A bell ringer from west London chimed the bells to mark the 70th anniversary of VE Day over the weekend - seven decades after ringing the bells on VE Day itself.
Beryl Dew, 86, led the band of ringers at St Martin's Church, Ruislip, on Saturday (May 9) to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of WW2 in Europe.
She was just 16 when she learnt to ring, on a six-week crash course, in time for VE Day in 1945.
Mrs Dew, of Eastcote, recalls the scramble to find people to ring for victory as soon as the war in Europe was over.
She said: “We were taught by the curate. He was very fierce so we were all on our best behaviour, trying hard to learn quickly.”
After six weeks, Beryl and her friends were competent ringers and ready to ring out a victory peal - just in time.
She added: “We didn’t know how long we’d have to learn in. We only knew when we started that the war was expected to be over soon.”
Beryl's bell ringing didn't end there. As a young woman she went to practice at night in churches across London, eventually meeting a fellow bell ringer who became her husband.
She joined ringers in churches and cathedrals across Britain to mark the 70th anniversary of VE Day over the weekend.
