Norfolk Surprise Minor

About Norfolk Surprise Minor

Norfolk Surprise Minor is a simple half lead variation on Cambridge S..

There is a temptation to under-estimate the significance of the half-lead change from Cambridge.

In fact, the change destroys the elegance of Cambridge.

The pivot bell is no longer 3rds place bell, the places are palindromic but without the extra dodges of Cambridge Places, and the frontwork has lost a dodge.

Norfolk 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 16, 16 Bob 14, Single 1456.

Grid:

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

Learning Norfolk 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

Norfolk Surprise Minor - the rules
Ring Cambridge with hunting at the Half Lead and at the Lead End.

Double Blue Lines

Norfolk Surprise Minor, 1-2

Diagram: Norfolk Surprise Minor, 1-2.

Norfolk Surprise Minor, 3-4

Diagram: Norfolk Surprise Minor, 3-4.

Norfolk Surprise Minor, 5-6

Diagram: Norfolk Surprise Minor, 5-6.

Artefacts

The Blue Line features - sufficiently similar to Cambridge to lull you into a false sense of security. Ipswich is more fluid than Cambridge following the elimination of the half lead dodges.

Place Notation and Grid

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

Pictels

For pictels, see Cambridge S..

Ringing Norfolk 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 Norfolk by learning Cambridge and then study and learn the half lead and lead end work, together with the double place bell sequence.

Place Notation Elements

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

Place Bells, Pivot Leads, and Staging posts

Pivot is 5ths place bell giving 164523 at the lead end.

For 5-6 pair, 2nds and 4ths place bells are the pivot lead, crossing and reflecting in 2-3 at the half lead. The bells remain in 1-2, versus 3-4 until they change places at the reflection point. This can be used as a staging post (handrail).

Awareness of other bells

Norfolk is very fluid across the half lead, it's harder to use than the "dodgy" structures of Cambridge.

Coursing Order in Norfolk Surprise Minor

Norfolk 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 leads, the coursing pair cross in 2-3, and the treble works with the parted pair in reverse order.

Ringing the Method

The value in ringing Norfolk is to be aware of one's own learning process, seeing its successes and failures.

Bobs and Singles.

Calls See Primrose

Touches of Norfolk Surprise Minor.

Complib has over 170 compositions that include Norfolk, the majority being Spliced, but there are a handful purely for Norfolk. Touches of College Bob will work and give twice the length.