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Derek Wilkins-Smith 31st January 1945 - 26th April 2022 Warmley ( waiting a photo)
Derek was born on 31st January 1945. He started ringing at Warmey in the early 1960’s under the
leadership of Tony Gibbs. During his time in ringing, he  rang many quarter peals, his first on 10th November 1963
on the Tenor and his first inside on 9th May 1965, both of Plain Bob Doubles at Warmley. He rung his first of
Grandsire Triples on 6th January 1966 at Marshfield. His last was at Kelston on 14th October 2017.
His first of many peals was of Plain Bob Doubles on 19th April 1965 at Warmley by a local band, he later rang the
Treble on 11th April 1966 to a peal of Doubles in many methods/variations. When the bells at Warmley were
augmented to eight in 1976, he rang in the first peal on them on 17th July 1976. He then went on to ring many
more peals and quarter peals in Doubles, Minor and Triples methods.
During the mid 1990’s he became Tower Captain at Warmley, taking over from Ken Weeks, and remained
there for the rest of his life.
His other interests included being a member of the church choir and of the Warmley Players Drama Group.
He was also a keen fisherman.
He passed away in the morning of 26th April 2022 from a
suspected heart attack.
Bill Liebow



Donald Haskins  December 17th 1930  -  3rd November 2020 Almondsbury.

Don Haskins learned to ring at St Mary the Virgin, Olveston in 1939 and rang there until 1953, being Tower Captain from 1950 to 1953. He then spent eight years ringing at St James Priory in Horsefair, Bristol. He came to ring in Almondsbury in 1963, and rang there until ill health eventually forced his retirement from ringing in November 2010. He was Tower Captain and Steeple Keeper from 1964 to 1977 and from 1990 to 2006.
He also served as Deputy Ringing Master of the Gloucester and Bristol, Bristol Rural Branch and as a Member of the Association Management Committee. He was elected an Honorary Life Member of the G&B in 2000.
Don is survived by his wife Joan, by a son Simon, and by an extended family. Their daughter Sally died in 2006 and the current set of Almondsbury muffles was donated in her memory.

 

 

 

 

 

 





Marjorie Audrey Grauper (Mags)  1928 - 16th December 20198 Almondsbury
Always known as MAG after her initials, she was a character - you always knew she was there – but
nonetheless a keen ringer always intent on learning new methods. When the stairs at Almondsbury became too
much for her she transferred to Abson whose ringing chamber has far fewer stairs. Away from the tower she
was a maths teacher, had a keen interest in space, and was an accomplished piano player. Her son Paul was tower captain at Almondsbury until he moved to America and her husband Ken frequently came to the tower
with her. The couple were very proud to reach their 60th wedding anniversary shortly before Ken’s death.





Herbert Thomas Ferris 20th December 1920 - 17th August 2018

Bert arrived in Westerleigh in the 1930’s when his parents moved there for work purposes. His first home was in the houses opposite the Olde Inne, thus close to the church.  His father (Jack) was a ringer and Bert and his two sisters were soon regular service ringers at Westerleigh. Jack became Tower Captain in 1930, and Bert succeeded him in 1974, a position he held until the mid 1990’s. He continued regular ringing here until about 2005.

To fill out this précis of his ringing is not easy, as Bert often told us that “I don’t keep records of what ringing I have done”. We know that in his early time here he would accompany his father on their bicycles to go Sunday service ringing in Bristol after the Westerleigh ringing duties were complete.  We also know that numerous peals and quarter peals were completed in Bristol, Gloucester, Wiltshire, Somerset and elsewhere. Sometimes three or four quarters, or two peals, were rung in a day. His ringing expertise was recognised when he was elected a “College Youth”.  He was a member of Gloucester and Bristol Diocese for over 40 years, and was elected Honorary Life Member some time ago. Within our own Branch he served as Ringing Master for the Branch from 1971 to 1976.

