I am very sad to announce the death this morning of Stephen J Davis (Steve to his friends). He passed to his rest following a short illness, which he bravely fought.
Steve initially learned to ring at Woodchurch in 1974, but did most his early ringing at High Halden where he was Tower Captain for several years. He began ringing regularly with the Ashford band in the early 1980s by attending practices and ringing on Sunday evenings.
Following his graduation from the University of Norwich in 1985, he joined the Ashford band and served as Tower Captain in 1988 and 1989.
At the end of 1989, Steve decided to take a short break from ringing, but this became a 12 year sabbatical!
Happily, he was persuaded back to ringing in 2001 when he rejoined the Ashford band. In later years, he rang at Willesborough, but was always happy to support Sunday evening quarter peals at Ashford.
Steve was also an Associate Member of the Canterbury Cathedral Company and was always willing to help with mid-week ringing and quarter peals on Sunday afternoons.
Steve was a great help to me in my early years as Captain and he will be very sadly missed.
Mark Chittenden-Pile