[Bell Historians] The ongoing evolution of Dove online

[Matthew Higby]

Richard, pretty much as I thought! Clearly the pre-database info would be harder to obtain. Historic info can usually be obtained from county books or by dropping an email to Chris Pickford or George Dawson, who are pleased to share their archived information. 

I can see that if you required a significant amount of information, (I.e. changes to several hundred/thousand towers That you may have rung at) would be met with some resistance!

Best wishes,

Matthew

Sent from my iPhone

> On 5 Jul 2020, at 06:33, Richard Johnston <johnstonrh at rhj.org.uk> wrote:
> 
> Matthew Higby
> 
>> I have in numerous occasions asked the dove trustees for archive
>> information from the dove database, and have been presented it without
>> question. Information which pre-dates the creation of the online database
>> would (of course) be harder to obtain.
> 
> I am pleased to hear it, but this is the relevant part of the 
> exchange I had with "Dove Web Contact" in December 2011, which left 
> me with a different impression:
> 
> Me:
> 
> I am updating my old records of tower visits, and some tower/ bell 
> details have changed since my visit.  Is it possible to obtain 
> information about the previous installations in a tower?
> 
> Reply:
> 
> Am afraid not, Richard.  With the observed rate of change (currently 
> 4 changes per day) it is almost a full-time job (and unpaid!) keeping 
> track of the current situation as time goes by.  We DO happen to 
> retain superseded pNBR data ... but only from the point at which the 
> pNBR work started (our first datum was dated October 2005).  As to 
> the simple Dove entry, our changed info goes back (but is not 100% 
> complete even then) to about March 2003 although there are occasional 
> indications of previous tenor weights.  
> 
> What might be your best approach is to find someone in your locality 
> who has a complete set of all 9 printed editions of Dove.  Where do 
> you live / ring? - I might be able to suggest someone.  
> 
> Richard Johnston
> 
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