I was asked to inspect a bell with a potential crack in it at Dewsbury on Thursday. Unfortunately, when I got to look closely at it I found that there were several cracks all emanating from the bolt holes to a degree that I thought it was unsafe to continue ringing the bell. The tone had suffered too (the fundamental was non-existent). I’ve made my recommendations to the minster authorities – hopefully we can move forward quickly to get the bell welded and back in use.

Saturday saw me moving a piano from a friend’s parents-in-law’s house in Prestbury in Cheshire to his home in Countesthorpe, just south of Leicester.

The piano is a small but dense Challen; we’re letting it acclimatise for a couple of weeks before tuning it.

Despite the steepness of the drive at Prestbury and a gravel drive at Countesthorpe the move went well, aided by the loan of a piano trolley from Newark College.