Outside of these Branch ringing activities he enjoyed ringing with several other groups such as The ”Moonrakers”, the “Farcited”.  He also enjoyed Tower Outings, Branch Outings, and many other ringing trips and ringing holidays. On many occasions I have been sharing car journeys with Bert and as we were passing through a village, town or city this voice would say “I’ve rung there”. This was invariably followed by a description of the bells, such as “a heavy six, ground floor ring”, or maybe “a light eight, but they don’t go well”.

Apart from his vast ringing experience Bert had several useful qualities, such as his dogged pursuit of potential new ringers until they surrendered and turned up for tuition. There they found out that he insisted on a good (safe) ringing style and the need to listen to the striking. I can still hear him now saying things like “Listen to it!” when the ringing got a bit bad. Not the most helpful criticism, but enough to make you realise that improvements could, and should be made.

Another of his qualities was his willingness to help other ringers/towers who were going through some transitional difficulties. On many occasions he would gather a few of his local ringers to go practice nights at Abson, Wapley, North Nibley, Chipping Sodbury and elsewhere when those places needed a temporary helping hand.

Bert was always keen to talk on ringing matters, and right up to fairly recently he could be encouraged to chat ‘bells’ while enjoying a glass of red in the Olde Inne. To say that he was well known and respected in ringing circles would be a large understatement. This was evidenced at his funeral by the ringers who took part in the “open ringing” beforehand, and by the number in the ringers and close family members in the congregation for that service. The packed church came to say “Farewell” to a good friend and servant to our art.
Martin Blanchard
 



Edward G Mould 25th March 1941 - 19 March 2016
Ted was a branch member and rang throughout the branch but primarily at Thornbury, Pucklechurch and Abson in the 60’s/70’s, he died on Saturday 19/03/2016.  The last time we saw him was when he came to ring in the Frampton 50 peal in 2013.  The picture above was taken when the Abson treble was rededicated in November 2008, and as with the Frampton celebrations he came down from London especially to attend. Ted held a number of branch officer positions in the branch, he was deputy RM in 1976 and 1977 and MC rep between 1973 and 1978.

An Obituary by his daughter Ruth.
As many of you will know, my father, Edward George Mould, died on the 19th of March this year.  This was a week before he would have celebrated his 75th birthday and we had all planned to meet up to celebrate in Cricket St Thomas near Chard as it was my birthday too. I am sure you can appreciate that this was a very sad time for us all, especially as dad’s death was so unexpected.  I am so thankful that I had spoken to him twice on the morning of the day he died and, strangely enough, from speaking to people after his death, it seems he’d recently been in touch with many of you too. His funeral was held some 4 weeks later at the church of Christ the Saviour in Ealing, a church at which he was an active ringer. We knew that we would have to hold his funeral here because dad’s funeral without bells would not have been what he would have wanted, as ringing was his passion throughout his life. Dad learnt to ring in Pewsey, Wiltshire as a teenager in the 1950’s and when he subsequently went up to Bristol University in 1959 to read Civil Engineering, he joined the UBSCR.  It was whilst he was in the UBSCR that, on 30th November 1960, he rang his first peal, at Rowberrow in Somerset.  In all he rang 829 peals, of which he conducted 46, his last peal being on the 25th of January 2014.  As I am writing this I am instantly drawn to his last peal date, which would have been my Mother’s (Christine Mould’s) 73rd birthday.  Mum and dad met whilst at Bristol University and were both members of the UBSCR - hence why my brother Roy and I became ringing orphans!! Our childhood holidays were often spent travelling around visiting churches, sharing cars (often sitting in the boot of our estate car - you wouldn’t be allowed to do that now!), following the gutters around the church, collecting the stones from the graves and of course ringing the bells.
Dad was a member of many ringing guilds in his lifetime: Salisbury Guild in the 1950’s; the UBSCR & Gloucester and Bristol DA 1959 – 1962; Salisbury Guild again, followed by Kent CA and then Derby DA during his early working life between 1962 and 1967, and then moving back to the Bristol area, initially to Thornbury until 1972 and then to Pucklechurch.  Dad moved to London in 1988 and became a member of both the London CA and the Middlesex CA and London DG. Dad was also a member of the College Youths, having been elected in 1968.
He was a committee member of the Bristol Rural Branch (which became the Northavon Branch) of the Gloucester and Bristol DA for several years in the 1970’s.  After moving to London, he realised one of his ringing ambitions by becoming a Central Council representative for London CA for 15 years, and he was also Master of this association for a time.
In total dad rang 829 peals, all on tower bells, in 438 different towers and including 28 at St Mary Abbots in Kensington. London CA was the society for which he rang the largest number of his peals, some 295.
Of course he couldn’t have rung his peals on his own and rang them with 962 other ringers – his most prolific co-ringer was John Hawes, with whom he rang 268. 4 of his peals featured a father and son team with my brother Roy but alas I never reached peal status to be included in these figures.
As you can tell by this, ringing was a major part of dad’s life, and he would not have been happy if he couldn’t ring.  He taught many people in his time how to enjoy the art of ringing, my brother and me included, and he was well-liked and respected by those who knew him.
Edward George Mould was a husband, a dad, a grandfather and a ringer and he will be missed I am sure by many.  On a recent tower tour of St Stephen’s Church in Bristol I was proud to see his name in print on many peal boards and it has bought comfort to me to know that his legacy will live on for many years to come in the world of ringing. Ringing was his passion and his life and thankyou all for being part of that.
Ruth Day (Daughter)





