Go, That's all, Stand

For any touch you call, you will need to start and stop the ringing...
A good way to start to learn to call is to ask your tower captain to let you say "Go and Stop" to a plain course of any method.

Wait for the rounds to settle down and become fairly regular
As you pull off on a handstroke say "Go, Plain Bob Doubles", or whatever method it is
"That's all" comes at the change before rounds. Work out what work your chosen bell will just have done and which precise place the bell you are ringing will be in. For plain courses "That's all" comes at a handstroke. (Some touches of eg Grandsire and Stedman come round at handstroke and so then "That's all" is at a backstroke.) We shall go through three examples of where to say "That's all" in the following paragraphs
Wait for a few more rounds before you call "Stand", at handstroke again

Here are some examples:

Imagine you are ringing the 3 to Plain Bob Doubles...

12345 - ring rounds until everyone is steady
12345
.
.
.
12345 - "Go, Bob Doubles" at a handstroke
12345
21435
24153
etc
.
.
13254 - you make 2nds
13524
.
.
.
15342 - you dodge 3-4 down
15432
.
.
.
14523 - you make long 5ths
14253
.
.
.
32514
23154
21345 - you are about to dodge 3-4 up
12435 - "That's all!" at handstroke
12345
The last thing you do before you get to rounds will be your 3-4 up dodge. Since you need to be in 3rds place for rounds, you need to call "That's all" when you pull off at handstroke in 4ths place in the middle of your dodge.

So, to reiterate, this is what happens as you are hunting up to the 3-4 up dodge:
You have led, then you strike in 2nds place (the call is coming soon), then in 3rds place (the call will be at the next stroke), then in 4ths ("That's all!") and then you strike back into 3rds place which is rounds. I find it very helpful to give myself a running commentary (such as the remarks in brackets) as I get near to any call.

Imagine you are ringing the 6 to Plain Bob Major...

...
325164
231546
213456
124365 "That's all!"
123456
The last thing you do will be your 5-6 down dodge. You need to be in 6ths place for rounds and rounds comes after the dodge so "That's all" comes as you strike in 5ths place.

Imagine you are ringing the 3 to Grandsire Doubles...

...
53414
35142
31524
13254 "That's all!"
12345
Since your first piece of work is to make thirds, the plain course comes round at your first blow making thirds. So when you strike in 2nds place over the treble you need to call "That's all".

Details...
Make sure that your calls are loud enough, clear and polite.

If the ringing becomes too choppy, with too many people lost and if there is no-one to put them right, then it is your responsibility to call "Rounds please" or something similar and then either "Stand" or "Go again" depending on what the person running the ringing indicates to you.

If at all possible you should try and have rounds before you stand the bells, unless there is an emergency such as a stay or rope breaking or a learner losing control of their bell. Not to do this is bad manners and also it does not sound good to anybody who might be listening outside.

I think it is really important...
for you to put in sufficient mental preparation before you try and call any plain course, call changes, touch or quarter peal in the tower.

Learn the actual touch, i.e. what happens
Look at what the work of your chosen bell will be at each call
For each call know whether you will call it at handstroke or backstroke
For each call work out what place your bell will be in
Look at how many leads there are between calls. (A lead is the ringing between the treble leading and the treble leading again.)
Go through the touch fully in your mind. Imagine you are ringing it

I have found this kind of preparation very useful. If it seems too much effort, remember that once you get used to it and have called something a few times then it will not be necessary any more

On to Call Changes.

On to Plain Bob Doubles.

Back to Index Page.

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