BellBoard

Half-muffled following the funeral service for Robert W. Shire.

In memory of Robert W Shire..

First in variation by all.

100th together (1 end 3).

200th together (2 and 4).

First quarter inside: 3

For Evensong

In memory of Robert W Shire.

Rung as a 21st birthday compliment to C. J Kingdon

First in the variation by all.

Rung for the instalment of The Reverend John L Pritchard.

1st peal inside :4 (aged 72)

First on eight (1).

For Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

700th quarter (4).

First of Grandsire Triples by all.

First Minor 'inside' (3).

Rung silent and non conducted. Umpires: E J Chivers, Beverley Parry

For Evensong.

For Ash Wednesday.

First quarter: 1

Rung as a compliment to Claire & Louise Reeves on being awarded Queen's Guide Badges

Also rung for Girl Guide Thinking Day

After the funeral of Rev. W. F. Brimson (former rector), father of tower captain.

First quarter (8).

A compliment to H.V.(Brig) Young on 61 years membership of the Ancient Society of College Youths, and on his election as a life member of the Bath & Wells D.A.

First in 2 Minor methods (1,3,4).

First Minor in method (1, 2, 3, 4).

225th quarter together (1, 6).

For Evensong; also the completion of the electric light installation and blessing of a Processional Cross.

1st Peal: (3)

Most methods as Conductor

1st Doubles and most methods: (2)

Circled tower: (1)

An 18th birthday compliment to Heather Gibbs

First as (C).

For Mothering Sunday.

A compliment to H.V.(Brig) Young on his elevation to Life Membership of the Bath & Wells D.A.

Rung for Conformation Service

First Surprise: 4

First in method: 2,3

21st Birthday compliment to Martin.

On the 50th anniversary of the conductor's first quarter peal rung at this Church, in which the ringer of the 2nd also took part.

First in method: 3

Rung for the enthronement of the 102nd Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Robert Runcie

For Easter Day.

Rung in memoriam of H J Arscott (Aunt Jessie)

First attempt - 1

Wedding compliment to Neil Dalgren and Susanna James.

Golden wedding compliment to Mr. and Mrs. T. Fox.

Circled the tower to quarters (5).

Other possible ringers - Frank Morris, Ashley Pike, Sheila Williamson??

First in the variation by all.

Birthday compliment to Mrs. C. D. Beveridge.

First quarter (6).

First away from cover (1).

Most m/v - 4.

or Rogation Sunday.

Rung in memory of Mr James M Garner-Hayward who died 10/05/1980

In memoriam J. L Garner-Hayward.

500th quarter as (C).

First 'inside' (2).

1st peal:2, 3, & 6

Rung by Bridgwater Branch members for the 90th Anniversary of the Bath & Wells Association

Rung for the 90th Anniversary of the founding of the Bath & Wells D A C R

First combined Minor and Doubles (2 and 4).

Ruby wedding compliment to Mr. and Mrs. R. Hope.

Most m/v (1 & 4).

In memoriam Mr. R. Courage.

Most m/v as (C).

150th together (2 & 4).

First in variation (1, 3, 4).

For Feast of S John Baptist.

250th quarter (4).

For M.U. Deanery Service.

First of Grandsire Triples as Conductor.

First in variation by all.

For Feast of St, Peter Patron Saint.

First in method (2 & 3).

First in variation for all

No (C) given.

Rung to congratulate treble ringer becoming church warden, also a birthday compliment

25th Q: 6

For the Church Fair.

1st in method: 2,3,4

Rung in honour of H M Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's 80th birthday on 4th August

For Holy Communion.

Rung for the Queen Mother's 80th birthday (4th).

First quarter (2).

An 80th birthday compliment to H.M. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

An 80th birthday compliment to H.M. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

First in method: 3,5

First Minor as Conductor

Rung for H M Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's 80th birthday

An 80th birthday compliment to H.M.Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

For H.M. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

An 80th birthday compliment to H.M.Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

1st quarter for Sally Wheeler

Rung in honour of H M Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's 80th birthday on 4th August

First in method: 3,4

Circled tower 5 times: 5

Pearl Wedding compliment to Nora and Norman Gibbs, parents of Heather Gibbs

A birthday compliment to (4).

First of Minor 'inside' (2).

Wedding compliment to David Sibley and Sarah Cottrell.

For the Feast of St. Bartholomew.

First Caters-2.

250th peal-4.

For centenary of St Andrew, Minehead.

First in the variation by all.

On eve of the Feast of St. Giles (Patron Saint).

First in method: 4

First in method as (C)

Circled Tower: 1,6 (First to do so on augmented ring)

225th together (2 and 5).

600th quarter (6).

First of Treble Bob (1).

Most m/v: 2,3,4

First Spliced Doubles for all except (5).

Wedding compliment to John Jeremiah and Kay Bristow.

