After a three week break (Christmas Day, New Year’s Day), we gathered today. We had four people, one of whom is a beginner. So we rang some major and some minor. Erik, Maggie, Jane, and Randy.

We started with some Plain Hunt major, with Randy on the trebles, Maggie on 3/4, Jane on 5/6, and Erik learning the tenors. Erik was able to get that pattern down, to the point that after ringing it 3 or 4 times, Jane gave him some quick instruction on a different pair (3/4) to study while the other three rang something else.

So while Erik was studying the 3/4 pattern of Plain Hunt major, Randy (trebles), Jane (3/4), and Maggie (tenors) rang St. Clements College Bob minor. This was the first time Maggie had run the tenors for that method. It took us a few times to get it right, but was able to ring a plain course of St. Clements College Bob. And it sounded glorious, if I do say so myself!

Bringing Erik back into the group, we rang some Plain Hunt major, with Randy (trebles), Erik (3/4), Jane (5/6), and Maggie (tenors). We wouldn’t win any competitions with that round, but Erik was able to get the pair down after a very short struggle. Jane thought Erik was doing so well, she thought he could learn the tenors of Plain Bob major, and got him studying that pair while the others went back to St. Clements College Bob minor.

We decided to try a different arrangement, with Maggie on the trebles, Jane on 3/4, and Randy on the tenors. That didn’t work so well, and so we went back to the original orientation and rang this method a few times more. We then switched to Maggie on the trebles, Jane on 3/4, and Randy on the tenors, and rang a speed course of Plain Bob minor. It’s always thrilling to ring fast!

Erik came back to the group, and we rang Plain Bob major, with Randy (trebles), Maggie (3/4), Jane (5/6), and Erik (tenors). On the fourth lead, where the tenors go into the 2/3 pattern, we gave Erik a bit of help, but he struggled through! And when we rang it again, he needed much less help.

We finished the day with some fast call changes (queens and rounds) with Erik on the trebles, Maggie on 3/4, Jane on 5/6, and Randy on the tenors. We again rang as quickly as we could, and had great fun!