In August 2010, Daniel Graham asked the following question on the Change Ringers list.
Does anyone know if a list or table exists which details the surprise major methods which only have a slight variant to other surprise major methods? Examples such as Johannesburg being very similar to Lincolnshire.
Method variants
The more methods one knows, the easier it becomes to learn new ones, as parts can be learnt as the differences from a familiar method. For example, 7ths place bell Watford Surprise Major is identical to 7ths place Rutland Surprise, making one place bell less to learn. Another example is that Pudsey Surprise Major is Cambridge Surprise below the treble, so if you can ring by learning the grid of the method, or know the rules governing when to miss dodges or make places in Cambridge, this can be a great help in learning and staying right in Pudsey.
Some methods, however, are such trivial variations that you only need to learn the slight variation. For example, New Cambridge Surprise Major reverses the lead and dodge in 6ths place bell to dodge and lead, causing a corresponding swap of seconds and dodge in 2nds place bell. Of course, the mirrors of these two leads (8ths and 2nds place bell) are similarly changed.
Typically such variants are inferior to their parent, as they often introduce less elegant blue line features, additional falseness, or inferior musical properties. However, this is not always the case. For example, Lessness Surprise Major is a variant of Uxbridge Surprise Major (first rung in 1937 and 1936 respectively), but is generally regarded as musically superior as it keeps the tenors dodging the right way round in 3-4 to give more roll-ups off the front.
Method variants are popular among some peal bands that like to introduce new method names, and be the first to ring a peal in a particular method, but wish to keep the learning to a minimum.
Below are examples of close variants of popular Surprise Major methods.
Variants of Cambridge Surprise Major
| Method & variants |
LH Group |
Place Notation |
FCH groups |
First peal |
Diagram
|
| Cambridge Surprise |
b |
-38-14-1258-36-14-58-16-78 |
BDEe |
11 February 1873 |
Diagram
|
| New Cambridge Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-1236-14-58-16-78 |
BEce |
18 February 1822 |
Diagram
|
| Putney Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-1236-14-58-16.34.78 |
BEce |
23 February 1963 |
Diagram
|
| Southwell Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58.12.36-14-58-16-78 |
BDEce |
16 January 1954 |
Diagram
|
| Stand Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58.12.36-14-58-16.34.78 |
BDEce |
5 May 1963 |
Diagram
|
| Havant Surprise |
b |
-38-14-1258-36-14-58-16.34.78 |
BDEe |
19 April 1963 |
Diagram
|
Variants of Yorkshire Surprise Major
| Method & variants |
LH Group |
Place Notation |
FCH groups |
First peal |
Diagram
|
| Yorkshire Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-16-12-38-14-78 |
Bc |
14 February 1903 |
Diagram
|
| Wye Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-16-12-38-14.56.78 |
BDc |
12 February 1949 |
Diagram
|
| Quedgeley Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-16-12-38-1456-78 |
BDc |
30 September 1961 |
Diagram
|
| Biddenden Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-16-12-38.56.14-78 |
BDc |
26 March 1949 |
Diagram
|
| Braunstone Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-16-12-38.56.14.56.78 |
BDc |
3 November 1951 |
Diagram
|
| I Can't Believe It's Not Yorkshire Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-1678-78-1238-14-78 |
Bc |
11 May 2003 |
Diagram
|
| Flockton Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-1678-78-1238-14.56.78 |
BDc |
13 October 2005 |
Diagram
|
Variants of Lincolnshire Surprise Major
| Method & variants |
LH Group |
Place Notation |
FCH groups |
First peal |
Diagram
|
| Lincolnshire Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-16-14-58-36-78 |
BLce |
4 February 1928 |
Diagram
|
| Vancouver Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-16-14-58-36.12.78 |
BLace |
1 July 1963 |
Diagram
|
| Gainsborough Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-16-14-58-1236-78 |
Bace |
14 July 1954 |
Diagram
|
| Zurich Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-16-14-58.12.36-78 |
