Clifford Barron
I was pleased to read the excellent tributes to Cliff Barron by George Pipe and Steve Barton (RW p.179) and agree wholeheartedly with their appreciation of his valuable contribution to ringing, and his generosity towards his friends. I do not want to repeat what George and Steve have said but I would like to add a few more reminiscences.
The photograph of Cliff and Henry immediately caught my eye as it was one I took myself. Henry had persuaded me to go with him on a ‘day trip’ to Paris, by train and ferry and we arranged to meet up with Cliff who was already on holiday in France.
Being a ringer in South Birmingham in the 1960s/70s was an exhausting business; Sunday ringing at Edgbaston, King’s Norton and Harborne with ‘pub sessions’ at lunch time, and evening, and practices at Harborne and King’s Norton followed by the inevitable socialising afterwards. After Harborne practice ‘The Bell’ was the obvious choice, but if it was crowded we often adjourned to ‘The New Inn’ (nicknamed ‘Colditz’, a reference, I think, to the character of the landlord rather than the pub!). We were usually joined there by Wilf Box who always arrived ten minutes before closing time and ordered two pints of bitter in half-pint glasses! On Sunday evenings, the ringers usually went straight to the bar at Harborne Cricket Club after service ringing, before setting off on an expedition to a country pub. Cliff was always willing to provide transport for people like me who did not have a car. At the end of the day he would drop me off at King’s Norton, before taking Jack Lindon all the way back to Sutton.
Friday was a non-ringing evening and we often went to the Sutton Park Hotel at Boldmere to meet up with Jack. Cliff would pick me up from home and we would usually stop for a ‘taster’ on the way. On one occasion, in a pub in Newtown, the landlord refused to let us pay for our beer. We quickly realised that he thought Cliff, David Flint and I were plain-clothes policemen. We played the part, dropping the occasional ‘sergeant’ and ‘inspector’ into our conversation, and left hurriedly with Cliff’s parting shot, “right lads, back to the station”! I always thought Cliff would have made a good police officer and couldn’t help comparing his personality with that of Chief Inspector Morse whose most treasured possession was a first edition of A Shropshire Lad!). After being turned out of the Sutton Park Hotel, and dropping Jack off at home, we usually had a curry before returning home. Our favourite restaurant, in Digbeth, had the unfortunate name of the ‘Manzil’.
If there were not ringing commitments, Cliff organised a Saturday outing by train. Steve has already recalled our regular trips to the the Crich Tramway Museum. Other favourite venues were Blackpool (with the obligatory tram ride to Fleetwood), York (to visit the National Railway Museum) and Shrewsbury (to meet up with Ernie Wilcox).
There were also the longer weekend trips by car. I remember going twice with Cliff and Jack to the Durham and Newcastle Association Dinner, staying with Eric Harrison, and on several occasions visiting Cliff’s sister Marjory in Saltburn and Marske. Cliff always liked the North of England and scowled when he passed the sign ‘To the South’,
The most memorable of these weekend trips was the one to Inveraray. Cliff had arranged a peal attempt, but the party was made up of ringers, non-ringers, friends and relations. In the pub, shortly before the peal was about to start, Cliff said to me in a serious voice: “Ray, we are one short for the peal. Richard Tibbetts hasn’t turned up. If he’s not on the next bus, you will have to take his place!” This had me really worried as I had already had a pint or two, and knew I would have great difficulty, mentally and physically, in lasting out for over three hours. Fortunately Richard did turn up and I realised Cliff was ‘winding me up’!
Rod Pipe and Cliff were regular members of the King’s Norton band when I learned to ring, and in 1966, when the post of Ringing Master became vacant, they persuaded me to take it on, pledging their help and support. This was faithfully given for many hears, for which I and the band were very grateful. We developed into a strong band, capable of ringing London Surprise Royal on Sunday Mornings. Cliff and Molly’s two children, Elizabeth and Richard learned to ring and made rapid progress. Cliff was a tower of strength, a very competent heavy-bell ringer, and a brilliant conductor, especially at Stedman. After Molly and Cliff’s divorce, Cliff stopped ringing at King’s Norton, his life pattern changed and our meetings became more irregular. Like many of his old ringing friends, I met up with him from time to time at The Green Man in Harborne to recall mutual friends and experiences.
I was sorry that I was unable to get to his funeral but I had detailed reports from various people. I shall always be grateful for Cliff’s support and friendship, despite my deficiencies as a peal ringer and a beer drinker!
Ray Aldington
St Cross, Winchester
