Stays are the one part of a bell that are designed to break! They are there to rest the bell when it is perched upside down and ready to ring – but they mustn’t be so strong that they would let anything more expensive break if the ringer pulls too hard.
They do say that, if a learner breaks a stay, it is the teacher/supervisor’s fault. Last night, a stay was broken. It was a learner. I was the teacher. But I want to ditch that word, “fault”. Stays are designed to break. Last night, it all worked exactly as designed and, though it is a right pain to have to go out, make a new one and refit it (especially in today’s weather!), that is how the system should work.
Bad luck, ****** (name suppressed to avoid shame!) – but that’s what happens. You’ve learned something new!