St Wendredas bellringers, Helen Greenleaves, Andrew Goakes, Michael Goakes, Michael Beeken, Gavin Philpott, and Arthur 'Pop' Palmer who died recently.

A DEDICATED bell ringer was given the perfect send-off on Monday - when a special peal of bells rang out at his beloved Fenland church.

Tribute was rung on the bells of St Wendreda’s Church, March, in memory of Arthur ‘Pop’ Palmer who died last Monday, at Peterborough City Hospital, aged 86.

Mr Palmer began his campanological interest in 1939 and had been a bell ringer in March for 73 years. He took part in numerous quarter peals at the church for various occasions.

Ringers Andrew and Michael Goakes, Gavin Philpott, Michael Beeken, Jonathan Gayford and conductor Helen Greenleaves played out the quarter peal on half-muffled bells.

It was the first quarter peal for Mr Gayford and the first as conductor for Ms Greenleaves. It comprised of 1,320 changes of plain bob doubles and took 50 minutes to complete.

More tributes will be paid at Mr Palmer’s funeral at the church, which begins at 2.15pm, on Monday.