Founded 1925 President - Maurice Sharland www.devonbells.co.uk Devon Calls Nov 2014 Focus on a Past President – Mr. Ivor Hookway. OFFICERS his time the focus switch- President: es to one of our more Maurice SHARLAND T President-Elect: senior members – Mr. Ivor Brian DRAKE Hookway. Ivor rang with the Chairman: Graham SHARLAND West Down team, in North Vice Chairman: Devon near Ilfracombe, for James STEER many years . Hon. Secretary: Margaret WHITE Those with long memories Hon. Treasurer: will remember West Down as John BARNES being a consistently competi- Web Master: Dr James KERSLAKE tive team, amongst the top Devon Calls: teams in the county, particu- Acting Editor: larly during the 1950s and Colin ADAMS Acting Technical Eds.: 60s. Ivor occupied a place in Ivor Hookway Dr Colin BARNES the team, ringing the fifth With his five granddaughters (from l to r) Elinor D’ALBIAC bell, for well over sixty years. Darcey, Kelly, Katrine, Elin and Maddy Inside this issue When he decided to give up ringing he became a judge, judging regularly at Devon Associa- Thanks to the Judges 3 tion competitions and also at invitation ringing festivals. Such a commitment frequently Devon Calls progress report 4 meant driving long distances and spending many hours away from home. Why is Ringing Important? 5 Day in the life of a ‘Ringer 5 The team of ringers at West Down remains active and highly competitive. It is “Auntie’s Army” on Tour 6 through the legacy left by people such as Ivor, and the late Mervyn Phillips, that the team St Budeaux Bell Dedication 7 still remains active and highly competitive today. Bishopsteignton’s Bells 7 Plympton St Mary’s Bells 7 We now have the opportunity to hear from one of our more senior members whose Devon Historic Churches ringing career actually spans seventy-seven years! Trust 8 Do you come from a family of ringers? Annual Raffle Results 8 Yes. My father William Hookway had five brothers and one sister; she became the mother A Muffled Peal 9 Chagford Bells Centenary 10-14 of the late Mr. Mervyn Phillips. As many will recall, Mervyn was a very enthusiastic ringer West Down Tower Screen 14 and the tower captain at West Down for a number of years. At Mervyn’s christening in Obituaries: 1924 six Hookway brothers rang for the service. A few years later they all rang at their David Hampson 15 Marie Miller 15 father’s funeral service. Brian Heywood 15 Where did you learn to ring? At West Down in 1937 at the age of nine. I started on the fourth bell. Carol Service 15 Training Certificates 15 (continued on page 2) Do we have your correct address and contact details? Please send to Margaret WHITE (Secretary) [email protected]; Colin ADAMS (Acting Editor) [email protected] or John BARNES (Treasurer) [email protected] (continued from front page) of producing a high standard of striking around at the Who taught you to ring? present. My father William together with one of West Down’s The old West Down team were well known for their dis- ‘key’ ringers, the late Mr. F. White (father of Fred). Mr. tinctive style of lowering the bells e.g. a lower could last White actually lost one of his legs during the First World anything from between three to five minutes and was War, as result he was fitted with a prosthetic limb. In invariably flawless. Was there a particular person who spite of his incapacity he rang regularly at West Down stamped this unique “trademark” on the team? and did so by leaning against the wall behind him. He Yes, this was down to the late Mr. Fred White. Many was a wonderful ringer, a very good teacher, mentor and years ago at West Down when we were near the end of a a great inspiration to us all. peal and in “Queens” with the sequence being 1 3 5 2 4 6 Were there other people learning to ring at the same Mr. White would call “downward” and “steady”. Just as time as yourself? we were about to pull in at the bottom of the lower he Yes, Mr. Mervyn Phillips, Mr. W. White and Mr. Len would shout “upwards” and on reaching the top of the Smale. rise “downwards”. This kind of practice required good During the time that you were learning how was the rope control, for if you did not gather your coils in cor- Ringing Chamber lit? rectly you were left floundering. Sometimes during a By an oil lamp, like the rest of the church, as electricity peal he would call “downward” especially when the fifth did not come to West Down until 1954. bell was behind the