[Bell Historians] Metal Prices

[David Cawley]

What happened at St Saviour, Leicester, had little to do with metal prices. It was a very political decision. In fact the Vicar would not even let the LDG or other interested persons near the bells (which he personally disliked) even to rescue them at scrap value which they offered. The result was that the allowance was nil, he had to pay for JT and two bellhangers to take them out. He would not allow even one bell to remain for chiming. He then spent another sum on Eayre & Smith for two bellhangers - and a secondhand bell - resulting in about half of the metal value being expended on works where a saving could have been made and (in the case of taking out) was offered.  

St John Maddermarket, Norwich, were taken out and sold for scrap in 1970, when Gilbert Thurlow was Diocesan Adviser, not the mid-1970's when I was. These bells were ringable, although there was organ obstruction. But I did go along with the removal in 1975 of St Gregory's unringable six, the residual value of the metal being used to cast and fit up the two trebles at Beetley and the remainder to 'pump-prime' the Norwich Diocesan Association Bell Restoration Fund.

I have the fate of Tivetshall St Margaret - 1976/7 - at my door. They were a totally derelict five in a remote area, the tenor being split almost in two and the medieval 4th fallen. That was rehung 'dead', the split tenor and very poor toned 19thC third were scrapped. The late Bill Hughes generously kept the two trebles by for 18 months until we failed to find a home for them - he had actually paid the parish for the metal and so was out of pocket for their value at a time when bell metal was fetching a high price.

DLC
    
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Alan Ellis 
  To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2008 1:26 AM
  Subject: Re: [Bell Historians] Metal Prices


  Also at St. John Maddermarket, Norwich, back in the mid-1970s!

  Regards

  Alan



  David Bryant wrote: 

    "The other problem with increasing metal prices is some church authorities are looking at scrapping their "unused" bells as they see it as a way of raising funds. Despite the efforts of the local ringing association officers it looks like a ring of eight will be sold for scrap to raise money for fabric repairs."
     
    This is always a risk at times of high metal prices - isn't this what happened at St Saviour's in Leicester?
     
    Are the bells in question currently ringable?
     
    David



              
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