Sheila Elizabeth Begg, MA, VetMB, FRCPath, MRCVS.  1958 - 2010

Sheila was born in the city of Durham on 22nd April 1958, where she attended the primary school. Soon afterwards the family moved to the village of Kilmacolm, west of Glasgow, attending the primary school there. Later she attended Greenock Academy where she stayed for the rest of her school life. She then won a place to Cambridge University, where she read Veterinary Medicine at Girton College in 1975, graduating on 27th June 1981. After graduation she attended the Cambridge Vet School, eventually finding employment at Huntingdon Research Centre (now Huntingdon Life Sciences) and buying a house in St Ives. Sheila attended the local pub in Houghton on Quiz nights often setting the questions herself, it was here she met the late Andrew Woodger, Church historian, writer and President of the Huntingdonshire Church Bell Restoration Society (HCBRS). We first encountered Sheila when Andy brought her along on a Sunday afternoon tower inspection. Sheila took an instant interest in Church bells becoming a regular attender on the Sunday afternoon visits. She expressed an interest in learning to ring and was taught to handle a bell by Sue Marsden at Godmanchester in 1983. She took to it very quickly and was soon ringing Surprise Minor. Her real love of bells was the bells themselves and their restoration. She became a member of the HCBRS. Sheila was the sort of person who you taught something then she ended up doing it better than you. She worked out the different thrusts of bells in the circle, hang measurements, drawing of ropes and time swings. She served as my ‘No.2’, for many years and was involved in many restorations including the re-hanging of Elsworth bells and the restoration of Great Catworth and Ramsey. Sheila carried out most of the inspections and attended site meetings with bell advisors, structural engineers and architects photographing every Church in the Hunts. District as well as in other counties for her own interest.

During the time she was ringing Sheila rang four peals at the following Churches: Graveley, Godmanchester, Hilton and the difficult five at Keyston; she also rang several quarter peals, many of which she conducted. She was Secretary of the Hunts. District of the Ely D.A. for a year in 1985, also becoming the first Ramsey tower captain since 1906 after their complete restoration. As well as bells her other interests included music (being herself a brilliant pianist), model railways, horses and dogs: she was a member of the large Munsterlander club, often showing her own dogs. Sheila was a regular visitor at our house and always ready to help with anything; she even helped me with my work as a Funeral Director working in the Godmanchester Mortuary!

Unfortunately controversy seemed to follow her about; her life was often difficult, she was easily disillusioned, usually through a clash of personalities, and it was for this reason she gave up bell ringing, but continued working with the HCBRS until the mid 1990s often typing the reports. Eventually she gave up bell restoration. Unfortunately we lost contact with her except for her annual Christmas cards. Tragically Sheila died alone at home on Tuesday, 2nd February 2010. Her funeral took place on 17th February at Greennock Crematorium near her home at Kilmacolm; her ashes were scattered in the Garden of Remembrance. Unfortunately only her work colleagues knew of her death and some attended her funeral.

It was decided we would celebrate Sheila’s life by ringing for her near the time of what would have been her 52nd birthday which was on 22nd April. Four quarter peals – three of them the Knell peal – were rung at Elsworth, Godmanchester and Keyston by members of the HCBRS and one at Ramsey by the local ringers.

We are still carrying out work from Churches she inspected using her reports. We have fond memories of Sheila such as when a small roof over a single bell collapsed with her on it; she came sliding down and landed at my feet and said “hello”! Another time was when I bought an Allen scythe grass cutter for our meadow; within 10 minutes of using it Sheila had lost it in the river, but she organized a local diving club to come and rescue it. It is ironic that at the time of her death the HCBRS was working on the bells of Warboys; a church which at one time Sheila was very much involved with.

Our condolences go to her father Charles Begg. God bless you dear Sheila, may you find Eternal Rest. Thank you for being a true friend and for all you did for the church bells of Huntingdonshire

Chris. Higgins
Bell Administrator of HCBRS