Play Bridge Face-to-Face at Woodhouse Eaves
The Rothley Centre is closed until March 2026
Mondays (7pm start)
Woodhouse Eaves
King George V Hall
and
(1st Monday of each month)
County Bridge Club, St Oswald Road, Leicester
Wednesdays
Woodhouse Eaves
Youth and Community Hall
1.30pm
Host available
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Rothley Centre - January Update
Due to the extensive repairs required, the provisional opening date for the Rothley Centre has been pushed back to March 2nd.
In the meanwhile, Bradgate on Tour will continue to play at Woodhouse Eaves (except Monday February 2nd where we will be at the County Club)
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Bradgate Bridge Club initially played at the home of Den and Vi Davis in Thurcaston, before moving the Reservoir Pub (now called the Badger's Sett) in Cropston.
Nearly 50 years ago the club relocated to Rothley, first at the Rothley Court Hotel, before moving to the Rothley Centre when it first opened in the early 1980s.
However, due to circumstances beyond our control, we have been forced to vacate. The Rothley Parish Council leases the building from Charnwood Borough Council. They intended to cease bookings at the end of November and hand back the lease at the end of the year. But they have now decided to abruptly close the venue in mid-August.
The club has procured temporary accommodation at Woodhouse Eaves, with the exception of the first Monday on the month where prior bookings by other organisations take priority. On those dates we will join our friends at the County Club in New Parks, Leicester.
Our intention is to return to Rothley in early 2026 as soon as the Rothley Centre reopens under new management.
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The Roving Report - December 10th
We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful festive season, whatever Christmas means to you, we hope you spend it with your loved ones. It has been an interesting and challenging twelve months. Despite the difficulties the club is thriving with healthy numbers at the tables on both Monday evenings and Wednesday afternoons. We are grateful to the County club for their kind hospitality when we need a venue. The committee and members have all worked incredibly hard to welcome new people to the club and keep everything going so well. Congratulations to all those who have achieved success this year and we hope you have all enjoyed playing, whatever your standard. We look forward to what the New Year might bring us and leave you with a brief verse.
“A Pre-emptive Christmas”
Christmas is coming, so let’s make a start,
What are you offering, a club or a heart?
Most girls prefer diamonds, (set in a ring),
Men like the spades, it’s a practical thing.
Well I am the dealer, I’ll start nice and low
Just one cranberry is as far as I’ll go.
West comes in with a bid & makes it a sprout
My partner is helping and bids up to three,
Too far for poor East, he has to stay out.
The lead is a chestnut, no clue as to why…
Down goes my dummy , not bad support,
He’s void in the figs, which makes it quite high.
So let’s do a count and make a good plan,
I’m needing nine tricks, but ten would be better.
Take the first trick and play figs for a ruff,
Take the trumps out next, follow rules to the letter.
Bridge reflects life, you make the most of your deal,
And you can’t change the hands you are given
So your friends at the club know how you feel.
Christmas is coming and the end of the year,
Make the most of each moment and have a good time.
We should eat, drink and be merry
And forgive this bad rhyme!!!
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What is a STRONG bid?
When you describe your partner's opening suit bid as strong, what does "strong" mean?
Very few people in Leicestershire play a strong 1♣️ or 1♦️. But if they did then it must be at least 13 HCPs.
For any other opening suit bid you must have one of the following:
- EITHER any 16+ HCP hand
- OR having 10+ cards and 13+ HCPs in two suits
Take these examples from a Coventry competition:
AKQJ763
KQ
8
752
This is NOT legal because although it has 10 black cards, it only has 10 HCPs in those suits
Where as:
AT5
7
AKQT953
JT
is legal because it has 10 cards in Spade and Diamonds and 13 HCPs in those two suits.
Note that the first example is NOT legal and has 15 HCPs, whereas the second example is legal but only has 14 HCPs.
Steve's rule of thumb is, "If you outbid me then I will double you". So if you are not prepared to double when you are outbid then it is probably not wise open it as strong bid even though it would be legal to do so.
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Spotted in the Mountsorrel Post (December issue)
Bradgate Bridge Club
THE CLUB is still continuing to flourish despite losing the Rothley Centre as its home base in August.
