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I was 10 years old in 1939, ringing at All Saints, Old Isleworth, on the treble bell, standing on a box made by the carpenter (the tenor ringer). During the war when full sound ringing was not allowed, the clappers were roped in so that the ringers could continue to practice.

On New Years Eve I believe the tenor was allowed to sound the 12 strokes at midnight. They also used handbells for practising. Before the war I rang at St Pauls and after the war my team was invited back to ring the victory bells over a period after VE Day.

I used to go around with two of my brothers to local schools giving demonstrations on a set of 10 hand bells ringing Grandsire doubles etc.
On September 3rd 1939, a Sunday, I and six or so other bell ringers were returning home when the air raid warning siren sounded. We were close to a public air raid shelter and stood around wondering what to do and whether to go into the shelter. Eventually after 20 minutes we decided to just go home.

Shortly after the war All Saints church was burned down by vandals (1949-1950), the third time the church had been burned down. However, the bell tower survived all three fires. The church has since been rebuilt.

I went into the Army, (National Service) attached to the RASC in Greece, 1946-1948 and was demobbed in 1949.

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