A quarterly meeting of the Isle of Wight District was held at Chale on Saturday, July 28th, when there was a representative attendance, including ringers from London. Good use was made of the bells from 3 p.m. to 5 o'clock, after which the party was entertained to tea at the Clarendon Hotel by the district president, Dr. J. B. Williamson.
At the business meeting the Hon. Secretary, Mr. B. J. Snow, spoke feelingly of the death of the Rev. H. E. H. Coombes, of Didsbury, Manchester, a past district president and ringing member of the Guild, and the meeting endorsed his action in sending a letter of condolence to the widow.
Mr. F. Mew spoke of the loss the local ringers had sustained by the death of their colleague, Mr. Walter Woodford, and on his proposition, seconded by Mr. H. Barton, it was agreed to send a message of sympathy to his widow.- Both propositions were carried in the usual way.
It was resolved to hold the next quarterly meeting at Arreton, with by-practices at Godshill, Shorwell and Brighstone.
The meeting expressed satisfaction in the progress made at the re-hanging of Godshill bells and the secretary's successful efforts to get a grant towards the costs from the funds of the Guild.
A vote of thanks was passed with acclamation to the president for his hospitality, and in reply Dr. Williamson said how happy he was to be at Chale and the Clarendon, where his early days were spent. He suggested that in view of the centenary of the wreck of the ship "Clarendon" in Chale Bay in October, 1836, it would be an opportune time to consider bringing the peal of bells in the tower up to six by the addition of a treble in memory of those who had lost their lives in that and other wrecks. This the meeting agreed to, and the president and Mr. F. Mew were asked to see what could be done.
At the conclusion of the meeting the party proceeded to the churchyard, where Messrs. H. Barton, H. Jennings, Dr. Williamson and B. J. Snow rang a course of Grandsire Triples on handbells over the grave of Walter Woodford, as a token of respect, the other members, including the six local ringers, standing round.
The Ringing World No. 1220, August 10th, 1934, page 506