TRIBUTES have been paid to a talented academic and bell ringer from Salisbury.

Professor Ronald Johnston OBE passed away on May 29, aged 79.

He was professor of geography at the University of Bristol and specialised in quantitative and political geography.

In 2011, he was awarded an OBE for his services to scholarship, in recognition of his research into electoral and political geography, urban social geography, and the history of human geography.

Ron, who who grew up in Swindon, also received the Murchison Award and Victoria Medal from the Royal Geographical Society, the Prix Vautrin Lud at the International Geography Festival 1999, and a lifetime achievement award from the Association of American Geographers.

He gained his PhD from Monash University in Melbourne, having taken his undergraduate and Masters’ degrees from Manchester. And taught at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand (1967-74) before returning to UK as Professor of Geography at the University of Sheffield later becoming Pro- Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Sheffield from 1989 to 1992. He left Sheffield in 1992 to become Vice Chancellor of Essex University.

In 1995, took up the post of chair in geography at Bristol University where he was still working when he died.

In a tribute from colleagues, Ron has been described as "one of the most influential geographers of his generation"

Colleagues David Manley, Robert Mayhew and Richard Harris said: "Ron gave his time and tireless intellectual energy to scholars young and old. He was strongly rooted in family, home and a lifelong enthusiasm for geography.

"His colleagues will remember a generous, kind and influential colleague who rose quickly to the top of his discipline and remained there"

In addition to his academic career he had a passion for bell ringing, which developed from an early age. As a boy he learned to ring in Holy Cross Church, Chiseldon, near Swindon.

He was a bell ringer at St Lawrence Church ever since the new bells were installed in 1998. He last rang just before the current lockdown.

Jim Platt, who rang with Ron, said: "Ron was someone who could always be relied upon to be there for our services whatever the weather.

"Ron was a ringer of national and international standing."

Ron served as ringing master of the Sheffield Cathedral Company of Ringers from 1980 to 1992, as president of the Yorkshire Association of Change ringers from 1990 to 1992 and as president of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers from 1993 to 1996.

He published two books on aspects of campanology – “Bell-ringing: the English Art of Change-Ringing” and “An Atlas of Bells”. He was also co-compiler of “Dove’s Guide for Church Bell Ringers to the Rings of Bells of the World”.

Ron authored more than 50 books, edited 40 more and wrote around 800 papers.

Jim added: "It has been a privilege for us in St Lawrence to have had Ron as a ringer and a friend for the past 22 years; we will miss him."

He is survived by his wife Rita, two children, Christopher and Lucy, and by his grandchildren and great grandchildren.