Coursing Order in Stedman Triples
by Derek Butterworth (reproduced from The Ringing World 1966/227)
Many ringers believe that Stedman Triples is one of the easiest standard methods to ring but one of the most difficult to conduct. Unfortunately, Stedman Triples has the peculiarity that even so-called experts tend to be easily displaced in the method when a trip occurs, particularly in the slow work. This has meant that many peals have been lost because the conductor has been unable to correct mistakes when they have occurred. Thus only those conductors who have exceptional memories, or exceptional bands, have been able to cope with this method. The following description of a “coursing order” technique should open the held of conducting Stedman Triples to many conductors who would normally avoid this method because of its lack of coursing order.
Derivation and use of the Coursing Order
The principle of Stedman is the combined effect of ringing alternate quick and slow three-bell sixes with the remaining bells dodging above thirds place. This results in the breaking up of the natural coursing order within each course. Nevertheless, a cyclic order exists in which the bells follow each other into the quick or the slow work. This order, which I have called “the coursing order for Stedman Triples” is 7165234, using the 7th as the starting point in the cycle in the plain course.
Examples:
(a) If 6 goes in quick, 5 is the next quick bell (b) If 4 goes in slow, 7 is the next slow bell
If a fixed bell is now chosen (I have chosen the 7th as this is usually the fixed bell in compositions of the method) and the “coursing order” written without it, then the following may be derived from the plain course and extended to apply to any course. The “coursing order" with the 7th as fixed bell is 165234. Let these six numbers be divided into three pairs and name them “First” pair, “Quick" pair and “Last” pair respectively, viz: ```
16 52 34 First Quick Last
``` Now in any course of Stedman Triples, without calls, the following facts apply. (In each case given below, the bells which refer to the plain course are given in parentheses I suggest that a copy of the plain course is used to help comprehension.)
