More memories of Jean Sanderson

As mentioned on p.156 Jean was indeed a larger than life character who will be remembered as a very kindly and jolly person.

In the period 1953-1970 Cyril Savage and Frank Mack organised a touring group with the esoteric name ‘Society of Friends of the Exercise’, who were accommodated twice a year at East Budleigh for the purpose of ringing at towers all over the West Country. Jean became a valued member of that group.

On one occasion in the Exmoor area the brakes of her car failed on a downhill run and the worried occupants of the following cars were relieved as the road levelled off and Jean was seen to slowly run into a flock of sheep. Fortunately there was no damage to the sheep or to Jean, but she was reluctant to get out of her car until the noisy sheep had been gently driven away.

On another occasion we were ringing at a 6-bell tower, which had a very narrow spiral staircase to the first floor ringing room. When it proved impossible for ‘Auntie Jean’ to squeeze up the stairs, Frank Mack quickly fetched a suitable length of bellrope from the boot of his car and connected it to the tenor rope, beneath which there was a convenient hole in the floor. This enable the grateful Jean to take part in a touch from down below.

Richard Bowden