Featured For Whom the (School)Bell Tolls

Is it possible to tell by the shape/style when this was made?

 

Oh man this brings back memories. We had one similar to this when I was in school in the 90s.

It was the job of a "responsible, older boy" (aged 12) to walk around the campus twice a day at the end of Recess and Lunch, ringing the bell, before returning it to the office afterwards.

One day, the clapper fell out of the bell, and he walked around swinging it on the chain and striking the outside of the bell instead.

 

The knob looks bigger than the bell. A schoolmarm would'a had to have a large fist, to wield that! What are the assorted dimensions, Marote?

 

I'll measure it tomorrow (i.e. later today, as it's 2:45am here )

 

In the senior campus, yes. In the junior campus, they still did it the old-fashioned way. God knows why...

 

What a trip @Shangas -fascinating old custom. Was it a religious school, or just a normal public school ?

 

Only now I see that I didn't post a pic with an accurate perspective... The knob does indeed seem to be huge compared to the bell

Total height 17 cm
Bell height 7 cm

Diameter bell bottom 10
Knob is 5 x 5.5

 

Nominally, it was a religious school, yes, although I'm not religious myself.

My brother and I went there together.

But yes, it was just this fun little custom we had. I remember when I reached 12, our class had to pick out (or the teacher assigned) students to do certain tasks.

So like one was they needed 2-3 kids to bring lunch to the staff-room for the teachers. Everybody wanted that job, because it meant having leftovers and sandwiches and cakes and stuff, totally for free.

The other main one was the school bellringer. Loads of kids wanted that one too, just because...what little kid doesn't want to run around school ringing a massive, antique brass bell AS LOUD AS POSSIBLE all over the place!?

One of my friends was one of the kids who got that job, and our teacher took one look at him and said:

"Since it's your job to signal the end of Recess and Lunch, it MIGHT be a good idea..."

*glances at his wrists*

"...to buy a WATCH first".

Everyone laughed at that. Ah, fun times...

 

Great anecdote-sounds like the beginning of a short story ?

 

Not really. I mean, it shows that bells like these were still used up until the late 80s/early 90s...I would guess it's still being used today.

 

Putting things into perspective