The Technology of Bellringing
John Harrison
- Region:
- South East
- Notice Period:
- Short (maybe less than one month's notice)
- Type:
- Subject enthusiast, experienced speaker
- Fee:
- Unknown: Depends on the group
- Category:
- Science
- Updated:
- 14th October 2022
- Tagged:
- Bellringing | Technology
Behind the familiar sound of English style bell ringing there is a special way of hanging bells so that they can swing full circle. The physics of a swinging bell is simple but to create a precision musical instrument that responds sensitively to the needs of its performer presents considerable engineering challenges, especially when the instrument may weigh a ton or more. In this talk I explain how ringing works and then describe the different parts of a ringing installation, as well as how they have evolved over the centuries and continues to evolve in the 21st century with the use of novel materials and new techniques. There are two versions of this talk, one for general audiences focusing on the evolution, and one for those interested in the detail of the technology. See: jaharrison.me.uk/Talks/#RingTechnol
Views: 322 | Enquiries: 1About John Harrison
My career was half as a Chartered Engineer and half as a chartered Ergonomics & Human Factors consultant. My talks draw partly on that but more on many other interests including: photography, fell walking, bell ringing, railways, bricks, human perception, maths ,... I have given around 250 talks to 100+ different groups. I'm based in Wokingham, Berkshire so limited to the surrounding area for in-person events (but online can be anywhere). Details of my talks are on my website at: jaharrison.me.uk/Talks
Other Talks on SpeakerNet by John Harrison
- Living Heritage
- English-style bells and bellringing
- The Settle to Carlisle railway
- Bricks and Brickwork
- Iceland - land of ice and fire
- The Pennine Way
- I'll Take the High Road
- More than meets the eye
- The Human Factor
- Footpaths - an endangered species
- An evolving garden
- The music of bellringing
- The maths of bellringing
- The maths of sea waves
- The evolution of electronic displays
- On Growth and Form
- Wheels within wheels
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