[r-t] Re: Exercise Mathods

[Richard Smith]

Ben Willetts wrote:

> Peter King:
> > they should be called bob methods under the old scheme of things
>
> Yes, they would have been called Xxxxxx Place Bob.  There are plenty of
> these in the CC Doubles collection from 1980 or thereabouts (I've lost it
> and can't remember the date!)

Certainly for Doubles, though I've not seen the term used on
other stages.  The "Classification" section (pg 7) of the
1980 CC Doubles Collection has this to say on the subject:

| With the exceptions of Grandsire and Antelope and their
| reverses, all methods are classified as being either Slow
| Course methods, Place methods, or Bob methods.  Slow
| course methods have a single plain hunt bell with three
| leads in their plain courses, the 2nd's place bell being
| in the Slow work on the front in each lead.  In a Place
| method the path of a working bell consists only of hunting
| and place making; there are no dodges or point blows.  All
| the other methods are classes as Bob methods, with Place
| methods having Plain Bob type lead heads (groups A, B, C
| and D) being classes as Place Bob methods.

Interestingly, though, Reverse Canterbury (and similarly for
Canterbury) which should be a Place Bob method by this
logic, was just called "Reverse Canterbury Pleasure Bob".
Perhaps this was simply a typo.

> Talking of that Doubles collection, anyone know why the CC decided to use
> that rather bizarre place notation?  (x = everybody make a place except the
> person who crosses with the treble, IIRC.)

It's shorter?

And is it any more bizarre than the modern trend to use a
dash in a rather bizarre way?  For example, Cambridge S
Major:

  x38x14x1258x36x14x58x16x78-12

> > by the way where did "pleasure" come from
>
> Methods that people enjoyed ringing?  :-)

Probably.  It's been used for Delight, Plain and Treble Bob
methods in roughly equal proportions.

> > why not just call all plain methods "bob" if
> > you are going to get rid of the other distinctions?
>
> Well, it's nice to have something to distinguish them from variations (and
> principles, I suppose, although these aren't themselves distinguished from
> variations by name).  "Bob" is fairly standard but that describes, and is
> the old name for, a dodge.  There aren't any in Place methods so it would be
> a bit silly.

Where's there a dodge in Bala Bob Minor?

Actually, my opinion on these terms is the more the better,
as long as they have some recognisable properties associated
with them.  It adds a little bit more character to the
method names.  So, although I can't imagine it happening,
I'd be quite in favour of Court, College, Imperial and Place
Bob all making a reappearance in the Decisions.

Richard