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74-572: Chester Racecourse , also known as the Roodee , is a racecourse located in Chester , England . The horse racing venue is officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the "oldest racecourse still in operation". Horse racing in Chester dates back to the early sixteenth century, with 1539 cited as the year racing began, although some sources give a date of 1512 for the first races in Chester. It

148-512: A racecourse , is a nonpermanent track for sports, particularly road running , water sports , road racing , or rallying . Many sports usually held on race tracks also can occur on temporary tracks, such as the Monaco and Singapore Grands Prix in Formula One . Some evidence remains of racetracks being developed in several ancient civilizations. The most developed ancient race tracks were

222-432: A Russian zvon which are tuned to a common scale and installed in a bell tower . Many public or institutional buildings house bells, most commonly as clock bells to sound the hours and quarters. Historically, bells have been associated with religious rites, and are still used to call communities together for religious services. Later, bells were made to commemorate important events or people and have been associated with

296-406: A base-plate on which an inner core has been constructed. The core is built on the base-plate using porous materials such as coke or brick and then covered in loam well mixed with straw and horse manure. This is given a profile corresponding to the inside shape of the finished bell and dried with gentle heat. Graphite and whiting are applied to form the final, smooth surface. The outside of

370-404: A blend of thrilling races, fashion, and entertainment. In addition to horse racing, the racecourse grounds serve as a venue for various other events throughout the year, including concerts, food festivals, and outdoor cinema screenings. Chester Racecourse has also broadened its culinary offerings, catering to a wide range of tastes from casual street food to fine dining experiences. 2023 also saw

444-641: A break or repetition. They have also been used in many kinds of popular music , such as in AC/DC 's " Hells Bells " and Metallica 's " For Whom the Bell Tolls ". The ancient Chinese bronze chime bells called bianzhong or zhong / zeng (鐘) were used as polyphonic musical instruments and some have been dated at between 2000 and 3600 years old. Tuned bells have been created and used for musical performance in many cultures but Zhong are unique among all other types of cast bells in several respects and they rank among

518-496: A bulge around the middle; In 1999 a design without the bulge was announced. However, the major bell concept has found little favour; most bells cast today are almost universally minor third bells. Bells are also associated with clocks , indicating the hour by the striking of bells. Indeed, the word clock comes from the Latin word Cloca , meaning bell . Bells in clock towers or bell towers can be heard over long distances, which

592-403: A concert for their Face to Face Tour supporting their album Face to Face . In 2008, a restaurant opened at the racecourse, named "1539", after the first year that horse racing took place in Chester. In May 2012, all former Tote betting positions were replaced by the racecourse's own in-house chesterBET betting system. In 2013 a new pub and restaurant called The White Horse was opened in

666-552: A forward-thinking approach. In 2023, the racecourse introduced a state-of-the-art digital betting platform, which has enhanced the overall visitor experience In 2023, Chester Racecourse continues to uphold its legacy as one of the oldest and most vibrant racecourses in the United Kingdom. This year, the venue hosts a diverse range of events, including the prestigious May Festival, the Chester Cup, and Ladies Day, offering

740-481: A good bell. Much effort has been expended over the centuries to find the shape which will produce the harmonically tuned bell. The accompanying musical staves show the series of harmonics which are generated when a bell is struck. The Erfurt bell is notable that it although it is an old bell, it is harmonically tuned, but was not typical of its time. Pieter and François Hemony in the 17th century reliably cast many bells for carillons of unequalled quality of tuning for

814-474: A hammer or occasionally by pulling an internal clapper against the bell. Where a bell is swung, it can either be swung over a small arc by a rope and lever or by using a rope on a wheel to swing the bell higher. As the bell swings higher the sound is projected outwards rather than downwards. Larger bells may be swung using electric motors. In some places, such as the Salzburg Cathedral , the clapper

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888-561: A homophone meaning both "cool" and "refreshing", are spherical bells which contain metal pellets that produce sound from the inside. The hemispherical bell is the Kane bell, which is struck on the outside. Large suspended temple bells are known as bonshō . (See also ja:鈴 , ja:梵鐘 ). Jain , Hindu and Buddhist bells, called " Ghanta " (IAST: Ghaṇṭā) in Sanskrit, are used in religious ceremonies. See also singing bowls . A bell hangs at

962-472: A loud noise') which gave rise to bellow . The earliest archaeological evidence of bells dates from the 3rd millennium BC, and is traced to the Yangshao culture of Neolithic China . Clapper-bells made of pottery have been found in several archaeological sites. The pottery bells later developed into metal bells. In West Asia, the first bells appear in 1000 BC. The earliest metal bells, with one found in