Sue Anna Elizabeth  Liebow 10th January 1956 - 17th January 2015
Sue Anna Elizabeth Liebow (nee Brooks) was born at Bromsgrove Worcestershire on 10th January 1956. She lived her early years in the Bromsgrove area, first in Stoke Heath, then Aston Fields. She attended schools in Bromsgrove and on leaving, started to work for the Post Office in Birmingham as a counter clerk.
On a weekend break in Brixham, Devon, she met Bill. After courting for just under 2 years and despite a 30 mile distance between them, they married in 1977, and went to live in Blunsdon, near Swindon. She continued to work for the Post Office after getting a transfer to Swindon, shortly moving away from the counter to various administration jobs.
During her time in Blunsdon, Sue became a Girl Guide Leader with the local group, while Bill helped with the Scouts. She also joined a Patchwork and Quilting group in Blunsdon. Another member of this group was Anne Watts, a bellringer at the parish church, which encouraged her to start bellringing, she also persuaded Bill take it up.
In 1984 Sue gave birth to her first child, Robert, and finished working for the Post Office to become a full time mother. And five years later, welcomed second child Andrew. She was always quick to tell friends how proud she was of both boys, encouraging them to participate in a variety of sports and always try their best. She was a fantastic mum and instilled her boys with great work ethics, determination and the ability to haggle!
In 1987 Sue moved away from Blunsdon to Shaw, also near Swindon. She continued to visit the Quilting group in Blunsdon occasionally but moved her bellringing to Lydiard Tregoze. Shortly after moving to Shaw, there was talk of forming a Womens Institute group and she became one of its founder members.
Bill got transferred to Bristol with his job in 1991and the family moved in early 1992 to Warmley. After the move Sue and Bill joined the bellringers at Warmley Church. Unfortunately she had to stop ringing after about two or three years due to arthritis in her hands.
Sue then started work as a lecturer at Soundwell College which was later merged with City of Bristol College. She took great pride in teaching her students and had a genuine passion for helping them achieve.
When a new quilting group was formed at Emersons Green, Sue became one of the founder members and has held various positions on the committee. She also joined a Quilting Group in Bath where she spent a short period as secretary. She again joined WI, this time at Mangotsfield.
During the early 2000’s, Sue’s mobility started to deteriorate, firstly needing to use a walking stick, leading to using a wheelchair. She took medical retirement from her job in 2008 shortly after Bill finished work on a voluntary redundancy scheme.
Since becoming disabled Sue did much to support other disabled people by joining WECIL (West of England Centre for Inclusive Living) and SGDEN (South Glos Disability Enablement Network) as a volunteer helper. She also took up photography, a hobby Bill has been doing for many years, and joined Photographers With Disabilities where she gave a lot of help, especially with fundraising, and was given Honoury Life Membership towards the end of last year for her efforts.
When Bill got elected as Deputy Ringing Master of the Bristol Rural Branch of bellringers, it was decided to create a post of Publicity Officer. Bill mentioned it to Sue and she agreed to take it on but only in a support role as she was no longer able to ring due to her disability. She also started handbell ringing at Frampton Cotterell about three years ago.
Sue was very much a family lady. She was blessed with 3 grandchildren. Matthew as a step grand-child, and Dexter was born September 2009.  She was delighted when Andrew married Lucy in 2011, and more recently welcomed Toby into the family in November 2014.  She celebrated with a glass of champagne with Robert & Sara on their engagement Christmas Day 2014. Straight away she went into over-drive with ideas to make their invitations and she will be greatly missed at their summer wedding this year.
On her birthday, Sue started to feel tired but still decided to have part of the day out to celebrate. During the following week her conditioned deteriorated and she went into Southmead Hospital where she passed away on 17th January, surrounded by her loved ones.
Those who knew Sue, knew that her spirit was never jaded by her disability. She was strong-willed, determined and kind-hearted. She made a difference to many people’s lives. She was loved dearly and will be greatly missed. 

