14-cwt. So we had these specifically recast and added a treble for St Alphege; the big bell and the tubes practically paid for the job.

As far as the bells themselves were concerned, JT&Co had the edge on WBF because their bells were that much deeper-toned. But the trebles were cast to sizes more appropriate to a chime. It didn't stop the expression 'ice-cream rings' being used. But the Whitechapel bellhanging was far superior to Taylors, not least because the wheels were comfortably oversized for ease of ringing.

The destruction of the front four of the heavy five at Avebury and its replacement by a small ring of six was the unacceptable side of the 'ice-cream' saga. But I do not regret the Seasalter experience. In its early days it was an excellent and successful teaching recource for quite young ringers. But I wish I'd gone for a 4 1/2-cwt tenor instead of 3 1/2; or at least waited a year while WBF sorted out their gauges and started to produce F# and F rings. When PLT came on an outing he said, "What a waste of metal" (his ring would have been in E). I was quick enough to remind him of his experience at a certain JT 'ice-cream' dedication and replied "Well, they go better than Rochford."   

DLC
 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Peter Kirby 
  To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 10:12 AM
  Subject: RE: [Bell Historians] Scrap Metal Prices



  Lightcliffe (8, 4cwt) were, I believe, cast (1970) on that basis - formerly 8, 20cwt!  Presumably Pateley Bridge as well.



  -----Original Message-----
  From: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com [mailto:bellhistorians at hYyAa86o97-RjRLH4ElDij2WClylpuw2RRRTDooj1jz5wITkQG6RLMY3Rbt8rK8g10_XJG1HKDb-emNsyWcSbqgVkeU.yahoo.invalidom] On Behalf Of Andrew Aspland
  Sent: 31 May 2007 09:52
  To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
  Subject: [Bell Historians] Scrap Metal Prices



  The quadrupling of copper prices (and I assume tin is similar)  means that we could be back in the 1970s scenario when several heavy rings of bells were recast into much lighter peals with the excess metal paying for the work.  This also makes the acquisition of second hand bells (even bad ones) worthwhile.

  Andrew







              
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