Nicknamed ‘Bradgate on Tour’, as we’ve tried various venues, the club now has a temporary base at Woodhouse Eaves where we play most Monday evenings and every Wednesday afternoon.
We are very much looking forward to returning to the Rothley Centre when the new Trustees are able to get it reopened in the New Year. In the meantime, we welcome all bridge players to join us.
On Wednesday afternoons we operate a host system so that everyone is guaranteed a partner. If you have been attending a bridge class or you were a bridge player in the past and would like to return to playing, please do join us in the Woodhouse Eaves Youth and Community Hall. We start at 1.30pm; you will receive a warm welcome.
If you have a partner and are a more regular player, then please do consider joining us on Monday evenings at 7.00pm. We play in the King George V Hall most Mondays except the first Monday in the month when we play at the County Bridge Club in New Parks, Leicester, because the hall isn’t available.
Please see our website www.bridgewebs.com/bradgate where you can find further information about our club.
Anne Morris
Chair
Bradgate Bridge Club
Charnwood Bridge Teachers
LEICESTERSHIRE’S LARGEST bridge teaching group (and one of the largest in the UK) had a highly successful Open Morning on August 30.
They raised £250 for LOROS and introduced many people to the intricacies of bridge, the king of card games.
As a result, Ruth and Richard are now teaching a beginners’ class of 18 – following the closure of the Rothley Centre, they meet at Hallam Fields Hall every Monday morning. Last year’s beginners have moved onto Year 2 – all 28 of them – who are being taught by Stuart and Jim at Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall. Year 3 – a class of 24 (with no room for more) is being accommodated at Rothley Library, who have been very helpful in making space for Brian and his team.
All the teachers, Bridge Buddies and students have coped admirably with a disrupted year. However, all three year groups are very much looking forward to being under one roof for the second term of the 25/26 academic year, back at the Rothley Centre when it reopens in January. The reopening will also allow an advanced class to run on a Thursday morning in the New Year (details at www.bridgewebs.com/charnwoodteachers).
As one of the largest users of the Centre, Charnwood Bridge Teachers have kept in close contact with the new Trustee Group and have undertaken to help them on their way with a sizeable donation.
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Masterpoint Promotions 2025
Congratulations to those memebers who have acheived a masterpoint promotion last year.
- Premier Regional Master
- Val Rees
- 6* Regional Master
- Audrey Mount
- 5* Regional Master
- Duncan Jones
- 2* Regional Master [LANDMARK]
- Steve Francis
- Regional Master [LANDMARK]
- Judy Simpson
- 4* Premier Master
- Paul Loveday
- Premier Master
- John Dignan
- Advanced Master
- Debbie Pullen
- Graham Kendal
- Jim Wilkinson
- Linda Loveday
- Mary Clarke
- County Master
- Caroline Conner
- District Master
- Mick Humby
- Peter Finch
- Sarah Braithwaite
- Area Master
- Kerry Taylor
- Mark Taylor
- Yogesh Shah
- Club Master
- Janet Cross
- Local Master
- Cate Alexander
- Gilly Clear
- Janet McEwan
- Janette Matthews
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It is with great sadness that we share with you the news that Susie Perrett passed away on Saturday
night.
Susie played bridge at Bradgate for many years and we will miss her sunny personality and her gentle
kindness.
Susie and her bridge partner Paul played at many levels, in the LCBA League, representing Leicestershire
in County matches, and in Green Point events all over the country.
Our thoughts are with her husband Mike and her two daughters.
The funeral service will be held at Loughborough Crematorium on Tuesday 4th November at 11:45am.
Family flowers only please; Donations if desired and cheques made payable to
British Heart Foundation may be sent via G Gamble & Sons (Quorn) Ltd, 101A Meeting Street,
Quorn. LE12 8AQ. Tel: 10509 415415
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We are sorry to announce that John succumbed to the stroke which he suffered in September. He passed away last Thursday. He will be sadly missed - we offer our condolences to Liz and the family.
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Those who played at the club this week will have heard the sad news that Eleanor Freshwater hs passed away. She was a long-term member of Bradgate who partnered Jackie Highfield for many years.
Eleanor's funeral will be held at Swithland Church on 28th October at 12.30.
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