Paul & Richard teamed up on Sunday to win the first county event of the new season, the AGM pairs.

Stansfield players excel in EBU Master Point ranking lists for last year

Every year the English Bridge Union produces a ranking list of Master Points accumulated by players of all abilities - and Stansfield members were among the standout performers in Suffolk during 2015.

Players are ranked in about two dozen different categories ranging from local master all the way up to premier grand master, and a breakdown is produced for every county. Suffolk has more than 1000 players affiliated to the EBU. Among the club's top performers were:

District Master: Bridget 1st with 4302 MPs; Susan 3rd with 2106 MPs. County Master: Jackie 1st with 2894 MPs. Master: Cleopatra 1st with 4302 MPs; John 2nd with 3996 MPs; Chris 4th with 2970 MPs. Area Master: Brian 2nd with 673 MPs. Star Master: Paul 2nd with 4177 MPs. Star Regional Master: Richard 1st with 7018 MPs.

To see your ranking and those for all Suffolk players please click on EBU MPs

Night of the Stars produces Stars of the Night in abundance

Stansfield members surpassed themselves at - and away from - the bridge table during the Night of the Stars charity evening held recently.

The annual event was supported by 50 members who supplied a wonderful array of prizes for a raffle which raised £285. In addition table money of £100 will go to four charities supported by evening - the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, Alzeimer's Research UK and React. The club has rounded up the total and sent £400 to the charity organisers.

The evening produced a fairytale finish with Bridget & Paul somehow amassing a score of 81%! Imagine how Mo & Fred must have felt. They scored 70% - to finish second...

A huge thank you is also due to Rani & Tony who produced the most delicious spread of nibbles - and generously donated their nibbles money to the total which will be sent to the national organisers of Night of the Stars.

The event is bridge's big charity fund raiser with the stars of the game in London playing a set of boards distributed to Stansfield and other clubs.

You can see how the boards should have been bid and played by clicking on NIGHT OF THE STARS but Bridget & Paul may not learn too much...

To see how the 'Stars' and their partners fared in London click on NATIONAL LEADER BOARD and then click on 'Results' in the right hand column.

Will 70+% score get Joan & Keith to China?

YES IT WILL!!

Joan & Keith have been invited to take part in the final of the 2016 World Wide Bridge Contest in Beijing, where US$20,000 prize money will be on offer.

The Stansfield stalwarts won the chance to play in China when they recorded a fantastic 70%+ score at a qualifying heat staged by the club on a regular Thursday night in April. The entry fee was £1.50p!

Thousands of pairs around the globe took part in six qualifying heats staged in April, May and June, with players in each heat tackling the same set of boards.

Only British pair to qualify

Although Joan & Keith finished second out of 555 pairs from 18 different countries who took part in the heat arranged by the club, they qualified for the final by virtue of having one of the highest runners-up scores during the competition.

They are the only pair from Britain to qualify for the final.

Thirteen pairs outside China have qualified for the three day event in September. They will be joined in Beijing by seven pairs from the host country.

To read more about their fantastic achievement please click on JOAN & KEITH 

Their success is also featured on the EBU website. Click on EBU to read.

* Population of Stansfield: 221. Population of Beijing: 21,000,000.

Stansfield (once famously described as being '14 miles from anywhere') is 5,003 miles from Beijing.

AFTER months of studying and preparation, Jackie qualified recently as a county Director.

She passed a rigorous examination run by the English Bridge Union in Coventry and is now one of only a small handful of county Directors in Suffolk.

Richard, the club chairman, said: "The amount of work Jackie had to put in to prepare for the examination at the weekend was phenomenal. Stansfield - and Suffolk - is fortunate to have such a well qualified and charming Director to run events."

The bridge club's finances are in robust order and membership is at a record level, the AGM was told last week.

The chairman also outlined the vital importance of encouraging improvers and inexperienced players on a Thursday night - and offered to partner any member on those evenings throughout 2016.

