Front Cover: Central Council 2009 – Worcester, 22nd - 25th May
The Editor’s usual broad impression of the weekend – formal minutes of the 112th Annual Meeting will be published shortly.

Letters
Thank you! - Fred N. Smeaton
Bells at Great Malvern Priory - John A. G. Clements
Mini-ring quarters - Gordon Slack
Some thoughts on "The Nine Tailors" - D. G. Rowlands
Re: Goodbye to Honorary Members? (p.606) - Michael Uphill

From the E-Lists A round-up from the internet compiled by John Camp
The Liverpool Branch of the LACR is holding a ‘quiet hour’

Malvern Priory: the bell frame
By David Beacham, Bells Consultant to the Worcester Diocesan Advisory Committee, 1974 – 31st May 2009
Last year, I let it be known that I would be retiring as DAC bell adviser once the faculty application to replace the bellframe at Malvern Priory had been determined. English Heritage had opposed the application and it took some eight years of investigation, consultation and negotiation, followed by a consistory court hearing, for it to be decided by the diocesan chancellor that the frame could not be replaced. Having been involved in this process all the way I became aware that the fundamental reasons for the excessive movement in the frame were not being understood by everyone, and I decided that once I had stood down I would write an article that would, I hope, throw some light on the problem.

Obituaries
Douglas Raymond Horne, Graham Forester, Gertrude Elizabeth Hawkins

The twelve tonne bell ‘Maria’ in Pamplona Cathedral by Alan Blair
When the original List of the world’s largest bells was compiled (RW 18/25-12-1987, pp.1122/3), some of the details of European bells were supplied by the late Claude Graber of Zürich. These include a bell of ten tonnes in Barcelona Cathedral and one of twelve tonnes in Pamplona Cathedral. The former turned out to be erroneous: the largest bell in Barcelona Cathedral weighs about three and a half tonnes; and ten tonnes could be the total weight of all the bells.

Thought for the week
Checking out
Friends in a former parish ran the local fish and chip shop. One day they confessed to always making a point when they went on holiday of checking out the fish and chip shops where they were staying, it wasn’t just the quality of the food that interested them but also the ambience of the premises.

Dedication of Boothby Pagnell bells by John R. Ketteringham
The dedication of the new installation took place on Sunday, 24th May by Rt Revd Tim Ellis, Bishop of Grantham. The service was basically Holy Communion and the singing of the hymns, most of which had a bell theme, led by the choir was quite wonderful!