Michael Martyn, of Cedars Road, Exeter, writes:

Reference the letter last week on the absence of official celebrations in Newton Abbot on the day of the Royal wedding, I would mention that I enquired some weeks ago as to whether anything was planned and was pleased to gather a peal was to be rung on the bells in St Leonard's Tower.

The last time the heir to the throne (later to become George V) was married was in 1893, when public teas were provided for children and old folk in the Market Hall and rural sports and dancing held in Courtenay Park; while when his father (later to become Edward VII) was married in 1863 a procession was organised through the town in which in one carriage sat Mr William Pringle (aged 103) who lived in Highweek Street and 60 years earlier served as boatswain to Lord Nelson.

Those were days long before television, however, and no official celebration nowadays could hope to compete with the grandeur of the event itself so vividly conveyed into every home, but at least private street tea parties echo on a smaller scale the celebrations of the past.

The only thing I was sorry not to see done was a token ringing of the ancient tenor bell in Wolborough Church. This bell was cast 600 years ago and by my reckoning could have rung for every royal wedding from that of Henry V and Catherine de Valois in 1420 to that of Prince George and Princess May in 1893. Though taken down in 1922 and placed on the floor, it was raised by crane to ring in the new Millennium 11 years ago.

Hopefully we shall not have to wait until the year 3000 to hear it again.