[Bell Historians] Re: Steel bells

[Richard Grimmett]

Thank you to George Dawson and Towergrabber.

George's list has proved very interesting and given me much more flavour 
for the existing steel bells.  Towergrabber's tip has allowed me to 
compile a list of extant rings very quickly, although not chimes.

Some of you may be aware that I am a trustee of a charity raising funds 
to replace the steel 8 at Moseley.  We are intending to install a 18cwt 
ring of 10 modelled on three bells (the future abck three) we have 
already purchased from Keltek which came from Greenock (Gillett & 
Johnston 1950).

It is astonishing that ringing has been maintained since restoration in 
1991 and some ringers taught on the existing bells, albeit in 
compromised fashion.  There is no appetite to restore the existing ring, 
but there is to replace them - which I don't find particularly 
surprising given that funds are usually raised by a group associated 
with using the instrument in question - and in this case it is the 
ringers at the tower (many of which are members of the congregation) and 
the local PCC who have started this project!  However we anticipate the 
removal of the last steel 8 to be an emotive topic and are pursuing 
routes that would lead to their preservation, albeit in unringable form 
in a museum.

If any members of the list would like to hear the bells then visit:
<http://www.stmarysbells.org> where you will find links to videos of 
ringing on the bells.  Let me know whether you laughed or cried please!

Richard