For more details and to read the minutes, please click on AGM

The concluding Bridge & Tea of the winter was won in emphatic style by Jacque & Hazel from Rosie & Penny and Pauline & Sheila who shared the runners-up spot.

To see the scores and boards played, please click on the Latest Result tab above or scroll down this column to Results and click on the relevant date.

Another fantastic lunch prepared by Gerry was enjoyed by 38 people, including members of the Suffolk Contract Bridge Association who earlier held a committee meeting at the club.

Following lunch, there were nine tables of bridge: seven playing a 24-board duplicate and two of Chicago, overseen by top county player Chris Chambers, who offered Improvers expert advice and supervision.The duplicate was won by Richard & Susan, ahead of Angie & Will and, following a correction due to a set of three boards played the wrong way round, Bridget & Stella were third.

Researchers at the University of Queensland have published a study in the online medical journal BMJ which concludes that being a member of clubs and social groups - such as a bridge club - after retirement reduces your risk of premature death. To read more click on TRUMP THE GRIM REAPER

The organiser of Night of the Stars, bridge's big charity fundraiser, has written to the club thanking it for raising £400. To read the letter please click on NIGHTOFTHESTARS

Three pairs from Stansfield filled the top six places in the Suffolk Sims Pairs played recently by clubs across the county.

At Stansfield, Cleopatra & Gerry posted a terrific 70%+ score to finish ahead of Richard & Mary and Paul & Bridget. However, as often happens, that all changed when the results went into the Suffolk wide pool. Paul & Bridget finished third, Cleopatra & Gerry were fifth and Richard & Mary were sixth out of the 126 pairs who took part.

To see the club results and the boards played, please click on STANSFIELD RESULT.  To see the county wide results please click on SUFFOLK SIMS

GERRY produced a fabulous lunch for 36 players recently - and then proceeded to win the bridge that followed in partnership with Jan.

It is the second successive time the masterchef has landed the spoils after cooking a superb two course lunch for club members.

Delicious melt-in-your-mouth baked ham, Dauphinoise potatoes, red cabbage and carrots were followed by scrummy ginger and pear pudding and cream. Half way through the afternoon bridge players stopped for tea and biscuits.

To see the bridge results and boards played, scroll down the right hand column and click on the relevant date under Results.

To reserve your place for his next lunch on Wednesday 17 February please click on GERRY'S FEBRUARY LUNCH

Sixty two members enjoyed a Christmas party which lived up to its sparkling billing in December.

A sensational spread of savoury and dessert canapés prepared by the master chefs within the club proved a terrific hit - thank you Carolynn, Gerry, Lesley, Peter, (Dave's wife) Sarah, John, Pauline and Mary. And being Stansfield, members availed themselves of the sparkling refreshment on offer.

However, when it came to the bridge it was two 'visitors' who caused the fireworks in the shape of James Bond and Andrew Robson.

A (fixed!) hand played by 007 against the evil villain Drax in Moonraker in which Bond made a grand slam with just 8 points appeared as Board 11. Not to be outdone by the man from MI6, a grand slam hand with just 5 points devised by Andrew Robson featured in board 2! To see how you can make the slams please click on 007

If they were not sufficient to cause a few palpitations, a particularly nasty 1NT hand in which the opposition held a majority of the points and all the right cards in the right places tested the best! And then there were prizes galore for 'bingo' bridge, winning a trick with a 2, finishing top of the handicap at full time....

A huge thank you to Pauline who was the mastermind behind the revamped Christmas party and to Sheila and other members of the committee who helped her make it a sparkling reality.

The bridge was won by Fred & Mo. To see all the scores and boards please click on the Latest Result tab at the top of right hand column.

A similar comparison of average individual percentages achieved on Thursday evenings duriung 2015, compared to 12 months earlier, reveals those whose game is very much on the upgrade.

