A bell ringer who has given over 60 years of service was “shocked and surprised” to be named in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours List.

John Davidge, 84, from Chalfont St Giles has been awarded British Empire Medal for his services to the community.

He became tower captain at St. Martin’s Church, Epsom at the age of 19 before holding positions of responsibility within the Oxford diocesan guild (ODG) of church bell ringers.

This includes being the chairman of the towers and belfries sub-committee for 17 years and chairman of the East Berks and South Bucks branch of the Oxford diocesan guild for the last 10 years.

John said: “I started when I was 15 and I have rang bells ever since.

“I quite honestly don’t understand it because all I have ever done is the thing I like doing.

“I was bit surprised.

“[When the letter came] I was shocked.

“It is a considerable honour, I can’t understand why I have but never the less it is something I am quite proud about.

The role includes responsibility for safety within the bell tower, maintenance of bells, frames and ropes as well as providing bell ringing for church services, weddings, Christmas tree lighting ceremonies and other significant events.

During the pandemic he led the adoption of remote on-line bell-ringing to maintain the team’s skills and steered the return to church bell-ringing in line with government guidelines.

He continued: “It was completely out of the blue, I had never thought I had done anything that deserved an award in that sense.

“I just do what I do because I enjoy it.”

He has also been responsible for many major projects, including the removal, tuning and re-installation of the tower bells as well as the installation of additional bells at St Giles.

John recently planned and overs the extensive re-ordering of the choir vestry inside the church, converting the facility into an administrative hub.

He is a founder member of the friends of the St Giles parish church, helping with fundraising events to assist in maintaining the historic twelfth century church and yard.