treble and the second bell in front of Who were the team members when you were learning the tenor. This required great skill from those who were to ring and what bell did they ring? ringing bells two and five. Fred White or Jack Taylor (local blacksmith) Treble. I recall once when we rang in a competition at Isaac Phillips or Bill Hewitt Second. Witheridge. On emerging from the tower we were ap- Alf Copp or Lionel Hookway Third proached by the late Mr. Tommy Kingdom, Tower Cap- William Smale or Frank Hookway Fourth tain, (and also of Down St. Mary) who informed us that William Hookway or Walter Phillips Fifth our lower took over six minutes and was virtually fault- Jack White, Brinley Phillips ) less. This was later confirmed by two of the judges, one Arthur Down or Frank Phillips ) Tenor of whom was Mr. Tommy Darch – the local “Godfather” Did the team ring twice on Sundays and when was their of all ringing! practice night held? Would you like to see this style of lowering more widely We always rang for the 11.00 a.m. Matins and on most practiced? Sundays at 6.30 p.m. for Evensong; sometimes even ring- I would but as with raising the bells it takes a great deal ing after the service. Those who rung for Matins often of practice. stood down for the Evensong service. Practice nights During the late 1950’s Mortehoe were a team that were always held on a Friday evening. could ring well, except for the rise. One weekday even- Did the tower where you learnt to ring compete in any ing the team came across to West Down for guidance, of the competitions organised by the Devon Association hoping particularly to tap into the knowledge and skills of Ringers? of Mr. White. In the first peal Mr. White rang the treble Yes, but only on alternate years and when the venue was with Mortehoe ringers ringing behind. The rise was good in North Devon due to limited transport being available. and everyone looked pleased. A second attempt was How old were you when you competed in your first made with the same line-up. Again, no problems it was a competition? good rise. Things were changed for the third attempt. Sixteen. Bert Yeo, a former secretary of the Devon Association of Which bell did you ring and where was the venue? Ringers, took the treble with five of West Down ringers I rang the fourth bell at Tawstock in a competition organ- behind. The rise was a total disaster, consisting of a stop ised by Barnstaple Deanery. go, stop go affair all the way up. Another attempt was It is important to remember there was no ringing made with the same line-up. Again it was a disaster. during the period 1939 and 1945 due to the Second Poor Bert Yeo. He was so mad he threw down his rope World War. and stormed out of the tower. He was the owner of a Who were the main competing teams when you were local bus and taxi business and had driven the Mortehoe involved with competition ringing? team to West Down in one of his taxis. As he stormed In the north of the county there was: Chawleigh, Down out of the tower he jumped into his own taxi and drove St. Mary, Mortehoe, St. Giles-in-the-Wood and Swim- off, leaving five of his team stranded! They had to call bridge. In the south there was: Kenn, Plymstock and another taxi to get home! West Alvington. Are there any special ringing moments, perhaps involv- Overall would you say the standard of striking achieved ing a character from the past whom you would like to at competitions has improved or remained the same recall? since the days when you were actively involved? In terms of “special ringing moments”, in May 1953 West I think there are some very good teams who are capable (continued on page 3) 2 (continued from page2) Down rang to mark the return of Queen Elizabeth 11 from -ment by the team. her first tour of Australia. The Queen’s Coronation had On Saturday 30th June 1970 the Devon Association taken place the previous year in 1952 and West Down of Ringers Six-Bell Final competition was held on the light were honoured to have their bells broadcast live on BBC little peal of six at St. Petrox, Dartmouth. In those days radio. A similar exercise was repeated in the early 1960’s teams entered the church in pairs and once inside drew when West Down’s bells featured on the BBC’s radio pro- for ringing order. West Down with Kentisbeare went in as gramme “Christmas Bells” broadcast on Christmas morn- the first pair. Inside the church a coin was tossed which ing.