Michael J. Milsom

Mike Milsom was born in Manchester to parents who were Londoners. and they moved to Loughborough when he was five. There was always music in the house as his mother played the piano and listened to records. Michael joined the Loughborough parish church choir as a treble and won a choral scholarship aged ten to Southwell Minster Cathedral choir where he stayed for three years. On leaving school he went to Cardiff University to obtain a Bachelor of Music degree with the intention of becoming a studio manager at the BBC. This wasn't possible as Mike left Cardiff after the first year and he subsequently became involved in the manufacture and sales of tip-top audio equipment. He joined the John Taylor Bell Foundry in 1970 as a bell tuner for three years. He was asked to go back in 1977 as Paul Taylor, the last member of the Taylor family involved in bell founding for 200 years, wanted to semi-retire. Mike was indoctrinated into the mysteries of bell founding, was made "Bellmaster" and stayed there until 1988. In 1980 he cast the "Hell's Bell" for the AC/DC rock band and tolled it in the works when a recording was made for the album. He now lives in Spain and he and his wife Jane started a monthly magazine for UK expats in 2006 that is still being produced. For more information about my book see www.taylorbells.com