Florence L. Smith 1916 - 2009

With the passing of Florence Smith (known as Flos or Flossie) in May, Stourbridge has lost almost the last link with the pre-War band. She and her husband Ray, who died in 1996, were stalwart members of the church and regular Sunday service ringers at Stourbridge throughout their adult lives.

Born in the town in 1916, she learned to ring before the start of the wartime ban in June 1940. Entering what was then the male dominated world of ringing, Flos was taught to ring by Fred Nicholls. She became a member of the Worcestershire & Districts Association in 1941. Not long after the ban was lifted she rang her first quarter peal at Stourbridge in August 1943 followed by her first peal at Brierley Hill on New Years’ Day 1944. Her second peal at Stourbridge on 25th March 1944 is commemorated on a peal board with a footnote indicating that "Miss Florence L. Wright" was "the first lady to ring a peal in the tower".

It was through ringing – and through the Anglican Young People’s Association – that Flos met her future husband Ray Smith. Ray had been brought up by Fred Nicholls, and so he was introduced to the belfry as soon as he was old enough to ring. Six years younger than Flos, Ray served in the RAF Signals in the War and they both rang in his first peal – rung for his homecoming from the forces – on 23rd November 1947. A year later they were engaged, and they were married at St.Thomas’s in 1948. Their son Peter was born in 1949.

In the 1950s Ray was the more active ringing member of the family but Flos retained her interest, returning to peal ringing in 1958 after a ten-year break. From the 1960s through to the 1990s when Stourbridge had an active and capable band, the Smiths were regularly involved in quarters, peals and other activities – and also in the life of the church and parish. They were keen supporters of the Northern Branch and usually attended the Association’s annual meeting in Worcester at Easter. Learners from the 1960s still remember that Flos used to ring in her church hat on Sundays!

Her ringing records include a little notebook listing her towers and peals, and she also maintained a record book begun by Fred Nicholls in the 1930s. In all, Flos took part in some 25 peals in standards methods up to ten bells – her last in 1981 – and rang in almost 500 towers. In the 1980s she was an active member of the group of ringers associated with the Trefoil Guild for people connected with Guiding and Scouting. Several quarter peals were rung. She and Ray also rang regularly with the Guild of Post Office ringers, taking part in their tours and ringing in a Guild peal of Bob Royal at Banbury in 1977. They also went on overseas ringing tours arranged by Martin Fellows between 1973 and 1980 to the USA, Canada and South Africa.

A strong-minded lady who liked to keep busy, Flos continued to ring at Stourbridge until she was well into her mid eighties. Even at 93 she kept a diary, and despite a fall earlier in the year that left her severely disabled she remained positive to the end.

The bells were rung open for her funeral on 3rd June. By one of those strange twists of fate the ringing attracted a visit to the belfry from 95-year old Ken Pardoe – another member of the pre-War band – who has recently returned to live near the church. Flos was evidently not, as we had thought, the last survivor! She was, however, someone who gave a great deal to ringing at St.Thomas’s for over fifty years and who was – in her heyday – one of a then still small number of lady ringers in the area. An impressive record of service, a "good innings" yet still a sad loss to the Exercise.

C.J.P.