 

 



                                         Rita Margaret Lampard (nee Webb) 1938 - 2014

 

 Rita was a local girl; she was born, just a few yards down the road, in Church Avenue, and within the sound of her original home tower Warmley.  After    attending Warmley School, opposite her house, she completed her education at a school in Clifton. She had one sister, Liz, who was born 10 years after her. She learnt shorthand and typing at the Commercial College in Bristol before going to work at the Fantasie Factory in Kingswood. It was during this period that Bill came over to the UK from Australia. Initially, he had intended to return after a year but these plans were soon changed and for the best of reasons. He met Rita. You will not be surprised to learn it was all to do with bellringing. Bill had learnt the art of campanology in Adelaide Cathedral and, taking up an invitation to ring at Pip ‘n’ Jay in the centre of Bristol one afternoon, he literally bumped into Rita, probably negotiating one of those narrow staircases by which you get up to the ringing chamber. Rumour has it that Rita’s first reaction was to wonder ‘Who was that rude man!’; but, subsequently, when Bill came to ring at Warmley which led to a bellringing holiday in Scotland, all was forgotten and forgiven and their romance blossomed. They were married in Warmley Church in February 1963. Some of you will recall that 1963 was an extremely cold winter, so pictures of their wedding show the snow, deep and crisp and more-or-less even. Bill and Rita were to live locally from then all their married life.

It was while she was working for Fantasie that she left to give birth to her daughter Helen; but, such was her value to the company, that they pressed her to come back afterwards.

Bellringing was Rita’s No 1 interest; she was a dedicated member of the branch and association for over 50 years. There is a picture of Rita in Abson tower in 1955 at a Harvest tea at Collins Farm with a number of ringers who are still actively ringing today. A reminiscence from Gloria Wilshire, one of Rita’s close ringing friends, Gloria recalls that Rita had a friend called Sandra Lewis who introduced Rita and Gloria to Muriel and Rex Allen. They used to stay with Muriel and Rex when they lived in Longlevens, Gloucester. The three girls slept in a ¾ bed and Gloria says there was a lot of giggling and very little sleep. One day, as they were boarding the train to come home, Rex gave Rita a parcel to give to her dad. It had labels on it to say that this parcel was to be opened only by Mr Webb. Halfway through the journey, curiosity got the better of them. The parcel was opened and what slithered out was a huge eel, you can imagine the screams! We do not know what Rita’s Dad said?

Gloria also recalls how Rita loved dancing and organised ringers’ balls. She will be sorely missed by the ringing fraternity.

What other interests did Rita have? There was Sudoku, crosswords, history and politics. Yes, she had some strong views on the latter subject! She had a great memory for birthdays and other important dates. She went to Australia four times to visit Bill’s homeland. Since Bill’s death, exactly 3 years to the day before Rita died; Rita has not enjoyed good physical death although, mercifully, she remained strong mentally.
So, thank you God for Rita. May she rest in peace with Bill her husband?  We pray that her daughter Helen, and grandsons Luke, Thomas and Harry, and her sister Liz, and all whose lives she touched, will be given strength and courage from her example of a good life well lived –the life of Rita Lampard.

