The bells were rung half-muffled for the practice ringing on Wednesday, December 21.  When one of our regular practice-night attenders dies, it is traditional that we continue to practice but half-muffle the bells for that practice.

In this case it is for Barry Thompson, who learned to ring at Byfield and Badby in 2003. Barry has been ringing regularly on practice nights here for the last 13 years and afterwards in The Windmill until December 7.  He helped us with wedding and funeral ringing over these years.  He was seemingly well on December 10 when he led the Byfield singing item at the Daventry Branch Ringers’ Carol Concert at Bugbrooke. He had a stroke on the next day which was followed by further heart attacks until he died in Northampton General Hospital aged 76 on Tuesday, December 20 evening.