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Oliver Shaw.
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April 22, 2020 at 8:14 pm #20150
Oliver Shaw
ModeratorThe Bell insignia.
The official view – which has been stated several times – seems to be that it represents the legendary Bells of Aberdovey, since Aberdovey is where the prototype was first demonstrated with a view to adoption by the local club, who did indeed adopt the class. (There had been an earlier demonstration of the prototype at Newtown Creek for Gp Capt Haylock, Editor of Yachting World, who had commissioned the design, but Aberdovey was the location for the first “public” demonstration.)
Numerous members have suggested from time to time that the Bell insignia is related to Bell Woodworking, who were the first commercial builder of the Class (after Jack Holt’s own prototype).
Both would seem to be right.
The minutes do not record the reason for the choice of Class Insignia, only the decision, so the Minutes do not answer that question. The relevant part of the actual Minute, from the first official meeting on 11th November 1951, reads, “The Class Insignia to be adopted was discussed at some length and after some opposition it was proposed, seconded and resolved by a large majority that a ‘BELL’ be adopted. It was generally agreed that the present title of Yachting World General Purpose 14’ was unwieldy and that it would be an advantage if in due course this class could be known as the ‘Bell’ class.”
However, 50 Years On The Water, referring to the initial trials at Aberdovey, records (page 19), “… the Bell Woodworking Company was invited to bring down one of their new mass produced plywood dinghies for a trial. … … One snag remained, what type of insignia would be shown on the sail? The manufacturer already had a Bell logo displayed. This dilemma was finally resolved at a later date.”
As a third document, Gp Capt Haylock, recounting how he commissioned the design, wrote that, “Dusty Pollock … undertook to produce the ‘Build-her-Yourself’ set of parts. He sailed at Abderdovey and the Aberdovey SC was the first club to adopt the GP as a club boat. As no-one had thought of an insignia, we adopted the Bell (Bells of Aberdovey), nothing to do with Bell Woodworking & Co., which caused some confusion.” (ibid. p.12)
So there is some apparent contradiction in the documentary evidence. At that point, taking all the evidence together with the official tradition, my own personal initial best guess was that the Bell may have originated with Bell Woodworking, but that the “Bells of Aberdovey” was probably a very convenient and politically more correct solution to the problem of satisfying those who did not want their boats to carry commercial advertising, in a way which kept most parties happy
Then Graham Knox emailed me on 23/4/20 to say “Of course no one can really know the full truth about the origin of the bell emblem. Perhaps the reality is that, because the directors of Bell Woodworking (originally making kits for bee-hives) had existing contacts with Aberdovey, they decided to adopt the symbol themselves. Certainly Searson Thompson denied the emblem resulted from the company’s name.
“Now I also remember being told (by a Past RYA Chairman) that the prototype had first been launched at Aldenham Sailing Club, near Elstree (a club founded in 1920), which is very probable and done in a private manner.”
In the light of both Graham Knox’s and Gp Capt Haylock’s comments, I now wonder whether it is possible that Bell Woodworking themselves derived the use of the Bell – and perhaps even the company name – from the Bells of Aberdovey. If so, that would indeed “square the circle”.
Oliver
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This topic was modified 1 month, 2 weeks ago by
getmwaqar.
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