Topping the list is Sheila whose average percentage increased by a 6.93%. What makes her achivement all the more remarkable is that she played on 47 Thursdays.  Next best indivdual improver was Simon (+5.71%) followed by Paddy (+4.9%). Others who did particularly well are Nigel (+3.65%), Brian (+3.3%), and Penny (+3.23%).

Of course, it takes two to tango, and Penny & Patricia clicked as a partnership in 2015.They were the most improved pair - up 9.1%! - ahead of Bridget & Paul (+6.14%) who have developed into a formidable partnership. Other pairs to show improved form included Chris & Richard (+5.36%), Doris & Paddy (+4.32%) and Brian & Jackie (+3.92%)

Gerry's recipe for success in 2015

Gerry served up some delights in 2015 - including at the bridge table.

The club's renowned master chef showed he is not just a whizz in the kitchen by being the most improved individual player on Tuesday evenings in 2015.

His average percentage increased by a whopping 6.65% compared to the previous 12 months. Bridget (+5.35%) and Tony (+3.52%) were the other two big improvers and they both enjoyed higher placings with their partners.

Tony & Peter were the most improved pair (+3.78%) while Bridget & Paul were 2.80% up on 2014. As with the analysis for Thursday evenings (see below), a minimum of 10 appearances during the year was required.

Everything is relative - even in bridge.

Celia, Richard, Cleo and Conor played at the weekend in the Hertfordshire and Essex congress and such was the exalted level of player ability on show they were deemed to be 'non-experts'

The event took place in the wonderful surroundings of Haileybury School and the Stansfield four were the leading 'non-expert' team in the Swiss Teams on Sunday.

John & Richard were among the prizes at the Felixstowe Congress over the weekend. The Stansfield duo won the Suffolk Coastal Shield with a score of 61% on Saturday at the county's premier event.

'THE BEAST' - otherwise known as our beloved duplimate machine - has produced more than its fair share of 'interesting' hands over the last few years.

But it excelled itself on Thursday with board 6, whose North hand included two voids.

I am not sure if there is a scientific way of reaching a small slam, but three pairs managed to get there - with a top going to the couple who ended up in 6♠ redoubled, and proceeded to make 12 tricks! Funny old game....

Sun smiles on party once again...

The bridge club has staged a summer party every year since 2008 and all bar one have been blessed with the most fantastic weather.

This year was no exception as clear skies and warm temperatures meant 58 members could enjoy the fabulous food on offer outside in the sunshine, before tackling the challenge offered by 21 boards.

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the wonderful spread and the team, led by Pauline, who helped make the evening such a success - including Louis, son of Dave, who did so much of the setting up and clearing away.

Easy as 1-2-3...

A remarkable week for Stansfield ended with three pairs from the club finishing 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd in the Suffolk Club Players Championship on Sunday.

Bridget & Paul were the victors and had plenty to spare over Cleopatra & Marcus in second, with Jackie & Susan in third.

Following the success of the club's first team against Ipswich 72 hours earlier, the clean sweep in the county event proved we must be doing something right...To see the full results and boards played please click on CPC

Richard and his team mates finished third in the Senior Swiss Teams at the Brighton Congress.

The event, played over two days, attracted 42 teams and included a number of players who have represented their country.

Richard, partnering Suzanne Gill, chairman of the Norfolk bridge association, put their names on a list for those wishing to take part in the competition and teamed up with Sue Lane and Marian Wilcox from Worcestershire. They won six of their eight matches.

To see the full result please click on BRIGHTON

Conor & Paul pulled off a great triumph on Sunday when winning the Ipswich Swiss Pairs.

The Stansfield pair did it the hard way - leading after the first of seven 6-board matches and staying out in front for the rest of the day.

They won six of their seven matches and halved the other one with the runners-up. A tremendous performance in an event which attracted 32 pairs, including a host of county players.

To see the full results please click on SWISS PAIRS

STANSFIELD'S FINEST HOUR

A Stansfield team produced the best performance in the seven year history of the club recently when finishing runners-up in the Suffolk Club Teams of 8.