A wedding compliment to Rodney and Shirley

100th of doubles - 5

For The Dedication of the extension to the west end of the Church by the Bishop of Bath and Wells

Most methods-(2, 3, 4)

First inside- (3).

First on the bells since 1920.

Farewell compliment to Mr and Mrs A D Stoddart (of the Manor House).

First in method: 2,3,5

175th peal for the Association (3).

For Evensong.

Most methods (3), and first Spliced (1 & 2).

Rung for Harvest Festival

175th quarter - 4

150th together - 3 and 4

For Harvest Festival, also to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Rev. D.E.F.Marshall's ordination to the priesthood.

First of Bob Triples 'inside' (5).

Compliment to Dr. Winifred Kingsbury (licensed as a lay reader).

First in method: 2,3,4

First in variation (3 and 5).

250th together (1 and 2).

200th quarter (4).

1st Peal for Julian Stone, age 11 years

First in variation for all

Rung for Morning Service

Farewell compliment to Rev. J H Biddell (15 years Vicar).

200th quarter together (1 & 7).

First of Minor (3).

Most methods: 2,3 and as (C)

First ringing on the new balcony

For Sunday Service

Thanksgiving for the life of Herbert (Brig) V. Young, life member of the Bath & Wells D.A., who died 31st October.

With bells open.

In memoriam Herbert (Brig) Young, a regular visitor to this tower.

Rung in memoriam of H V Young (Brigg)

After the cremation in memoriam H.V.(Brig) Young, as a mark of esteem and friendship.

Obituary

H. V. (BRIG) YOUNG ' ‘It is my wish that my funeral Service be in St. Andrews. Wiveliscombe followed by cremation at Taunton Deane; that Hymns 301 and 272 (A.M.R.) be sung and that Psalm 15 be read; that the organist play the Trumpet Voluntary by Jeremiah Clarke with the accent on Trumpet; and that if the ringers wish to mark my passing that the bells be rung open

Thus did "Brig” Young express with meticulous care in his Will his final wishes - wishes that were faithfully carried out on November 6th. As a congregation of nearly 200 gathered in St. Andrew’s - a congregation representative of the many periods and facets of Brig’s life - the bells rang open, there being general ringing before the Service. The ringing included a course of Double Norwich, a method Brig loved to ring and hear rung and immediately before the Service the tenor was tolled for three minutes by Mr. Fred Casley. The Service was conducted by the Vicar of Wiveliscombe (Rev. Christopher Marshall), who had first rung with Brig Young when a curate at Leatherhead Parish Church and where his wife had learnt to ring under Brig’s watchful eye. Psalm 15 was read by Dr. Winifred Kingsbury (Chairman, Dunster Branch), after which the Vicar spoke of Brig’s solid faithfulness as Christian, friend and ringer. As an example of this Chris Marshall quoted an incident that happened in the late 1950’s; an incident that Brig himself had “called to mind” a few weeks ago. On a bitterly cold evening a group of ringers huddled at the bottom of Leatherhead tower, snow and ice being everywhere. The band was one short; there was a stamping of cold feet; the West door burst open; the snow blew in and with it Brig, wrapped up to the eyeballs to keep warm. He had walked the three or four miles to the Church for the weekly practice and the young Curate (now Vicar of Wiveliscombe) remarked to Brig: "Mr. Young, you have restored my faith in human nature". The Lesson, 1 Corinthians 13, was read by Mr. George Massey (general secretary, Bath and Wells D.A.) and there were obviously some good voices in the congregation judging by the way the two hymns were sung, the first (301) being words by John Bunyan and the second (272), “Let Saints on earth in concert sing”. As the cortege processed down the centre aisle the organist (Mr. John Marsden) played the Trumpet Voluntary with the accent on Trumpet and as it reached the West door and left the Church 168 Grandsire Triples was rung on the open bells by Derek Astridge 1, Ken Lee (C) 2, Barbara Wylde 3, George Massey 4, George Sparkes 5, Bill Nurcombe 6, John Brain 7, Fred Casley 8. Following the Cremation at Taunton Deane eight of Brig’s friends returned to the tower and rang a good quarter of Double Norwich - a fitting tribute to one whose keen ear was always receptive to, and appreciative of, good music. The man to whom we thus paid tribute on this November day was born at Norwood, London, on 31st May, 1902. The Young family were continually on the move, Brig’s father being a man of ‘independent means’. They certainly lived for a time in Brixham and Exeter, eventually settling at Waterrow, in the parish of Chipstable, near Wiveliscombe. ‘Brig’ went to the Village School and only the other day took Miss Arscott to Williton Hospital to visit Mrs. Cornish with whom they had both been at School in those early Waterrow days. It was from this Village School that Brig went to Richard Huish’s Grammar School in Taunton and it was during this period that he learnt to ring on the six at Chipstable. Whilst still a schoolboy he had made the pilgrimage to ring at Exeter, thus starting a love for heavy bells; a love that never left him. Indeed, to watch him handle a big bell was to watch a master at work. His first peal was rung on 2nd February 1919 at Rockwell Green, Wellington. He rang the tenor to Grandsire Doubles, it being the first peal on the bells. In all he only rang, it is believed, four peals, the last being many, many years ago at Limpsfield. During this last peal of his, it is said that Brig must have stood in a draught because by the end he had developed either a stiff neck or back and said to himself regarding peal ringing: “Young, this is not for you!” He never rang another and this fact makes Brig Young an exceptional character - for such a talented ringer to have rung so few peals is itself a mark of, and a claim to fame. As a youth Brig obviously had "itchy” feet and an urge (as did his brother) to go to sea, and so like many young men living in deep country he went to London. There he fell in with the College Youths and at the age of 17 was made a member of that Society on 25th February 1919. When asked how in those days such a young boy came to be elected he replied something to the effect that: "The London men of the time were getting a little on the mature side and were looking for some gullible youth to pull up the tenor for them!” Brig, of course, was not only a good raiser of tenors, he must also have been one of the most expert at trebling up “in peal” - indeed, only this past summer on an outing he showed that his head, ear and eye had not lost their cunning when he trebled up the ten at Wrington in fine style.

