The OBA Annual General Meeting is being held at the Oxford Bridge Club (147 Banbury Road, Summertown, Oxford OX2 7AN), on Thursday 13th June, starting at 7:30pm, and you are warmly invited to attend.  The composition of the Management Committee will be changing in alignment with the new constitution so the committee is seeking nominations for the five non-officer position to replace the club representatives.  This is in addition to any (very welcome) nominations for the officer positions.  Any nominations to Kathy Talbot & John Rowe, copying both in.

25 years after Bridge Literature, top Oxfordshire player, Nick Smith, has at last published his second (solo) bridge book. Bridge and the Romantics is set in the 1810s and features the imaginary bridge-playing exploits of such poets as Shelley, Keats, Blake, Byron and Wordsworth. It is a golden age of bridge as well as poetry and the deals are as dazzling and spectacular as any that have ever been published. The book is also a very funny reappraisal of literary history, full of illustrations and pastiches of famous poems. Why not pit your wits against these geniuses and enjoy bridge as it might be played in heaven?

'Bridge and the Romantics may be bought from the publishers (click on the heading above) at or direct from the author himself at nick@ool.co.uk. 

April 6th/7th was our Wessex weekend at Cheltenham. The fantastic cooperation between Cheltenham BC and the Ladies College, gave 65 children and 15 accompanying adults a wonderful time.Viccy Fleming OBC education manager, brought 4 of her grandchildren and her son-in-law, all of whom loved the event. Pictured here is Cheltenham BC oldest member, Margaret, aged 100, with Ethan aged 6, and Anna and Anias, scarcely older. Whilst the youngest ones started from scratch on Saturday morning to playing a 10 board competition on Sunday afternoon, the top groups run by Michael Byrne and Giorgio Provenza (the U20 and U16 squad coaches respectively) had their England squad training sessions. 

On Saturday night Cheltenham members played with the youngsters in a competition of 20 tables. Our local youngsters, as usual did us proud. 1st EW was Henry Rose (OBA) playing with Giorgio, 1st NS was Dominic Cooke and Edmund Lea, followed by 2nd Jack Lawrence and Nathan Galpin. All four are ex Reading schoolboys and now in their first year at uni. This years event was attended by children from 15 counties plus Wales and Ireland, which is a tremendous tribute to its rapidly growing reputation.

 Next years  date is 4th/5th April 2020, and it says a lot for the behaviour of the children that Cheltenham Ladies College have invited us back yet again.

 Contact Joan Bennett 01491 579795 (or 07548 782 538 if you are lucky!) joanmbennett@hotmail.co.uk

On 23rd June Summertown and Oxford Bridge Clubs will be holding a joint Blue Pointed Swiss Pairs at the newly refurbished OBC premises. Two charities will benefit equally from this event: Pancreatic Cancer UK, and Safeline. For further details and an entry form. Online entry is available via the Summertown website.