19g

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

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

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

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.

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 16^th 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.