A Review of the Bromborough Block

Some years ago I wrote a review of the Bromborough Block and sought the permission of Mr Robert Peers to send it to The Ringing World. However, they did not think it suitable for publication and on seeing that the composition is still being rung and enjoyed several years later, I have decided to publish it on my blog for the benefit of all who love Stedman.

A Review of the Bromborough Block

On the 25^th January 2004, a band of ringers at Mold in Flintshire rang a composition of Stedman Doubles composed or, as he would say, discovered by the redoubtable Robert Peers Esq of Bromborough. The composition was entitled The Bromborough Block. A notice was duly published with an explanatory note in The Ringing World and that was that. We were very pleased to have rung it and whilst it was a challenge that stretched us to the limits of our abilities, we were glad to have marked a “discovery” of such singular qualities.

In due course, after much delay a successful peal of the same was scored at Burton, Wirral on Oct 1^st 2005, and after yet more delay a notice to that effect was published in The Ringing World. 4953 p.305. (See below)

It is rather depressing to discover that nothing more has been heard or written about this composition in the appropriate periodical despite at least one attempt on my part. I complained to the venerable Ashley Pugh that a tremendous disservice was being done to Mr Peers, hoping that he would use his massive influence to get it published in the Crisis Times an organ of tremendous potential for growth which is published annually by the itinerant Midweek Crisis ringers in Cheshire and surrounding areas. He pointed out to me that The Crisis Times though read by anyone in Cheshire who can get their hands on it, is as yet, merely a provincial voice in the wilderness and that this composition deserved publicity on a national scale. He also observed that in fact, quite contrary to widespread belief, from time to time the Ringing World does indeed see fit to publish, with great fanfares, pages of compositions so prolix and abstruse that quite apart from being complete gobbledegook to the average ringer, they will probably be of interest only to the composer and maybe a tiny band of other people.

Now this is quite wonderful and I am all in favour of the publication of rarified compositions and other groundbreaking material such as interminable lists of dodging minor methods, but I think it is fair to say that Stedman Doubles is a bread-and-butter method, so a new advance in the composition of this method is much more meaningful to ringers of the bog-standard variety such as the vast majority of readers of The Ringing World.

So what is the Bromborough Block?

Well it is a way of ringing a true composition of 1440 Stedman Doubles with the 5^th bell as observation throughout.

There are 4 calling positions:

Position 1 is 3rds place on the way in quick

Position 2 is handstoke in 3rds places on the way in slow.

Position 3 is at the first half turn

Position 4 is at snapping 2nds in the last whole turn.

Here it is in tabular form showing the calling positions. H/h (rounds at handstoke) and B/b (rounds at backstroke) are shown between the relevant singles. The number refers to where rounds occurs in the six(See diag. 1) It will be noted that all of the rounds in the first half occur before the 5^th rings the quick work and after the quick work in the second half of the composition.

A bold line divides the composition into its two parts. The figures on the right give the first line in every section of 120 changes.

1		3		1		2		4		12345
-		-		-		-				14235
-		-	H2	-		-				13425
-		-	B3	-				-	H3	43215
-		-		-				-	B1	23145
-		-		-		-				24315
-		-	H1	-						24135
-		-		-	b3	-				23415
-	h3	-		-				-		43125
-	b1	-		-				-		13245
-		-		-	h1	-				14325
-		-		-	b2	-				12435
-	h2	-		-					B2	12345

The calling for the second half is a mirror of the first half so the number of changes can actually be reduced by omitting equal pairs of singles either side of the halfway mark. For example, to ring 720, call all the singles up to but not including the first calling at 4ths position and resume calling them after the last calling at 4ths position.

The Bromborough Block has some satisfying mathematical properties: there are 120 quick sixes and 120 slow sixes each six starts with a different change. The sixes which make up the plain course thus appear only once. Each time Rounds (or any other change) appears, it occupies a different row in either a quick six or a slow six; six times at handstroke and six times at backstroke.

Singles are called at quick and slow sixes alternately. Rounds also occur at backstroke and handstroke alternately. Just to lob in a few more statistics: the minimum distance between calls is 18 changes; between rounds the minimum is 65 and the maximum 185 changes.

The composer has produced a sheet for conductors with useful notes on how to work out the transposition at each call to help in the conducting of this method by checking the bells in each course.

