Pontefract Delight Minor

About Pontefract Delight Minor

Pontefract is a member of the group of methods having 2nds place Kent Treble Bob above the treble.

Below the treble, 3rds place is made at the 4-5 cross-sections and at the half lead. This creates a division of work between places 1 and 2 versus 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Pontefract Delight Minor is one of a group of 4 Treble Dodging methods all having identical work below the treble.

• Pontefract Delight Minor (Ibid)
• Wath Delight Minor
• WESTMINSTER Surprise Minor
• Lincoln Surprise Minor

At of June 2025 Bellboard had just 4 performances that included Pontefract Delight Minor.

Method Structure.

Place Notation:
34X34. 16 X 12 X 36 X 12 X 36, 12, Bob 14, Single 1234.

Grid:

Diagram: Pontefract 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 Pontefract. But this is a valuable method for developing the ability to associate structure with the treble's position, whilst also developing the skill of continuously following the coursing order.

Learning Wath Delight Minor.

The Rules

Assuming that Kent TB has already been learned):

Pontefract Delight Minor - the rules:
Ring Kent Treble Bob Minor except for the 4-5 cross sections and half lead where 3rds place is made and the bells in 1-2 dodge, and the Lead End when 2nds place is made.

The Structure

Familiarity with the grid is very valuable owing to the separation between the pair in 1-2 versus the other 4 bells. Use of the grid is helped enormously by an ability to see the position of treble.

Double Blue Lines

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

Pontefract Delight Minor, 1-2

Diagram: Pontefract Delight Minor, 1-2.

Pontefract Delight Minor, 3-4

Diagram: Pontefract Delight Minor, 3-4.

Pontefract Delight Minor, 5-6

Diagram: Pontefract Delight Minor, 5-6.

Artefacts

The Blue Line features worth noting are:
Alternate dodging and places in 1-2.
"Treble Bob Hunting" in 3-4-5-6 when the treble is above 2nds.
In the pivot lead, 3-4 ring a "Double Chrstmas Cracker".

Place Notation and Grid

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

Section by Section

(To follow once more practise has been achieved).

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

Positional Awareness

In Pontefract Delight, the static nature of the frontwork is of some assistance.

Place Notation Elements

The method only contains 34X34, X, 36, 12, 16.

Place Bells, Pivot Leads, and Staging posts

142635 LE 12: St Clement's College Bob; Rochester T.B.; London S

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

5ths place bell is the pivot bell.

Awareness of other bells

The x12x (four times) when treble is dodging in 3-4 and 5-6 should be noted and used.

Coursing Order in Pontefract Delight Minor

• Natural Coursing Order is well preserved above the treble.
• Below the treble, the frontwork bells arrive and depart in Natural coursing order.
• The bells in 3rds place do so in natural coursing order.

The only place where use of coursing order is slightly tricky is the Half Lead.

Ringing the Method

Just enjoy it, it’s easier than expected.

Bobs and Singles.

As per Kent TB.

Touches of Pontefract Delight Minor.

2nds place lead end 142635, with 6th observation, the calling positions are In, Out, 4ths, Wrong, Home.

Use bobs-only touches of St Clement's College Bob.