The tears and laughter flowed in equal measure when family and friends gathered in a West Norfolk village church to say farewell to veteran bell ringer Wendy Twite.
Variously described as a “one-off”, “local legend” and “colourful” personality, Wendy died on June 11, aged 92.
She was perhaps best known for her 65 years of bell ringing at Lynn Minster, St Nicholas Chapel, St Faith’s, Gaywood, and other churches across Norfolk.
A lifelong resident of Brow-of-the-Hill, Leziate, her funeral, at her own request, took place on July 11 at nearby All Saint’s Church, Ashwicken, and she was laid to rest in the churchyard. On her coffin, the floral arrangement included sunflowers, reflecting her sunny disposition.
A Lesson from Romans 8 was read by Wendy’s nephew Paul Twite. Canon Mark Dimond read the Ted Hughes poem, Motorcycle.
Wendy, who was always known for her warmth of character and generous spirit, had many facets to her long life, and references to some of these prompted laughter from sympathisers who packed into the tiny sunlit country church. As a girl, Wendy was a Girl Guide and proud of her large collection of achievement badges. Some of those at the service were former Guides and members of the Trefoil Guild (former Girl Guides).
In her younger days, Wendy would be a familiar figure outside Lynn Music and Arts Festival concert venues, hiring out some of her huge collection of cushions aimed at making life more comfortable for concert-goers, with the proceeds going to The Minster.
A talented needle worker, Wendy would make many of her own clothes in a rich variety of styles and colours. She would travel by train to markets in Newark, Nottingham and Leicester to source material to create fine tapestries, including some depicting scenes from the Nativity.
One aspect of her varied life was that she once kept goal for the old Lynn Campbell Soup’s factory ladies football team, references to which prompted much laughter.
Wendy never drove a car and travelled from Leziate to Lynn, come rain, hail or shine, on her trusted moped every Sunday morning to join her bell ringing friends to ring the various peels and changes calling people to morning worship.
Again, more laughter came when it was revealed that Wendy always rode her moped with Provisional L plates, because she never passed her test.
An enthusiastic and loyal member of her local branch of the Women’s Institute (WI), she had chosen the Movement’s anthem, ‘Jerusalem’, as her final hymn.
As people left the church, there was general agreement that it had been a lovely service that Wendy would have heartily approved of.
The service was led by the Rev Canon Dr Mark Dimond, Team Rector of The Minster, and organist was Adrian Richards, from The Minster.
