The Oldest Ringer in Town

Terry Halstead, from Todmorden, took up the hobby when he was in his teens and still at school. “Four of us lads went to Christ Church, in Todmorden, and they agreed to teach us the art. It was probably a mistake – four teenagers were something of a handful – but I have loved it ever since,” he said.

 

“I continued when Christ Church closed, and moved to St Mary’s in Todmorden, where a new set of eight bells were installed by the local ringers, seven newly cast, and one chiming bell taken from Christ Church. As I got older St Mary’s proved to be a wise move. It is a ground-floor ringing room, there are no well-worn stone steps to climb.

A member of the Lancashire Association of Change Ringers since 1951 he can still pull his weight even though accidents do happen.

“It is quite dangerous in fact,” he explained. “You can have a nasty accident if caught by the rope. I have seen friends dragged quite high in an instant.”

Bell ringing, however, is not the only time Terry faced danger head on. As a young man of 18, in a boring desk job, he joined the forces during the war and became an engineer in the RAF working on the huge Merlin engines on the four-engine Handley Page Halifax bomber.

The aircraft took off before I could get on, but it crashed and all on board died. It was a very lucky escape for me.

“I specialised in changing the engines which was invariably outdoors, and I even made myself a set of tools to reach some of the more awkward parts.” He worked in various airfields and was offered the chance of becoming a flight engineer but rejected it. “I felt safer on the ground.”

His most lucky escape was when he was due to go on a test trip with a pilot and some trainee navigators. “The aircraft took off before I could get on, but it crashed and all on board died. It was a very lucky escape for me.”

…staff made him welcome and allowed him inside the Handley Page Halifax bomber to renew memories from those wartime years

It was while he was staying in Bristol whilst carrying out extra training on the Bristol Hercules engine that he met his future wife, Audrey. She sadly died in 2003. As part of the numerous celebrations for his 100th birthday, David Stansfield, a friend and Terry’s chess partner at the Monday at One group which meets at Mount Zion Church, Cliviger, each week, arranged a surprise trip to the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington, where the staff made him welcome and allowed him inside the Handley Page Halifax bomber to renew memories from those wartime years.

When Terry left the forces, he was sent to Wales to train as a plumber which was to become his future profession. He worked in and around Todmorden all his working life. Terry’s work within the church – he has been a Lay Reader since 1961 taking many church services and after his retirement, funerals – led to him being given the Maundy money by the Queen in the annual ceremony which was held at Wakefield Cathedral in 2005.

He also enjoyed being Dame in the annual pantomimes at Christ Church. Following his love of music and singing he became a member of Todmorden Choral Society for many years until his recent retirement. With two sons, two grandchildren and four great grandchildren life is still full for the active 100-year-old who continues to ring the changes. A peal was rung on the 8th of March at St Chad, Saddleworth in celebration. It comprised of 5,100 changes taking two hours and 53 minutes to complete.

 

 

NorthernLife May/June 2022