[Bell Historians] Toe loops [1 Attachment]

[Stephen Stanford]

Interesting, although it is perhaps fortunate that these and other toe
loops were removed 30 years ago. Today, being suitably obsolete and
practically useless, I expect they would have attracted EH attention
for preservation in situ! (Unless of course the H&SE managed to get
there first).

On 5/9/12, Dennis Powney <dennis.powney at Maia-8WofE_49yr5zPB6Hb4iAUt6XNYyQ5rU0vEKHyoGxy51_o4ziqwmPhiFRCr_0GryzU2JsQzNDWcYHg0LRWfwnw.yahoo.invalid> wrote:
> Toe loops were present at Bromham Wilts, 6 bells, until we removed them
> prior to laying a carpet about 30 years ago. I was told by 'Bert Hughes
> c.1885 -c.1960 that in bygone years the ringers frequently chimed the bells
> for services and that the toe loops were used for that purpose. Perhaps if
> the band was short of six competent ringers then non ringers could be
> co-opted and quickly shown how to chime, so ensuring that all six bells
> sounded each Sunday? Thinking about it this may have been a good way of
> attracting ringing recruits from the congregation! I did not realise that
> the toe loops may have been rather unique or I would not have disposed of
> them. From my memory the metal parts that secured the leather strap to the
> wooden floor looked as though made by the village blacksmith.  The floor
> below each strap was quite worn away showing that many shoes, and
> hob-nailed
> boots, had slid into them over the years.
>
> Dennis Powney.
>
>