Return of the Ring

(apologies to JRTolkien)

When the Rotary Club of Billericay was chartered in 1959, Bert Raven, Outreach Officer of our mother club, the Rotary Club of Chelmsford, presented us with a bell to be rung at our official meetings. 

The original bell was made of Bell metal by the famous Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the same Foundry which made the Liberty Bells and Big Ben.  Bell metal is an alloy of bronze with 20% tin and small amounts of zinc and lead, where the tin is vital to create the resonance, or quality, of its sound.

This bell was in continuous use until shortly before lockdown, when it disappeared from our meeting location at “Reids”,  A long source of dissatisfaction at this was alleviated when Rtn. Malcolm Acors PHFS undertook to find a replacement.  Malcolm investigated the market, established the cost, and the club voted to go ahead and acquire a new bell.  

He sourced a genuine 8-inch standard ship’s bell from a yacht chandlers on Mersea Island, who acquired it from Nauticalia and Malcolm made a beautiful quality stand, with an oak riser and feet surmounted by a clover leaf, with a maple wood base.

The bell is emblazoned with the “Rotary Club of Billericay” and Rotary roundel in self-adhesive gold film, and the base shows all past presidents of the club.

Malcolm presented it to the club at our meeting on November 27.  In response, President Roger congratulated Malcolm on producing such a high quality object, accepting it as part of our regalia on behalf of all members.
The whole club thanks Malcolm for his work in sourcing and manufacturing such a beautiful work of art.