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Release 2.17a


Dates for Diary
The Continuing Bridge improvers runs from 2 pm on Mondays. A two-hour lesson is followed by supervised practice. The beginner's class starts at 7 pm.

Keep your neurons talking
Keep your neurons talking
If jogging keeps us fit, then bridge does much the same for your brain by keeping it active.

And now there's some research to prove it. The boffins at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, whose results were published in August 2009, found that individuals with memory problems who did an average of 11 mental activities a week delayed further deterioration of their facilities.

Bridge is only one thing that can help. Crosswords, sudoko, Scrabble and chess can all play a part.
Licensed to kill
If you believe that bridge is only a game of cards, think again. Even for beginners, the nuances are both endless and fascinating. The more you learn, the more addicitive it becomes. For a high stakes fictional hand and one that led to murder, click here.
New beginners group goes Dutch
New beginners group goes Dutch

The new Beginning Bridge course is under way with the group getting to grips with Mini Bridge which exposes students to all the subtleties of card-play, but protects them (if only temporally!) from the intricacies of bidding.

Mini Bridge was devised in Holland to introduce children to this prince of all card games, but it proved so successful with adults that it rapidly spread through Europe and is now a game in its own right.

Hardened bridge players tempted to sneer at its apparent simplicity soon find that it requires concentration, decision making, partnership co-operation and teamwork. They soon have to swallow their words as players need to add up, deduce and analyse as well as use both judgement and imagination.

It has the advantage of allowing those who can barely tell the difference between the ace of spades and the two of clubs to be playing within 15 minutes. Age is not a factor. If you can walk through the door and count to four you can play bridge!

Douglas Bence and Jenny Cant will teach the course based on the English Bridge Union's (EBU) red book, a copy of which is included with course fee. The group also gets to join the Arts Theatre & Community Centre and becomes a student member of the EBU.

The social side of the game is very important and all students are encouraged to arrange sessions between lessons.

Meanwhile the Continuing Bridge group have moved on from suit preference signals and defence generally to competitive bidding. Declarer play comes next.

Two members of the group, Sarah Dunn and Frances Day, did well to come third in last autumn's County Newcomers Pairs at Ladock turning in a more than respectable 57.14%.

Anyone interested in the beginner's course should give their names to Douglas Bence (01726 816 886), Jenny Cant (01726 852 182) or Phil Linaker (01726 817 337) each of whom will be happy to talk things through with you.

If you think that bridge has a snobby, elitist image and is played by people who believe they're special, then please forget it. The tutor team have no time for such nonsense and these kinds of misconceptions are soon eliminated.

Come along and help us spread the word about one of the world's great games. While bridge can challenge the sharpest of minds, the basics are easy. Meet new people, make friends, keep you brain active and, most important, have fun!
I haven't played bridge since I wore short trousers (or navy blue bloomers)!
Bridge is like riding a bicycle or swimming, once you've learned you don't forget. But while you don't want to wobble your way on two wheels round the Tesco car park, neither do you want to make an ass of yourself playing a simple two-heart contract.

The improvers course might be exactly what you need. It is based on the English Bridge Union's green book called Continuing Bridge which as well as revising the basics, looks at defender and declarer play and puts its toe in the water of weak two bids, which become part of Standard English Acol next year.

Also included is a major section on competitive bidding, that is making things harder for your opponents, and an introduction to the Losing Trick Count, fourth suit forcing, splinter bids and transfers.
Your Tutor Team
Although others will help, the main course tutors will be Douglas Bence and Jenny Cant assisted, when appropriate, by the user-friendly Philip Linaker. All members of the team have been trained and approved by the English Bridge Union.

Make a note of their telephone numbers: Douglas 01726 816886; Jenny 01726 852182; and Philip 01726 817337.
Hit the ground running
Hit the ground running
Occasional lesson notes will appear here for downloading. If you want to hit the ground running take a look at our Mini Guide to Mini Bridge. Click here.
Click for the Members Only section
Link to St Austell Bridge Club
St Austell Arts Bridge School, Stabs for short, was created by St Austell Arts Bridge Club, the first organisation of its kind in Cornwall going back 60 years.
Click here for the web site.
Both the club and the school are affiliated to the Arts & Community Centre, a charity limited by guarantee (registered number 104955).
Supervised Practice
Bridge is like any other pass time in that the more you play the better you get. Early in the first year those on the course exchanged telephone numbers and were soon playing socially between lessons.

This has continued and one of the most important parts of the afternoon lessons is finalising the arrangements for the next social game.

We ran regular supervised practice sessions through most of the summer, and these are now a permanent fixture and start around 4.30 pm, after the break that follows the lesson.

People who haven't played bridge for years find the supervised practice particularly useful for brushing away the cobwebs and getting their heads round some of the modern bidding gadgets.

If St Austell Bridge School has a philosophy it's is the more the merrier. Age is not a factor. There is no such thing as too young or too old. All that matters is that if you can walk through the door and count up to 13 then you can play bridge.

Give the game try for free and without obligation by passing your name and contact details to either Douglas Bence (01726 816 886; douglas@bence.eclipse.co.uk) or Jenny Cant (01726 852 182; jennycant@hotmail.com).
Supervised Practice
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