1036-422: A mechanism to allow the bell to rest just past its balance point. The rope is attached to one side of a wheel so that a different amount of rope is wound on and off as it swings to and fro. The bells are controlled by ringers (one to a bell) in a chamber below, who rotate the bell through a full circle and back, and control the speed of oscillation when the bell is mouth upwards at the balance-point when little effort

1110-705: A minor third as a main harmonic. On the theory that western music in major keys may sound better on bells with a major third as a harmonic, production of bells with major thirds was attempted in the 1980s. Scientists at the Technical University in Eindhoven, using computer modelling, produced bell profiles which were cast by the Eijsbouts Bellfoundry in the Netherlands. They were described as resembling old Coke bottles in that they had

1184-478: A range of slightly less than five octaves but thanks to their dual-tone capability, the set can sound a complete 12-tone scale—predating the development of the European 12-tone system by some 2000 years—and can play melodies in diatonic and pentatonic scales. Another related ancient Chinese musical instrument is called qing ( 磬 pinyin qìng) but it was made of stone instead of metal. In more recent times,

1258-510: A server at Mass when the priest holds high up first the host and then the chalice immediately after he has said the words of consecration over them (the moment known as the Elevation ). This serves to indicate to the congregation that the bread and wine have just been transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ (see transubstantiation ), or, in the alternative Reformation teaching, that Christ

1332-427: A short course and a longer course which uses part of the shorter one, usually the main straight, such as Brands Hatch . The Le Mans road race venue is centred on a smaller permanent circuit within its complex. Surfaces include: Race tracks are primarily designed for road racing competition through speed, featuring defined start-finish lines or posts, and sometimes even a series of defined timing points that divide

1406-483: A small bell-tower resting on the top of the barn . The bell was used to call the workers from the field at the end of the day's work. In folk tradition , it is recorded that each church and possibly several farms had their specific rhymes connected to the sound of the specific bells. An example is the Pete Seeger and Idris Davies song " The Bells of Rhymney ". In Scotland, up until the nineteenth century, it

1480-569: Is Nardò where high-speed manufacturer testing often takes place, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway . Some oval tracks are variations on an oval shape, for practical reasons or to introduce varying difficulties such as Talladega (a tri-oval). Most race tracks have meandering circuits with many curves, chicanes and changes in height, to allow for a challenge in skill to the competitors, notably motocross and touring car racing – these tend to predominate throughout most of

1554-541: Is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument . Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone , with its sides forming an efficient resonator . The strike may be made by an internal "clapper" or "uvula", an external hammer, or—in small bells—by a small loose sphere enclosed within the body of the bell ( jingle bell ). Bells are usually cast from bell metal (a type of bronze ) for its resonant properties, but can also be made from other hard materials. This depends on

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1628-582: Is a permanent facility or building. Racecourse is an alternate term for a horse racing track, found in countries such as the United Kingdom, India, Australia, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates. Race tracks built for bicycles are known as velodromes . Circuit is a common alternate term for race track, given the circuit configuration of most race tracks, allowing races to occur over several laps. Some race tracks may also be known as speedways , or raceways . A race course , as opposed to

1702-720: Is a report from 1840 that the stone obelisk is the base of a cross that marked the boundary of the Benedictine Nunnery, the nunnery having been created in the mid 12th century, and dissolved in January 1540. The cross was known as the Rood Dee (the Dee cross), to distinguish it from the cross at St. Peter's Church . The site was formerly the home of the original Chester Midsummer Watch Parade , temporarily banned by Oliver Cromwell but finally abolished in 1677. The east of

1776-703: Is also thought to be the smallest racecourse of significance in England at 1 mile and 1 furlong (1.8 km) long. The 65-acre (26-hectare) racecourse lies on the banks of the River Dee . The site was once a harbour during the Roman settlement of the city during the Early Middle Ages , sometimes referred to as the Dark Ages, but was closed as the river silted up thus making navigation impossible. Towards

1850-538: Is bordered by a long railway bridge carrying the North Wales Coast Line (shared with the Shrewsbury–Chester line ) over the River Dee . The course is overlooked from the opposite bank of the river by the mansions of Curzon Park , which can be seen dominating the skyline from any of the three grandstands. The Welsh border is roughly a mile west of the racecourse. The Chester Racecourse site

