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It seems very likely that Saturday's heavy rain caused significant flooding in the bridge club. It is also likely there is no electric power, so all bridge at the club has been cancelled until the situation has been clarified.

Updates on website and by email as further information arrives.

Electricity is back on in Lancaster, thanks to some emergency generators, but the club has been quite badly damaged. Water level throughout the whole of downstairs has reached a height of 18-24 inches and reached the 3^rd step of the stairs. Chairs and side tables have been floating around, so the fabric of many chairs is wet, if not stained. The bridge tables look just about intact, but the computer and bridge server have been totally submerged and I suspect lost.

It is unlikely downstairs will be usable before Christmas – the Thai restaurant on the corner has similar damage and already has an estimate of 8 weeks for repairs.

There will be no bridge at the club this week, but it may be possible to restart, using upstairs (if electrics have dried out) and/or other venues from next week.

The bridge  club will be out of action for drying / repairs probably until at least the end of January. But Bridge Club parties will go ahead at the Cornerstone next week

Mon 14 - 6:30 buffet + duplicate bridge 10 tables - all tickets sold
Wed 16 - 6:30 buffet + duplicate bridge up to 10 tables.
Fri 18 - 6:30 buffet + duplicate bridge up to 10 tables.

If you have already purchased a ticket for Monday Wed or Friday just come along. there will be food and a refund of £8 for Wed people

If you would still like a ticket for Wed there are 23 left at £10 please contact Liz Dean

If you would like a ticket for Friday there are 4 left please contact Liz Dean

For all parties, you will need to bring your own glasses and drinks

Tues 15 - duplicate and mince pies at Boot and Shoe
Thurs 17 - cancelled - no venue available.

More information should be available  tomorrow and will be emailed as well as available here.

It is hoped that most sessions will continue as normal, with social bridge running alongside normal afternoon sessions  - details once venues have been organised.

Ticket money £2 all sessions.

After the Christmas party week, bridge sessions are planned as follows:

Mon 21, 28 and all Mondays in January at the Cornerstone (provisional bookings; check here for confirmation)
Tues 22, 29 and all Tuesdays in January at the Boot and Shoe (including social bridge)
Wed 23, 30 and all Wednesdays in January at the Boot and Shoe
Thurs no bridge 24, 31 Dec - all Thursdays in January at Boot and Shoe (including social bridge)
Fri no bridge 25 Dec and 1 Jan - remaining Fridays in January at Boot and Shoe

Some of the above sessions will be scored with Bridgemates, thanks to the generous loan of a bridgemate server from the EBU; others will have to use travellers.

There has been fairly rapid progress in some areas and an insurance loss adjuster will visit the club tomorrow, along with the firm who did the refurbishment and Colin Barton as our insurance expert. Pumping out of water and a start in repair will presumably follow soon after.

The dealing machine is damaged, but hopefully it is limited to the power cable and transformer, which were under water. The company are sending a replacement, at no charge.

Sessions at the Boot and Shoe are booked until the end of January. The manager has kindly said we can make our own tea/coffee in the kitchen annexe and the pub staff will wash up! The pub provides a "light bite" lunch or evening meal 12-3pm and 5-9pm at a cost of only £5. The manager has offered any who eat there free tea or coffee in addition, as long as you are attending bridge afterwards, but he has been told to charge double if you are late for bridge.

The Cornerstone bookings have all been confirmed, but it is, apparently, strictly an alcohol-free zone, so only soft drinks can be brought to Christmas parties. Deborah Robinson, Alan Paylor and Mike Cleaver have kindly agreed to direct, under what will be tricky circumstances. But it is hoped that all 3 sessions will be scored using Bridgemates, and with dealt hands if the dealing machine has recovered.

The insurance company loss adjuster inspected the club premises today. It was a rather gloomy process, but not without its positive aspects.

It was a tremendous help to have both Colin Barton and Dale Hollingdrake from BSS (who undertook the club refurbishment) there; whilst the loss adjuster was very reasonable and supportive, he was much more so knowing that 2 people who knew what they were talking about were listening!

Firstly, the club is a contaminated area; the rain water was contaminated by sewage and until de-contaminated, it is a health hazard and all members should stay out. I have arranged accommodation for the committee in the local infectious diseases unit over Christmas, in view of their exposure on Wednesday.

Dale had put a specialist drying/decontamination firm on notice and they should start early next week, after  the electrician he had also booked checks and makes safe the electrics.  Proper drying will take about a month.

