2021

“I thought the opening instructions on the box were excellent and this made unpacking very easy. The bag and the muffles are beautiful, much better in real life than on the web. Thank you for the time effort and care that you have lavished on my order, and the clear and detailed instructions that you have included. I am looking forward to trying them as soon as I am able to and we are ringing again... Once again thank you for making such beautiful muffles.”

2019

“Dear Wilf, The parcel has arrived and I am amazed at the craftsmanship and quality of the muffles and the embroidered bag. You have clearly taken so much trouble to make these items perfect. It is so rare these days so see something that is lovingly created. I have also received and taken note of the importance of the non-slip paint and we will be arranging this forthwith.”

“As you know we coated the clappers with Protectakote some time ago and managed to test the muffles out at the practice last Thursday. They are excellent in all respects and everybody was well pleased with them. They were equally as pleased with the muffle bag and the embroidered picture of the Church. I had to fight off several requests for additional ‘copies’. Please accept mine and everyone at the Towers thanks for your work in producing these muffles and, obviously, if asked we have no hesitation in recommending you to other Towers.”

“Hi Wilf, I fitted the muffles to our prepared clappers last Wednesday. I decided that we would have the muffles fitted for our Wednesday night practice. There were fourteen ringers there and we took it in turns to hear the bells outside the tower when ringing changes. Everyone was greatly impressed with the fantastic results and sound. I removed them after Sunday service ringing yesterday, very easy to fit and remove.”

2018

“Hello Wilf, Last Saturday morning we put the muffles on the bells and had a practice with them for an hour - sounded superb! On Remembrance Sunday, we rang half muffled for half an hour before the service at 10.50 and then took the muffles off and had open ringing from 12.30 till 13.00. There have been a lot of nice comments about how haunting the sound was and what a privilege it was to hear it. The Vicar was overcome with the sound as he hadn’t heard it before, and he ended up crying. Thank you Wilf, the muffles are wonderful!”

2017

“Hi Wilf, Apologies for the delay in contacting you as promised. A big Thank You for the manufacture and supply of the mufflers for our 20 cwt. six bell ring. The delay was to allow us to use the mufflers in earnest, which (sadly) we have done for some funerals. The assistance, advice (by ’phone and e-mail), and general interest over the clapper preparation and use was most valuable to us. The ease of use, (both fitting and removal), is truly impressive compared to our older leather strapped muffles. Also, the sound of the muffled stroke is lovely. My local band were really impressed... I take every opportunity to show the bag plus contents to all visitors which may generate more business for you. Thanks again and seasonal good wishes to you.”

“Dear Wilf, I have not contacted you before, because I thought I would wait until we had been able to use the very smart and very well made muffles.We had our final Dieppe memorial service this morning and not only were the muffles very simple to put on, but they produced a lovely ring from the bells when used. We had a full church and the half muffled ring was much commented on and well appreciated. We owe you a big thank you for your efficiency, advice and craftsmanship all through, particularly with the videos showing how to apply the muffles and the excellent documentation about applying the paint and on providing the measurements needed, as well as for the excellent packaging. The storage bag is a work of art and has been much admired. Thank you.”

“It was a pleasure to use your services and I have already tempted .... church to come to you when their existing muffles finally give up.”

Remembrance Sunday 2015

“Dear Wilf, Thank you for your continued interest in the efficacy of your muffles. On receiving the muffles, I was pleased to see the apparent sturdy nature of the parts of the muffles and their fastenings I am pleased to say that the ringers were delighted with the consistent melodious tone produced by the muffles and the congregation entering from the short service at the War Memorial to the Remembrance Service in the Church felt that the sound was suitably dignified and evocative. As the Tower Captain I was delighted that the muffles did not show any sign of movement, which previous laced on ones have done so. As you pointed out, the Amalgamated Tape was tricky to get started, but having done, so the double sided Velcro fastenings were easy to wrap around. The embroidered bag has been admired by many and I am sure that keeping the muffles inside it and away from dust and dirt will be a good idea. Many thanks for your skilled work.”

“Hello Wilf, Sorry for not replying earlier but we hadn’t tried out the muffles. We used them on Sunday and attempted a quarter peal. Muffles very successful but quarter peal not so successful! We had the muffles blessed last week and everyone at the service was very impressed with the bag and the picture of the church. Thank you very much for an excellent product and service. We will be recommending you to everyone.”