1924-410: Is held against the sound bow with an electric clasp as the bell swings up. The clasp would release the clapper to provide a cleaner start to ringing. To silence the bell, the clasp catches and locks the clapper back in place. Bells hung for full circle ringing are swung through just over a complete circle from mouth uppermost. A stay (the wooden pole seen sticking up when the bells are down) engages

1998-484: Is now bodily present in the elements, and that what the priest is holding up for them to look at is Christ himself (see consubstantiation ). In Russian Orthodox bell ringing , the entire bell never moves, only the clapper. A complex system of ropes is developed and used uniquely for every bell tower. Some ropes (the smaller ones) are played by hand, the bigger ropes are played by foot. Japanese Shintoist and Buddhist bells are used in religious ceremonies. Suzui ,

2072-432: Is only a very short stroll to all the hotels, bars, shopping and restaurants. The racecourse itself is just over 1-mile (1.6 km) long, flat and raced anti-clockwise or left-handed. The main characteristic of the course is the very short straight (239 yards (219 m)). As such, long-strided horses, which perform better on straights, are at a distinct disadvantage. On 19 August 2006, Irish vocal pop band Westlife held

2146-498: Is played with two wooden sticks. When the skrabalai is moved a clapper knocks at the wall of the trough. The pitch of the sound depends on the size of the wooden trough. The instrument developed from wooden cowbells that shepherds would tie to cows' necks. Whereas the church and temple bells called to mass or religious service, bells were used on farms for more secular signalling. The greater farms in Scandinavia usually had

2220-411: Is required. Swinging bells are sounded by an internal clapper. The clapper may have a longer period of swing than the bell. In this case, the bell will catch up with the clapper and if rung to or near full circle will carry the clapper up on the bell's trailing side. Alternatively, the clapper may have a shorter period and catch up with the bell's leading side, travel up with the bell, and come to rest on

2294-440: Is undertaken by clamping the bell on a large rotating table and using a cutting tool to remove metal. This is an iterative process in which metal is removed from certain parts of the bell to change certain harmonics. This process was made possible historically by the use of tuning forks to find sympathetic resonance on specific parts of a bell for the harmonic being tuned, but today electronic strobe tuners are normally used. To tune

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2368-949: The Earl of Derby created a horse-racing course on his estate at Epsom; the English Derby continues to be held there today. Racecourses in the British Isles are based on grass, known as turf tracks. In the United States, the race tracks are soil. With the advent of the automobile in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, race tracks were designed to suit the nature of powered machines. The earliest tracks were modified horse-racing courses. Racing automobiles in such facilities began in September 1896, at Narragansett Park in Cranston, Rhode Island . The Indianapolis Motor Speedway

2442-719: The Monaco GP , and the Circuit de la Sarthe circuit in Le Mans , France. These are not permanent facilities built for racing (although parts of the Circuit de la Sarthe are purpose-built, and closed to the public). After World War II , many wartime airfields, particularly in Great Britain, were left without further use. This coincided with a post-war boom in motorsport, and many airfields were converted to race tracks, where

2516-689: The Taosi site and four in the Erlitou site, are dated to about 2000 BC. With the emergence of other kinds of bells during the Shang dynasty ( c.  1600  – c.  1050 BC ), they were relegated to subservient functions; at Shang and Zhou sites, they are also found as part of the horse-and-chariot gear and as collar-bells of dogs. By the 13th century BC, bells weighing over 150 kilograms (330 pounds) were being cast in China. After 1000 AD, iron became

2590-759: The hippodromes of the Ancient Greeks and the circuses ( circi ) of the Roman Empire . Both of these structures were designed for horse and chariot racing. The stadium of the Circus Maximus in Ancient Rome could hold 200,000 spectators. Racing facilities existed during the Middle Ages , and records exist of a public racecourse being opened at Newmarket , in London, in 1174. In 1780,

2664-399: The medieval period. Victors were awarded the "Chester Bells", a set of three decorative bells for decorating the horse's bridle , for winning a race five times round the "roody" and from 1744 the " Grosvenor Gold Cup", a small tumbler made from solid gold (later silver). In 1745, the meeting became a four-day one, with one race on each day. In 1766 a May Festival was introduced. In 1824

2738-489: The tomb of Marquis Yi , ruler of Zeng , one of the Warring States . Their special shape gives them the ability to produce two different musical tones , depending on where they are struck. The interval between these notes on each bell is either a major or minor third , equivalent to a distance of four or five notes on a piano. The bells of Marquis Yi—which were still fully playable after almost 2500 years—cover

