NEWS NEWS
AUGUST 2002
The first arrivals are SKY TV, their outside broadcast van beaming pictures not only to UK subscribers but to viewers of breakfast TV in the US. The case containing the outer bell mould - the cope - is positioned over the lower bell mould - the core. The cope is lowered over the core. The cope is vigorously rotated back and forth by Danny Matholus to properly bed it down on the core. More reporters and photographers begin to arrive The VIPs arrive.
WBF directors Alan & Kathryn Hughes explain what will happen to the VIPs. Another shot of the VIPs. The press surge forwards VIPs seen through a sea of press. Kathryn Hughes chats to the US Ambassador and Archbishop of Canterbury.
The casting starts. The press presses forward as metal begins to pour into mould. The VIPs examine the hot mould. L-to-R: Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. George Carey; the Rt. Hon Alderman Michael Oliver Lord Mayor of London; US Ambassador William Farrish. Head Tuner Nigel Taylor and the Archbishop of Canterbury and wife (on left of picture). Alan Hughes escorts the VIPs out, pointing out items of interest all the while.
The Monday following the cast, the cope is lifted off the bell. The cope swings clear, exposing the bell. Charlton Dacosta and Jason Walpole chip away extraneous material Part of the inscription can be seen showing through the burnt loam. Most of the loose material has been removed. Charlton Dacosta scrapes off the persistent loam.
A SKY cameraman films Jason & Charlton at work. Jason brushes off the last of the loam. Charlton Dacosta hacks away the exposed core material prior to the bell being turned over. Terry 'Bud' Stannard uses a pneumatic drill to dig out the remains of the core David Menzie sets the bell up mouth-down on the tuning machine in order to face-off the bell pad. (This shot taken through a window) David tunes the now mouth-up bell to figures calculated by Head Tuner Nigel Taylor. The finished bell being packed for shipping to America.