Primrose Surprise Minor

About Primrose Surprise Minor

Primrose Surprise Minor is a lead end variation on Cambridge S..

The pivot bell continues to be 3rds place bell, and Cambridge is preserved unchanged below the treble.

Primrose is a member of the Cambridge Group of 4 related methods:

Diagram: Cambridge Surprise Minor group of 4.

Method Structure.

Place Notation:
X 36 X 14 X 12 X 36 X 14 X 56, 16 Bob 14, Single 1456.

Grid:

Diagram: Primrose Surprise Minor, plain lead, change-rows and grid.

Learning Primrose Surprise Minor.

The approach

Skills learning is a progressive process.
Learn some, practice with a simulator, learn some more, get good enough to perform in a band.
Learn some more, practice with both a simulator and a band, publish your success.

The Structure

Primrose Surprise Minor - the rules
Ring Cambridge with hunting at the Lead End.

Double Blue Lines

Primrose Surprise Minor, 1-2

Diagram: Primrose Surprise Minor, 1-2.

Primrose Surprise Minor, 3-4

Diagram: Primrose Surprise Minor, 3-4.

Primrose Surprise Minor, 5-6

Diagram: Primrose Surprise Minor, 5-6.

Artefacts

The Blue Line features - sufficiently similar to Cambridge to lull you into a false sense of security. The 6ths place lead end is less frequently rung and needs good concentration and clear thinking.

Place Notation and Grid

The grid is a useful reminder of the structure of the method.

Pictels

For pictels, see Cambridge S..

Ringing Primrose Surprise Minor.

Track the treble

Awareness of the position of the treble is a key skill for most bellringing methods, and a significant help in ringing Surprise Minor methods. Some hints and tips for developing the skill are given in the techniques section.

The work of the treble is the key to Section by Section learning and ringing.

Get into ringing Primrose by learning Cambridge and then study the double place bell sequence.

Place Notation Elements

The method only contains 12, 14, 16, 36, 56.

Place Bells, Pivot Leads, and Staging posts

Pivot is 3rds place bell giving 135264 at the lead end.

Awareness of other bells

Use your knowledge of Cambridge.

Coursing Order in Primrose Surprise Minor

Primrose is very much like Cambridge, natural coursing order is well preserved above the treble, but compromised below the treble.

At the half lead, the pivot bell makes 5ths, and the coursing pair dodge together in 3-4. The parted pair dodge together in 1-2 and these are the bells with which the pivot bell does the double dodges in 5-6.

Ringing the Method

The value in ringing Primrose is to be aware of one's own learning process, seeing its successes and failures. Honing the skill of hunting to the place bells is a bonus.

Bobs and Singles.

Calls Bobs introduce 4ths place (make the bob) as per Cambridge. The bells in 5-6 dodge as they would do at a bob in Cambridge.

Touches of Norfolk Surprise Minor.

Complib has over 190 compositions that include Primrose, the majority being Spliced, but there are a handful purely for Primrose. Touches of Reverse Bob will work and give twice the length.