methods.org.uk

THE ORIGINAL AND THE BEST - ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES!

Publisher of machine-readable method collections for over thirty years

Welcome to Tony Smith’s website, home of the definitive method collections based on the Decisions of the Central Council democratically agreed between 1891 and 2017. The collections are available in different formats, so take a moment to decide which one you need.

• Fast and friendly method collections Find the place notation and other information about any method quickly and easily. Answer questions like “What is X Major?” or “Has Y been used as a method name?”
• Text format method collections General research such as “Has the Surprise Major method with this place notation been rung before?”
• Text format method collections (zipped) Text format collections compressed for download.
• Tab-separated method collection (zipped) Tab-separated collection for use in spreadsheets, compressed for download.
• XML format method collections (zipped) XML format collections recommended for processing by computer application, compressed for download. Note that this format does not support non-method blocks.

• Users who process any collection by computer application are invited to register their use with me so I can notify them in advance of any changes in format.

Supplementary Method Collections

Other documents

Archives.

• Central Council
• Methods Committee
• Ringing World Ltd
• Ringing Foundation Ltd

Winchester & Portsmouth DG

• Rules
• Reports
• Compositions
• Archive

This site incorporates information published in The Ringing World up to and including the issue dated 28th August 2026 (added Ethel Caterham Bob Major, Garnet Bob Major and The Big Lamp Delight Major; updated Actinon Surprise Major, Cuthbert Brodrick Surprise Major, Fawsley Treble Place Minimus and Sarnia Slow Course Minor).

This page is maintained by Tony Smith 28th August 2026

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