Thanks a ton for help to Haiti

A cheque for £100 will go off to the Unicef Haiti relief fund following members' generous contributions at the simpairs event on Friday 29 January.  Despite another chilly evening, the event was fairly well supported.  Many members had already contributed to the relief appeal so it was pleasing to see the extra put into the pot.  Thanks to all who helped, including Gayle who made up the boards and Di who scored the event.

Master points - an update:  Club members have asked about the registration of master points - used to determine national and local rankings - after Pay-2-play starts.  Every EBU member can still register master points by sending the vouchers to the EBU for as long as they are valid - usually three years.  All club members automatically become EBU members on 1 April 2010, and they also can send vouchers to the EBU from that date, even if they were not EBU members at the time the points were issued.  Scores from events from 1 April 2010 onwards will feed into a central database, so paper vouchers for master points will become redundant.  

Chris and Wilf jitter but retain title, then cause for Mrs Wilf to celebrate

Congratulations to champions Chris and Wilf who retained the Scorer's Cup with 61.7%, despite a nervy final round that saw them record just under 41%, their lowest score of the year.  With Gill and Wynne just behind on 61.4%, they opened the door to their closest challengers, but they too were unable to improve on their best scores, with just 49% on the night.  The Scorer's Cup, donated by Laurence, goes to the pair with the best 15 results during the year.  Maggie and Colin finished third.  Wilf thought of wife Betty after also taking the award for Slammer of the Year, with 22 points, followed by Chris 17, Roger 14, and Di 13.  After choosing a prize, tee-totaller Wilf took home on 1 January a box of chocolates and a bottle of fine Cote du Rhone red.

Other highlights of the year:  The best score of the year was by Jennifer and Liz with 74.8% on 4 September.  If all scores throughout 2009 were averaged, with a minimum of six games to qualify, they would have finished top, ahead of Helen and Laurence.  Gill had the best individual average throughout the year with 55.3%.  Best score by newcomers was 59.7% by Sheena and Shirley also on 4 September.  Comparing pairs scores with the previous year, Jean and Michael achieved the greatest improvement, up exactly 4% to 55.1%, 9th overall while Margaret and Peter rose by 3.8% to finish 7th with 56.2% .

Club happy to get new direction

Pauline and Michael have generously donated a handsome carved oak North sign for the club to display.  The beautiful piece of craftsmanship was made by their son Adam, and given by his parents to mark their Golden Wedding anniversary earlier in the year.

Going out with a bang

2009 finished in fine style, thanks to the splendid mulled wine and Christmas treats prepared by Bernie with help from Di, which members greatly enjoyed.  There then followed another exceptional night of slams, 15 this time, but all of them in East-West - recompense for the opposite situation a fortnight before.

Clive collects first trophy

Clive won the Autumn Individual Cup, presented by Hilary, with a splendid score of 64.6%.  It was the first time that Clive had received a club trophy when it was handed over by last year's winner Roger on November 6.  Maurice at first came second, but unfortunately he and others suffered a later penalty as his table failed to play all five boards in the final round.  As a result he still came a strong third.   

New successes for club authors

Bredon's published writers have new books on sale that are not to be missed.  Jenny Steel's award-winning short story The Handyman has been included in the anthology The Book Lovers' Appreciation Society published by Orion at £6.99, with £1 from each sale going to Breast Cancer Care.  The collection, which also features work by best-selling novelists Meave Binchy, Alexander McCall Smith and Sophie Kinsella, was highly praised by the Daily Mail and Daily Record.

Meanwhile Jean Hill has published a second novel, The Twisted Way, a tale of murder, intrigue - and a little bridge, which is also available at local bookshops for £7.95.  Both titles are also available via Amazon.

Bernie and Gayle come up trumps at Highgrove

It was officially Bloody Marvellous.  That was the name of a magnificent deep red hydrangea that many Bredon Bridge Club members admired as they strolled through the beautiful carpet garden at the end of their visit to the grounds of Highgrove House.  It also summed up a splendid day, first proposed by Bernie, and made to run with typical efficiency by Gayle.  The tour, starting from the Victorian-style Orchard Room, included many distinctive styles, including the Prince of Wales' national collections of ferns and large-leaved hostas, through areas of naturalised indigenous plants, and culminating in the magnificent herbaceous borders near the house.

The visit took place on 22 September, officially the first day of autumn, with the maples starting to change colour along the Autumn Walk.  Members and a few guests are pictured on the way home.

Michael and Pauline's Golden days

Members extended their best wishes to a lovely couple, Michael and Pauline, whose 50th Wedding Anniversary comes on Saturday, 29 August.  Michael, appropriately wearing a gold tie, and Pauline shared the occasion by bringing a cake for members to enjoy on the evening of 21 August, and were in turn surprised by being presented with a bouquet of golden roses and lilies.

Duo score hat-trick in Anniversary Cup

Chris and Wilf made it a remarkable three consecutive wins in the Anniversary Cup traditionally played on the night of the AGM.  The pair scored a commanding 66.4% to retain the trophy, ahead of Sheila and Jennifer, with Eve and Bob in third place.  It was a remarkable performance, given that Chris's attention on the night was diverted by having to act as director, and sorting out a troublesome fire alarm.  (See picture, Competitons/All past winners).

Fearsome foursome:  Adam, Roger, Laurence and Helen were presented with shields for winning the teams of four event on 10 July.  It is the second successive victory for Helen who shared the award in 2008 with sponsor Michael, Jean and Di.

Looking for a partner?  If you need a partner, or a lift to get to the club, others can help.  Call Eileen on 01386 556725, Gayle or Colin, and we will try to make a pair for you, or find someone near you with whom you can share transport.

Joneses get cup at last

The Bredon Pairs Cup, first presented by Eve Randsley ten years ago, has proved an enormous success, with yet more names inscribed on the winners' plaque.

Margaret and Peter Jones stormed to victory with 66% to become the tenth pair in eleven years to win the trophy.  Only Jenny and Richard Steel have won the cup twice, and with no-one ever repeating victory in a different partnership, that means that twenty members have shared the glory since 1999.  Wynne Brelsford and Gill Young, who have still to win the Bredon Pairs, finished second on 62%.

The Joneses are pictured receiving their cup from Eve - after a false start when the press photographer forgot to put a battery in his camera.  For previous winners, see Competitions section.

Good news - no extra fees when Pay-to-Play starts

Bredon members will pay nothing extra - in subs or table money - when new pay-to-play arrangements start in 2010.  That is the likely recommendation of your committee following a financial review.

Non-members of the EBU need do nothing.  Everything will carry on as before.  They will get added benefits, but if they do not wish to receive the free diary and bi-monthly magazine, they can tell the secretary.

Your committee believes that the EBU plan will help the game, and improve services to clubs like ours.  For a full report of what the plan means to you, see "Bredon and pay-to-play" in the Club information section of this site.

East-West slams:  Well done Pauline and Michael, Eve and Glenis who reached 6 on hand 2.  If East opens 1 and South intervenes with a cheeky 1 or even 2, it's harder to find the major unless West bids hearts or a negative double.  6NT also makes, as does 7.  In clubs, it's easy to bottle out, having reached the small slam. 

On hand 23, only Jenny and Richard found the spade slam, via Gerber, 1D - 1S - 2D - 4C - 4S - 5C - 5D - 6S, an example where the convention seems to have the advantage over cue bids or Blackwood.