Then the gloomy bit – pretty well everything downstairs has had it – ALL tables, chairs, cupboards, carpet and screed, kitchen appliances, probably kitchen units, electronics,  the downstairs ring mains, even all the walls that are made of or lined with plasterboard, which is virtually everywhere. The only salvage may be the 2 PC monitors. It is amazing how quickly there has been further deterioration – Dale pushed a segment of plasterboard and it crumbled; a bridge table top was removed and showed how it was damaged and distorted; and side tables have blistered. Again, Dale and Colin's experience was invaluable in persuading the loss adjuster that little will be re-usable. He largely did agree, but may have to come back to check after everything is dry.

Honours boards have been moved upstairs to prevent damage/warping due to damp.

If drying out takes a month (it has to be done slowly to prevent damage, particularly to wooden structures) then re-building, re-fitting the kitchen and decorating will take at least another month, and probably more.

The next step is for the flood sub-committee to meet with BSS to make an inventory of what will be thrown out and how the club wants to proceed.

On a positive note the dealing machine is working again, after Terry Collier, the machine supplier, kindly donated a new power lead and transformer. There should therefore be Bridgemate scored sessions, with dealt boards and website access to results for all 4 sessions next week.

The club is back in action, with 2 successful sessions at both new venues and with only minor glitches. Thanks to all who mucked in - and mucked out. But it became clear today at the Boot and Shoe that making tea/coffee with only 2 kettles, no tea-pot and an ill-equipped kitchen is impracticable. So we are unable to make drinks at either venue. At the Boot and Shoe drinks can be purchased, or bring your own. Members will need to bring their own non alcoholic drinks to the Cornerstone.

Dale Hollingdrake from BSS met the specialist contractors as the club this morning, pulled some flooring and floorboards up and concluded that the drying process will be more complicated and protracted than first envisaged. The club power supply is inadequate to run the equipment needed, so before work can start, a new power supply must be installed, then all the floor, window sills, kitchen units, sanitary ware, radiators and plasterboard and tiling to a level of 4 ft must be removed. They are preparing an estimate to send to the insurance assessor for approval and when asked for an approximate estimate of the estimate, Dale said "Huge".

Their opinion was that drying would not be complete within 4-6 weeks after starting - and it may be some time before they can start. Thereafter, an assessment of the total damage will be needed, before repair and renewal can start, so the committee has agreed to book the Cornerstone and the Boot and Shoe until the end of March, if available. Even then, a further extension seems highly likely.

There is now a large, deep hole in the floor downstairs, so strong advice from the contractors is  for all members to stay out until further notice. Prior to commencement of drying and under their supervision, the contractors will want some members to help remove anything that can be salvaged from downstairs and stored elsewhere. Not much help will be needed - there is little or nothing to salvage.

But the last 2 days have shown that we can have fairly normal duplicate bridge, with normal use of the Bridgemates and access to the results on the website, as usual. A big thank you to the large number of members who have offered time and help over the last 2 days. Not quite yet rock bottom - we are assured the club will look far worse in 2 or 3 weeks, but then the only way is up.

The long process of repairs has started, with a new electrical supply installed and drying process is booked for the first week in the New Year.

There is already a dispute with the insurance company about what fees they will pay, but several solutions to that are possible. Inevitably there will be more.

The council have set up a Business Recovery Centre, with the aim of facilitating access to several grants and funds that the government are proposing for flood-damaged premises. The club has been registered with the Centre and some assistance may be forthcoming.

Bridge sessions have been held at the Cornerstone and the Boot and Shoe, with nothing more than minor glitches and 5 sessions per week will resume on 4 Jan. The Boot and Shoe may not be available after the end of February, due to refurbishment there, but alternatives are already being sought. Any suggestions welcome.

First official damage assessment meeting with BSS at the club.

Everything in the downstairs room will have to be discarded - much is now covered in a thick layer of mould. The only salvage will be the Patricia Haskey paintings and the honours boards, assuming they remain undamaged at the end of the drying period. Crockery and cutlery can be saved from the kitchen, but need machine washing at high temperature, boxed, then stored upstairs. All the units and appliances will be removed week commencing 4 January.

A full inventory of items to be discarded will be prepared early next week, with a list to be submitted to BSS and through them to the insurers, prior to BSS taking over the site in total on 4 January. Gloves, masks and overalls will be provided for the cleaner and committee members who undertake this, as the site is even more unsafe, owing to the presence of sewage and high volume of fungal spores. Workmen will be wearing even more rigorous protective apparatus when they start the de-contamination process, so BSS have emphasised that entry to the club should be for the bare minimum of time, and with appropriate protective apparel.

Upstairs feels quite damp, but it is hoped nothing there will be damaged before drying is complete. A full re-assessment will be made at that stage.

The flood sub-committee will meet with BSS week commencing 4 January to discuss a timetable of events and to consider options for restructuring / reconfiguring the downstairs area when re-building. The full committee will then meet on 20 January to plan a timetable for purchases and adaptations.