Thanks to Canon Paul Denyer rtd: and Gloria Wilshire for the eulogy from which I produced the obituary.
Tony York

William Lampard  (Bill) 14th July 1931 - 1st January 2011
The Day Thou Gavest’

Bill Lampard was born in Adelaide, Australia 79 years ago.

When the funeral was held at  Warmley on friday 14th January 2011, simultaneously, relations of Bill gathered in Mt Gambier, South Australia. They included the widow of Fred, Bill’s twin brother. Fred died in 1998. Also a surviving sister Rosemary. Bill's brother Peter who lives in Toowomba, Queensland was flooded in, so was unable to attend. Bill also had a sister Barbara who died two years ago.
Although born on the other side of the world, Bill spent most of his life in England.  If he had lived until the 12th February this year, he would have been in England 50 years.
The family moved from Adelaide to Mount Gambier in South Australia when Bill was 11 years old.  As a young man he played league cricket, and cricket remained his main sporting interest. He was also a keen fisherman in Australia.
As a young man, Bill worked for the family owned business as a driver/ mechanic. The company ran the massive road-trains that trundle across the Australian continent. In time, he and Fred took over the company solely. They eventually sold to a much larger company which is now one of the largest in Australia.
In due course, Bill returned to Adelaide where he studied part-time to improve his engineering skills. This is where Bill learnt to ring at St Peters Cathedral, Adelaide. He then moved to Queensland for a year before he decided to visit England for a working holiday.
Both Bill’s parents had originally come from England and that must have played its part in his decision to come to these shores in 1961. He travelled here by sea. His first footfall was in Sussex, from whence he came to Swindon and then Bristol. He only intended to stay for one year, but that was before he met Rita.
In February 1963 they were married at St Barnabas’ and moved into a house on Hill Street, Kingswood, Bristol. Three years later they moved to Crane Close where Helen was born. Five years later they moved to Winfield Road, Warmley. During this time Bill worked as mechanic for Henley’s and a number of car firms. The joke was that all the companies Bill worked for seemed fated to close down. Even when he retired from MWM in Fishponds, it was not long before the firm ceased trading!
He was captain of the bells at St Barnabas, Warmley for a period and also vice captain. He helped to raise a considerable sum of money in the 1970's. To pay for the six bells to be replaced with the eight bells from St George in Bristol.
He became a member of the Ancient Society of College Youths in 1975. He was also a correspondence member of Clavis Lodge.
Bill had triple bypass heart surgery some years ago and this led, over time, to a noticeable slowing-down, especially over the past two years. It affected his capacity to ring the church bells.
This past summer it was discovered that Bill had cancer and it was inoperable.  Over these last months, weeks and days he had been attended by Marie Curie Nurses, St Peter’s Hospice and the local doctor and district nurses.
Bill had a terrific sense of humour. Something which helped him get through the last few months.
Bill and Rita have been blessed with three grandsons: Luke, Tom and Harry; and they have seventeen nephews and nieces.
Nowadays people travel to and from England to Australia every day and think nothing of it. The world has shrunk. In 1961, to travel here by sea and decide to stay seems much more brave and adventurous. But Bill took with him his character, his faith in God’s providence; and he had met Rita! This made him strong and determined to face life’s ups and downs.

Towards the end he was very moved and heartened to receive Holy Communion and make his peace with God. He had had a good life and he was surrounded by a loving family. None of us can wish for more. We pray Bill rests in peace.

Rita Lampard


George Lawrence 19th February 1927 - 22nd October 2013
A ringer at Wapley

George was born at Wapley on 19th February 1927 and passed away on 22nd October 2013 aged
eighty six. He spent most of his childhood years within the large farming community in the Wapley
parish there being six farms in Besom Lane al! within a few hundred yards of each other. When
George left school at around age thirteen, his first job was at a farm in Westerleigh where he soon
became an expert at hedge laying and maintained most of the hedges in Besom Lane between
Westerleigh and Wapley. Later in life George gave up farming and hedge laying and started a job at
Nichols Cowmills at chipping Sodbury as a lorry driver delivering animal feed to farms in South
Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and North Somerset. He kept this job for the rest of his working life until
he retired at age sixty five. George married his wife Joyce on 5th November 1953 they had three
daughters, one daughter emigrated to Canada and one emigrated to Germany.

