Bellringing at Bishop's Castle, inside

[simonbellringer]

A fantastic 6. Rang here today - my 200th tower :) Really nice bells too!! And the right decision not to tune them!!

[timmeh1507]

@simonbellringer Yes I'm glad you liked them, I think they've done a good job here. Apparently they really were awful before rehanging. Good Rudhalls are often best left alone!

[simonbellringer]

@timmeh1507 Oh yes, they were avoided apparantly before rehanging as they were so bad!! A National Lottery Grant of about £49k was given here for the rehang.

[LottieBTS]

A very nice 6 they are too!

[timmeh1507]

@LottieBTS indeed they are, lovely handling and a sweet tone - I think in this instance it was good to leave them as they were. The local ringers are also very hospitable!

[partialalignment]

Not so sure about leaving them untuned. Cleobury Mortimer are a Rudhall back 5, tuned by Gillett & Johnston, and they are superb. Also, the mostly Rudhall 8 at Thornbury were dramatically improved by Whitechapel.

[timmeh1507]

Sadly G&J are unavailable! I haven't rung at Cleobury but hear they are good - Gilletts did wonders with Withington near Hereford which are a magnificent six. I think sometimes retuning bells is a good thing and sometimes it's not, in this case I personally think they are nicer as they are than if Taylors had tuned them - they ruined a nice Rudhall six at Allensmore when they were redone a few years back! I've not been to Thornbury but Whitechapel's retuning of Ludlow has been very successful.

[pal05pmajor3]

rudhalls are very nice aren't they? I ring at a couple rudhall towers. st mewan and probus(mostly rudhall) and they both make lovely shrill hums

[timmeh1507]

well like all foundries they had good days and off days! the best Rudhall bells can be superb.

[simonbellringer]

@timmeh1507 I quite like Rudhall bells!! There are quite a few round the Swindon area, but then, he was casting them at nearby Gloucester!!

[LauraBellringer]

i really like these bells, went there a few months ago. theres john trying stedman for the 3rd time. he is doing well...

[timmeh1507]

He's doing very well, I think he has the potential to be a superb ringer. Dunno how long he's been ringing! This was very good ringing and the bells are lovely.