2812-408: The 10th century AD, European bells were no higher than 2 feet in height. In the western world , the common form of bell is a church bell or town bell, which is hung within a tower or bell cote. Such bells are either fixed in a static position ("hung dead") or mounted on a beam (the "headstock") so they can swing to and fro. Bells that are hung dead are normally sounded by hitting the sound bow with

2886-548: The Tradesmen's Cup Race (the predecessor to the Chester Cup ) was also introduced. The racecourse was at that point still just an open field, with the first grandstand finished in 1817 and the first admittance fee not being taken until 1897. The stand was rebuilt in 1899–1900, and was replaced after being destroyed by arson in 1985. The racecourse's position in the city makes race meetings at Chester very popular as it

2960-519: The bell is the tubular bell . Several of these metal tubes which are struck manually with hammers, form an instrument named tubular bells or chimes . In the case of wind or aeolian chimes, the tubes are blown against one another by the wind. The skrabalai is a traditional folk instrument in Lithuania which consists of wooden bells of various sizes hanging in several vertical rows with one or two wooden or metal small clappers hanging inside them. It

3034-501: The centre of the Course. The main race meetings at Chester were often broadcast on Channel 4 Racing until 2016 and have been broadcast on ITV Racing since 2017. The Clerk of the Course is Andrew Morris, who is also Clerk of the Course for sister course Bangor-on-Dee , which is a National Hunt jumps course. Chester Racecourse has continually evolved to meet the needs and desires of modern racing fans, blending its rich history with

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3108-519: The centre of the in field is a raised mound which is decorated by a small cross known as a " rood ". It is from this that the race course derives the name "Roodee"; Roodee is a corruption of "Rood Eye", meaning "The Island of the Cross", and is sometimes seen as "roody" in early sources. According to legend the cross marks the burial site of a statue of the Virgin Mary sentenced to hang after causing

3182-521: The circuit layout usually combined parts of the runways and the surrounding perimeter taxiways. The famous British track at Silverstone is a former Class A airfield , as are Castle Combe and Goodwood . The long runways were perfect for drag strips such as at Santa Pod Raceway . This type of track also appears on the popular motoring show Top Gear , which is filmed at Dunsfold Aerodrome , in Surrey, United kingdom Bell (instrument) A bell

3256-569: The concepts of peace and freedom. The study of bells is called campanology . Bell is a word common to the Low German dialects, cognate with Middle Low German belle and Dutch bel but not appearing among the other Germanic languages except the Icelandic bjalla which was a loanword from Old English . It is popularly but not certainly related to the former sense of to bell ( Old English : bellan , 'to roar, to make

3330-461: The death of Lady Trawst, the wife of the Governor of Hawarden. The legend states that she had gone to church to pray for rain but when her prayers were answered by a tremendous thunderstorm the statue was loosened and fell, killing her. As a holy object, hanging or burning the statue would be sacrilege so the statue was left by the banks of the river and the tide carried it down to Chester. The statue

3404-477: The downhill side. This latter method is used in English style full circle ringing. Occasionally the clappers have leather pads (called muffles ) strapped around them to quieten the bells when practice ringing to avoid annoying the neighbourhood. Also at funerals, half-muffles are often used to give a full open sound on one round, and a muffled sound on the alternate round for a distinctive, mournful effect. This

3478-456: The feet. The keys mechanically activate levers and wires that connect to metal clappers that strike the inside of the bells, allowing the performer to vary the intensity of the note according to the force applied to the key. In the Eastern world , the traditional forms of bells are temple and palace bells, small ones being rung by a sharp rap with a stick, and very large ones rung by a blow from

3552-399: The function. Some small bells such as ornamental bells or cowbells can be made from cast or pressed metal, glass or ceramic, but large bells such as a church, clock and tower bells are normally cast from bell metal. Bells intended to be heard over a wide area can range from a single bell hung in a turret or bell-gable , to a musical ensemble such as an English ring of bells , a carillon or

3626-508: The gate of many Hindu temples and is rung at the moment one enters the temple. The process of casting bells is called bellfounding , and in Europe dates to the 4th or 5th century. The traditional metal for these bells is a bronze of about 23% tin . Known as bell metal , this alloy is also the traditional alloy for the finest Turkish and Chinese cymbals . Other materials sometimes used for large bells include brass and iron . Steel