His bellringing started in the 1960's at Westerlegh where he learnt to handle a bell under the
leadership of Jack Ferris. He never progressed beyond call changes and ringing the
tenor behind to doubles methods and he eventually gave up ringing for a period of time.
His interest was rekindled when the five bells at Wapley were augmented to six and rehung in a new
steel frame at a lower level in the tower in 2000. George was asked to join the Wapley
band by one of his best friends and workmate Andy Fox. At the same time Andy invited me to
become tower captain at Wapley which I accepted. We started a regular practice on Monday
evenings and eventually George and Andy learnt to ring the treble to doubles and minor methods
and both eventually rang several quarter peals on the treble.

Apart from bell ringing George's main interests were horse racing and whist drives. Every day of the
week except Sundays George would catch the bus to Yate and place his bets on the horses, he had
an excellent knowledge of the previous form of the horses and he usually placed an accumulator bet
on six different horses all to win. When is luck was in and all six came up he often won in excess of
£1000.00. Unfortunately one day after getting off the bus at Yate George tripped over a curb and
injured his shoulder and from that point on he went down hill and became house bound . He had
several spells in hospital and eventually passed away from a heart attack on 22nd October 2013
which was fourteen days short of Joyce and George's Diamond wedding.
George Rest in Peace.
Bryn Shackleton

Arthur E Herbert 1927 – 2009
Arthur first became interested in Church bells and bellringing at his then church of St Mary, Whitchurch, Cardiff.  Moving to Llandaff he served the Cathedral in a number of ways and there began a lasting friendship with John Baldwin the well known authority on all things concerning bells and bellringing.  In his profession as an insurance company claims adjustor he and his wife Marion moved to Thornbury and together became members of St Mary’s Almondsbury.  Arthur became a popular member of the band and saw them through a number of difficult periods that all bands experience from time to time.  A great rugby supporter the band always awaited with glee his arrival on Sunday mornings when the Welsh national team had a misfortune the day before!  He would have his revenge though when the boot was on the other foot, especially when it was to the discomfort of England.  He served a term as an active Branch Chairman of Bristol Rural Branch (Northavon) in the 1990's.  During this period, with Terry Jefferis he was also instrumental in establishing a hand-bell group of tune ringers among the handicapped people of the “Siblands Centre” at Thornbury.
On retirement, it was at an “after practice night refreshment stop” that the idea of forming a group of retired ringers who could meet, socialize, and have an afternoons ring at different churches on a regular basis, was discussed.  Arthur volunteered to organise this and thus was born the “Far Cited Company” that he founded in 1998, served as leader for five years, and which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year.  Arthur and Marion moved to Lymington from where he organised there his final outing for members of that company, thereafter enjoying a quiet twilight to his years until his death on March 14th 2009.