He notes that

A single at position 1 affects 1 & 2 ie 1234 to 2134

A single at position 2 affects 2 & 3 ie 1234 to 1324

A single at position 3 affects 3 & 4 ie 1234 to 1243

A single at position 4 affects 4 & 1 ie 1234 to 4231

So at the beginning of the composition we have

1234

After single at position 1 we have

2134

Then after the single at position 3 we have

2143

So when going in at the beginning of the second course, she will meet the bells in the order 2, 1, 4 & 3

The conductor can use that information to check the bell making Cat’s Ears at the single (henceforth the CAT)

The rule is:

At calling position 1, the CAT is 2nds place bell and it is out and in SLOW

At calling position 2, the CAT is 2nds place bell and it is out and in QUICK

At calling position 3, the CAT is 3rds place bell and it is out and in QUICK

At calling position 4, the CAT is 4ths place bell and it is out and in QUICK

Bob Peers draws our attention to the fact that at the beginning of each course, the observation bell meets the bells in their place-bell order (which is the same as the first line of the course) every time she goes in Quick. For example, in the 2^nd course, the first line is 21435 and the observation bell meets the bells in the order 2,1,4 & 3 as she runs in to the front, so when the 3rd single is called at position 1, the conductor knows the treble is the CAT; The place-bell order is now 1243 so at the 4^th single at position 2, the 2^nd is the CAT.

This is all rather elegant but I doubt if I could remember it in the thick of it so there are some hints for lesser mortals should they ever get this far. Eg. The fourth bell is affected by all the 4 calls at position 4: it is the CAT at the first position-4 single in each half of the composition

The notes end with an exhortation not to be distracted when rounds occur. “Just do the transposition and check the CAT at each call, and then check the order at the beginning of each course when going IN QUICK”

The footnote to the peal (given below) indicates that this composition marks the end of the composer’s career. Well, those who know him know that Bob Peers is in his prime and never better. But it is probably true to say that this is the peak of achievement in doubles: perhaps a holy grail of sorts.

Those who enjoy the music and discipline of Stedman Doubles will enjoy the challenge of ringing the Bromborough Block and the satisfaction of truly ringing “all the work”. In the published compositions of Stedman you will not have access to one half of all the possible sixes. In this composition we get as it were the campanalogical equivalent of a view of the hidden side of the moon with the additional bonus of the 5^th as observation throughout.

Thanks are due to Bob for his diligence in digging out this gem. All the composition was achieved without the aid of computers which shows that, like Sat-Nav systems, however useful they are, they are not a substitute for brain power.

Now please go away ring it on your favourite ring of six.

GPM

A Quarter Peal of the Bromborough Block was rung at

Hawarden, Flintshire. 1 Nov 2007, 1440 Stedman Doubles ("The Bromborough Block" Comp. Robert Peers)

Robert Peers 1, Gregory Morris 2, John R Williams 3, Peter R Elliott 4, David T G Jones (c) 5, Andrew Hardiman 6.

Rung for All Saints' Day

First of Bromborough Block as conductor

North Wales Association

Mold, Flints.

St Mary the Virgin

Sunday, 25 January 2004 in 48mins

1440 Stedman Doubles

The first ringing of "The Bromborough Block" Each Quick six and each Slow six has a different first line. 46 singles. The 5th observation throughout.

Composed by: Robert Peers

1. William E Court

2 Gregory P Morris

3. Herbert M. Heaton

4. John R. Williams

5. Roger Howes (C)

6. Frederick Miers

Rung before Evensong in thanksgiving for the life of Ellen (Nellie) Thomas, a lifelong member of this Church who died in her 100th year on Jan 2nd. She would have celebrated her 100th birthday on January 27th.

Chester Diocesan Guild

Burton, Wirral, Cheshire

St Nicholas

Saturday, 15 October 2005 in 2h 38 (7-0-7)

5040 Stedman Doubles

1 720 & 3 1440s - "The Bromborough Block"

Composed by: Robert Peers

1. Peter D Hughes

2. Steven W Hughes

3. Susan D Sparling

4. Eric R Jones

5. Geoffrey C Sparling (C)

6. Valerie M Beecroft

1st Stedman doubles - all but 1
Circled tower - 1
Completes Stedman family - 3,5
Completes Stedman family as conductor
Completes composer's career