Group name - Hull Handbell Change Ringers

D&S Methods

Page Index

  Delight and Surprise Methods - An Introduction

Delight and Surprise

"Method" is the generic name for the pattern used to produce changes. There are several categories of method:

  • Plain:
    The treble hunts without dodging.
  • Treble Bob:
    The treble hunts and dodges at each pair of places, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 etc.
    In pure treble bob such as Kent or Oxford, when the treble hunts all of the bells hunt.
  • Delight and Surprise:
    As per treble bob, but when the treble hunts, internal places are made.
  • Alliance:
    The treble has a path which may include plain hunting through dodging positions and normal dodges, together with other, non standard blue line artefacts.
  • Little:
    The treble hunts but does not reach the maximum hunting extent for the number of bells being rung.
  • Principle:
    All of the working bells, including the treble, do the same work.
    The classic example of a principle is Stedman.

These categories also apply to higher numbers of bells.

Distinctions amongst Treble Bob, Delight, and Surprise:
The method types are defined by the places made as the treble hunts between dodging positions.

Method Name
Oxford Treble Bob
Woodbine Delight
Morning Exercise Delight
Cambridge Surprise

Place Notation
-34-16-12-16-12-16,16
-34-14-12-16-12-16,16 (4ths place Delight)
-34-16-12-36-14-56,16 (3rds place Delight)
-36-14-12-36-14-56,12

Methods become increasingly difficult to learn and ring with right place Treble Bob (including Kent) being the easiest and wrong place surprise being the hardest.

Site Sections:

Cambridge Surprise Minor

Cambridge Surprise Minor
Place notation: -36-14-12-36-14-56,12

Cambridge Surprise incorporates the maximum amount of plain hunting that is possible in a surprise method, and so there is plain hunting between 3rds and 6th place when the treble is in 1-2, and between 1st and 4ths when the treble is in 5-6. The 5ths place half-lead and seconds place lead end make this a crisp method to ring; it moves between the fluid hunting, long place-work and the two-lie-one-5ths-one-lie-two of the symmetrical 3rds place bell. This is a neat method.

"Wot,no rules?!?" There is a rule:
"Treble rings Treble Bob Hunting, all other bells do maximum plain hunting up to the limit of the definition of regular surprise methods".
The method is too complex for a simple rule to be used as a way of ringing the method.

Approaches to ringing Cambridge.

Several different techniques can be applied to ringing Cambridge and an experienced ringer will probably use bits from several of them. See the page dedicated to Cambridge for details.

London Surprise Minor

London Surprise Minor
Place notation: 36-36.14-12-36.14-14.36,12

London Surprise incorporates the maximum amount of backward plain hunting that is possible in a treble dodging method, and so there is backward plain hunting between 3rds and 6th place when the treble is in 1-2, and between 1st and 4ths when the treble is in 5-6. The 3rds place half-lead and 2nds place lead end then make this an interesting method to ring. Making places "back and hand" is so alien that the method "feels" wrong even when you are ringing correctly; and because there are more Place Notation artefacts (compared with right place where every alternate artefact is "cross") ringing London Surprise requires a lot of mental effort. This is a challenging but rewarding method.

"Wot,no rules?!?" There is a rule:
"Treble rings Treble Bob Hunting, all other bells do maximum backward plain hunting up to the limit of the definition of regular surprise methods". The method is too complex for a simple rule to be used as a way of ringing the method.

Several different techniques can be applied to ringing London and an experienced ringer will probably use bits from several of them. See the page dedicated to London for details.

Right place Surprise Minor

Other Right Place Surprise Minor Methods

There are ten methods that comply with the original definition of "regular" surprise minor methods, and that do not include places made "wrong".

Methods closely related to Cambridge: Ipswich, Norfolk and Primrose.
These are all lead end or half lead variations, using either 1-6 or 5-6 at the half lead, and 1-2 or 1-6 at the lead end. Hence the structure notes on ringing Cambridge are very relevant.

"Cousins" of Cambridge:, Bourne, Hull.
These methods have Cambridge above the treble and -34- when the treble is in 5-6, then 3rds place half lead.
So there is some relationship with Cambridge.

Norwich group methods, Westminster, Netherseale, Annable's London and Norwich.
Norwich is a popular method on towerbells being the first "different" method learned after Cambridge. There is little similarity with Cambridge.