by Anthony P. Smith
When ringing touches of Spliced Surprise Major it is often considered desirable to ring just one lead of each of the standard eight methods. Essentially there is only one touch of exactly eight leads and that is WHWH with the methods rung Bristol, four leads of "B group" methods and an "OXO" course.
However, if one is not too concerned with truth and doesn't mind, or even likes, rounds at handstroke, the following touches may provide some variety. They can all include all eight standard Surprise methods and come round at the treble's handstroke snap after 253 changes. They are all true with respect to the lead-heads and lead-ends but most of them are otherwise transparently false. It is interesting that there are no such touches coming round after 29 changes of Rutland.
To save trees, an abridged notation is used and, as an example, here is touch L1 in the usual notation.
| 2345678 | X | |
| S | 5378264 | X |
| S | 8364527 | O |
| S | 6583742 | X |
| 3452678 | X | |
| 2748365 | X | |
| S | 8765234 | B |
| 6827453 | L | |
| (2648376) |
| B | 1 | X | – | X | X | – | O | – | X | – | X | O | – | B | ||
| B | 2 | X | – | X | X | – | O | – | X | S | X | O | S | B | ||
| B | 3 | X | – | X | X | – | O | – | X | – | O | X | – | B | ||
| B | 4 | X | – | X | X | – | O | – | X | S | O | X | S | B | ||
| B | 5 | X | – | X | X | – | O | S | X | – | O | S | X | – | B | |
| B | 6 | X | S | X | – | O | – | X | X | – | X | O | S | B | ||
| B | 7 | X | S | X | – | O | – | X | X | S | X | O | – | B | ||
| B | 8 | X | S | X | – | O | – | X | X | – | O | X | S | B | ||
| B | 9 | X | S | X | – | O | – | X | X | S | O | X | – | B | ||
| C | 1 | X | X | – | X | – | X | S | B | O | S | O | – | C | ||
| C | 2 | X | X | – | X | O | – | B | O | S | X | S | C | |||
| C | 3 | X | X | S | X | O | S | B | O | S | X | S | C | |||
| C | 4 | X | X | – | O | X | – | B | O | S | X | S | C | |||
| C | 5 | X | X | – | O | S | X | – | B | O | S | X | – | C | ||
| C | 6 | X | X | S | O | X | S | B | O | S | X | S | C | |||
| C | 7 | X | X | S | O | S | X | S | B | O | S | X | C | |||
| C | 8 | X | X | – | B | X | – | O | O | S | X | S | C | |||
| C | 9 | X | X | S | B | X | S | O | O | S | X | S | C | |||
| C | 10 | B | X | X | X | S | O | S | O | S | X | S | C | |||
| C | 11 | B | X | X | S | X | S | O | S | O | S | X | C | |||
| C | 12 | B | O | S | X | X | X | S | O | S | X | S | C | |||
| C | 13 | B | O | S | O | S | X | X | X | S | X | S | C | |||
| L | 1 | X | S | X | S | O | S | X | X | X | S | B | L | |||
| L | 2 | X | S | X | S | X | X | X | S | O | S | B | L | |||
| P | 1 | X | X | S | X | X | O | S | B | O | P | |||||
| P | 2 | X | X | S | X | – | X | O | – | O | S | B | P | |||
| P | 3 | X | X | S | X | S | X | O | S | O | S | B | P | |||
| P | 4 | X | X | – | X | – | O | – | X | – | B | O | P | |||
| P | 5 | X | X | S | X | O | X | S | B | O | P | |||||
| P | 6 | X | X | – | X | – | O | S | X | – | O | S | B | P | ||
| P | 7 | X | X | S | X | – | O | X | – | O | S | B | P | |||
| P | 8 | X | X | S | X | S | O | X | S | O | S | B | P | |||
| P | 9 | X | X | S | O | X | X | S | B | O | P | |||||
| P | 10 | X | X | S | X | – | B | X | – | O | S | O | P | |||
| P | 11 | X | X | S | X | S | B | X | S | O | S | O | P | |||
| P | 12 | X | O | O | S | X | X | S | B | X | P | |||||
| P | 13 | O | X | O | S | X | X | S | B | X | P | |||||
| P | 14 | O | O | X | S | X | X | S | B | X | P | |||||
| P | 15 | X | X | S | B | X | X | S | O | O | P | |||||
| P | 16 | B | S | X | – | X | X | – | O | – | X | S | O | P | ||
| P | 17 | B | S | X | S | X | – | O | – | X | X | – | O | P | ||
| S | 1 | X | X | O | – | X | S | B | O | – | X | S | U | |||
| S | 2 | X | X | O | S | X | S | B | O | – | X | U | ||||
| S | 3 | X | X | S | O | – | X | – | B | O | – | X | S | U | ||
| S | 4 | X | X | S | O | S | X | – | B | O | – | X | – | U | ||
| S | 5 | X | O | X | – | X | S | B | O | – | X | S | U | |||
| S | 6 | X | O | X | S | X | S | B | O | – | X | U | ||||
| S | 7 | X | O | – | X | X | S | B | – | O | S | X | U | |||
| S | 8 | X | O | – | X | X | – | O | – | B | – | X | U | |||
| S | 9 | O | X | X | – | X | S | B | O | – | X | S | U | |||
| S | 10 | O | X | X | S | X | S | B | O | – | X | U | ||||
| S | 11 | O | X | – | X | X | S | B | – | O | S | X | U | |||
| S | 12 | O | X | – | X | X | – | O | – | B | – | X | U | |||
| S | 13 | X | X | – | B | X | S | O | S | O | S | X | S | U | ||
| S | 14 | X | X | S | B | X | – | O | S | O | S | X | S | U | ||
| S | 15 | B | X | X | – | X | S | O | O | – | X | S | U | |||
| S | 16 | B | X | X | – | X | S | O | S | O | – | X | – | U | ||
| S | 17 | B | X | X | S | X | S | O | O | – | X | U | ||||
| S | 18 | B | – | O | – | X | S | X | X | O | S | X | U | |||
| S | 19 | B | – | O | – | X | – | X | – | O | – | X | – | X | U | |
| S | 20 | B | – | O | – | X | S | X | O | X | S | X | U | |||
| S | 21 | B | – | O | – | X | S | O | X | X | S | X | U | |||
| S | 22 | O | – | B | S | X | – | X | X | O | S | X | U | |||
| S | 23 | O | – | B | S | X | – | X | O | X | S | X | U | |||
| S | 24 | O | – | B | S | X | S | X | – | O | – | X | – | X | U | |
| S | 25 | O | – | B | – | X | – | O | S | X | X | S | X | U | ||
| S | 26 | O | – | B | S | X | – | O | X | X | S | X | U |
| B | Bristol |
| C | Cambridge, Lincolnshire or Yorkshire |
| L | London |
| O | London or Rutland |
| P | Pudsey |
| U | Superlative |
| X | Cambridge, Lincolnshire, Pudsey, Superlative or Yorkshire |
| S | Single |
| – | Bob |
The Ringing World, August 19, 1977, page 723