Calling a touch of 120 changes is not as difficult as you might think. If you can ring your chosen method confidently on an inside bell, now is the time to move on to calling bobs and singles. Not only will you be extending your ringing knowledge, but you will be able to help out if there is nobody else around to do the calling.

Before you start, make sure you are confident at calling a plain course. It isn’t as easy to speak and ring as you might think and so you need to get used to hearing yourself say “go” and “stop” to a plain course first. You need to call loudly and clearly so that everybody hears – don’t be shy – in fact, you could practice in front of your bathroom mirror first! Next choose your method – Plain Bob Doubles or Grandsire Doubles are probably the easiest, but if your band only rings minor, then Plain Bob Minor isn’t too much harder.

At this stage, you will not be expected to keep people right, so just concentrate on ringing your own bell and putting the calls in at the right time – don’t forget to say “that’s all” at the end. You will find plenty of information elsewhere for when to put in the calls, but the three recommended touches of 120 changes are set out below.

Plain Bob Doubles

Call a bob every time you are going to be making long fifths. The calls come at a backstroke as the treble strikes in 2^nd place, so shout “Bob” just before you ring your first blow in 5^th place. If you do this three times then it will come round. You can call this from any bell – if you call from the 5^th it will come round just as you call the last bob.

See if you can work out how to call a touch where you ring a bell affected by the bobs. Ask somebody to help you work out how to do this.

Grandsire Doubles

You will need to ring the 3^rd or the 5^th. Each time you are going to make a 4-5 down dodge call a bob and double dodge 4-5 up instead (first lead if on the 3^rd and second lead if on the 5^th). The calls are made as the treble is in 3^rd at handstroke, so make the call, hunting up, as you pass the treble going into 4^th place. At the next lead there is no call (make thirds). Repeat this and then the third time call a single instead of a bob. Repeat the entire sequence (bob, bob, single) and it will come round at the second single (if on the 5^th) or the lead afterwards (if on the 3^rd). The pattern you have rung is known as “half hunt”.

You can replace any of the bobs with a single, so long as you always have a pattern of two bobs and one single

Plain Bob Minor

This touch is called “wrong and home” and is most easily called from the 6^th. Bobs are called when you are making the 5-6 up dodge (Wrong) and 5-6 down dodge (Home). From the 6^th there is a call the first lead.  As in Plain Bob Doubles, the calls come when the treble is in 2^nd place so call “bob” just after you pass the treble in 4^th place on your way up to the back. Then there are three plain leads before you call the Home, which you call just before your second blow in 6^th place before the 5-6 down dodge. Now repeat – the next Wrong comes the following lead so be prepared and the touch will come round just after you have called the second Home.

If the 6^th at your tower is too heavy for you, or you are not used to ringing it, then you can call this touch from a different bell. Ask somebody to help you to work out how to do this,

Once you become confident with calling touches, work towards another Ringing Thing on the list by calling a quarter peal.

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