“Hello Wilf, All very good thanks. We used them at our Friday night practise and all seemed ok, except for one that was put on the wrong way round! We then rang a Qtr. Peal yesterday before Evensong. I must say it is quite mesmerising ringing with half muffled bells. We are so very pleased with our new muffles. Thank you.”

“Hi Wilf, Everything went well yesterday with the muffles, very impressed, and sounds great. Thank you.”

“Dear Wilf, They went fine. We put the tape on yesterday, followed by the muffles, and (of course!) they didn’t slip. We’ll be using them again on Wednesday, Armistice Day, for a QP in the hour running up to 11am – for some several years now, there’s been a brief ceremony then in the centre of the village, right outside the church.”

“Hi Wilf, Yes the muffles are a delight. I painted the clappers with two good coats of the no-slip paint you recommended three weeks ago, left them for a week to cure and fitted the muffles last week for our practice night and then of course for Sundays ringing. we are so pleased with them we are having a muffled practice again this evening as armistice day isn’t until tomorrow. They are so easy to fit and are clearly very robust, well made and have not slipped at all. Thanks so much for your help with all this Wilf.”

“Hi Wilf, Everything went splendidly. Unfortunately a number of our ringers were away and we had just 9 up the tower, so we were only able to ring the back 8. The muffles went on and off really easily, and we had no slippage at all. Great - a job well done!”

“Hi Wilf, Very pleased to report that all went well. We fitted the muffles prior to last Monday’s practice, for the first couple of minutes the muffles made the strike very quiet, then they must have ‘bedded in’ as things settled down. Fitting the muffles was easy, and helped by the fact that the blue leather tab on the end of the strap needs to face outwards (note that the strap is not easy to pass through the buckle if you do it the wrong way). The practice night was interesting as we had the muffles on the wrong side of the clappers! A quick trip up the tower on Sunday and this was sorted. Pleased to report that no slippage occurred and the non slip paint appears to have worked at treat. We will endeavour to look after these muffles. Many thanks for all the work you have put into them and the muffle bag.”

“Wilf, Even better than the first time using them. To start with the sound was so soft it was barely heard in the church. It quickly got louder and this time sounded great with it still sounding after standing the bells”

“Hi Wilf, Enjoyed some lovely muffled ringing yesterday, we are all very pleased with the new muffs. Many thanks.”

“Wilf, We rang a Q peal at **** this afternoon, and the muffles sounded beautiful, as they did at **** this morning, unfortunately our Q peal went wrong but everyone said how lovely they were. Best Wishes and many thanks from all of us at both towers.”

“Hi Wilf, Yes we rang today with the Muffles and they really sounded great! Thanks for a good job. Several people in the congregation mentioned to me how well they sounded.”

“Dear Wilf, The muffles were a dream to put on and ringing went without a hitch. So, thank you. As our practice will be on Wednesday 11^th Nov - Armistice Day, we have decided to leave the muffles on, removing them at the end of the practice. That’s how much we enjoyed ringing with them!”

“Hi Wilf, The muffles were excellent, thank you very much for producing them so quickly. We were very pleased with them.”

“Hi Wilf, Our 6 bells were rung for 45 minutes this morning and your muffles performed well, thank you, and easy to fit. We are planning to ring a half-muffled quarter on the 11th November.”

“They were really fabulous. So much better than our old ones. Thank you so much.”

“Hi Wilf, The ringing went very well this morning with some very positive comments about the muffled bells from several people in the congregation. I helped ... with the muffles yesterday, so easy to put on. It was a really good idea of yours to use Velcro as straps and also the Anti-slip paint on the clapper. We are all very pleased with them, thank you very much.”

“Hi Wilf, Muffles went really well. Had a chance to go outside and listen, the sound was even and very enjoyable. If ever you’re in the area please come along and have a ring. The Ladies think the muffle bag is great.”

“We rang 10 bells for the morning service. No problems at all. This afternoon a team rang a quarter-peal of Grandsire Caters without a hitch! All good! Many thanks.”

“Hi, yes all went well this morning. I checked them afterwards and all seemed pretty tight. We are ringing a QP on Wednesday evening so that should give them a good running-in.”

“Hi Wilf, Beautiful, no slippage of the muffles. We ring again this afternoon. I’ve extended the ringing time so we get longer with our refurbished bells and new muffles! Thanks.”

“Dear Wilf, The muffles were really great. We remembered the video and they fitted a treat. They didn’t budge and they sounded so mellow. The bells sounded lovely despite our ringing. We are very pleased. We will take them off on Thursday so rather looking forward to an easy task.”

