This page will show items of continuing or historical interest that drop off the Home Page

The ECBA has initiated a new "Friendly League" for Teams of Four. The Club has two teams entered - though players do not all need to be members of the same club. Anyone else interested - with or without team members - should let Bernie know. 

Note the Friendly League Teams of Eight, in which the Club also has a team, continues as in previous seasions. 

A club member has had a navy blue Cerruti jacket taken - presumably accidentally - from the club. Would whoever has it please let Bernie know! 

Bernie is hosting the first of a new Essex venture. It is open to players ranked below Master (less than 5000 masterpoints). 

It takes place at Barleylands on Sunday 31st July 2016 starting at 13:00. 

Click on this box for further details. 

The EBU are having a 3 day sale – offers end 12 midday Friday 15th July 2016! The items on sale are:-

• Superluxe Playing Cards £12 per dozen
• Bidding Boxes per set of 4 - £21.60 - SAVE 20%
• Bidding Buddies per set of 4 - £19.94 – SAVE 15%

If anyone wants any of these items, please let Bernie know and he will make a bulk purchase and divide up the cost of the postage.

Sadly, the Mid Essex A Team's (Paul Mollison, Steve Cade-Bowyer, Bernie Hunt & Simon Moorman) stunning progress through the NICKO (National Inter Club Knock Out) competition came to an end in Round 6 against TGR's team of internationals. Still, an amazing run through to the last 16!  

The ECBA are running some FREE seminars at Barleylands and have asked Bernie and other club secretaries to nominate some of their club players who may be interested in improving their game.

Grandmaster Marc Chawner presented the first seminar "The Case for the Defence" at 14:00 on Sat Mar 19th to a packed house. Likewise Grandmaster Paul Spencer - "Hand Evaluation" - on April 30th. 

The final free session will again feature Marc Chawner at 14:00 on Sat June 11th. This time the topic will be "Special Pairs Tactics", so best to bring your favourite partner! 

Please contact Bernie if you are not yet signed up and would like to reserve a place.

Bernie hosted a heat of the World Bridge Federation's 2016 World Wide Bridge Contest on Saturday 4th June starting at 17:00 (N.B. 5pm!).

Entry is £7.50. There is NO host system on this occasion, so please bring a partner! 30-32 boards will be played.  

Bernie hosted another Really Easy Afternoon at Barleylands at 14:00 on Saturday 28th May 2016. This is part of the EBU's Spring Bank Holiday Congress and is syndicated with other sessions around the country. The event is intended as an introduction to 'tournament bridge' and is open to less experienced players who are "probably below the rank of Master and lower than a Jack on the NGS". Entry is via the EBU. 

The Mid Essex A Team (Paul Mollison, Steve Cade-Bowyer, Bernie Hunt & Simon Moorman) continued their stunning progress through the NICKO (National Inter Club Knock Out) competition, having defeated Norfolk & Norwich A by 68 imps to 49 in Round 5. They are now through to the last 16.   

The Mid Essex A Team (Paul Mollison, Steve Cade-Bowyer, Bernie Hunt & Simon Moorman) continued their progress through the NICKO (National Inter Club Knock Out) competition, having defeated Chelmsford A in Round 4. They are now through to the last 32. In the previous round they defeated one of the seeded teams - Cambridge A - a remarkable coup, as their opponents included several international players.  

Bernie is providing a venue for this EBU Mixed Pairs competition on Sunday 20th March 2016. This is a two-session Green-pointed event open to all mixed pairs and scored nationally across all venues. 12:00 - 19:30-ish with a 30 minute break mid-way. Entry (£58 / pair) is via the EBU. Click on this box for full details. 

Thursday Afternoons 13:30 to 16:30 (commended 21st January). These themed duplicate sessions are a follow up to the "Improvers Course" seminars held in 2015. The final session of the series is:-

• Thursday 17th March: Supporting Partner

Each week a different subject is covered. Commentary sheets are provided after the sessions. Click on the heading for a page giving further details and a full list of sessions. 

Well done to Sheena Millins & Bernie Hunt who - by a considerable margin - WON the Swiss pairs on Saturday 5th March!

