Bedford Delight Minor

About Bedford Delight Minor

Bedford Delight is a member of the group of methods having 2nds place Norwich Surprise (Old Oxford Delight / Westminster Surprise) above the treble, below the treble, the structure is a somewhat tricky, fluid, treble bob method.

The 3rds place half lead makes 3 the pivot bell, and hence Lead End 135264, and Double Bob / Cambridge Lead End order.

Method Structure.

Place Notation:
X 34 X 14 X 12 X 16 X 14 X 36, LE 12, Bob 14, Single 1234.

Grid:

Diagram: Bedford Delight 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 Bedford Delight Minor.

Learning Bedford Delight Minor.

The Rules

Assuming that Old Oxford Delight has already been learned:

Bedford Delight Minor - the rules
Ring Old Oxford Delight above the treble:
Ring Rochester Treble Bob below the treble, but with a thirds place half lead.

The Structure

The key to this method is the pivot bell work below the treble. Once the treble reaches 5-6 the fun begins (pivot bell in bold):
4ths: 1-4 hunting box - Treble in 5-6 up
3rds: 3-6 hunting box - Half Lead
4ths: 1-4 hunting box - Treble in 5-6 down

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 Double Bob Minor and Cambridge Surprise Minor.

Bedford Delight Minor, 1-2

Diagram: Bedford Delight Minor, 1-2.

Bedford Delight Minor, 3-4

Diagram: Bedford Delight Minor, 3-4.

Bedford Delight Minor, 5-6

Diagram: Bedford Delight Minor, 5-6.

Artefacts

The Blue Line features worth noting is the 7-pull dodge.
Place bells 2 and 4 dodge together in 5-6 starting as the treble dodges 3-4 down, and finishing as the treble dodges 3-4 up.

Place Notation and Grid

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

Pictels

Note the 2 forms of the 4-bell hunting box:
1 - When Treble runs through 2-3 / 3-2
2 - When Treble works in 5-6 up, Lie, 5-6 Down

Section by Section

(To follow once more practise has been achieved).

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

Awareness of the position of the treble is useful as a method structure guide.
The key to the method is the treble dodging in 3-4.
In Bedford D., when treble dodges in 3-4 the pivot bell is leading each time The seven-pull dodge is counted as: 3-4 Down Section, cross-section, section, Lead End, section, cross-section, 3-4 up section.

Awareness of the position of the treble is useful as a structured counting technique. The seven-pull dodge is counted as: Section, cross-section, section, Lead End, section, cross-section, section.

Positional Awareness

Location 3rds and 4ths can be tricky in this fluid method.

Place Notation Elements

The method uses X, 12, 14, 16, 34, 36, but not 56.

Place Bells, Pivot Leads, and Staging posts

156342 LE 12: Double Bob; Chadkirk T.B., Cambridge S.

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

3rds place bell is the pivot bell, see notes above.

The 7 pull dodging will be seen as a staging post (aka handrail), but take care over up versus down.

Awareness of other bells

The 4ths place cross-section and 2nds place Lead End, along with Oxford places, create the static nature of the method above the treble. Take care to ring the Oxford Places accurately to gain correct placement at the Lead End.

Coursing Order in Bedford Delight Minor

Natural Coursing Order is preserved by the “Norwich above” nature of the work above the treble. Natural Coursing Order is well supported below the treble; starting with the pivot bell (3), the bells lead in natural coursing order until the pivot bell returns to lead.

Ringing the Method

Just enjoy it, it’s easier than expected because of so much natural coursing order and static work in 5-6.

Bobs and Singles.

Bobs replace the 2nds place at the Lead End with 4ths as per Plain Bob.

Touches of Bedford Delight Minor.

Use bobs-only touches of Double Bob, or a touch that works to Cambridge S.