The Importance of Being David

(This is the article that appeared in Ringing World)

It was all the newest David’s fault. Ringing his first quarter peal – treble to Plain Bob Doubles – had clearly gone to his head. Somehow the conversation had got round to other doubles methods and variations – and that there could be up to four of us with the Christian name David in the tower had caused some call changes to fall into hilarious confusion. And young Pierce had asked if there was a method called St David. And yes, we thought there was, though no-one knew anything about it.

So while we doubted it would be original, it would nevertheless be – well, worthwhile – to see if we could ring a quarter of St David with all the Davids on St David’s Day. So I agreed to find out about the method and to find two more Davids, including one to call it.
Some digging in the changeringinginfo website and few phone calls established that, yes, there was such a method and, no, no one knew it and, no, we hadn’t a chance of getting it together for St David’s Day 2005.

But what about next year?

Fully informed readers will, of course, know immediately that St David is Reverse Canterbury with Antelope Singles. For the benefit of those less well informed – like me – I wrote out a sample extent in full. The calls have to be made when the treble is in fourths place and continue after the treble lead, so ringing the 5 and calling yourself unaffected as in Reverse Canterbury doesn’t work.

The January ADM at Kirby-le-Soken was an obvious opportunity to button-hole David Sparling – would he consider calling it for us? Yes, he’d give it a go. What is it? (an oft repeated question as the band was assembled!) The local band could provide a treble ringer, a tenor ringer and two inside ringers – we needed one more inside ringer to make the six. A few phone calls found David Jarvis from Gosfield willing and available. But then a set-back – our local tenor ringer, on being reminded of the date, guiltily admitted that he’d be away on holiday on St David’s Day. Urgent further enquiry found David Simms of Writtle also available; panic evaporates.

We assemble for a practice. Having got over the basic error of setting off in the wrong direction with Reverse Canterbury (3 makes one blow and in, not out, and the 4 makes one blow and out, not in) we struggled with the early calls and the non-intuitive dodging at the back. A month then passed before the day, with no opportunity for further practice together.

St David’s Day dawns, cold and bright. The church choir, practising before the 8 pm Ash Wednesday service, have been warned of distracting sounds. A few rounds to check for rope lengths and to let the visitors get used to Felsted’s slightly odd-struck bells and “Go St. David”. With only one small trip, 46 minutes pass surprisingly quickly before David Sparling calls “that’s all” – and we’ve done it!
Later we refresh ourselves with leek and potato soup, Welsh cakes and Welsh tartlets – suitable fare for the occasion, we feel.

David Learmonth

Photograph caption:
l-r: David Learmonth, David Pierce, David Simms, David Jarvis, David Wallis, David Sparling.