[Bell Historians] Unusual clock chimes

[Andrew Aspland]

He might even write a foreword as well.
A
  -----Original Message-----
  From: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com [mailto:bellhistorians at Gg0Y9t5f8ZYvjRP9ZxGhUVS1NvGkKjO0h9wq3TiHPOb_2KME-M8IJlDipCP69SFLfZEnCBpiiI-YPqQXv35d5KFz3w.yahoo.invalidom]On Behalf Of Dickon Love
  Sent: 06 November 2009 11:19
  To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
  Subject: RE: Re: [Bell Historians] Unusual clock chimes


    
  Mark,

  Sounds to me as if you should ask The University Bellringer to write a forward for this production...

  DrL

  -original message-
  Subject: RE: Re: [Bell Historians] Unusual clock chimes
  From: "Mark Regan" <markregan at P8Ty5Yb0Na258mo8NoL83QVKxcS4chd5yJhvUbOtm4dmf4ut_oLRYHgea4lftEX4R2bzJa4pEdrVKu9ZZ0Q.yahoo.invalid>
  Date: 06/11/2009 10:39 am

  Thanks you for this Frank. You've set me off in another related area. Another example of why this network is so important. A PhD thesis too?

  Mark

  >----- ------- Original Message ------- -----
  >From: Frank King <Frank.King at yN3OusWqhsaKziwDCY6ntETgEqopR2Es2kN4FKYLz2lXqnnYl7mWmrw83rgEHdb2Wx3rj3m_CCuXPwGDyrk.yahoo.invalid>
  >To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
  >Sent: Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:42:56
  >
  >Dear Mark,
  >
  >> My basic plan is a cd of bells in the UK which
  >tell
  >> the time. This will range from Big Ben to...
  >
  >Ah. If you are going to have Big Ben, then your CD
  >
  >should surely include the original Cambridge
  >Quarters
  >which, any decade now, will be working again on
  >their
  >Phelps bells sounding much as they did in 1793. 
  >They
  >have been out of action most of this year while
  >some
  >other project has been in progress :-)
  >
  >A historical point which might be noted on the
  >sleeve
  >of your CD is a practical reason why we usually
  >divide
  >the 24-hour day into two lots of 12.
  >
  >[Another reason is that before we had equal-hours
  >the
  >system was to divide daylight hours and night-time
  >hours separately into 12-hour periods. In winter,
  >daylight hours would be short and night-time hours
  >long. This so-called unequal-hours scheme was used
  >in
  >Europe until the advent of striking clocks in 13C.]
  >
  >
  >If you have an hour bell that strikes all the
  >hours from 1 to 24 that means 300 dongs a day.
  >
  >If you settle for 1 to 12 that is just 78 dongs
  >or 156 dongs in 24 hours. This reduces the effort
  >involved in winding up clock weights to a little
  >more than half of what it would otherwise be.
  >
  >It is common in Italy to see old clocks that have
  >six-hour dials and which strike just 1 to 6 and
  >hence need only 4x21=84 dongs a day.
  >
  >Curiously, it is also common in Italy to find
  >(modern) 12-hour clocks that strike the relevant
  >hour after chiming each quarter so, say, at
  >half past 10 you get the half-hour chime and
  >then 10 dongs. This means 4x156=624 dongs in
  >a day and I cannot believe that hand-wound
  >versions of such clocks have ever been made!
  >
  >Frank H. King
  >Keeper of the University Clock
  >Cambridge, U.K.

  Mark Regan
  22 Sebright Avenue
  Worcester
  WR5 2HH
  01905 354339
  07971 573688



             
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