[Bell Historians] Spare H Frames.

[David Cawley]

This reminds me of the encounter between a certain architect in Kent and the famous Harry Parkes, Principal Bellhanger at Whitechapel, when the eight bells at Mersham were being restored in the late 1960's. They'd previously hung in what could only be described as the remains of a hollow-square 4-bell frame of some age. The architect (a SPAB member) wanted at least the foundation beams retained - Harry's direct response was, "Mr Architect, please give me permission to remove these beams. I will personally deliver them to you and set them out in your garden, and when you get up each day you can open the window and look at the buggers!"

My own experience with SPAB has been mercifully limited, but one occasion immediately comes to mind from my Bristol DAC Adviser days. It was a ring of five in a very short tower of only two stages. The frame was mid 17th-century, and despite the usual sundry patchings was physically 'all there'. However structural distress was becoming apparent in the tower. Before my time an estimate for a new frame etc was obtained, the old to be cleared out. My own feeling was that it was a good, if not significant example of a frame designed for change-ringing bells, made at the time of the rise of change-ringing. As it was no longer fit for ringing, and as bells could not be hung beneath it, I suggested that the frame should receive basic repair to allow it to be hoisted and placed upon two new foundation beams higher in the tower, with a new frame for six in its place. Again, there was a SPAB architect, and his and the Society's response was both negative and acrimonious. What especially galled me was that it was stated that the architectural history of the tower would be compromised if the old frame was raised in it for purposes of preservation; further, that the introduction of two new beams to support it would compromise its integrity; the latter despite the fact that all three original primary suporting beams had themselves been replaced around 1900 - presumably not "compromising the frame's integrity". The bells remain unringable.

DLC
  
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Humpers 
  To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 12:19 PM
  Subject: Re: [Bell Historians] Spare H Frames.


    Send them to SPAB.  I'll pay postage :-)

  Mark



  2009/10/23 <matthewhigby at Lo0Vs4ZXjYG60sl62yjMA1R5TjszMFW_6jkSliFZiokGwpUXdmZTfzouKF0Fz5_ts4-SuL1xPklBKyDh2ZrH.yahoo.invalid>

      

    Dows anyone want 3 suprlus Gillett & Johnston H type sideframe castings? They are in good order. dimensions available on request. Free to collector, but I need them gone by the end of next week or they're going in the scrap skip!

    Matthew 
    07971 441042

    Matthew Higby & Company Ltd,
    Church Bell Engineers,
    6 Hill View,
    Timsbury,
    Bath,
    BA2 0EL.
    Tel: 01761 233757
    www.bell-hangers.com




             
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