For the Itinerary for the weekend of Friday 26th - Monday 29th February, Click this Link!

Members of the Club should note that Bernie is hosting a Session of the National Masters Pairs 11.30am - 6.45pm on Sunday 28th February. The event is open only to players below the rank of Regional Master. 

Click on this box for full details.

February 2016: Friday 26th to Monday 29th

A weekend of bridge at the absolutely splendid Great Western Lansdowne Hotel.

Advanced and No Fear

Includes:

• Dinner, bed and breakfast
• Bridge Sessions
• Bridge Seminar

The cost of a three night stay at the hotel for the bridge weekend, commencing on Friday afternoon, will be:

• Single inland room £235
• Double inland room £215
• Single sea view room £250
• Double sea view room £230

Everybody agreed that last years event was absolutely splendid and great value. All prices are per person. A deposit of £75 per person is due by 15th November 2015 with the balance to be paid before 15th January 2016.

Vera Tillyer will be organising this year's event so if you are interested please contact her via email: vjtillyer@btinternet.com.

If you wish to book a particular room please let Vera know and she will do her very best to arrange it.

If you only go away for one Bridge weekend this is the one!

Book early to avoid disappointment!

We are sorry to announce that Eva Strauss died on the morning of Friday 19th February. Eva had been a member of Bernie's clubs for the last 15 years and had until the end of last November played on Saturdays with her son-in-law Michael Sutherland-Harper. Our condolences to Michael and to Eva's granddaughter, Sophie Harper, who also plays at the Club. 

See the image below for full details of an up-coming Charity event. Note that the event is already filling up, so prompt entry is advised to avoid disappointment.  

Seasons Greetings to All!

Club Opening times:-

• Wednesday 23rd Normal 
• Thursday 24th Open for No Fear 10am
• Friday 25th Closed
• Saturday 26th Closed
• Sunday 27th 2.30 pm Really Easy afternoon. Enter with EBU but can take entries on the day
• Monday 28th Open 7.30pm
• Tuesday 29th 10.30 Supervised; 1.30pm Club Improvers
• Wednesday 30th Supervised 10am; Club closed in afternoon
• Thursday 31st No Fear - Club Open 10am
• Friday 1st January Club Open 7.30pm
• Saturday 2nd Club Open 10.30

Bernie will be hosting a session of the Really Easy Afternoon for the EBU's Year End Congress. The session starts at 14:30 at Barleylands - aim to arrive around 14:00 for drinks and nibbles. To enter, contact Peter Jordan at the EBU by email or on 01296-317203.

The final Seminar (10th December) is Two Suited Overcalls.

Bernie is running a series of 11 weekly classes on Thursday afternoons (13:30-16:30) which commenced 1st October. The classes are aimed at those with some experience with sound basics who are looking to improve. For the full programme Click Here. The cost is £7.50 for the first session reducing by 50p for any of the 3 subsequent sessions to a minimum of £6.00.

The details of the course for 2016 will be announced shortly. 

THURSDAY AFTERNOONS 1.30pm to 4.30pm, Starting 1st October

• A series of 11 subjects aimed at the improving player
  1. 1st October: Getting it right after partners opens 1NT - including Stayman, Transfers and garbage Stayman
  2. 8th October: Double - the most underused card in the box this includes doubling when too strong to overcall
  3. 15th October: Opening Leads - Active or Passive?
  4. 22nd October: Declarer Play in Trumps. When to Draw Trumps and other techniques
  5. 29th October: Overcalls, Simple and Jump - Tricks not Points.
  6. 5th November: Getting to Game - what can we show on way an introduction to the Jacoby 2NT and Splinters, also a look at Fourth Suit Forcing.
  7. 12th November: Declarer Play in No Trumps
  8. 19th November: Supporting partner. - When to support with three cards, When to bid with 5 HCPs. An introduction to the Unassuming Cue Bid
  9. 26th November: Negative Doubles - How to effectively cope with interference
  10. 3rd December: A Defence to the opponents 1NT opening - Modified Cappelletti
  11. 10th December: Two Suited Overcalls - Michaels Cue Bid, The Unusual 2NT and how to show a 6-4 hand when both opponent's have bid
• The cost will be £7.50 for the first session reducing by 50p for any of the 3 subsequent sessions to a minimum of £6.00.

