Andrew Crea Bolton, 30 October 1940 – 23 August 2024
Andrew learned to ring in Newburn, Northumberland, and was a member of the College Youths. He rang extensively in the UK and abroad, including at St Paul’s, Melbourne, and was a founder of the Transvaal Society of Church Bell Ringers in South Africa. Most recently, he rang at All Saints, Kingston upon Thames.
Obituary by Paul Flavell
(with thanks to the Bolton family and Chris Ridley)
Andrew’s family were evacuated from Hong Kong, where his father was working at the time, a few days before the Japanese invasion. As a consequence, Andrew was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1940 despite the family having its roots in the Northeast of England. They returned to the Newcastle area when Andrew was 13 years old, where he excelled in science and maths at school.
He studied electrical engineering at King’s College in Newcastle which then was a federal college of the University of Durham. This qualification led Andrew to a career in high voltage electrical engineering working on the design and building of power stations, high-power distribution networks and the electrification of railway lines. His work took him around the world working in Australia, South Africa, Indonesia and Jordan as well as England and Wales, continuing to work well past retirement age due to his expertise. He very much enjoyed passing on his skills to a younger generation of engineers.
Andrew was a very practical chap (except we believe for gardening) and often made and repaired things. He also enjoyed puzzles and cryptic crosswords and listening to classical music.
Andrew and Shirley were married in snowy December 1963, enabling them to spend their honeymoon on a skiing holiday. Andrew was elected to the College Youths on 12 October 1965 while living in Melbourne Australia. This most probably was the result of him participating in a peal of Kent Treble Bob Maximus (first peal of Maximus rung outside the UK) with the band on the 2nd Great Adventure to Australia. His peal total rung between 1961 and 2015 was 48 peals in total – 40 on tower bells with 8 in hand. His working life resulted in him being a member of many societies around the world, ringing peals in a variety of countries.
He learnt to ring in the Newcastle area at a rounds and call change tower but was soon noticed by Ron Warford leading to him ringing his first peal at St George, Jesmond. Andrew was tower captain at both Newburn on Tyne and Jesmond and taught many ringers there, including Andrew Craddock. His sons remember that before the bells were installed in Johannesburg, ringing involved handbell peals and quarters rung in the living room at their home. Andrew and Shirley formed the Parktown Tune Ringers and arranged much of the music for the team. Andrew and Shirley were also members of the Universities Association.
They had recently celebrated their Diamond Wedding anniversary with their two sons and grandchildren and were pleased to receive a card from the King. Retirement saw him and Shirley living in Surbiton where he became a regular and much-loved member of the Kingston upon Thames band, ringing over 100 quarters there. He particularly enjoyed ringing the tenor to cover odd bell methods.
Andrew died on 23 August 2024 aged 83 after a period of poor health, although he continued to participate in Service ringing, last ringing for the King’s Coronation on 6 May 2023. His funeral was a celebration of his life and well attended by family, friends, members of the UA and local ringers.
A quarter peal was rung in affectionate memory of Andrew Crea Bolton. Thomas recorded the quarter and you can view it on his YouTube channel.