SEAFARER His ringing in this country must, obviously, have been hampered by his years as a seafarer and by his spell in New Zealand. However, Brig eventually settled in Surrey, becoming a member of the Leatherhead band, ringing a wide variety of methods with such stalwarts as Albert Harman, Alfred Winch, George Marriner and Arthur Smith. He was at one period ringing master of the Leatherhead District (Guildford D.G.) and for a time worked for Gillett and Johnston. Brig appears to have kept no ringing records but he must have rung thousands of

quarters and his tower total was colossal - he was a regular tourer with Florrie Wyman and one of Pipe’s Pilgrims. Certainly on Sunday 9th November 1958 he rang Leatherhead tenor to a quarter of Grandsire Caters marking his 25 years’ service to Leatherhead tower, and a year later on 15th November 1959 he rang that that same tenor to the same method as his farewell - Brig was retiring to Waterrow; to the parish of Chipstable where he learnt to ring as a boy. There, next door to the Rock Inn, he settled into country life and attached himself to St. Andrew’s, Wiveliscombe where he became a stalwart of the Sunday service band. It was into this small country town that he moved on the death of his wife, buying a house opposite the Church and within easy walking distance of, as he termed it, “The House of Refreshment” - The Royal Oak. The bells of St. Andrew’s became his particular care and delight and it was in some measure due to his enthusiasm and generosity that in 1965 the two trebles were recast and the bells retuned. During these final years in West Somerset ‘Brig’ became a respected figure in the Dunster, Taunton and Bridgwater Branches and no Dunster Branch practice in some remote tower on Exmoor or the Brendons was complete without his being there to “treble up”. A week before his death Brig had had a marvellous day ringing in South Wales - Chepstow, Usk, Abergavenny, Ebbw Vale and Newport. As we drove home to Wiveliscombe, having had the usual "get-together" and “refreshment” at The Henry Fielding”, Brig remarked: "Taken by and large ringers are as good a crowd of friends a man could have" - Brig himself was as good a friend as any of us are likely to have. With the “accent on Trumpet”. May He Rest in Peace.. C.M,

1st of Surprise 2.

First in Method 5.

For Remembrance Day.

150th together (4 and 5).

250th together (1 and 5).

Circled tower to quarters (1).

For Remembrance Day.

First Stedman (1, 2 and 3).

85th birthday compliment to Mr. H. F. Lee.

Most methods silent and non-conducted by all.

83rd birthday compliment to Mrs. S. E. Lee.

Rung by Bridgwater Branch ladies as a compliment to Heather Gibbs on gaining her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award

1st all ladies Q for 1,3

(Not found in RW)

First in method for all.

In memoriam Mrs. M. Richards.

Silver wedding compliment to Lt.-Comdr. and Mrs. R. A. Haig.

1st of Minor at 1st attempt: 3

First peal in the method (1 & 6).

For Patronal Festival

For Carol Service

1st as (C)

1st inside: 2

Half-muffled in memoriam of Mark Hill cremated today, Church Warden and good friend of the tenor ringer

Golden wedding compliment to Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Colman.

For the Carol Service.

First on eight as (C).

For The Carol Service

First Quarter 1

First as Conductor

For the Carol Service.

Rung for the Carol Service

For the Carol Service.

Most methods 'inside' (2) and as (C).

First in the method for all

Rung for the Carol Service on front 6.

1st quarter (1).

1st minor: 1

Rung for Holy Communion Christmas morning

RW page 99

For St Stephen's Day.

First Stedman: 3,5

First in method for all

25th Q: 2

25th together: 1,4