3700-523: The hem of the robe of the high priest in Jerusalem . Among the ancient Greeks , handbells were used in camps and garrisons and by patrols that went around to visit sentinels. Among the Romans, the hour of bathing was announced by a bell. They also used them in the home, as an ornament and emblem, and bells were placed around the necks of cattle and sheep so they could be found if they strayed. As late as

3774-460: The highest achievements of Chinese bronze casting technology. However, the remarkable secret of their design and the method of casting—known only to the Chinese in antiquity—was lost in later generations and was not fully rediscovered and understood until the 20th century. In 1978 a complete ceremonial set of 65 Zhong bells was found in a near-perfect state of preservation during the excavation of

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3848-542: The introduction of a dynamic pricing system for Chester Races, designed to reward early bookings. The new system ensures the lowest ticket price at the point of checkout when tickets are added to the customer's basket, encouraging visitors to secure their spots at the events well in advance. There is no evidence to support dynamic ticketing pricing or that it provides additional early sales. 53°11′11″N 2°53′59″W  /  53.18639°N 2.89972°W  / 53.18639; -2.89972 Racecourse A racetrack

3922-464: The measure used by Big Ben . Some bells are used as musical instruments , such as carillons , (clock) chimes , agogô , or ensembles of bell-players, called bell choirs , using hand-held bells of varying tones. A "ring of bells" is a set of four to twelve or more bells used in change ringing , a particular method of ringing bells in patterns. A peal in changing ringing may have bells playing for several hours, playing 5,000 or more patterns without

3996-569: The most commonly used metal for bells instead of bronze. The earliest dated iron bell was manufactured in 1079, found in Hubei Province . Bells west of China did not reach the same size until the 2nd millennium AD. Assyrian bells dated to the 7th century BC were around 4 inches high. Roman bells dated to the 1st and 2nd century AD were around 8 inches high. The book of Exodus in the Bible notes that small gold bells were worn as ornaments on

4070-408: The most pleasant tone. However, the tone of a bell is mostly due to its shape. A bell is regarded as having a good tone when it is "in tune with itself". In western bell founding, this is known as "harmonic tuning" of a bell, which results in the bell's strongest harmonics being in harmony with each other and the strike note. This produces the brightest and purest sound, which is the attractive sound of

4144-457: The mould is made within a perforated cast-iron case, larger than the finished bell, containing the loam mixture which is shaped, dried and smoothed in the same way as the core. The case is inverted (mouth down), lowered over the core and clamped to the base plate. The clamped mould is supported, usually by being buried in a casting pit to bear the weight of metal and to allow even cooling. Historically, before rail or road transport of large bells

4218-409: The named note. This quest by various founders over centuries of bell founding has resulted in the development of an optimum profile for casting each size of a bell to give true harmonic tuning. Although bells are cast to accurate patterns, variations in casting mean that a final tuning is necessary as the shape of the bell is critical in producing the desired strike note and associated harmonics. Tuning

4292-464: The neck of the leader goat, which the sheep herd followed. This led to the association in folk memory between the distinctive sound of konguro'o and the nomadic way of life. To make this instrument, Kyrgyz foremen used copper, bronze, iron and brass. They also decorated it with artistic carving and covered it with silver. Sizes of the instruments might vary within certain limits, what depended on its function. Every bell had its own timbre. A variant on

4366-476: The outside by a large swinging beam. (See images of the great bell of Mii-dera below.) The striking technique is employed worldwide for some of the largest tower-borne bells because swinging the bells themselves could damage their towers. In the Roman Catholic Church and among some High Lutherans and Anglicans , small hand-held bells, called Sanctus or sacring bells , are often rung by

4440-401: The race course abuts directly onto Chester's ancient city walls which were once used to moor Roman trading vessels, before the course of the river changed. Spectators can watch races for free from the walls which offer a clear view of the whole circuit. The Grosvenor Bridge , at one time the longest single arch bridge in the world, passes over the south-eastern corner. The north of the course

4514-426: The same track, or incorporating many tracks in one venue. Commonly, running tracks are incorporated within general use or soccer stadiums, either permanently visible or covered by stands or pitches. Many horse and motorsport tracks are configurable, allowing different routes or sections. Some venues contain smaller tracks inside larger ones, with access tunnels and bridges for spectators. Some racetracks incorporate

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4588-410: The strike note, the nominal or the strike note are tuned; the effect is usually the same because the nominal is one of the main partials that determines the tone of the strike note. The thickness of a church bell at its thickest part, called the "sound bow", is usually one thirteenth its diameter. If the bell is mounted as cast, it is called a "maiden bell". The traditional harmonically tuned bell has