Playing against sides packed with county players, Stansfield punched far above its weight to split Colchester, the winners, and third placed Ipswich - with Clare equal fourth. Nine teams, representing clubs across the county, took part.

Heartiest congratulations to Cleo and Marcus (who was making his debut in such exalted company), Paul and Allyn, Susan and Jackie, and Celia and Richard.

GORDON had every reason to celebrate at the bridge club on a recent Thursday.

Not only was it his 50th birthday, but he also stepped down from the club committee after four years as membership secretary during which time numbers doubled to about 130.

After a hearty rendition of Happy Birthday at the start of proceedings, Wendy produced a surprise chocolate birthday cake at the half time interval.

Earlier the club AGM passed off smoothly. Click on AGM minutes to see what was discussed. Andy has joined the committee and will take over the membership responsibilities. 

Afternoon bridge attracts large numbers

THE decision to 'trial' afternoon bridge has exceeded all expectations with 44 and 48 players attending the first two gatherings.

Some chose to play Rubber or Chicago; others opted for duplicate pairs. Everyone tucked in to a delicious selection of home made cakes and tea at half-time - including Peta, Angela and Lynda, pictured above.

What was particularly pleasing was the presence of a large number of players from Bury St Edmunds and local villages for whom evening bridge at the club on Tuesday or Thursday is inconvenient or not an option. Not having to drive in the dark at night is particularly appealing to some. 

Afternoon bridge takes place on the fourth Wednesday of the month and will resume in the autumn.

Joan & Keith are the real Stars as £400 is raised

ANDREW Robson, Zia, David Price et al - eat your heart out!

With a stunning score of 71%, Joan & Keith showed how it should be done as Stansfield joined the world's best players in A Night of the Stars on Thursday.

Playing the same hands as the cream of the bridge world faced in London, the club stalwarts powered to a famous success - finishing seven per cent clear of their nearest rivals. Their score was way better than the winning 65% tally achieved by the top players assembled in the capital.

The evening was particularly well supported with 13½ tables. A raffle with 20 prizes donated by members raised £221 and with table money of £3 per head, a total of £383 has been transferred to Night of the Stars and the four charities supported by the event - Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, Maggie's, Mencap and React.

Club president David Price produced a fascinating article about the Rule of 11, a copy of which went to every player on the night.

Club raises £250 for Nepal

THE generous spirit of Stansfield bridge club members resulted in £250 being raised for the Nepal earthquake appeal on Thursday night. Gift aiding the sum should mean more than £300 will go to victims of the disaster.

Elizabeth A-B suggested the club should contribute table money from the evening and members gave far more than £2 a head.

Contributions totalled just over £200 and that was rounded up to £250 from club funds. Thank you to everyone.

To see acknowledgement of the payment, sent to the Disasters Emergency Committee by Howard, please click on DEC

THE Stansfield Striders, including three local bridge players, completed the 100 kilometre walk from London to Brighton recently - and raised almost £4,500 for charity in the process.

Thirty one hours, 45 minutes and four seconds after Mary, Lucie, Leigh and Jane set off from the Old Deer Park in Richmond at day break on Saturday they reached their 'finishing line' at Brighton racecourse...exhausted but elated. Almost half of the 2000+ participants called it a day before the finish.

The final dozen kilometres included a steep climb up Ditchling Beacon, 600 feet above sea level, before descending to Brighton. No wonder they dubbed themselves 'Team Bonkers'.

STANSFIELD BEATS IPSWICH

No, you don't need to visit Specsavers...

The club's first team got off to an impossible-to-dream start in the first division of Suffolk's Summer League when they beat Ipswich & Kesgrave on Thursday evening.

The most unlikely of away victories on the club's return to the top flight was achieved by the narrow margin of 41-39. Congratulations to everyone - particularly Brian who was making his debut in such exalted company and rose to the occasion in partnership with Jackie.

Richard & Marion finished runners-up in the Suffolk Seniors Pairs which was contested by 27 pairs at Clare on Wednesday.

