Since that first success at calling a simple touch of Stedman Triples, I have called several more touches. The next touch to learn, after the initial 2 Qs is Q & S twice (or S & Q twice, depending which bell you are ringing).
An S call, is a pair of bobs, the first called when you are dodging 4–5 down and about to go in slow, and the second called 6 blows later (at the handstroke lead of the first whole turn). This contrasts with a Q call which is a pair of bobs called as you are about to go in quick, and at the handstroke in 2nds place after leading.
Stedman has a couple of other places to call pairs of bobs that leave you unaffected by the call. Each of these pairs occurs during the slow work, and they are labelled ‘H’ and ‘L’.
H is a pair of bobs called either side of the first half turn. L is a pair of bobs called during the last whole turn.
Of course, it is also possible to call bobs in 6–7 up and down, and in 4–5 up. But in this piece we will look at the bobs called during the slow work. And we will look at the way that the Stedman frontwork is constructed.
Stedman frontwork, we recall, consists of alternate ‘sixes’ of forward hunting and backward hunting. When learning Stedman we worked these sixes out then recast them into the traditional Stedman chunks of work — first whole turn, first half turn, second half turn, last whole turn. But it can also be helpful to ring it as alternate sixes of forward and backward hunting. This helps to keep the sixes distinct, and to remember which is a quick six and which a slow six (which helps you tell another bell how to come in, quick or slow, if necessary). In addition, calls of ‘bob’ (or ‘single’) are made at the penultimate stroke of each six, so remembering where the sixes are helps you know when to call the bobs, without having to overlay them on the whole and half turn structure.
–x slow six = backward hunting, so lie in 3rd place
–x
-x-
x– and lead at backstroke and handstroke
x–
-x-
x– quick six = forward hunting, so lead at hand and back
x–
-x-
–x lie in 3rd place, back and hand
–x
-x-
x– slow six = backward hunting
-x-
–x lie in 3rd place, hand and back
–x
-x-
x–
-x- quick six = forward hunting
–x lie in 3rd place, back and hand
–x
-x-
x– lead at hand and back
x–
-x- slow six = backward hunting
x– lead at back and hand
x–
-x-
–x lie in 3rd place, hand and back
–x
Homework time again. This time we’ve been told to learn Yorkshire (Yorkshire Surprise Major) for next week. It’s been a while since I set out to learn a new method – perhaps it’s becoming easier. We shall see.
Yorkshire is similar in parts to Cambridge (the method, not the geography, that is). Whereas Cambridge contains ‘Cambridge places’, Yorkshire has a shorter form ‘Yorkshire places’ or ‘short places’ of dodge, make places, dodge (whereas in Cambridge it is: dodge, make places, dodge, make places, dodge). Places are made in 3–4 and in 5–6 up and down. Here for example is how you ring Yorkshire places in 3–4
up:
-x——
–x—– Yorkshire 3–4 places up
—x—-
–x—–
—x—-
—x—-
–x—–
–x—–
—x—-
–x—–
—x—-
—-x— and carry on up
The backwork is identical to that in Cambridge – and indeed, Yorkshire is identical to Cambridge if you are above the treble. This means that whenever you pass above the treble you do whatever you would have done in Cambridge if you had passed the treble at that point, and this continues until you pass below the treble. Now if only I could ring Cambridge by the treble this might be some help!
Yorkshire also includes the frontwork of Cambridge, but it is split into two separate halves, and you don’t get to dodge or make seconds over the treble in either half.
First thing is to try and remember the order of work, which looks like this, assuming we are ringing the 2.
dodge down with the treble
treble bob up
triple-dodge in 5–6 up
2 & 1 at the back (double dodge 7–8 up, lie, single dodge 7–8 down)
dodge 5–6 down
straight down to the lead
second half of frontwork (dodge down, lead, make 2nds, dodge down, dodge up)
straight up
Yorkshire places in 5–6 up
treble bob at the back (dodge 7–8 up, lie, dodge 7–8 down)
Yorkshire places 3–4 down
dodge and lead
Yorkshire places 3–4 up
dodge 5–6 up
backwork
dodge 5–6 down
Yorkshire places 3–4 down
lead and dodge
Yorkshire places 3–4 up
treble bob at the back
Yorkshire places 5–6 down
first half of the frontwork (dodge down, dodge up, make 2nds, lead, dodge up)
dodge 5–6 up
1 & 2 at the back
triple-dodge 5–6 down
treble bob down to the lead
dodge 1–2 up with the treble
make 2nds place
Armed with this information we can write out a plain course of Yorkshire, here given for the 3 …
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