It is interesting to read about the bell in Villefranche, particularly for me as I am lucky to have witnessed bells being removed and replaced in towers in the UK twice in my life. Once when I was in my late teens, I rang with a band of ringers in the Kent village of Yalding. We had a ring of 6 taken out of the tower, driven away on my friend's Dad's lorry and then returned after retuning some months later. In 2005, when I lived in Wales, two new bells were added to a ring of 6 in Mold, and I was lucky that, as a ringer at that time, my initials were engraved, along with those of the rest of the team, on the new Tenor bell. Seeing bells on the ground is always impressive - they are often so much bigger than you'd think.
English bells are rung in peals, not Clarion as here in France, so not quite the same. I will try to get along to see the one in Villefranche whilst it is down.
Regards, Karen R
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