BELFRY STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE

During 2006 the Belfry Stewardship Committee (BSC) has been active in both maintenance and assisting in rehanging work in the Guild. At the last Guild AGM Phil Watts stood down as Convenor of the BSC, to go on to a new post as DAC Bells Adviser for the Winchester Diocese and, on behalf of the Guild, I place on record our thanks to him for all his hard work in both the BSC and Bell Stock Survey (BSS) sub-group. We would also like to thank the authorities at St Francis, Valley Park, for allowing us to hold our meetings in the meeting room. I was pleased to be asked to take on the position of Convenor of the BSC, and I am happy to report that we also have co-opted some new members. We welcome Steve Hough (Portsmouth District), Graham Wright (Winchester District) and Christopher Chapman (Alton and Petersfield District).

The Committee have had a number of requests for help with individual Tower projects during the year. These include the removal of the clappers and pulley boxes for an overhaul of Liss, St Mary, and the same at Petersfield. Augmentation work has started at Selborne with the removal of the clock-weight chute and the cupboard from the ringing room with help from the local ringers, and it is hoped that the bell work will start in the spring.

One of our most pleasing projects was the help we gave to Matthew Higby & Co Ltd in the removal of the old Mears & Stainbank ring of three at Alton, All Saints. This involved cutting the pockets in the tower walls to accept the new bell frame, and helping to hang the brand new ring of six. The final result is a splendid 6 cwt ring, cast by Whitechapel Bell Foundry to Gillett & Johnston profiles. The three original bells have all been re-housed.

The situation at Froxfield High Cross is that the bell installation has deteriorated into an unringable condition. Fundraising is well underway, and the existing bells will be re-hung on new frame and fittings subject to faculty. The BSC will give help with the removal of the bells and fittings.

The future for bell restoration work within the Guild during 2007 looks healthy. We are hoping to run a basic Belfry Maintenance Course in conjunction with one of the Guild’s Education days. A Belfry Stewardship Committee web page with information and photographs of some of the work we have been involved with will be available later in the year.

The Bell Stock Survey (BSS) sub-group have been busy collecting information for this Guild-wide survey, and upgrading the database. The purpose of the Bell Stock Survey is to provide the Guild’s BRF Trustees with a wider picture of bell restoration work that might have to be funded in the future. It is also a very valuable historical record of the bells and their fittings, part of recording our heritage to ensure we identify and value any rare bells or installations. So if your Tower has not yet returned its Survey, please look again at the Bell Stock Survey forms (which have recently been changed to make them more user friendly) and provide this important information to help your BRF. The new forms should be available to print from the Guild web site at the end of February, or by contacting me. We are happy to help with any aspect of the Survey, so if you are having difficulty with the forms or need help or advice then please contact any member of the BSC who will be happy to help.

We have already had a number of requests for help with the Survey from various towers in the Guild and we aim to deal with these during the coming year. We gave a presentation at the Guild AGM in 2006 which, although poorly attended, provided those present with an update, advice and future plans. I would like to thank those of you who did attend, and in particular to members of the Isle of Wight District who invited us to give a follow up presentation on the database, and to give help and advice on filling in the forms. The result of this has been that, at their request, several BSS sub-group members will be visiting the District early in 2007 to carry out several surveys in the towers that are least likely to be done, with the remaining surveys dealt with by the local ringers.

Finally, I would like to thank my colleagues for the valuable work that they do for the Guild.

Phil Watts