(See also tributes by Revd. Brian Harris, Ken Lee and Bill Dowse all of which, including the following, have been extracted from The Ringing World, issue No. 4784 dated January 3, 2003, pp20 and 21.)

I first made the acquaintance of Ken when I moved to Cheshire in 1971. He was Branch Secretary of the newly-formed East Cheshire Branch of the Chester Diocesan Guild. Together with the same job in the old Bowdon, Mottram and Stockport Branch, he held the position for 42 years.

In 1980 a joint band from Poynton and Wilmslow started ringing peals of spliced treble bob minor and Ken conducted these for us. The number of methods in the peal was steadily built up, leading to a repeat performance in 1983 of the maximum number of regular treble bob minor methods (73) that could be spliced into 7 true and complete extents. Ken had last called this peal in 1937, when it was rung for the first time.

This repeat performance had re-awakened Ken's interest in spliced minor composition and the discovery by Harold Chant in 1976 of a new grid splice of Kent, Killamarsh and Wath enabled I more method to be included in the peal. To achieve this, 2 of the old extents had to be jettisoned and 2 new ones incorporated. Both were produced by Ken, but with a 48-year gap between them. This culminated in a peal of 74 methods in 1983, being the greatest number of regular treble bob minor methods yet spliced into 7 extents. The band went on to ring 85 methods in 9 extents in 1984.

With Ken conducting, we were never in any doubt that a call had been made, but sometimes "bob", "Burslem" and "Bogedone" managed to sound somewhat similar to a brain-weary band! These peals were some of the best ringing I have ever done and I am very grateful that I was able to ring with such a great composer and conductor. Ken always found time to ask about the family and to ask after progress of the youngsters. He was a true gentleman.

PETER DYSON