I REFER to Dennis Bater's 1933 photograph of the Hatherleigh Bellringers in last week's Times and wonder how many readers realise how unusual it was to have included Vera Hansford; women did not appear on the ringing scene in any significant numbers until after World War Two. I remember ringing at Farnham, Surrey in the late 1980s and on replying to the question where was my home tower, a middle-aged couple looked at each other, laughed and said they would never forget Okehampton. They had their honeymoon in Devon in 1948 and on turning up to ring at Okehampton Parish Church on Sunday he was allowed in but she was excluded with the explanation 'us don't have women in this tower!' Vera was appropriately dressed as well in a close fitting dress long enough not to impede the upward travel of the bellrope; how things have changed! Zoe Bradshaw East Street Okehampton