Double Norwich Court Bob Major

Double Norwich Court Bob Major

1. The "rule"

One popular rule for Double Norwich is "first, treble bob, last, near, full, far". It means:

• First - leading/lying first then double dodging.
• Treble bob - dodging in 5-6 and 3-4 to get you from the front to the back or vice versa. In between your pair of dodges you pass the treble in 4-5, as it's another point of symmetry.
• Last - leading/lying last after double dodging
• Near - near places, so if you're at the back they're in 5-6, if you're on the front they're in 3-4. Places consist of two places and a dodge. In the "near" places the places are first (i.e. also near), so do place, place, dodge.
• Full - Double dodge, lead/lie, double dodge. This is a point of symmetry so happens around the lead end or half lead.
• Far - far places, so if you're on the front they're in 5-6, if you're at the back they're in 34. The places are "far", so the dodge must come first.

2. Place bell starts

Remember that the method starts with a double dodge at the back and a single dodge in 5-6.

So:

• 8: Double dodge. You know you've made 8ths at the last lead end, so this must be a point of symmetry, i.e. your "full" work at the back. So after your double dodge do far places and pick it up from there.
• 7: Double dodge. Then lie, and treble will turn you. So this must be "last". Plus it can't be "full", as that would mean the lead end, and a very short lead!
• 6: Dodge down, this is part of the "treble bob", which you'll know because you pass the treble in 4-5, so dodge in 3-4 and then do "last"; on the front.
• 5: Dodge up. Then you can't go any higher as they're doing a double dodge at the back, so you must make 6ths. This then must be part of far places, so make 5ths then do "first" work at the back.
• 4: Hunt down and do full work on the front.
• 3: Hunt up; note you can't go into 5-6 as they're doing a dodge, so make 4ths. Then make 3rds as this is part of your near places.
• 2: Lead. This can only be your "First" work, so double dodge with the bell that meets you then do treble bob work.

3. Bobs

• Ignore all calls unless you are at the back, or dodging 56 up as part of your treble bob work.
• For a bob or a single, if you're doing treble bob work up, make 6ths then reverse it, so do treble bob work down. Any place you make at a lead end will reverse what you just did.
• If you're at the back, you'll be doing a double dodge. If there's a bob, so another dodge for the lead end, which will make you 7ths or 8ths place bell, so do another double dodge.
• If you're double dodging 78 up and a single is called, ignore it and make 8ths as normal.
• If you're double dodging 78 down and a single is called, make 7ths then double dodge 78 up and the treble will appear.

4. Passing the treble rules

An additional way of ringing this method is by observing where the treble is passed. Bear in mind that the method is basically "plain hunt" but as it is a Court method, places are made to let the treble through in 3-4 and 5-6. These places give rise to double dodging at the front and back and internal single dodges. (Tip: in a plain course working bells are passed in plain hunt sequence)

Note that as it is a double method one can read lie instead of lead and back instead of front. Near places are 3-4 from the front, and 5-6 from the back. Far places are 5-6 from the front and 3-4 from the back.

Following the course of 2nd place bell.

1. Take the treble off lead. Lead, double dodge, treble bob to the back (passing the treble half way i.e. 4-5), double dodge, lie.
2. Taken off back by the treble. Do near places i.e. wait for the treble in 5ths, do 6ths, 5-6 down and hunt down.
3. Pass the treble 2-3 down. Double dodge, lead, double dodge and pass the treble 2-3 up. Do far places i.e. dodge 5-6, make 6ths to wait for the treble, then 5ths and up. Take the treble off the back (go back to 1) but reverse.

It is a prerequisite that the treble is reliable :)

At the bobs the bell treble bobbing up makes 6th instead of continuing to the back, and then reverses his path i.e. treble bobs down.

The back bell dodging up does one more for the bob and then double dodges up and lies. The treble will take it off the back.

The back bell dodging down does one more for the bob and then double dodges down passing the treble 7-6.