BLace |
12 July 1963 |
Diagram
|
| Fordcombe Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-16-14-58.12.36.12.78 |
Bace |
1 September 1956 |
Diagram
|
| Nailstone Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-16-14-1258-36-78 |
BLce |
17 December 1960 |
Diagram
|
| Amsterdam Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-16-14-1258-36.12.78 |
BLace |
26 July 1963 |
Diagram
|
| Johannesburg Surprise |
b |
-38-14-58-16-14-1258-1236-78 |
Bace |
6 June 1963 |
Diagram
|
| Ilex Surprise |
b |
-38-14-1258-16-14-3458-36-78 |
BDLO |
17 December 1999 |
Diagram
|
| Aynho Surprise |
b |
-38-14-1258-16-14-3458-1236-78 |
BDOa |
7 February 1970 |
Diagram
|
| Fylingdale Surprise |
b |
-38-14-1258-16-14-3458.12.36.12.78 |
BDOa |
3 September 1982 |
Diagram
|
| Bovey Castle Surprise |
b |
-38-14-1258-16-14-123458-36-78 |
BDLO |
18 August 2009 |
Diagram
|
| Broadley Surprise |
b |
-38-14-1258-16-14-123458-1236-78 |
BDOa |
30 April 2004 |
Diagram
|
Variants of Pudsey Surprise Major
| Method & variants |
LH Group |
Place Notation |
FCH groups |
First peal |
Diagram
|
| Pudsey Surprise |
b |
-58-16-12-38-14-58-16-78 |
BcdY |
15 March 1924 |
Diagram
|
| Stourbridge Surprise |
b |
-58-16-12-38-14-58-16.34.78 |
BGcdY |
17 December 1971 |
Diagram
|
| Byron Surprise |
b |
34.58.34.16-12-38-14-58-16-78 |
BDdY |
23 August 1969 |
Diagram
|
Variants of Superlative Surprise Major
| Method & variants |
LH Group |
Place Notation |
FCH groups |
First peal |
Diagram
|
| Superlative Surprise |
b |
-36-14-58-36-14-58-36-78 |
Ed |
5 November 1821 |
Diagram
|
| Wight Surprise |
b |
-36-14-58-36-14-58-36.12.78 |
Ead |
4 March 1967 |
Diagram
|
| Alderney Surprise |
b |
-36-14-58-36-14-58-1236-78 |
Ead |
20 October 1964 |
Diagram
|
| Orkney Surprise |
b |
-36-14-58-36-14-58.12.36-78 |
Ed |
17 September 1966 |
Diagram
|
| Sheppey Surprise |
b |
-36-14-58-36-14-58.12.36.12.78 |
Ead |
16 July 1977 |
Diagram
|
| Guernsey Surprise |
b |
-36-14-58-36-14-1258-36-78 |
Ed |
31 December 1963 |
Diagram
|
| Thanet Surprise |
b |
-36-14-58-36-14-1258-36.12.78 |
Ead |
15 December 1968 |
Diagram
|
| Islay Surprise |
b |
-36-14-58-36-14-1258-1236-78 |
Ead |
26 October 1963 |
Diagram
|
| Purbeck Surprise |
b |
-36-14-1258-1236-14-58-36-78 |
Ed |
26 August 1963 |
Diagram
|
| Vyrnwy Surprise |
b |
-36-14-1258-1236-14-58-36.12.78 |
Ead |
21 June 1964 |
Diagram
|
| Caldy Surprise |
b |
-36-14-1258-1236-14-58-1236-78 |
Ead |
12 June 1971 |
Diagram
|
| Berwyn Surprise |
b |
-36-14-1258-1236-14-58.12.36-78 |
Ed |
31 March 1982 |
Diagram
|
| Glaslyn Surprise |
b |
-36-14-1258-1236-14-58.12.36.12.78 |
Ead |
3 March 1982 |
Diagram
|
| Oxney Surprise |
b |
-36-14-1258-1236-14-1258-36-78 |
Ed |
16 September 1963 |
Diagram
|
| Clwyd Surprise |
b |
-36-14-1258-1236-14-1258-36.12.78 |
Ead |
11 April 1981 |
Diagram
|
| Westray Surprise |
b |
-36-14-1258-1236-14-1258-1236-78 |
Ead |
25 April 1964 |
Diagram
|
| Wistaston Surprise |
b |
78.36-1478-58-36-14-1258-36.12.78 |
Ead |
17 December 1994 |
Diagram
|
| Superlative (Burton) Surprise |
b |
78.36.78.14-58-36-14-58.12.36.12.78 |
ad |
29 April 1886 |
Diagram
|
Variants of Rutland Surprise Major
| Method & variants |
LH Group |
Place Notation |
FCH groups |
First peal |
Diagram
|
Variants of London Surprise Major
None identified.
Variants of Bristol Surprise Major
| Method & variants |
LH Group |
Place Notation |
FCH groups |
First peal |
Diagram
|
| Bristol Surprise |
m |
-58-14.58-58.36.14-14.58-14-18 |
c |
22 March 1901 |
Diagram
|
| Dublin Surprise |
m |
-56-14.56-58.36.14-14.58-14-18 |
ac |
21 January 1922 |
Diagram
|
| Double Dublin Surprise |
m |
-56-14.56-58.36.14-34.58-34-18 |
ac |
15 November 1930 |
Diagram
|
| Reverse Dublin Surprise |
m |
-58-14.58-58.36.14-34.58-34-18 |
ac |
6 December 1930 |
Diagram
|
| Bristol Parkway Surprise |
m |
-3458-14.58-58.36.14-14.58-14-18 |
Dc |
1 July 1995 |
Diagram
|
| Bolsterstone Surprise |
m |
34.58-14.58-58.36.14-14.58-14-18 |
Dc |
29 January 1972 |
Diagram
|
| CCL Surprise |
m |
34.58-14.58-58.36.14-34.58-34-18 |
BDc |
4 January 1997 |
Diagram
|
Variants of Uxbridge Surprise Major
| Method & variants |
LH Group |
Place Notation |
FCH groups |
First peal |
Diagram
|
Variants of Ashtead Surprise Major
| Method & variants |
LH Group |
Place Notation |
FCH groups |
First peal |
Diagram
|
