Iris M. Davis 1949 - 2010

Iris Davis of Twyning and Tewkesbury, Glos died at home suddenly, after a short illness, on Sunday, 10th January 2010.

Iris was born in Twyning in September 1949, the youngest of three sisters. She married Tommy in 1972 but had been a widow since 1980. She lived all her life in the Tewkesbury and Twyning area and was well-known locally.

Iris was a very loyal and competent member of the bell ringing teams at Tewkesbury and Twyning and had also helped teach the band at Tirley in the 1980s and 90s as well as regularly supporting other towers in the area.

As a teenager she learnt to ring at Twyning with one of her sisters and was elected a member of the G&B in October 1966. Her first peal was rung at Ashchurch four years later and is recorded on a peal board in the ringing room. In total she rang 24 peals, most of them at Tewkesbury Abbey and also rang in many hundreds of quarter peals. She also enjoyed being part of a handbell ringing team for a number of years.

Iris held various posts in the Tewkesbury Branch and at the Abbey, Twyning and Tirley. She was Branch Ringing Master for 4 years; Branch Chairman for 10 years; Deputy Captain at the Abbey for the past 20 years; Tower Captain or Deputy Captain at Twyning for over 30 years and led the ringing at Tirley for a short time in the 1990s.

Iris taught many people to ring and was always supportive in helping learners to progress (ringing far more than her fair share of Plain Bob Doubles over the years!)

Iris took part in virtually every Branch and Association striking competition in the last 25 years and was in the winning Croome Trophy band twice.

Iris was a great help with the more peripheral bellringing events. She supported whatever the ringers did as a fundraiser for the annual Abbey Fête and helped with preparing and serving teas at the Tewkesbury Shield bellringing competition for many years

Iris was a skilled skittles player and had been in the same team for 40 years. She also enjoyed playing darts and was skilled at needlework, knitting and crochet.

Iris had an infectious laugh and there were many times in the pub, following an evening’s ringing, when the whole group would be reduced almost to tears of laughter, more often than not, with no idea what we were laughing about!

Iris was 60 last September and local ringers were able to share in her birthday celebrations.

Iris’ ringing ability, loyalty to Sunday service ringing, local practices, Branch and Association events and ongoing commitment to the cause of ringing will be greatly missed.

Malcolm Taylor