OBIT: Peter Border, RIP

Subject: OBIT: Peter Border, RIP
From: Ringer
Date: 19 Oct 00 - 12:52 PM

Bell-ringing is (almost) as dear to my heart as folk-song. I hope you will forgive this digression away from folk and blues. BS is not a suitable title.

The tenor (ie the largest bell) at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral weighs 4 tons. It is generally rung by two people, although for short periods of ringing one man (ladies, I mean no offence: it's just that I have never seen the bell rung by a single female ringer) can handle it. Peter Border has turned this bell in alone to a full peal. That (on those bells) is a continuous ringing-period of about four hours! As a merely competent ringer of light bells, I can only marvel at this feat.

Two years ago when my son left school, he went to live near Warwick, which was Peter's neighbourhood. Peter "adopted" him, encouraged and helped him in his ringing and was a friend to him. He was a gentle man and a gentleman.

Yesterday morning, Peter Border died whilst ringing: about 5 minutes before the end of a peal. I am sure he would have wanted to go no other way.

Subject: RE: Peter Border, RIP
From: M. Ted (inactive)
Date: 19 Oct 00 - 01:02 PM

Bell ringing is a musical tradition--Thank you for sharing this news of the passing of a most important man. Doubtless that many here had heard him--as is typically the case, the peals permeate every every part of life in a town or a city, yet the names and faces of bell ringers are never known. I wish I had known of him before--

Subject: RE: Peter Border, RIP
From: catspaw49
Date: 19 Oct 00 - 01:20 PM

Bald Eagle, I thank you for sharing that. Sounds like a fine man.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Peter Border, RIP
From: SINSULL
Date: 19 Oct 00 - 03:31 PM

Bald Eagle,
Your son was very lucky to know him. Be well.
Mary

Subject: RE: Peter Border, RIP
From: mousethief
Date: 19 Oct 00 - 03:57 PM

As a bellringer myself, I mourn the passing of one of my brothers. Rest in Peace, Mr. Border.

May his memory be eternal.

Alex
O..O
=o=

Subject: RE: Peter Border, RIP
From: StandingBear (inactive)
Date: 19 Oct 00 - 04:20 PM

I always wanted to be a bellringer. When I was a child, I attended nursery school at a Reformed Church that had a working bell tower. I knew the man who rang the bell and he was just a GIANT to a little 2-3 year old kid. Bells in many churches where I have lived have been automated; I HATE automated bells. God bless Mr. Border; I hope he rests in peace.

Peace on you,

'Bear

Subject: RE: OBIT: Peter Border, RIP
From: GUEST,Co Worker
Date: 13 Sep 06 - 04:36 PM

It seems a little strange supplying an obit after six years but have only just stumbled on this web page.
After leaving university in 1958, I worked with Peter (or rather for Peter) in Coventry on missile design. He spent a lot of time drawing weird diagrams which I gather were ringing patterns but I didn't realise his eminence in that field.
I found him a charming and extremely helpful person - a trait which is mentioned more than once below.

Subject: RE: OBIT: Peter Border, RIP
From: GUEST,CDA
Date: 07 Feb 11 - 03:50 PM

I recall Peter well, at the same company in Coventry as the previous writer. Peter once explained to me the technique of bell-ringing but it went a bit over my head. Another fact he once related was that he was at school in Cambridge when the headmaster was Olivia Newton-John's father. He told me this c. 1960, well before she achieved fame.