James_Anthony_Bennett
Continued:
He returned to Bristol as a lecturer, and then senior lecturer, in anaesthesia based at Bristol Royal Infirmary and lived in Stoke Bishop where he attached himself to the band in the tower there.  His parents were living elsewhere in Stoke Bishop, and when his father died the family gave a new bell to Stoke Bishop tower in his memory.
 Later Tony became a consultant anaesthetist at Frenchay Hospital where he specialised in thoracic work and was regularly involved in all-day chest operations in addition to the normal on call rota.  And this left him little time for ringing, particularly since he also joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and progressed through the ranks on temporary naval attachments, retiring after some years with the rank of surgeon lieutenant commander.  He became interested in teaching anaesthesia in Africa where the anaesthetic equipment was usually very primitive and electricity supplies unreliable, and he did several six-month attachments to the University of Khartoum in the Sudan as visiting professor,
On returning to Bristol, once more as consultant at Frenchay and curator of the medical museum there, Tony moved to Itchington, near Tytherington in the mid 1980’s and involved himself in the life of St James church.  as a member of the PCC and of the tower.  He was always a first class method ringer.
It was in his heyday of ringing, whilst strapping the tenor of Exeter Cathedral for the UBSCR, that after about 2 hours, Tony had heart palpitations.  He ceased ringing the peal, and ringing took a back seat in his life for a good number of years.  This was in the days before Gandison was re-hung.
One of his other great interests was church organs. Tony arranged and helped to finance the complete overhaul of Tytherington church organ in the 1990s.  His music room at home contained a reed organ (with blower in the loft), a three manual electronic organ and a grand piano.  He played the organs at the Freemasons Hall, Bristol regularly for four different Masonic lodges and organised organists' outings to many different places.
Tony was one of those people who was unflappable, humorous, generous and always ready to help anybody at any stage of ringing.  Tony’s health deteriorated in the autumn of 2008, and by Christmas was seriously ill.  He spent his last days at St Peter’s Hospice and this is where he last heard bells being rung.  As a memorial to Tony a quarter peal of Cambridge Minor was rang on the heavy six at Westbury on Trym on Friday 27 February. Three spectators sat in the ringing chamber throughout the ringing, one of whom was a former mentor to Tony.
At his funeral service on Tuesday 17 February, Tortworth church was full to capacity.  The bells were rung half muffed before and after the service.  At Tytherington the bells were rung open for Tony’s committal.  The ringers were joined by Hugh Evans, the chair of Gloucester and Bristol Association, and Rev John and Beryl Baldwin of Llandaff.
In recent years Tony revived his interest in choral singing and became a member of The Painswick Singers.  His last public appearance was to sing in the Painswick Christmas concert shortly before Christmas 2008. It was therefore fitting that the Painswick Singers sang ‘Ave Verum Corpus’ by Mozart and the ‘Sanctus’ from Faure’s Requiem at his funeral.

Tytherington Bellringers
28th March 2009

Next Obituary click here

 Frederick George Gillett 1933 - 2006
George Gillett of Coalpit Heath died in 2006, he was born in 1933
George was born in South Somerset in October 1933, becoming a resident of Coalpit Heath village following his National Service in the Parachute  Regiment, and a period in the Bristol City Constabulary. He became attached to St Saviour’s Coalpit Heath in the late 1960’s joining the band of ringers as an adult learner.
George entered the aircraft industry with Rolls Royce, serving as an instructor on the shop floor and in the training school with responsibility for the use of computers in aircraft engine construction. George’s experience in industry was to help Coalpit Heath at the time of the augmentation of the bells to eight.
George was able to move from six bell ringing to that of eight without much difficulty, his main interest being that of ringing the tenor. He was capable of ringing Stedman and Surprise methods, with limited interest in peal ringing. He did ring three peals, including one of forty two(42) doubles methods. He was also interested in the Coalpit Heath ringers activities in competition ringing.
His health in recent years had restricted his travel movements and ringing activities with the Farcited midweek group, although he made appearances in the Coalpit Heath ringing chamber up to two weeks before his death.
George was  in Frenchay hospital for only five days before he was called to other duties above.
George wished that the funeral service be marked with open ringing to Stedman Triples, this was carried out by local ringers and the Bristol Rural Branch, as George entered and left St Saviours for the last time.
George was a Good Servant – May peace be with Him.

Thank you George

Next obituary click here


 

Andy Kane 1989 - 2006

Andy died on the 30th July in intensive care at Southmead following an illness of about two weeks.  He was seventeen years old.
He started ringing at Thornbury in 2001, and was a ringer when schoolwork (he'd just taken his A/S levels) and his other activities allowed.
Andy's mother Leanne, a very well known voice and singing coach in Thornbury, died two years ago (almost to the week) and although at the time it hit Andy hard he seemed to have recovered well and was following much in her footsteps with a keen involvement with school drama and in the Thornbury Amateur Dramatics Society, and with some school friends he had developed an interest in producing and directing video. He was thinking of applying to Southampton University to study History.
Our thoughts and prayers are very much with his father Ian, and his younger brother Matt.    His most untimely death leaves a great gap in the hearts of all the Thornbury ringers.

