Remembering Stan & Sheila Ashton
December 21, 2020 2:27 pm | by admin | Posted in Tributes
Stanley Hugh Ashton ( 02/03/1934 to 09/04/2020 )
Sheila Vivien Ashton née Percival – married 1982 (28/10/1935 to 25/09/2020 )
Stan’s obituary by his daughter Ros paints a comprehensive portrait of a life well lived, including many memories of his life with Sheila. They were as Ros described, “a strong and devoted couple”, so obvious to those who knew them, and as in life they were always together it is fitting to remember them together.
I probably first met Sheila ‘Percival’ in 1961 when as a 16 year old lad I rang a peal at Clifton, although I confess I have little recollection of that occasion except feeling chuffed to bits that I had rung a peal of Spliced Surprise Major.
It was not until some 35 years later that our paths would cross in a more meaningful way, when in 1996 Philippa and I moved our home to Clifton Farm Barns, just ¼ of a mile from Clifton Church.
Stan & Sheila embodied the generosity of spirit to be found throughout the Clifton Church community, and we were welcomed into the band of ringers with open arms. Soon becoming part of the lovely family of ringers they had established, I thank them for that and hope that we can continue that welcoming spirit in Clifton for many years to come.
During those 24 years we shared much with them; a rough guess says we rang together at around 2,400 services, 1,200 practice nights, Clifton outings every year (all followed by a barbecue), midnight ringing at New Year, Christmas gatherings, January parties and tower dinners. The ringing was important to them but so was the social side.
In addition to all the jollification, Stan was Tower Captain from 1990 to 2017, and Sheila Secretary from 1985 to 2017 (27 and 32 years respectively), both essential and important jobs for a tower to function well, and a peal board in the tower is well deserved recognition for their contributions over a long period of time. They taught many to ring, saw ringers come and ringers go, and forged links with other local towers through the many ringing holidays they organised.
In their time things have changed considerably in the tower at Clifton; the ringing room is no longer on the ground floor, a glass screen separates the ringing room from the nave, good lighting & safe electrics throughout the tower, a sound control system, refurbishment of the bells including rehanging the back three bells. All work supported wholeheartedly by them, we have a much easier set of bells to ring now than those of 1961. Not just change for change sake but change to ensure a good and useful set of bells for future generations.
Neither were much interested in ringing peals, Stan ringing 16 and Sheila 10, and they never did ring one together. They did enjoy ringing a quarter peal whenever a special occasion arose though, with many Boards and framed records on the tower walls illustrating this –
some, where one or both took part are :-
• When ringing for royal occasions
… o The Queen Mother’s 85th birthday
… o The Queen’s 60th birthday
… o The Queen Mother’s 90th birthday
… o In memoriam for the Queen Mother
… o The diamond jubilee of the Queen
… o The 60th anniversary of the coronation of the Queen
• And other notable occasions
… o 50th anniversary of Arthur Dilley’s first peal
… o 100th anniversary of the Bedfordshire Association
… o 400th anniversary of casting the back 3 bells
… o For the Millennium year & 100th peal on the bells
… o A date touch in 2001
… o Centenary of the first World War Armistice
• And of course, when ringing in memory of ringers passed away
… o Geoffrey Mayes
… o Bryan Sims
… o Percy Tompkins
… o Arthur Dilley
… o Sidney Bywaters
… o Ernest Dilley
One quarter peal I am sure they were very proud to have rung was on 18th November 2007 at Campton. Their Grandson Tom Keech ringing his first quarter – Tom rang the treble and was accompanied by Mum, Dad, Grandad, Granny and tutor (John Loveless).
They especially enjoyed ringing at a new tower and many of the outings were organised to include as many new lines in the book as possible, Stan amassed a total of 2,108 and Sheila 2099.
Ringing was a very important part of their life, but it was not to the exclusion of all else; Sheila was an accomplished artist, and besides her many paintings, she produced a wonderful line drawing of Clifton Church, an image that adorned many covers of the parish magazine and Church Guide books. The Guide Book of 1990 contained many drawings by Sheila of various parts of the Church.
They were also both very keen and active gardeners, and for many years Stan was passionate about Pumpkin growing, entering competitions locally and at Pirton (his birth village), Ros reports him being crowned The Pirton Pumpkin Champion of 1998, winning with a 243lb monster.
I feel privileged to have known them and shared so much with them. Always a warm welcome and always a lovely smile from Sheila. For the best part of half a century Stan & Sheila were Clifton, they were friends to us all, they are missed but their memory lives on, may they rest in peace together.
Frank Rivett