So the money had been raised and the ringing had been done, there was nothing left to do but get on with the job. March 15th brought together a team to dismantle the bells in readiness for their removal from the tower.
The first task was to label the ropes and drop them down from the tower. Then they had to be coiled and set aside to be stored in a warm, dry spare bedroom until they are needed again.
Up in the tower the work of separating the wheels and removing the stays, sliders and chime hammers, started in earnest.
Sometimes several jobs could be done at the same time ...
... but at others everyone was needed on the same job. Some nuts can be incredibly difficult to shift,
While the tough team got on with the heavy work, there was plenty to do emptying the ringing chamber and storing all the peal boards out of harms way. Floor plans had to be produced showing where the rope holes were positioned in the bell chamber and the clock room; and someone had to get lunch.
But eventually all was done. The wooden parts had been removed, the bolts on the bearings had been loosened and the cross bars on the frame had been set aside. The team felt rightly pleased with themselves after a good days work. It had been a long day but a great deal had been achieved.
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