There have been several offers of help from members, which are much appreciated. But at present, access to the club must be minimal and everything will shortly be handed to BSS. A lot of help will be needed when the club is about to re-open and your offers will not be forgotten!

Meanwhile, Happy Christmas, and keep coming to bridge sessions!

Click to view the update.

The flood committee had a site meeting with Dale from BSS at the end of last week. Not a pretty site!

But the downstairs room, devoid of all kitchen fittings and of plaster to a height of 3 feet and with holes created into the under-stair area, toilets and under the windows is beginning to dry.
We were again advised that this process cannot be accelerated, without the risk of causing further structural damage. There is already evidence of one stud wall between kitchen and toilet having warped and will need to be replaced. BSS have a site meeting with the specialist drying firm this week, but it will be several weeks yet before the full extent of damage to the downstairs room can be assessed. In any case, all insurance agencies are apparently declining to sign off this preliminary drying phase in the Chapel Street area, because of the persistently high water table and the prospect of further severe weather anticipated in the commercial long range weather forecast for early March.

There is evidence of damage to the floorboards and support near the gas meter (previously hidden behind the small wood effect filing cabinet) Again, assessment of its extent and whether caused by flood water will have to wait until drying is complete. At that stage, a report will be submitted to the insurers, who may want to visit again, then the extent and type of repairs will be negotiated.

The garage is also an unquantifiable problem. Flood/sewage level was higher there than in the rest of the club as the garage is at a lower level than the downstairs room. Water has been absorbed in to the concrete base to a very severe extent, and if, as is thought likely, the concrete is on a rubble base, it will take years to dry out. A test drill through the base may be needed to find out, unless anyone knows.... In any case, since the garage has sizeable air gaps round the doors, drying with commercial machines will be difficult and would need all the gaps sealed first. The garage will be inspected during this week's site meeting to assess the prospects for drying, as well as whether the flood has caused any damage to the doors and any further damage to the problem wall. Plans to repair that wall this month may well need modification in the light of that assessment.

So far, the insurance company have been very helpful, providing an interim payment of £15,000 towards the bill for decontamination and drying and an interim payment of £10,000 towards contents replacement. Some such replacements have been made to ensure we can continue with regular bridge sessions.  They have accepted that the downstairs carpet forms part of the buildings, not contents insurance as it consisted of tiles fixed to the floor - a substantial benefit in avoiding exceeding the sum insured for contents. Following the provision of a detailed inventory, they are now considering whether the contents claim can be met with a full cash payment, or will be settled after provision of all invoices. The latter would involve much more delay and work for the club, but would be the usual method of settlement.

For all the above reasons, return to the club premises before June is unlikely, and we have been well advised to be patient and expect it may be even later. Although the downstairs area looks a sad mess at the moment, there is still every reason to expect it will look as good, or better than it did after last year's refurbishment.

BSS have had a site meeting with the specialist drying company and report that the drying process is proceeding satisfactorily. They are on course for completion as originally planned by the end of this month. A formal assessment of damage owing to the drying process and water intrusion is planned for the week commencing 22 Feb.

Work on the garage wall has been delayed due to the persistent wet weather. Outside work is taking at least twice as long as usual and so to minimise disruption from skips and scaffolding, work has been re-scheduled for March. There is in any case evidence of damage to the garage doors, probably due to impact from commercial weelie bins and vehicles during the flood. A cost for replacement is being prepared.

Agreement has nearly been reached with the insurers for a cash settlement of the claim for contents and some replacements have already been purchased. These include items that we shall require at White Cross, as well as a new computer which needs some preparatory works, and replacement board sets for those damaged in the flood. Since their introduction, dealing has been much easier. Huge thanks to Tony Saville and to Beryl and Barry Robertshaw, who have taken on 3 week blocks of dealing at home and distribution of equipment to the Cornerstone and Boot and Shoe. The dealing rota restarts when we move to the White Cross, when equipment can all be left on site.

Plans for the move to the White Cross are now virtually complete and a small task force to transfer all we need from the club and other sites organised for 28th February. For the first week, there will be notices on entrance doors and committee members available to show others the way to Office 6-3-2. A detailed map and instructions for access will appear on the website shortly, thanks to a lot of work by Deborah Robinson. We shall have no facilities to prepare drinks or dispose of rubbish at the White Cross, so please bring drinks if you want them, but take any litter away with you. There is no parking, except for blue badge holders at the White Cross during the day, but there should be plenty of space at night. Although parking discs are not essential, it is probably better to display those being provided by the club, to prevent any misunderstanding with security staff.

