Alnwick Surprise Minor

About Newcastle Surprise Minor

Newcastle Surprise is a combination of Carlisle above the treble and Wells below, in short: "Carlisle over Wells". As such it provides good practise at accurately striking the blows at lead in the backward hunting sections.

Time spent on Alnwick Surprise is "good value for money" as a member of the Carlisle Surprise above group of 7, and also the Wells Surprise below group of 6, there are plenty of opportunities to reapply the learning in the Surprise category alone.

Newcastle Surprise Minor incorporates the asymmetric Carlisle work when the treble dodges in 1-2 with the standard 14 X 12 X 36 for regular surprise minor methods. However, the 5-6 sections are backward hunting on 4 bells ( .14 x 14.) linked by 3rds place at the half lead. The pivot bell is then the tenor giving Plain Bob Lead End order.

Method Structure.

Place Notation:
34X36.14 X 12 X 36 .14 X 14. 36, 12; Bob 14, Single 1234.

Grid:

Diagram: Newcastle Surprise Minor, plain course, change-rows and grid.

Plain Course structure
As well as being mostly backward hunting, Newcastle Surprise Minor, with pivot place 3rds at the half lead, is a fluid, flowing method.

Learning Newcastle Surprise Minor.

Learn and ring Carlisle S. and Wells S. before starting on Newcastle.

Concerted study of the 5-6 sections will pay dividends. The pairs are roughly equally difficult, including 1-2.

The Structure

The transition of the treble between dodging places is the standard (internal) places for a Surprise minor method, 14 for hunting in 2-3, and 36 for hunting in 4-5.

The Rules

Newcastle Surprise Minor - the rules
This is not a method that can be encapsulated in a simple, easily memorised, language statement other than "Carlisle over Wells".

Double Blue Lines

Newcastle Surprise Minor, 1-2

Diagram: Newcastle Surprise Minor, 1-2.

Newcastle Surprise Minor, 3-4

Diagram: Newcastle Surprise Minor, 3-4.

Newcastle Surprise Minor, 5-6

Diagram: Newcastle Surprise Minor, 5-6.

Pivot bell

4ths Place Bell makes Kent places and then passes treble in 3-2; the transitions from right place work into hunting wrong via a Stedman Whole Turn. This is the start of the Wells work, and as this is also the pivot bell, the right place half lead links the two Stedman whole turns with point 2nds.

Ringing Newcastle Surprise Minor.

All of the foregoing memory techniques are aimed at enabling the ringer to know, with certainty, in which pair of places his or her bells are intended to be rung. The skill in handbell ringing is putting the bells into those places.

Notes and suggestions will follow in due course.

Bobs and Singles.

Bobs See Carlisle S..

Touches of Newcastle Surprise Minor

4ths place bell is the pivot bell, and hence the first lead end is 164523 giving calling positions from the tenor as in Little Bob:
Before, Wrong, In, 4ths, Home.