Bacup Surprise Minor

About Bacup Surprise Minor

Bacup Surprise is a member of the Westminster S. group of methods and has pure Norwich Surprise above the treble, but with a 5ths place half lead making 5 the pivot bell.

Below the treble, the structure is complex with an asymmetrical 5-6 section giving rise to backward hunting on four across the Half Lead. Consequently Kelso S. and Bamborough S. have the same work as Bacup below the treble.

Method Structure.

Place Notation:
X 34 X 14 X 12 X 36.12X14.56, 16 Bob 14, Single 1456.

Grid:

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

Goals and learning approach

What you are trying to achieve needs to drive your approach.

Ringing by structure

Get going:.
Use whatever learning approach you like most to acquire enough knowledge to ring a plain course. Ring a few and see what aspects of the method spring out, and study these. Practice until courses and simple touches are ringable.

Performance Level

If you are wishing to achieve 720s, Quarters, or peals:
start with the "get going" as above, add in the bits that are natural to you.
Study the Double Place Bell sequences, and the lines.
Practice a lot.
Achieve some performances .

Method Mastery Level

It is unusual for a band to wish to achieve mastery in a method like Bacup.

Learning Bacup Surprise Minor.

The Rules

The asymmetrical 5-6 sections are not easily expressed as a "rule".

The Structure

Use of the grid is helped enormously by an ability to see the position of treble.

Ring Annable's London S. and Norwich S. before tackling Bacup.

Double Blue Lines

The Double Blue Lines give a useful overview of the method, adding context which is helpful for overcoming trips.

The Double Place Bell sequences are identical with College Bob.

Bacup Surprise Minor, 1-2

Diagram: Bacup Surprise Minor, 1-2.

Bacup Surprise Minor, 3-4

Diagram: Bacup Surprise Minor, 3-4.

Bacup Surprise Minor, 5-6

Diagram: Bacup Surprise Minor, 5-6.

Artefacts

The Blue Line features worth noting are:

• The 4 change row, 2 either side of the Half Lead, are backward hunting .
• The transition into backward working begins with the lead/seconds places as the treble starts dodging in 5-6, and ends as the treble leaves 5-6.

Place Notation and Grid

The choice here is personal preference. The author’s preference is the visual nature of the grid.

Pictels

Section by Section

(To follow once more practise has been achieved).

Ringing Bacup 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 Bacup Surprise Minor. Some hints and tips for developing the skill are given in the techniques section.

Positional Awareness

Place Notation Elements

The method only contains X, 36, 12, 16, 34, but 12X14.56.14x12 might be challenge.

Place Bells, Pivot Leads, and Staging posts

5ths place bell is the pivot bell, see notes above.

Awareness of other bells

Coursing Order in Bacup Surprise Minor

Natural Coursing Order is maintained above the treble.
In the first lead, the bells that make the backward leads are 3, 2, 4, and 6 in that order.

Ringing the Method

We have no advice other than learn the method thoroughly.

Bobs and Singles.

Bobs replace the 6ths place at the Lead End with 4ths as per Norwich.

Touches of Bacup Surprise Minor.

5ths place bell is the pivot bell, and hence the first lead end is 164523 giving calling positions from the tenor as in College Bob.