                                               A.A.


Denis Arthur Jones 1924 - 2004  
Ringer
at Frampton Cotterell.
Denis Jones, of Frampton Cotterell has died in 2004. He was born in 1926 
Denis was born in Bristol in St Michael’s hill where his father was a grocer, he must have listened to many hours of ringing as a child and young man as the bells of St Michaels rang out for services and practice nights. He also said that as a lad he chimed a bell at St Michaels for service.
When Den left school he went to work at Bristol University as a Laboratory Technician taking up his trade as a glass blower.  Eventually he started his own business manufacturing scientific glassware in Downend, and in recent years was joined by his youngest son Mathew who took up the same trade. He made lots of interesting items including lasers…and lovely glass handbells.
Denis in his adult life lived in Frampton Cotterell for 41 years and had associated with many local ringers; he did not take up ringing until 1999. As one of the oldest millennium ringers: Denis had to work hard to master ringing, and was often heard to say he wished he had taken it up at seven not seventy. As a scout he did bring three important attributes to the Frampton band – reliability and timeliness for his service and practice ringing, and also his ability to splice ropes perfectly.
Den had lots of other interests including life long interest in Scouting, sailing (which he passed on to his children who are still messing about in boats and also many of the local scouts and guides), he was an accomplished swimming, canoeing and life saving instructor.

At a recent church and tower open weekend, Den did his duty, on the roof, in the ringing chamber, and conducting visitors up the tower. His picture was even found in an ‘old’ photographic exhibition – dressed in his shorts and a white apron manning the BBQ at a Frampton Carnival. Although not retired, Denis did allow his wife Francis to organise frequent short holidays – glass blowing conferences in Venice, cruises, South Africa in the last year. He even managed a trip to the top of Reykjavik Cathedral – 300ft (it does have a lift)
At his funeral Denis’s family and friends filled the church to capacity, to celebrate the life of a good man.
He will be missed by the Frampton Cotterell ringers, his many friends and acquaintances.
Our Sympathy goes to his widow Francis and all the family.

 The world will be a poorer place without Denis Jones.
 

Phillis B.G. Livsey  1924 - 2002
Ringer at Alveston and Farcited Member

 Phyllis Betty Georgina (Phyl): wife of the late Robert Livsey. Died peacefully at Southmead Hospital on December 16th 2001, after a short illness, aged 78. Phyl took up ringing late in life, starting, during the 1970’s. She had wanted to ring when she was young, but had been told that ringing was not suitable activity for young ladies! She had always had strong ties with the church, being a devout Christian and almost had a service named after her, the ten past ten Thursday morning communion service at St Helens, Alveston, a service she was regularly late for! She learnt to ring at St Helens, Alveston, and, though not progressing beyond bob doubles, was a useful member of the band and encouraged other members of the church to "give ringing a go". She was well known to the Farcited ringers, often joining them on their outings, she almost became the official photographer, as with her family and friends she will be missed for her lively and infectious personality.

Robert A. Williams 1924 - 2002
Robert Williams, of Tytherington died in 2002 he was born in 1924.
Robert lived all his life in the village of Tytherington, Gloucestershire. He attended the village school and won a scholarship to Thornbury Grammar School. On leaving, Robert went to work on the family farm. He played the horn in the Tytherington band and also learnt to ring on the then five bells and quickly progressed to Grandsire doubles. He was part of the handbell team, which rang carols at Christmas time to raise money, funds for a new treble bell, which came to fruition in 1959. With this completed, the next project was to refurbish the handbells and this was duly done by 1970. He taught his five children to ring, culminating in a family Silver Jubilee quarter peal. His involvement with church life spanned almost all his life with ringing, the church choir, and being churchwarden for 40 years. His dedication to church life was reflected at his funeral service with the church overflowing. The bells were rung open before the service by Rural Branch members, and the tenor tolled on interment. A successful quarter peal of Plain Bob Minor was rung in the evening by the local Sunday band.