BELFRY STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE

Inevitably 1999 was the year of “Millennium preparations”. Representatives of the BSC joined in the co-ordination of the Guild’s activities, planning and recruiting for “Ring-in 2000”. The Committee also provided advice and support to a number of towers (large and small) who planned or undertook repair or restoration work on their bells to enable them to join in with the January 1st national ringing. In this, the promotion distributed by the Guild played a significant part, particularly encouraging smaller churches to feel part of a wider endeavour. This success rather stands against those who argue that the Guild has little influence in wider Diocesan matters. Indeed such was the interest in the venture that many Churches actively advertised both the “restoration” of their bell(s) and the January 1st “ringing” as a key element of their parochial celebrations.

The Committee met on one occasion during the year, when we co-opted an additional member - Graham Petrie from Newchurch on the Isle of Wight. A wide-ranging agenda produced, among other things, two important motions to the Guild Executive. The first of these was received positively by the Executive, and the Guild now has a clear policy to promote the re-use “as castings” of bells made redundant or surplus by changing local circumstance. This should ensure that whenever possible the generosity of the initial donors of such bells is honoured through actively seeking opportunities to reuse them locally.

The BRF Trustees received the second matter equally thoughtfully. It concerned the problems experienced by some parishes when additional works are required at short notice during the progress of a restoration scheme. Such an example might be the need to weld or recast a bell whose damage is only detected on removal to the foundry or bell hangers. The trustees have helpfully agreed to take account of the possible need for supplementary grants in these circumstances.

Members of the Committee have continued to support the routine inspection service offered by the Committee. A full inspection and written report was provided for the church authorities at a Southampton tower in the first half of the year, while in the autumn requests were received for similar inspection and reports on the bells in towers in the New Forest and Test Valley. Work on completing these was in hand at the year-end.

The BSC has also undertaken to overhaul the gear of the five bells at St Mary’s, Crawley, near Winchester, including replacing pulleys, improving the rope draw and generally cleaning, tightening and checking all of the fittings. It is hoped that work can begin in the early part of 2000.

Considerable other dialogue (usually by telephone) took place between the Committee and representatives other parishes - many of them with single bells or small chimes. Much of this activity resulted from “Millennium fever”. However, there is plenty of evidence that the work of maintaining and restoring our bell stock will continue at a high level on into the new century. And there is of course a Golden Jubilee looming in a couple of year’s time to give us all another excuse for new bells and restoration work.

Returns from the Guild-wide bell stock survey continued to dribble in during the year. It is now over eighteen months since forms were dispatched to towers with three or more ringable bells. To date only about 40 % have been returned, and it would be to the Guild’s credit if this figure could be raised significantly during 2000.

Finally our thoughts and good wishes were once again with our Committee colleague Ken Waller whose health remains a concern.

Phil Watts