Ralph Maudsley was born on 15th December 1946 in Bebington in what was then Cheshire. His family had been Lancashire mill owners and his grandfather invented a lathe which is still in use today. Ralph lived in Bebington all his life. When he left school his first job was in the office at McAlpine's, but he soon moved to a job as a handyman at 3 Ways Garage at Clatterbridge and then to an apprenticeship at Bowman's. After qualifying as a mechanic he worked briefly in Bowman's car hire division before taking a job at Bromborough police station in the workshops where police vehicles were maintained. Ralph worked his way up to the post of area engineer and remained at Bromborough until he took early retirement in 1996. Ralph's wife also came from Bebington. One day Ralph was driving through Port Sunlight when he saw a young woman coming out of Lever's. Ralph recognised her as Olga Wilde whom he had known at primary school, and over the next few weeks he made a point of driving down the same road at the same time of day in the hope of catching her as she came out of work. Unfortunately he was not successful and in the end Ralph had to pass a message to Olga via a friend to ask her to go out with him. Romance blossomed and Ralph and Olga were married in 1974. Ralph first became interested in bells while he was still at school, when he saw the bells of Christ Church, Port Sunlight on the ground outside that church. Ralph struck up a conversation with one of the ringers who took him up the tower, and in April 1960 Ralph started to learn to ring at St Andrew's church in Bebington. Over the years Ralph rang in four peals and numerous quarter peals, but he is probably best known for his rope splicing and bell maintenance work. A video of Ralph demonstrating how to splice a rope was made for the branch and shortly before he had to give up ringing due to ill health he had been chosen to become a diocesan bell adviser. Ralph rang contentedly at Bebington for 22 years, but at the end of that time he became rather disillusioned with the tower there and eventually made the decision to leave. After a short period ringing at Christ Church, Port Sunlight he became an unattached ringer until he joined the band at St Peter's church in Heswall in 1996. He rang at Heswall for the rest of his life and was the tower keeper there for most of that time. As well as bellringing Ralph had many other interests including listening to music, playing the guitar and walking. At one time he was a member of the Auxiliary Fire Service and a Special Constable, and after his retirement from the workshops at Bromborough police station he worked for a time with his bellringing friend John Lifton repairing and restoring organs. However no description of Ralph would be complete without mention of his garden shed, which was extremely large and fitted with a carpet, fire, stool, vacuum cleaner and waste paper bin. One wall was covered with screwdrivers, about three of each size hanging in specially constructed racks. Ralph spent many happy hours in that shed. In 2004 Ralph was diagnosed with cancer and an operation was carried out which was believed to have been successful. However in June 2006 a check up scan revealed that the cancer had spread and Ralph was given two years to live. In the event the disease progressed very rapidly, and in October he had to give up ringing. Ralph was cared for devotedly at home by Olga until the last few days of his life, when he was admitted into St John's hospice at Clatterbridge. He died on 19th January. Six quarter peals were rung in the branch in memory of Ralph, not including the one rung at Bebington on the evening of his funeral, and a peal of Grandsire Triples was later rung at Heswall (see Ringing World p.519).

Susan Costello May 2007

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