[Bell Historians] St. Margaret Kings Lynn

[Bickerton, Roderic (SELEX GALILEO, UK)]

"Why mention it then? I don't think this list is interested in hearsay.

RAL"


That's true.

On the subject of Kings Lynn, if one is going to criticise its important
to note whether bells being tough is a matter of odd struck or dropping.
Its much more difficult to get old bells accurately set up and they do
not stay set as well as modern bells. If there is tower movement, within
safe limits, that may well effect go, although as far as I know this is
not an issue at KL.

On a visit to Kings Lynn, last year shortly after re opening, I thought
the ones I rang went well and were not odd struck. Back in 1979 I made
some very un flattering notes about there sound. Last year I found them
still not of the best, but in no way deserving of my 1979 comments so
would think there has been a very considerable improvement.

I make a hobby of revisiting towers after change, my biggest recent
disappointment was Axminster, previously one of the best examples of a
Victorian Whitechapel 8 warm mellow well balanced, a bit out of tune and
very forgiving. Another was the 6 at Bryanstone, previously growly but
very pleasant with no trace of harshness, quite the best Warner 6 in
existence. since being augmented 8, in my opinion they are so totally
spoiled as to count as a loss.
 
To keep it in perspective, I have revisited over 1000 changed towers,
almost all are very successful, the number of disasters being counted on
one hand, that's about 0.5%.
Probably another 1-2 % or so are a slight disappointment, the most
common single cause being the retention of a poor tenor. 
 
My only real criticism of modern hanging practice is the almost
universal change over to double row self aligning bearings from single
row spherical cage bearings.
My reason for this is that the older single row cassettes lasted for as
long as they stay clean, where as the double row bearings, being point
contact do ware out, sometimes in less than 30 years.
As a pare of bearings cost less than a single bell rope, (standard
stockist price, bearing, not full pillow block) its more of an
irritation than a serious problem.
 
I also believe changing a bearing does not require a faculty.
Its designed as a consumable replicable item.
its change is no change to the fabric or installation, and providing the
old cassette is left in church nothing has been removed from the
building.
No more likely to require special permission than changing a tap or ball
valve washer.

________________________________

From: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
[mailto:bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Robert Lewis
Sent: 22 June 2009 20:45
To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Bell Historians] St. Margaret Kings Lynn


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At 16:50 22/06/2009, Jim Hedgcock wrote:

>I have also heard concerned comments relating to two twelves from 
>other and different bell founders/ bell hangers but hesitate from 
>becoming the whipping boy for airing those views.

Why mention it then? I don't think this list is interested in hearsay.

RAL


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