4662-418: The time, but after their death, their guarded trade secrets were lost, and not until the 19th century were bells of comparable tuning quality cast. It was only in modern times that repeatable harmonic tuning using a known scientific basis was achieved. The main partials (or harmonics) of a well-tuned bell are: Further, less-audible, harmonics include the major third and a perfect fifth in the second octave above

4736-500: The top of bells in China was usually decorated with a small dragon, known as pulao ; the figure of the dragon served as a hook for hanging the bell. Konguro'o is a small bell which, like the Djalaajyn , was first used for utilitarian purposes and only later for artistic ones. Konguro'o rang when moving to new places. They were fastened to the horse harnesses and created a very specific "smart" sound background. Konguro'o also hung on

4810-574: The track into time sectors. A racetrack for cars (i.e. a car track) is a closed circuit, instead of a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads . Race tracks can host individual or team sports. Racetracks can feature rolling starts , or fixed starts, with associated equipment (starting blocks, cages, wheel traps etc.) They invariably feature a pit lane , and usually timing equipment. Some car tracks are of an oval shape, and can be banked, which allows almost universal spectator views or high speed racing (cycling, stock cars). A famous one

4884-548: The way of permanent infrastructure other than the track; others incorporate spectator facilities such as grandstands , hospitality or facilities for competitors, such as pit lanes and garages, paddocks and stables. Several racetracks are incorporated into larger venues or complexes, incorporating golf courses, museums, hotels, and conference centres. Some racetracks are small enough to be contained indoors, for sports such as motocross , track cycling , and athletics . Many racetracks are multi-use, allowing different types of sport on

4958-656: The world, but especially in Europe. Flatter meandering motorsport courses are sometimes called 'road circuits', originating in the fact that the earliest road racing circuits were simply closed-off public roads. Some car racetracks are specifically configured in a long straight, namely drag racing . True road circuits are still in use, e.g. the Australian GP has been run in Adelaide and continues to be in Melbourne on regular city streets. The most famous of these are

5032-454: Was done at the Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. A carillon , which is a musical instrument consisting of at least 23 cast bronze cup-shaped bells, is tuned so that the bells can be played serially to produce a melody, or sounded together to play a chord. A traditional carillon is played by striking a baton keyboard with the fists, and by pressing the keys of a pedal keyboard with

5106-464: Was especially important in the time when clocks were too expensive for widespread ownership. In the case of clock towers and grandfather clocks, a particular sequence of tones may be played to distinguish between the hour, half-hour, quarter-hour, or other intervals. One common pattern is called " Westminster Quarters ," a sixteen-note pattern named after the Palace of Westminster which popularized it as

5180-495: Was found guilty by a jury of 12 men. If the legend is true, then this is the first recorded case of a jury being used in a court. In an alternate version of the legend, the statue was instead carried to St John's Church. An ancient statue of the Virgin was recorded at the time of the reformation but may not be the same one. The statue was thrown down as a relic of popery, used as a whipping post for scholars and burned. Less fanciful

5254-589: Was home to the famous and bloody Goteddsday football match. The game was very violent and, in 1533, banned by the city, to be replaced in 1539 by horse racing. The first recorded race was held on 9 February 1539 (although other sources list this as 10 January 1511 and some as 1512) with the consent of the Mayor Henry Gee, whose name led to the use of the term "gee-gee" for horses. Races originally took place on Goteddsday ( Shrove Tuesday ) until 1609, and thereafter on St George's Day , both major festivals during

5328-623: Was opened in August 1909. Beginning in the early 1900s, motorcycle races were run on high, banked, wooden race tracks called board tracks . During the 1920s, many of the races on the AAA Championship circuit were run on such board tracks. Modern racetracks are designed with spectator safety being paramount, following incidents of spectator and track marshals fatalities. These often involve run-off areas, barriers, and high fencing. Racetracks are used for: Some racetracks offer little in

5402-407: Was possible, a "bell pit" was often dug in the grounds of the building where the bell was to be installed. Molten bell metal is poured into the mould through a box lined with foundry sand . The founder would bring his casting tools to the site, and a furnace would be built next to the pit. Large bells are generally around 80% copper and 20% tin ( bell metal ), which has been found empirically to give

5476-404: Was tried during the busy church-building period of mid-19th-century England, because it was more economical than bronze, but was found not to be durable and manufacture ceased in the 1870s. Small bells were originally made with the lost wax process but large bells are cast mouth downwards by filling the air space in a two-part mould with molten metal. Such a mould has an outer section clamped to

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