In September 2021, one Sunday morning, a visitor to St Michael’s Stoney Stanton introduced himself as Alf Ballard’s great nephew, and handed over 2 carrier bags and a box, full of items that had once belonged to well-known Leicestershire ringer Alf Ballard. The visitor came to St Michael’s because Alf had often rung in the Tower, and he had heard us ringing on Sunday mornings, and also because he had no idea what to do with the heap of stuff he had, and thought that the ringers might welcome it, rather than the whole lot being throw away.

The slightly startled Tower Captain at St Michael’s unpacked the bags and box, and found a mixture of personal memorabilia, books, peal records, Guild records, handbell music, and 2 sets of handbells, so she graciously accepted them all ‘on behalf of the Guild’.

The peal certificates and Guild membership certificates related to Stoney Stanton, so have been framed and hung up in the Tower. The books have been handed to the Guild Librarian as additions to the Guild library.

The Peal records were exhaustive, and include much information about ringing in the South West corner of Leicestershire …. They too will find their way to the Guild library.

An extremely interesting ‘Minute Book’ was uncovered, for the Midland Counties Guild which covered the war years …. including the first post-war meeting and ringing events. Rosemary Mason (as Guild Historian) is now poring over this. Ultimately it too is destined for the Guild Library.

So, what about those handbells ………………..?

There were 2 small sets of 8, one very tiny indeed, both of which are in need of refurbishment, and donors will be sought to help to pay for this. Afterwards the bells will be retained in Stoney Stanton Tower in a display case, labelled as a Guild possession….

The smallest handbells may have an interesting history, of once belonging to Harold Stoneleigh of Stoke Golding who took a set of bells to the trenches in WWI, and who subsequently gave them to Alf … the bells are certainly small enough to fit into a knapsack and were equipped with wooden handles (now slightly battered) not leather straps.

The tiniest bell, including handle, is just the length of 2 Bourbon biscuits (here is proof), and at the Young Ringers Meeting held in May at Stoney Stanton, the young ringers gave them their first outing in many, many years, by ringing Plain Bob Minor

Alf must have been delighted!

Margie Brimacombe