Introduction

When ringing Stedman at any stage, there are two ways of entering the hunting work of the front three bells, entering in a quick six, versus entering in a slow six.

Quick Bell

A bell that enters the frontwork in a quick six, hunts down to lead, leads hand and back, hunts back up once more and immediately goes back to 4-5 dodging.

Slow Bell

A bell that enters the frontwork in a slow six, rings 30 changes before leaving the front and hunting up to 4-5 dodging. Those 30 changes are a glorious mixture of hunting, making places, leading both right and wrong, making single blows in lead and seconds.

The blue line artefacts have been given names as shown in the diagram below.

Diagram: Stedman Doubles with named artefcts.

The challenge of the slow work:

Ringing a single bell in the slow can be achieved with the information in the annotated diagram above. For the double-handed change ringer there are some extra challenges

• Once a bell is in the slow it can be joined by a second bell in each of the four subsequent sixes
• With one bell in the slow and one bell dodging in 4-5 etc., the changes in hunting and dodging positions between each six need to be navigated
• With no bells in the slow a decision has to be made whether to enter the front work as a quick bell or as a slow bell

The solution to all of these challenges lies in breaking down the slow work into its six-at-a-time components, and becoming deeply familiar with these components. Further techniques are also required for resolving the decision of quick versus slow entry to the front work.

The Slow work in sixes

At this point we introduce a memory technique conceived by Anne and Eddie Martin, which is to associate the work of the individual whole sixes wih a day of the week. This is documented on the handbell ringing blog at Conquering Stedman in hand.

Monday Slow 6	3rds, 3rds; 2nds, lead; lead, point 2nds.
Tuesday Quick 6	lead, lead; 2nds, 3rds; 3rds, 2nds;
Wednesday Slow 6	point lead at Hand, 2nds; 3rds, 3rds; 2nds, point lead at Back.
Thursday Quick 6	2nds, 3rds; 3rds, 2nds; lead, lead.
Friday Slow 6	point 2nds, lead; lead, 2nds; 3rds, 3rds.
Diagram: Stedman Slow Work split by Days of the week.

The break between the sixes aligns with the movement of dodging position in 4-5, etc.

• The First Whole Turn has a lead back and hand in the slow six, followed by point 2nds and a lead hand and back in the quick six.
• The two half turns are made in the same six
• The Last Whole Turn has a lead hand and back in the quick six followed by point 2nds, and a lead back and hand in the slow six.

Days of the Week is a powerful sequencing technique which minimises the brain demand whilst keeping the five pieces of work in order.

Two bells in the frontwork

There are six ways that two bells can work together in the frontwork.

For any one bell, the Slow work has five sixes, two are quick sixes, and in each of these a quick bell hunts down to lead, leads, and then hunts out to 4-5.
Diagram: Stedman Slow Work - Quick sixes with a quick bell.
The above two patterns form part of the work for 1-2 in the Plain Course at all stages.

With one bell in the slow work, if it is joined by another bell in the first available slow six, the pair will overlap in the frontwork for three sixes.
Diagram: Stedman Overlapping Slow Work.
The above patterns form part of the work for 3-4 in the Plain Course at all stages.

With the bell in the slow work is about to leave the slow and it is joined by a bell enteruing the slow, they will overlap for just one six.

Diagram: Stedman Slow Work overlapping for one six.

This pattern forms part of the work for 1-2 in the Plain Course of Stedman Doubles, but is found in the hidden pattern (6-7) in Stedman Triples, in 5-6 in Stedman Caters and 7-8 in Stedman Cinques.

Sixes and Dodging

Bringing the above details together we get the following diagrams.

Diagram: Stedman Double showing the days and lines.

Synchronising Slow work with Dodging Work

Each six has three Handstroke and Backstroke pairs of changes, and the sixes are linked together with a bell remaining in 5ths place (for Doubles Stage) from Backstroke to Handstroke. So each change of hunting pattern in the frontwork occurs simultaneously with the change of dodging work above 3rds.

Entering the slow work

With two bells in the dodging work, particularly on higher numbers, it is easy to lose track of whether the bells on the front are in a slow six or in a quick six. As incorrect entry to the frontwork is a common source of trips, special attention needs to be paid to this issue.

Quick or Slow? - Which Way - Tips

• Track the alternating nature of the sixes at each change over point.
• Determine whether the current six is quick or slow by observing the bells at lead.
• If you have a bell coming out of the frontwork as a bell joins the frontwork, they will be opposites, (out quick - in slow, or vice versa).
• If your pair dodges together in 4-5 the down bell goes into the front work the same way as the 4-5 up bell came out.

The best technique for knowing which way to enter the frontwork is to maintain a constant awareness of the nature of the current six by observing the bells at lead.

• In a quick six, three bells lead Hand and Back..
• In a slow six, after the point lead at handstroke, there are two bells each lead Back and Hand, followed by the final point lead

Developing this skill is feasible but requires considerable pracice for ordinary mortals.