“Thanks Wilf. Really appreciate the follow up. Fitting them was a breeze after years of messing with frayed straps, buckles and cable ties in a confined and inhospitable space. And they were all fine. We plan to leave them in place and remove them after ringing on Wednesday which is, after all, actually Armistice Day - the 11th. So, many thanks again for your muffles and interest.”

“Dear Wilf, The muffles again performed excellently and they were on for a whole week. We used them on four consecutive occasions. The first was on the Wednesday before Remembrance Sunday for our practice as a mark of respect on learning that one of our ringers and the wife of another had just died on consecutive days. The next was for the Remembrance Day Service. The third occasion was the next day when we rang a quarter peal in memory of both ladies. The fourth was on Armistice Day not only for 11/11 but for the funeral shortly afterwards of one of those first mentioned. There has been nothing but praise for them all round and it’s all down to you and your muffles, Wilf! Thank you.”

“Wilf, The muffles are wonderful. Thank you We put them on for the All Souls’ Day service, kept them on to help all our learners get used to half muffled for the Tuesday practice and then for Remembrance Sunday. All very good. Thank you.”

“Dear Wilf, Thank you, the muffles were perfect. Everyone was pleased with the ringing half muffled.”

“Dear Wilf, The muffles were excellent, no problems. We actually rang on both our churches at the same time (half-muffled) using your muffles on both. When putting them on we found the bells seriously wet from condensation in this very mild airstream, but they fitted securely. Very many thanks.”

“Dear Wilf, How did the muffles perform? Well – I think it’s safe to say “with 110% success!” They have had a fair trial over the last week by being in use for:
• a quarter peal in memoriam – 30/10
• a funeral – 02/11
• Sunday service ringing – 08/11
• a full peal – 11/11
• practice night – 11/11
I checked them after each ring and they hadn’t budged a millimetre. Thank you for providing such a quality and effective product and for your after-sales check-up.”

“Thank you very much for the muffles and the special bag in which to store them. The embroidered image of the church adds a particular quality to the whole package... The muffles will be taken to the church on Sunday together with your excellent instuctions, now housed in a strong plastic folder, so the rest of the band can appreciate your workmanship and careful instructions. I will let you know when we have used them. We look forward to the efficient and secure muffling of our bells for many decades..”

“At bell-ringing this Sunday morning, I was fortunate to see, for the very first time, the exceptional quality of the eight bell muffles made and supplied by you. We were also delighted to receive the beautifully embroidered muffle bag generously provided at no extra charge. We are thrilled with our new muffles and the accompanying bag. Please accept my thanks on behalf of all the ringers.”

“First impressions:
1. The muffles are extremely well made and of a very high quality. The design and concept with the Velcro fastening is unique and I am sure that they will be much easier to fit and remove than the buckled type that we had before.
2. The bag is well designed and of a high quality. The embroidery is extremely impressive...”

“Our general impression is a vast improvement in speed of both putting on - and taking off. The sound with the muffles in use is excellent.”

“Just wrap the velcro around tightly... no more fiddling with straps when the hole is invariably in the wrong place.”

“We had a 1/4 of Stedman Cinques which was successful, and the muffles sounded lovely - everyone commented! The muffles didn’t slip once, even after approx. 4 hours total ringing.”

“We applied the non-slip paint to the flight and just below the ball of the clapper... After the first use of the muffles (half an hour on Remembrance Sunday morning), there was no slippage but a couple were slightly loose. Having re-tightened them as recommended, we rang a quarter after the service with no problems.”

“Absolutely fine - no problems at all! We re-tightened the straps at the end of Wednesday’s practice, but did nothing further prior to ringing today... Comments were made about the nice tone of the muffled stroke.”

“In the semi-darkness of the inside of a bell the velcro muffles were much easier to put on than the old tie on ones. None of the muffles slipped during the 45 minutes ringing - the first time that I can remember that. Previously at least one of the muffles always slipped. The combination of firm fastenings and non-slip paint has obviously done the trick. Taking the muffles was also a lot easier using the leather tags to pull off the velcro rather than having to untie a fiddly piece of thin rope.”

“Once again - no problems. When I went up after the service to remove the muffles there was a little slackness - but nothing worth mentioning. We consider them a great success.”

“Thanks for your very prompt and efficient attention to our rather late order... We are most grateful that you were able to rush through our order and get the muffles to us in time for Remembrance Sunday.”

“The muffles were a big success yesterday morning. Easy to put on and take off. Very effective muffling (almost too good to start with until they ‘bedded in’), and, this is the important bit, they didn’t move an inch in half an hour’s ringing. Well done, they are excellent.”

