With all the hot temperatures and no rain we have done our own form of rain dance! finally taken the plunge on a quiet practice night to alter the ropes and get them back to a standard sort of length. Watch the rain come and then everyone will moan that the ropes are too short! Our self inflicted problem is that there is about 60Ft of rope "stored" on the top ends for future use so this task involves moving quite a lot of rope to have a very small adjustment. However all ropes have been moved up about six inches and then some practice was had on learning to ring two tower bells at once.
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The trapdoor immediately below the third bell which gives access to the actually bell frame fell apart some years ago. With the winter weather coming a replacement has been made - in sections of course so it can be got up the staircase - this not only stops the third bell from shouting down the tower but also should cut down the draft which rises up the staircase. Our roving retired tower keepers have been up the belfry again checking for crows as they have a habit of nesting inside the bell frame. Once again several access holes were blocked with netting and a small nest high up was checked as empty and then removed. Last time the crows go in they almost stopped the treble from being able to swing in its pit!
After being badly bent for some time the third bell has now got a brand new stay. Our recent batch of learners have are not really responsible at all as it has been bendy for a while now. However the new one is fitted with thanks to Steve Mike and Quentin Bit of a mammoth afternoon fitting the wheel. Found of course that the lower half of the wheel had come off the bell easily as it was shattered. There was not enough room to get it back on. Had to fit the top half of the wheel and then manually ring the bell up by standing on the frame similar to the way "East Bergholt" bells are rung. With the bell up it was easy to fit the lower half of the wheel. Wheel fitted like a glove with all holes lining up lovely. The wheel has had two spokes replaced and some other repairs to make it good again. Remarkably only the two smashed clean through spokes needed replacing. The shorter spoke was made from a suitable length of old desk which was the same weight colour and texture but the longer spoke was made from a length of ash. The mortise joints were machine cut and hand finished. Even some of the original dowels were reused and others were made out of the wood taken from the damaged spokes. Some damage has been glued up but the wheel is now back in good shape and ready to give good service again. Second bell pulled off and must have smashed the stay - unfortunately this dropped between the frames and stopped the treble bell dead in the down position smashing the wheel. Had to remove the wheel through the middle floor doors which have never been used since the floor was installed forty years ago. Wheel parts then went down the spiral stairs for assessment. Will need one new horizontal spar and one spoke on the west side. An unfortunate but quite catastrophic occurrence. The seconds stay is perhaps the easier fix! |
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