Acquired a eight rope spider from a local tower where it has sat for many decades and is of no use. Seemingly a homemade unit but now painted and back in proper use. Nice heavy metal weight so enough to pull the cord down on its own which works well.

My new ropes arrived today as the nylon ones were not a success at the long term strength and kept breaking. These ropes made by Maypole Bells and look really smart. Make the bells much easier to ring as well now that there are proper sallies to look for and use. 

Replaced the 3lb 5oz chromed ex police or fire engine bell today with a heavier 5ib 15 oz brass bell which came in the same box from Jim Currin. This bell is a much nicer more strident note and is almost identical in tone. Looks right and sounds nicer. Was worried it was a little too high in note but now hung and rung seems to fit in well. Still looking for a treble to complete the eight but nearly there after twenty years since starting.

Augmented today with a bargain bell found on table top sale. Miraculously the bell tunes to become the new second of the eight. The clapper has a new counterweight cast and awaits assembly. Now I need to find a top F sharp to complete the octave.

Had an experiment tonight with the nylon rope attempting quite successfully to join the sally rope and the normal thin bell rope. So now the principle is proved the work can begin properly to make one up to test it.

Seaside towns always have ships chandlers which sell rope you can feel and check before you buy. Cowes in the Isle of Wight is just such a place where I found reasonably priced 6mm nylon rope to replace the short and joined current ropes. Also found some lovely thicker 15mm rope coloured in the traditional red whit blue sally colours which I hope to melt into the ropes to represent proper ropes. Should end up with ropes at a fraction of the cost. Could end up with eight ropes for £26!

Today was the first time we had enough ringers on site to have a proper ring of the complete six. Perhaps as the video proves this was not the most perfect rounds but great fun was had by all including those watching.

A gift of a box of bells has resulted in a long awaited find. A bell which is a suitable note to be a treble and make a proper scale of six. Quickly fitted today after acquiring the bell yesterday, the Palace Campanile is now a proper six with all bells in the right scale and correct tone apart. The old treble has now finally taken its true place as the proper second in the ring and the bells sound much better as a result. Many thanks have to go Jim Currin for the bells.