“Just to let you know that all went well with the ringing last Saturday and there were no problems. Fitting was straight forward and took only a few minutes... The (anti-slip) paint seems to have done the trick. We are now considering using some on the frame heads to make it safer for walking about.”

“Muffles went really well this time - fitted easily and no sign of slip. We certainly are much more likely to muffle now than in the old days of straps and buckles etc. In fact we muffled the front six just for service ringing for All Souls day. With 5 ringers available to remove them it seemed to take no time at all.”

“Yes, rang yesterday with the muffles and they worked really well. They didn’t slip at all, were properly muffled (not like our old ones) and were quite easy to fit once I managed to stop sticking the velcro to myself!. The bag has been greatly admired. Thanks for getting them to us so promptly.”

“I thought you would like to know that following one hour of practice and ringing for three services on sunday today the muffles did not move at all and only showed a small amount of bruising.”

“When we rang for the Remembrance service on Sunday many people from the village commented on how wonderful the muffled bells sounded.”

“Everyone was most impressed with the muffle bag and the embroidered logo, and I personally was very impressed with the speed of reply. A lot of suppliers associated with ringing are terminally slow and it’s nice to meet someone efficient for a change.”

“At Randwick NSW, we are the first Australian tower to use Big Wilf’s velcro-secured muffles. The muffles were much easier to attach than the traditional muffles and when we tested them for an hour, they went very well, both in terms of sound and also staying put. The muffle bag is extremely impressive, also. We sent Wilf a digital image of St Jude’s, and he made it into really nice embroidery for the bag. The only real hurdle with the muffles was that we had to find a source of anti-slip paint in Australia as importing it was not practicable. We used Astec Sportscoat from Adelaide, and it seems to have done the job very well. A great success!”

We rang with them for the first time on Remembrance Sunday, the band of ringers had not rung with muffles before and found it to be quite an interesting experience. There were also a few comments from the congregation on how nice it sounded. We were impressed with the embroidery on the bag, it’s a very good likeness to the church. Thank you once again for your prompt and efficient service, we would have no hesitation in recommending you to others.

“We had lots of compliments after the Sunday service, some suggested we leave the muffles on permanently. I don’t think we will be doing that but we will not hesitate to use them at every opportunity. Thanks for a great product and the excellent service.”

“... and we used them not only for New Year’s Eve, but again this morning for Gerald Ford’s State Funeral. We were bowled over by the beauty of the embroidery on the muffle bag! Next step is to get back up and make certain that the painting is done - we had to take a chance on using them without that step - and thanks to your excellent design, we suffered no mishaps.”

“I am pleased to say that we have now had the opportunity to use the muffles at St Magnus the Martyr in the City of London. I can report that the two coats of paint went on the clappers with no problem and that we have now used the muffles on a few occasions this week:
1. On All Souls Day, when I muffled the tenor and tolled it before the service, which was widely commented on favourably in the congregations.
2. For a Requiem Mass last Friday for the 50^th anniversary of the death of Fr Fynes-Clinton, late Rector of the Parish. We rang all 12 bells for this occasion.
3. For ringing after the Remembrance Sunday Mass yesterday, when we had many visitors from the ASCY being their dinner weekend.
I have to say that I found the muffles so much easier to use than earlier muffles I have had to deal with. Once each muffle was on, it was clear that none of them were going to slip at all (and of course they didn’t) so I had a lot of confidence in them. The actual muffling effect was excellent too.
... So in summary Wilf, I am sure you can tell from my email that I am very delighted. A big thank you!”

“Last Wednesday we tried them out on the ten for 1½ hours and all went very well; they have a fantastic hum which is a joy to listen to. Hopefully they will out-last both of us so there is something for the next generation!”

“We recently purchased a full set of Big Wilf’s muffles to replace our rather ageing and difficult to fit strap and buckle ones. These were meticulously made to the individual measurements of every clapper, and we took the advice of Wilf in applying the non-slip paint before use. An added bonus was the beautifully embroidered bag in which the muffles were supplied, incorporating an image of the church. This hangs proudly in the ringing chamber and has become a point of admiration for many, including members of the congregation who have come up to see it. We used the muffles on Remembrance Sunday for the first time, and found them very easy to fit. After a considerable amount of ringing I am pleased to report that not a single one came displaced, and we enjoyed unspoilt half-muffled ringing throughout! I would highly recommend these muffles to anyone contemplating acquiring them.”