We owe the discovery of the two blocks given below to the genius of Mr. J. O. Lancashire. They are formed mainly by singles at 1 and 10 throughout:
2314567=14B S3425176 9B 3457261 13C 4736512 5C 4761325 7B 7142653 6A -7126453 12C 1675234 4A -1652734 11C 6213547 1C S6235174 10C 2567341 2A -2573641 3B -5326741 8C 5364217
There is an alternative course to this which has double bobs at 4.5 and plains at 12.13. This provides the means of joining the whole of the blocks into two parts only, so that two additional singles will complete a peal. The procedure is similar to that in the twin bob peals. If double bobs at 4.5 are used, sixes No. 3 are brought in. As these occur at 12, double bobs are omitted at 12.13 in the courses where the repeating six occurs.
Joinings by singles are, in direct form, as follows: 5C goes to 12C, 12C goes to 5C, 6A goes to 3C, and 3C goes to 6A, all reversed. Note, 3C only appears when there are double bobs at 4.5.
When the blocks are reversed, 7B goes to 4A, 4A goes to 7B, 6A goes to 12C and 12C goes to 6A.
2314567=14C S3425176 9C 3457261 8B S4732516 5B 4721365 7C 7146253 4C S7162435 3A 1273654 12C 1235746 11A 2514367 10B S2543176 1A 5327461 2C 5376214 6C -3652714 13B 3621547
Joinings from a direct block:- 14C goes to 9C by a bob; 9C goes to 14C by a bob or single, and 13B goes to 8B by a single.
Joinings when the block is reversed:- 8B goes to 13B by a single; 9C goes to 14C by a bob, and 14C goes to 9C by a bob or single.
Note: That due to their construction the direction of the block entered is changed by a bob. After a single the block entered remains the same as the one just left, direct or reversed.
As these joinings give two Q sets which are curious and complicated, an example is given below:-
4352167=14C 2314567=14C Bob to 9C=3241576= 9C S3241756 9C 3217465= 8C=S to 13B below
3241756=13B 3214567=14C=Bob to 9C where first block was left
This Q set joins three five-course blocks, giving a quarter peal.1
The joinings shown by Table B for Mr. Lancashire's second block are bound to result in a number of double calls. Apparently he was not satisfied with these. Having found a block with isolated calls, he evidently wished them to remain so, as far as possible, in a complete extent. By digressing somewhat from Table B, he succeeded in joining the five course blocks into two equal parts, using calls which can only be termed his own2. Two singles unite the parts, and the results achieved can only be described as the most wonderful peal of Stedman Triples yet discovered.
1 The Q-set replaces s with -s-:
231456 156243 1s.2.4 (6 sixes) 123654 1s.5s.8s.10s.12 = a 142536 3a 345126 1s.5s.8s.10 (12 sixes) 463521 1s.3s.6s.10s.13 = b 531624 3b 362154 1s.3s.6s.10s.13.14s.15s.18s.22s.25 (26 sixes) 231456 4b
2 The following alterations are made:
from to
1235746=11A 1235746=11A
2514367 10B -2517346 13B
s2543176 1A
1235647=14C
1235647=14C 2514376 10A
s2516374 9C -2543176 1A
2153764=13B 2153647= 9C
2136547 14C -2136547 14C
This introduces a false six at 10B, hence the same alterations must be made in the courses with 12 and 34 over.
Lancashire's peal contains one three-call set, which can be averted by transposing the composition to start in the middle of these calls. As an alternative, note that the bob to 13B reverses the block, and as a result of this the above Q-set can be used on its own to join the blocks - there is no need for the additional singles that cause the three-call set. A peal obtained by this means will have no more than two consecutive calls, although lacks the simplicity of the original.
This page created by Philip Saddleton
Last updated 7 October 1996