| Date | News Item
| 25 Jan 2004 | We are saddened to hear that Ruth Grissenthwaite, wife of Wirral ringer Maurice, has died. A thanksgiving service for the life or Ruth is to be held tommorow, Monday 26th, at the Christian Scientist Church, Hoylake at 1 p.m.
| 5 Feb 2004 | John Collinson has reported the sad news that Mark, husband of Eastham ringer Sue Wakerley, died suddenly yesterday at the age of only 35 years. Funeral arrangements etc will be reported here once known. In the meantime, the Eastham practice tonight (Thursday) has been cancelled.
| 8 Feb 2004 | I have been advised that the funeral service for Mark Wakerley will be held at St Mary's, Eastham on Friday 13th February at 1 p.m. For the benefit of those who may not know his widow Sue by the name of Wakerley - she was married only 2½ years ago - she was formerly Garrigan (nee Hulse).
| 23 Mar 2004 | Peter Robson, tower correspondent at Thurstaston, writes:
"It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of Paul Watson,
husband of Diane our immediate past President.
Paul died suddenly last Wednesday of a heart attack. His funeral is at St Bartholomew's, Thurstaston at 10:45 a.m. on Thursday 25th March.
Please remember Diane and her family, and give thanks for the life of Paul in your prayers."
A Quarter Peal in memoriam is being arranged for Friday evening.
| 10 May 2004 |
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John Collinson writes:
"Following a mild heart attack, Frank Parry (Capenhurst) is a patient on ward 43 Countess of Chester hospital. It is anticipated he will shortly
be moved to another ward and that he will remain in hospital for 5 days. Please note that in the hospital he is known as GEORGE PARRY". |
| | 13 May 2004 | Syd Roberts has 'phoned to give an update on Frank Parry (see below). Frank is awaiting transfer to Broadgreen hospital Coronary Care Unit for surgery. He is hoping this will happen in the next few days and that he will then be recuperating at home towards the end of next week. Regrettably visits are confined to close relatives.
| 22 May 2004 | The 'Double-peal' attempt (10,080 changes) of Uxbridge Surprise Major to mark the centenary of Christ Church, Port Sunlight and its bells, was successfully accomplished today in 5 hours 49 minutes. See Report. This is a record length for the method and the longest length of any peal in any Wirral Branch tower.
| 29 May 2004 | Proceeds from Tony Power's Sponsored Cycle Ride last April are all now to hand - for the Wirral Branch anyway. Total donations were £202.50. With tax recoverable from Gift Aided donations at £35.42, the Guild BRF benefits to the extent of £237.92!. Well done Tony - and thanks to all the sponsors too - especially West Kirby (as might be expected as Tony's Home Tower, the most generous) with significant contributions also from ringers at Wallasey St Hilary, Port Sunlight, Eastham, Oxton and Heswall.
Latest news on Frank Parry is that he is now back home making a good recovery. Hope to see you back soon, Frank!
| 8 June 2004 | Christ Church, Port Sunlight has celebrated the Centenary of the Church and Bells in two Quarter Peals, both by the Sunday Service Band. Firstly, on 'Centenary Sunday' 6th June a QP of Grandsire Doubles was scored. Then, on the exact day of the Centenary, 8th June, a QP of Plain Bob Triples was scored, this being the first on eight by a Sunday Service band for over six years (albeit by just one day!)
| 25 July 2004
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| Sharon Williams, Tower Captain at Eastham, has rung her First Peal today! Conducted by Steven Hughes, the peal was rung as a welcome to Revd Beth Glover as vicar of St Mary, Eastham.
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| | 26 July 2004
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| Phyll Whitfield, (pictured left) once a regular visitor to Wallasey St Nicholas, has made news in the national press today! The Daily Telegraph, on page 6, reports as below. There was also extensive coverage, with pictures, in the Daily Post.
Woman's sky-high tribute
A 46-year-old woman paid tribute to her father's wartime exploits yesterday by scattering his ashes while standing on the wings of a biplane.
Phyll Witfield, a mother of two, flew from Old Buckenham Airfield, near Norwich, to where her father, Tom Christian, a Second World War glider pilot, ferried troops during and after the D-Day landings in 1944. Mrs Whitfield, of Childwall, Merseyside, raised money for the Anthony Nolan Trust, which helps people with bone marrow diseases. Her father died in Liverpool in April aged 85.
Mrs Whitfield, an accountant, said before her flight "The nearest I've done to something like this is abseiling down a hotel for charity."
The news is also reported on the BBC website!
Supporters of Phyll on the occasion of her 'wing walk' included Geoff (who took these pictures) and Sue Sparling and Avis, all of Wallasey St Nicholas.
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| | 23 Sep 2004 | Rhiannon Matthews of Neston, may well be the first Wirral ringer ever to have rung a
Quarter Peal outside the British Isles but almost certainly in the Antipodes. Congratulations!
| 10 Oct 2004 | Congratulations to Peter Robson who, today, rang his first Peal as Conductor at Thurstaston this afternoon.
Belated congratulations also to Hilary Morris, Neston, who rang her first Quarter Peal on an inside bell in a QP of PB Doubles rung at Neston on 3rd September. In the same QP, Maurice Grisenthwaite rang only his second QP, this nearly 48 years after his first in 1956! (Sorry for late publication but details only recently advised ).
| 9 Nov 04 | Congratulations to Peter Robson (it's that man again!) who rang his first Quarter Peal of Surprise Major on an inside bell, and to David Jones, first Surprise Major as Conductor, in the Quarter Peal rung at Chester on Sunday last.
| 10 Nov 04 |
| I received a telephone call just this evening from John McCulloch advising me that Vivian Boase, for many years Tower Secretary at Wallasey St Hilary, died this morning after a long illness. Funeral arrangements are not known at the present but will be posted here once confirmed.
Peter Humphreys
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| | 11 Nov 04 | I have now been advised that the funeral of Vivian Boase will take place on Thursday 18th November at 1:45 at Wallasey St Hilary. Ringing, to which all are welcome, will be from 1:15.
As John McCulloch does not presently have email or internet access, perhaps those of you planning to ring would let me know so I can advise John nearer the time.
| 27 Nov 04 | In addition to the half-muffled ringing before and after the funeral service for Vivian Boase on 18th November, a half-muffled Peal was rung at St Hilary this morning by a band comprising past and present Wirral Branch ringers. This included Christina Fleckney who, as Christina Walker, daughter of a former Rector, rang with Vivian as as a member of the local band in the 1970s and 80s, and who had travelled up from Essex to participate in this tribute today.
| 28 Nov 04 |
| Congratulations to Daniel Kingsley who rang his first Quarter Peal at Port Sunlight today. Daniel, son of Minister Revd John Kingsley, and who started ringing only in August this year, set a brisk, even pace on the tenor (front 6) from the start, the quarter coming round in just 41 minutes. |
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