In Memoriam

Memorial Service for Barbara Harbut - Tower captain at Findon

The memorial service for Barbara Harbut - Tower Captain for Findon for many years will be held on Saturday 2 nd November at St John the Baptist Church, (BN14 0RF) Findon at 2 pm followed by a 'ringers tea' in the Findon Village Hall. (BN14 0TA) There will be open ringing from 12.30 at St John's and everyone is welcome. (ground floor ring). Please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on 07771678741 for further information or if you would like to attend. Numbers for tea would be very helpful by the end of day on Wednesday 30th October.

Death of Barbara Message (Kirdford / Billingshurst ringer)

We are very sad to say that Barbara Message a ringer in the Western District for many years has passed away.

Barbara rang at Kirdford in the 1970's and was a stalwart member of the band at Billingshurst from 1984 until recent times.

She rang quarter peals at Kirdford, Storrington, Midhurst and Billingshurst. She last rang at Billingshurst for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

There will be a memorial service for her at St Mary's Church, Billingshurst on Wednesday 17th July 2024 at 12pm at which all are welcome.

Death of Barbara Harbut (Findon ringer)

It is with great sadness to inform everyone that Barbara Harbut passed away peacefully on the 11th June at Worthing Hospital. Barbara had bravely been undergoing cancer treatment for some months. She had been a ringer for many many years and Tower Captain at Findon and is greatly missed by all who knew her.

Barbara's funeral will be held on the 2nd July at 2 pm at the Kingswood Chapel, Worthing Crematorium. All are welcome to attend the service.

A service to celebrate Barbara's life will be held at a later date at Findon. Everyone will be welcome and will have the opportunity to ring.

Now that the funeral arrangements are finalised - everyone is welcome to the service. Numbers to the wake afterwards are restricted and will be by invitation only. Those who are invited will be notified in the next few days. Many thanks.

Death of Diane Wills (Pagham ringer)

It is with regret that we have heard that Diane Wills passed away earlier today, Thursday 30th May, in St Richard’s Hospital, Chichester. Diane had not enjoyed the best of health in recent years but still took an interest in Sussex ringing.

For many years Diane was well known across the County and especially in the Chichester / Pagham area.

The funeral will be on Tuesday 25th June at 12 o'clock at Pagham Church. There will be general ringing afterwards.

Diane has specified no flowers, but donations to the church fund, or the SCACR Bell Restoration Fund. "Purple or mauve, but nothing red".

Death of John Humphris (former ringer at Easebourne)

We are sorry to report that John Humphris died on 28 March 2024. He was a long time ringer at Easebourne, and a member of the Association for many years. With advancing age he was finding standing more and more difficult, and coming back after the pandemic break was just too much for him. He was 87 when he died.

What most ringers won’t know was that he was the holder of a Royal Horticultural Society Victoria Medal of Honour. At any one time there are only 63 such medal holders (the number of years of Queen Victoria’s reign) so holding one is an exceptional honour for a gardener. His was awarded in 2009. To put this into perspective, four were awarded in 2009 the other three being awarded to Charles Baring, 2nd Baron Howick of Glendale, Lady Christine Skelmersdale and Prince Charles. He was a professional gardener for much of his life, his last professional job being Head Gardener at Borde Hill. He was President of The Guild of Professional Gardeners, he was on at least one RHS committee, he was very active in encouraging young entrants into the profession by using his extensive connections to arrange training placements, and he was a longtime supporter and judge for the prison gardens competition run by the RHS. All that and he was a really nice and modest person.

Funeral details to follow.

Nigel Goodenough