Bernie is hosting and directing the Essex Mixed Pairs competition on Sunday 6th December 2015, starting at 13:00 and ending around 20:30. For those new to County competitions, this is a good point of entry as the partnerships entered by the usual suspects tend not to be as well established as in the other ECBA competitions. So, if you are an established mixed pair you'll have a better chance. 

To enter, follow this link.

Friday 13th - Monday 16th November

A weekend of bridge at the splendid Marlborough Hotel, Felixstowe

• Cost:
  • £140.00 per person (Friday - Sunday)
  • £195.00 per person (Friday - Monday)
  • Price Includes: Dinner/Bed & Breakfast, welcome reception , Duplicate Bridge Sessions, Fun Quiz and Prizes Galore.
• Application form Click Here
• Contact Coral on 07930 804036 or coralfallon@blueyonder.co.uk

The club hosted SIMS for Children in Need on the usual evening club sessions of:-

• Friday 6th (£108 raised for CiN!) the "First Friday" Butler-scored event will consequently be on November 13th), and
• Thursday 12th November (£154 raised for CiN!!): The local winners, Theo Todman and David Tennet, came 4 / 2,106 nationally. 

Additionally, the following clubs which meet at Barleylands also held SIMS:-

• the Monday Cub - at 13:30 on the 9th, and
• the Jubilee Club - at 19:30 on Wednesday 11th. 

Well done to all members of the Mid Essex team who were runners-up in the Fletcher Trophy on Sunday! A special mention to Monica Watters and Gary Howchen who were students at the club and have new risen to the first team.  

17 pairs took part in the Session of the Really Easy Afternoon held at Barleylands. The local session was won by mid-Essex regulars Pascaline Mower & Pat Reeves, who have only been playing the game for two years. They came 5/96 nationally, but were pipped by the more experienced mid-Essex pair Alan & Carolyn Veats, who came 4th. Well done to both pairs!

As part of the EBU Autumn Congress, Bernie is hosting a session of the Really Easy Afternoon, a duplicate pairs to introduce 'congress bridge' to less experienced players.

Click on this box for full information. 

Barleylands Sweep the Board

Well, nearly! Well done to club regulars Ann Morgan and John McCoy who won the Felixstowe Pairs Championship Final. A truly stunning result!

Bernie Hunt/Paul Mollison & Val Mollison/Brian Davies won the Swiss Teams. To win the Swiss Teams once (Click to check!) is some achievement to retain your title shows true class.

Robert Elliott and Sandy Riach won the Consolation Final. Very well done!

Val and Paul Mollison stormed to the highest percentage in the Qualifiers.

Click here for further results from the Felixstowe congress.   

Over the weekend of 11-13th September, Barleylands hosts the Essex Show. Consequently, Saturday Club is cancelled and Friday Evening Club Session Parking is restricted to the area in front of the sheds - main car park is not to be used.

Swiss Teams - Val, Bernie, Brian and Paul! In the Green Pointed Swiss Teams with a big field Paul Mollison & Bernie Hunt, Val Mollison & Brian Davies excelled with a splendid 4th and Chris Taylor & David Wing, Albert Kitchin & David Clark came a super 6th!

A storming win for Barleylands; the team recorded 3 wins out of 4 with one narrow defeat beating some very strong teams along the way.

So please take a bow Janice Ashby (C), Rene Bessell, Trevor Elcock, Cath Gilmore, Dave Hope, John McCoy, Martin Neill, Alistair Robertson, Terry Stevens, Brian Vincent and Monica Watters for showing the rest of Essex a clean pair of heels!

Many thanks to Bernie Hunt and Graham Foster for organising, Nicole Cook for setting up the final evening deals and to Theo Todman for presenting the trophy.

Chappeau à tous

Hertford Heath - Pairs 26th September and Teams 27th September. Click this box for the application form with full details.