the apparatus in the corner of the bell-tower

bell-ringing done for the week

there was a point in the day when horsemouth thought there was no lift to the bell-ringing (and he was sad) but then he found out it was on at the abbey (so walking distance). he didn't go out to the pub after - though that would probably have been possible.

horsemouth had had a beer in the afternoon (when he thought the bell-ringing wasn't running) and that threw him slightly. 

there was an apparatus in the corner of the bell-tower horsemouth will have to ask what it is. it may be a dreaded carillon - no not enough bells, it may be a chime, yes it's a chime but one played with an ellacombe apparatus. 

'the system was devised in 1821 by reverend henry thomas ellacombe of gloucestershire, who first had such a system installed in bitton in 1822. he created the system as an alternative to using his local ringers, so that he did not have to tolerate behaviour that he saw as unruly... an example was in 1875 when he weighed in with a diatribe against a ringing competition at slapton in devon, when he wrote, 

"we blame the vicar and churchwardens for allowing the bells to be so prostituted for the benefits of a publican's pocket..."' 

otherwise it was a fine day of watering and planting things out (more beetroot, more spinach).

soon it will be possible to wander over to the village and wander back after the pub in the twilight. we move into the bright 1/8th of the year - the 6 1/2 weeks round the solstice. 

here it is a grey morning horsemouth has fed (and unleashed) the chickens and taken the milk over to the fridge in the garage. he's out buying tomato plants at some point (but then he may also have some zoom calls to do).