| Thomas Cullingworth An appreciation We have a saying in the ringing chamber at All Saints about certain methods and touches – ‘TC approved’. Tom’s presence and authority was, and still is, very distinct and present at All Saints. He was always very clear about what was appropriate to ring. I felt I had been approved when invited to call the touch (always Grandsire triples) at a wedding – ‘something between 400 and 500 changes, please, David’. I duly looked up a touch and we rang it. Afterwards, Tom aid ‘the first part of Parker’s 12-part makes a good touch, and at 419 changes is a good length’. I took the hint and learnt. At he next wedding, Tom asked me to call a touch – ‘about 419 changes long will do’! He went on to mention all sorts of tips about calling Parker’s which have proved very handy, and of course he was right – it does make a very musical wedding touch. But such firmness of habit did lead to risking , when feeling rather full of bravura, teasing him. He always took it in good part, and would then regale us with stories of past mischief and teasing he had initiated in years gone by, followed by his characteristic chuckle. It is a great honour to be able to celebrate Tom’s life and in particular his ringing career. Tom is held in great esteem by his many ringing friends. Over many years we have been privileged to enjoy his company, friendship and expertise in the art of change ringing. It has been a joy to know and ring with Tom. Looking around this church today there are people who represent connections, which cover over 50 years of ringing. He had a wealth of stories about old ringers and ringing he had done in the past, which gave us a strong link to our predecessors. However, Tom remained at the forefront of Kent ringing throughout his life, very much a part of current activity. Tom was Tower captain at All Saints Maidstone for many years. He was his own man who did things in his own way. He retained his Yorkshire accent despite living in Kent for most of his life.He was a very special person, driven by a passion and great interest in life and ringing. This meant that when most were retiring and taking it easier in their late 60s Tom was striving to achieve new goals and bring new dimensions to his ringing. Watching him ring Tenors, particularly the 32 cwt bell at All Saints, Maidstone effortlessly and accurately was a delight, but he would ring any bell, and any method, just as well. In fact it was impossible to tell that he was nearly blind. Whatever problems his failing eyesight caused him outside the tower, it did not affect his ringing at all. He learned to ring at Crofton, near Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1925 when in the choir and he used to ring the five-minute bell. Tom told us that he used to ring it higher and higher each time when the vicar was not about, until at last he could ring it up to the balance. When ringing at Crofton was revived just before the General Strike in 1926 Tom was told that he was too small to ring! Little did they know and after persisting for a few weeks he was allowed to try. A few minutes under the supervision of Frank Bradley and he was able to ring in rounds. Tom’s ringing career that spanned just over 75 years had begun. He moved to Ashford in 1934 and was elected a member of KCACR in December that year at Cheriton. He went on to hold various offices in the Association including: Ashford
District Secretary 1949-1953 He was elected a Vice President in 1985, in recognition his hard work and achievements for Kent ringing. I know that he was proud to serve the Association in this way, and of his 69 years’ membership. He was elected a member of the Ancient Society of College Youths in 1944 and greatly valued his membership of nearly 60 years. In those early days in Kent he was to make friends and establish relationships, which were to shape the rest of his life. In 1937 he joined the RAF and after training was posted to Manston near Ramsgate, where he joined the band at St Laurence-in- Thanet. It was here that he met Lily, whom he married in August 1944 at Ashford. During the war Tom was posted to the Middle East, which put both his courtship and ringing on hold. Tom and Lily were one of ringing’s (life’s) strongest partnerships. Just as Tom’s reputation as a ringer grew so did Lily’s for the superb teas provided at ringing meetings. Indeed the Cullingworth hospitality in Holtye Crescent was greatly enjoyed by many. Tom always remarked that Lily would like to feed the whole of Maidstone. His packed lunches on trips, Irish stew in a flask and rhubarb and custard in a jar were simply amazing. When Tom lost his sight in his mid-forties, it was Lily who became his eyes, helping him to overcome the challenges of everyday life and learn his bell ringing methods. It was difficult for us to think of them separately, when Lily died in May 1997. Sunday Service ringing and regular worship at All Saints’ was a major aspect of Tom’s life, as were his love for Lily, John, Richard and their wives Marina and Wendy. He was extremely proud of all their achievements. In his ‘retirement’ years he spend many hours adjusting the bells at All Saints. His constant work on one of the finest peals of bells in the country meant that the internal acoustics are almost perfect and they are a delight to ring. Tom liked the bells to be rung and enjoyed the company of the local band and visitors in the service ringing, quarter peals and practices that were a regular feature of his life. He also rang regularly for Sunday Service at East Farleigh and St Michael’s Maidstone and attended West Malling and Linton practices. He was a strong supporter of Maidstone District meetings, striking competitions and County events. Tom’s ability as a ringer was put to good practice in ringing peals: (these are longer periods of continuous ringing that exceed 5,000 changes and take on average nearly three hours to complete) His first peal was at Wath on Dearne, Yorkshire on 20 January 1938, conducted by Daniel Smith. He conducted his second peal of Plain Bob Major from the tenor at St Laurence-in-Thanet later that year and rang seven in total before the war in 1939. Tom rang peals with all the regular Kent peal bands over the next 30 years and on 2 March, 1976 aged 63 rung his 1000th peal, Yorkshire Surprise Royal, on the tenor at All Saints’. He often mentioned his early peals of Surprise Major with Mark Lancefield in the early 1950s, which were ground-breaking at that time. Tom talked with great affection about Mark and subsequent leading ringers of the Kent ringing scene and would nearly always end with “ he or she was a good ringer “. The early 1970s saw over 300 peals with Tim Wylie’s band and this set the pace for the next 25 years through to his final peal at St Michael’s, Maidstone in June 2000. The Maidstone Tuesday night peal band was started by Tom’s encouragement in 1980 and continues today. It worked well and Tom reached his 2000th peal on 4th February, 1992, just before his 79th birthday. He continued to ring regularly until June 1999, when his knees began to seriously fail, and of his final total of 2335 peals over half were rung after his 65th Birthday. Time today does not allow more than a glimpse of the highlights, such as: 501
peals at All Saints’, Maidstone, 65 on the tenor and
circled the tower 29 times. Our lives have been enriched by the friendship and experience of knowing and ringing with Tom Cullingworth. Today we celebrate his achievements and life, some of which we have been fortunate enough to share with him. We will treasure our personal memories for a long time to come. To quote his own words, we will all want to say: ‘he was a good ringer’. |