Jack Sims
An appreciation
The first time I visited Emmanuel, Plymouth was with our mentor Doris Bray during 1964. Jack was tower captain and always made everyone very welcome. He had at that time a good number of experienced ringers but also many enthusiastic young ringers. I must confess that an added attraction at the time was the presence of Jack’s younger daughter Pat in the belfry.
We spent many a happy Saturday afternoon visiting towers in West Devon and East Cornwall. Jack, Pat, Doris, John Mitchelmore and others piled into the back of my old Bedford van sitting on a blanket on two bales of hay (no seat belts in those days).
I remember Jack saying to me some years later it looked as if many of the lanes down which we travelled on those mini outings were narrower than the van.
Jack was our last link with ringing in the Plymouth area before the War. He was by far the last surviving member of the band at Charles Church (bombed during the War).
Geoff Hill and I visited Jack approximately 3 years ago and Geoff tape recorded many of Jacks’ reminisces of ringing in the Plymouth area both before and after WWII.
Jack rang many quarter peals but only a few peals. I remember the late Thomas Myers telling me one day that after Jack conducted a peal of Holt’s 10-part Grandsire Triples (I think it was for the Coronation of the Queen) Jack said to Tom: “I am going to erect a peal board as I may not conduct another.”
All around Emmanuel tower are photos of Jack and the other Emmanuel ringers on outings, competition certificates and other achievements but the peal that Jack conducted stands out as the focal board in the belfry.
Jack loved Stedman triples and when we rang a peal conducted by John Pladdys for Jack’s 90th birthday, he listened to much of the ringing and there is a photo of him taken with the peal band after the completion of the peal, in the ringing chamber.
Jacks’s beloved wife Phyllis died in 2001 but he continued to live on his own until only a few weeks before his death. Jack was always happy and with a great smile and was always pleased to see anyone he knew and to share a cup of tea. Jack was a true gentleman, we should all take note of his happy disposition and friendly attitude and try to be more like him. May he rest in peace.
George Mudge
