Are you Make In Out or Isle of Man?

I remember when I first learned to call touches of Plain Bob Double and started with the basics of calling myself unaffected, but then ventured into different callings for a 120 that meant other bells would be unaffected instead.  It was described to me as Isle Of Man.  In, Out, Make.  The work of your bell when a Bob is called. 

When I was ready to string a number of 120s, and a 60 together to create a quarter peal, I recall my thought processes of calling the 60 first so I didn’t forget about it, then I called myself unaffected for two 120s, then each bell as I cycled through two each of Isle Of Man, Of Man Isle and Man Isle Of, then finish off with myself unaffected again for the last two 120s.

It just sounded odd to say Isle of Man then Man Isle Of, so I started to say Make In Out, which of course when you say it without commas between each word, brings a smile to the face.  So, I transitioned to Make In Out, In Out Make and Out Make In, which made two out of three sound more fun.  Makin’ Out and Out Makin’!

When you start to consider calls in other places, they don’t sound nearly so much fun, Wrong and Home just don’t have the same appeal. 

We rang two touches of Plain Bob Doubles recently and C conducted both of them.  I don’t get asked to call things, but I am capable of at least calling Plain Bob Doubles.  I have said many times that I would like to try to call some Grandsire or Bob Minor.  The closest I ever got was calling Bob Courses of Grandsire Caters or Cinques, from the Treble. 

I wouldn’t call myself a conductor by any stretch of the imagination.  I would not be able to put anyone else right, and I don’t know what the new coursing order would be when a call is made.  I can put some Bobs in though.  It would be nice to be able to do it more often and get some practice in.

I have just taken delivery of The Little Purple Book from The Ringing World and it goes into greater explanation of calling Bobs and Singles and I dare say if I sat down and read it thoroughly, I could have a go.  I hope that when we get back to practice night ringing that I might be able to try it out a bit more often, or even on a Sunday morning when we only ring six or eight bells anyway. 

I could still call a quarter peal of Plain Bob Doubles if asked: Bob, Plain, Bob, Plain, Bob, Plain. Unaffected. Unaffected.  Makin Out, Makin Out, In Out Make, In Out Make, Out Makin, Out Makin, Unaffected. Unaffected. 

That’s all. Stand!