The claim for contents was settled satisfactorily in early March, but the Insurers were apparently unhappy with the size and extent of the BSS quote for restoration of the buildings, fixtures and fittings. So they appointed Ellipta - basically a quantity surveying agency - to assess the scope and cost of work required. They visited on 22 March and inevitably their report to the Insurers was delayed by the intrusion of Easter. We were disappointed and concerned when the Insurer's response seemed to imply that we would either have to accept that the work be undertaken by an anonymous cheapest builder (the quality of their work and the standard of finish being unspecified) or ask BSS if they would match that quote, or accept a lump sum payment of £40,000 (some £4,500 short of the amount quoted by BSS) Challenging this position inevitably led to more protracted delays and frequent negotiation with the Insurer, BSS and our insurance broker. But the flood sub-committee took the view that a delay on returning to the club was preferable to sacrificing either the quality of work done, or £4,500. This view was eventually rewarded with the Insurer settling for BSS undertaking the work for the amount quoted and with a £1,000 contribution to repair/replacement of the garage doors, damaged during the flood by impact from waste bins.

A meeting is therefore planned with BSS on 18 April to review the exact scope of work, as well as to set a start date for the refurbishment. Inevitably, the delay means that return to the club premises will now occur at the end of June, rather than May.

There are still outstanding claims to be made to the Insurer for excess running costs (up to £2,500 being re-imbursable) and for electricity used during drying (more than £1,800), but these should be straightforward and will not hold up further progress with refurbishment. The other main task remaining will be the replacement of the club contents - mainly tables, chairs etc; most of the electronic equipment having been purchased early to gain benefit of sale prices.

The other outstanding issue is that of damp entering the front of the building and causing further damage to floorboards, owing to the absence of a damp course in the front wall. Various options are being considered with the help of BSS and estimates for work should soon be to hand, in the hope that whatever work is considered most appropriate can be undertaken at the same time as refurbishment.

The downstairs room still looks a sorry site, but from now on, there should be rapid progress back to as good as it was before the flood - or better.

Following 2 more meetings with BSS this week, all seems to be progressing satisfactorily at the club, with the hope that it will re-open for bridge on Monday 4 July. There is still a lot to be done, but BSS are back on schedule, after a problem with the plastering. Paradoxically, on the first occasion, it dried too quickly, cracked and so all had to be repeated.

The council have failed to provide any sort of planning permission for double glazing of the front windows, so that has had to be deferred, though repair to the wall and damp-proofing is complete.

The kitchen is now fitted, but needs tiling and appliances installed. Its size has been reduced, to maximise the playing space available in the main room. So a little more discipline will be required when getting drinks, to avoid congestion in the kitchen area. Toilet fittings still need to be installed (the men's toilet having been converted to ladies, with small cloakroom and the disabled doubling as men's) and the carpet tiles have to be laid. Garage doors are not yet replaced, but should not hold up re-opening. Protection to prevent damage by parking cars is also being explored. The final stage for BSS will be to sanitise the upstairs carpet, to remove any contamination transferred there from the traffic up and down the stairs. Until that is completed, the premises remain a restricted area, and BSS staff are still wearing protective clothing if they have to go upstairs.

On the assumption that completion is on time, a van has been hired for 2 July, so that Rose's Army can move everything back to the club from the White Cross. Except for the black plastic chairs, which have been sold to Bowerham tennis club for virtually what we paid for them. The room at White Cross will be cleaned after emptying and handed back to management.

New chairs, with a different fabric cover have been chosen and new tables should be delivered on 1 July. Side tables are currently out of stock, but will hopefully be available by early July. The new computer and monitors will be installed on 1 July and data transferred from the old laptop and the spare upstairs computer. The bridge server and Bridgemates will be required at the White Cross that day, so testing of the system will have to be undertaken over the weekend. Carol Wood and Dorothy Barber have kindly agreed to do the week's dealing on Sunday 3rd. If there are any last-minute hitches, we may have to cancel sessions during that first week in July, but  it is hoped that all will work properly for bridge on Monday 4th.

The move back to the club got off to a slow start on 1 July. After another meeting with BSS on 29 June, a few minor problems were identified, but nothing that should delay our return. They kindly agreed to re-trace the telephone cable back to the director's table, but on setting up the new phone today, no dialling tones could be obtained. A line fault has been reported, but it may be some time before that is resolved. Absence of phone calls might be deemed a benefit, but the consequent absence of an internet connection made installation of a the new computer much more complicated. However, that was achieved and files transferred from the old laptop via a memory stick. The router at least allowed creation of a local network and the wireless printer is working satisfactorily, as is the Bridge Scorer software, server and Bridgemates.

On Thursday, new chairs arrived along with cupboards and a longer computer desk, which can adequately accommodate the printer and dealing machine. New bridge tables also arrived on time.

Some touch-up painting will be undertaken during the course of next week, so beware of wet paint. BSS will be working in the club on several days, doing several minor tasks and a lot of snagging, but should not interfere with bridge sessions.

Plenty more to be done tomorrow.....