Plain Bob Doubles

The easiest touch to call is to call yourself unaffected…
(You can also say "call yourself observation", or "ring the observation bell".)

You can choose to ring the 2, 3, 4 or 5.

You will call three bobs in total. Each comes just as you start your long fifths. As you know, when you make long fifths you are unaffected by bobs, so these bobs will not affect you, and in all you will ring 3 plain courses. Each bob cycles the other three working (inside) bells around.

In Plain Bob you make all calls when the treble is in 2nds place on the way down, so the blow before she leads. If you are calling yourself unaffected, as you are here, then this means that you call "bob" as you are about to strike your first blow in 5ths. This is at backstroke. So call a bob each time you get to this point. When you've done this three times you are done, except to call "that's all" at the blow before you get back to your starting place. And that's all there is to it.

An example from the 4...
Here is an example of where to call the first bob when calling yourself unaffected from the 4. The principle is the same from any bell.

12345
21435
24153
42513
45231
54321
53412
35142
31524 “Bob!”
13254
12354
21534
25143 …

So you just do that three times and call “That’s All” when you finish (which will be as you dodge 3-4 down from the 4, just as in a plain course.)

This touch is 120 changes long and it takes about 5 minutes to ring. It is the standard length to call. (120 changes is the length of the extent for doubles. What this means is that 120 different changes is the maximum number of changes that it is possible to ring for doubles.)

I strongly recommend that...
you think carefully through any touch at home before you try and call it. Imagine that you are ringing it. Work out when you will need to say all the calls ("Go", "That's all" and bobs and singles). Think about what stroke they come on. Think about how long you will have between each call.

On to Plain Bob Doubles - Calling yourself affected.

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