Alnwick Surprise Minor

About Alnwick Surprise Minor

Alnwick Surprise is a combination of Carlisle above the treble and London below, in short: "Carlisle over London". 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 London Surprise below group of 6, there are plenty of opportunities to reapply the learning in the Surprise category alone.

Alnwick Surprise Minor is one of a group of 6 Surprise Minor methods all having identical work below the treble.

• Lightfoot Surprise Minor
• Rossendale Surprise Minor
• York Surprise Minor
• Alnwick Surprise Minor (Ibid)
• Canterbury Surprise Minor
• London Surprise Minor

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

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

Learning Alnwick Surprise Minor.

Learn and ring Carlisle S. and London S. before starting on Alnwick.

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

The Structure

The position of the treble can be used to define the work of the other 5 bells. Dodging in 1-2 relates to the asymmetric Carlisle work in 3-4-5-6
Dodging in 3-4 is standard for all regular Treble Bob, Delight and Surprise methods and has the essential structure of a Plain Bob Lead end (X 12 X). Dodging in 5-6 relates to the backward hunting in 1-2-3-4.
The 12 Lead End completes the structure of Carlisle above the treble.
The 36 Half Lead completes the structure of London below the treble.

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

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

Double Blue Lines

Alnwick Surprise Minor, 1-2

Diagram: Alnwick Surprise Minor, 1-2.

Alnwick Surprise Minor, 3-4

Diagram: Alnwick Surprise Minor, 3-4.

Alnwick Surprise Minor, 5-6

Diagram: Alnwick 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 London work, and as this is also the pivot bell, the wrong way hunting finishes at the next Stedman Whole Turn

164523 LE 12: Little Bob; Duke of Norfolk T.B., Bourne Surprise

1-2:1-2, 1-5, 1-4, 1-3, 1-6, 1-2
3-4:3-4, 6-3, 2-6, 5-2, 4-5, 3-4
5-6:6-5, 2-4, 5-3, 4-6, 3-2, 6-5 :

Ringing Alnwick 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 Alnwick 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.