Albert G. Driver 1915 - 2010
Albert died on 9th July after a short spell in hospital. He was a lifelong resident of Redgrave, a small village on the Suffolk/Norfolk border, and lived at the same address all his life. His father had been tower captain at St Mary’s, Redgrave, and Albert first went up the tower at the age of 8. By the age of 12 he was allowed to become a member of the local band, and ultimately took over as tower captain, a position he retained until his death. He often spoke of not only his father being tower captain, but his grandfather as well. It is therefore quite possible that the Redgrave tower, with its 8cwt six, has been continuously run by the Drivers for well over a century. In the lounge at his home is a framed certificate which records his father becoming a member of the Norwich Diocesan Association of Ringers in 1898.
My own memories of Albert are of a big, tall man, Suffolk born and bred (as they say) with a passionate love of bells and bell ringing and everything to do with it, but above all for Redgrave Church and its bells. Being close to the Suffolk/Norfolk border he was also heavily involved with Churches and bells in Norfolk as well as Suffolk, and he had many, many ringing friends in both Counties. One such Norfolk tower was North Lopham, where the bells were augmented from 6 to 8 in 1926. Albert would have been 11 at the time, and he always took a keen interest in the tower and bells. He was present at the Dedication and remembered that the ringers came in horse drawn carriages. He rang five peals on these bells, the last in 2001. In 1996 he took part in a peal of Plain Bob Triples at this tower on the 70th anniversary of the augmentation and restoration, and just after his 81st birthday and a hip replacement! He also loved the bells at Diss, Norfolk, which were restored in 1984, and rang in the first peal on the restored bells in 1985, steadily blowing the tenor to Plain Bob Triples, a good peal by all accounts. He had previously been a great help to the bell hangers, and although in his seventies at the time, and just after an earlier hip replacement, helped to get the old frame out and appeared to not get tired climbing up and down all day. This was, of course, a good example of Albert’s staying power and sheer enthusiasm where bells were involved. A photograph of him at that time hangs in Diss ringing chamber. Of particular note is the fact that he rang for 80 Harvest Festivals at Redgrave, consecutive apart from the war, when the bells could not be rung between1940 and 1943, but were rung again for the 1944 Harvest Festival.
Albert’s first peal was not until 1961, appropriately at Redgrave on March 4th – 5040 Plain Bob Minor conducted by Robert E. Lester. Albert rang the treble in 2 hours and 47 minutes and it was a birthday peal for the conductor. Albert’s last peal, also at Redgrave, was on 22nd September 2002, when he rang the tenor behind to a peal of Doubles, conducted by David R. McLean. He was 87 when he rang this peal. In all he rang 27 peals, 12 for the Suffolk Guild, 14 for the Norwich Diocesan Association and one for the Southwell DG (at Redgrave) 17 of his peals were at Redgrave, 5 at North Lopham and 2 on the heavy six at South Lopham. He also rang one each at Diss, Rickinghall Superior and Blo Norton.
When in his late 80s Albert began to teach a band of ringers at Rickinghall Superior.
This was quite an undertaking and so successful that several of the ringers are now ringing and progressing well at other towers in the area. The Rickinghall practice continues, and in addition, although Albert had often voiced his concerns about the possibility of there being no ringers at Redgrave to follow him, there is in fact a band of ringers left to continue ringing the bells.
Fond memories from his friends abound. Albert also rang at Attleborough, Norfolk, and surrounding towers, and could be relied upon to make up the team for Service ringing, quarters and touches. Halfway through a quarter being rung on New Year’s Day, 1986, Albert’s trousers started to fall down. The conductor, Frank Phillipo, urged him to continue ringing and he did so, finishing with his trousers round his ankles and a fine pair of long john’s revealed! When lowering the bells in peal, he also liked to stamp his foot to signal miss and catch, and did this so hard that anyone underneath the ringing chamber would be alarmed, much to Albert’s delight. He regularly rang the old year out and the New Year in at Diss, and was very keen on ‘firing’ the bells, and woe betide any ringer who let his bell drop before the tenor! One memorable incident occurred whilst in a pub after ringing, and a stranger was wrestling with the Suffolk latch on the door and mumbling about “this stupid latch”. Albert’s voice rose above the noise in the pub. He said calmly, “It’s not the latch that’s stupid.”
This was Albert through and through. A man who during a lifetime of ringing taught and helped so many people to become ringers, and who could be relied upon to get to a tower even after deep snow and in bad weather. He will be sadly missed by all, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.
Winston Girling