SUFFOLK CHAMPIONS!

STANSFIELD has won its first Suffolk inter-club league competition - at the first attempt.

Following a chance remark by John Symons in the spring, the club entered a team of eight for the Suffolk Summer League and after victories against Clare II, Stowmarket, Frinton and Framlingham opened up a handsome lead at the top of division two.

In theory, Woodbridge and Frinton could have caught Stansfield by beating Framlingham by a hefty margin, but after the final match on Tuesday, the club remained top.

Players who represented the club were John (Symons) and Tony, Cleo and Chris, Richard and Celia, Ian and Karen, Jackie and John (Bloomfield) Susan and Mary.

It is hoped the club will field two teams in the Summer League next year.

Jackie did not let a significant birthday stop her from enjoying bridge on Thursday when the club marked the occasion with a surprise cake and flowers. The Stansfield stalwart has contributed so much to the club since it was formed - as a secretary, director and leading player.

Jackie tops 2014 county league table

THE annual tables of Master Points awards have just been published and Jackie has received top billing!

She collected 2635 Master Points in 2014 - way more than anyone else in her grade, which includes club and district masters, in Suffolk.

To see a breakdown for Suffolk clubs click on MASTER POINTS

Organisers of the Night of the Stars have written to the club thanking us for the club's 'most impressive' contribution to the charity event.

To read the letter, click on THANK YOU

Jayne & Bridget won the duplicate from Tony & Howard, with Jacque & Hazel in third.

Afternoon bridge with tea takes place on the fourth Wednesday of the month. The next one is on June 24.

Please click on the Latest Result tab above to see all the scores and boards played, or scroll down to the Results section.

Cleopatra & Chris finished an excellent fifth in the Suffolk Pairs Championship Final staged at the weekend.

Congratulations to Paddy who finished an excellent fifth in the Suffolk Individual championship at Framlingham on Sunday. To see the full results click on INDIVIDUAL.

STANSFIELD regulars figured prominently in the semi-final of the Suffolk Championship Pairs staged at Kesgrave - filling three of the top 10 places.

Richard & Kevin were seventh, just ahead of Susan & Jackie in eighth and Chris & Cleo in 10th place. The event was won by club president David Price, partnered by his wife, Jenny.

Forty two pairs took part and the top 24 qualify for the final in April.

To see the full results click on SUFFOLK CHAMPIONSHIP

A glorious summer evening and the promise of wonderful food - and bridge - attracted a record number of members to the club's annual summer party.

More than 70 people enjoyed a fabulous dinner during which David Price, the club president, presented a cheque for £300 from the club's charity night to Peter Vince, leader of the Wickhambrook First Rsponders group (see right).

Following his recent magnificent gold medal success in the European Championships, David was presented with a magnum of Gigondas and a special card signed by club members. The superb portrait of David was drawn by Tor.

Following the sumptuous dinner, which included Gerry's delicious roast beef and a salmon poached by Jayne, 17 tables were required for the bridge. Many thanks to everyone who helped to make the evening such a success.

GERRY'S bridge lunches have quickly established themselves as one of the most popular events in the club's calendar and even his enforced absence could not stop a bumper attendance on Wednesday.

His daughter, Emily, and Rachel produced a fabulous two course meal and then had to do the washing up by hand after the dish washer threw a hissy fit and flooded the kitchen floor.

Many thanks to everyone who helped on the day - and congratulations to club stalwarts Denise and John who finished top in the bridge that followed lunch.

Richard and Cleo won the Suffolk Sims heat at Stansfield but it was a very different result when the scores went into the Suffolk 'pot'

Marcus and Tor - both of whom have been in tip-top form in recent weeks - finished an excellent 7th out of 138 pairs who took part, John and Denise finished 16th and Richard and Cleo were 26th

To see the overall Suffolk result, click on SUFFOLK SIMS

Peter Vince, co-ordinator of the local Wickhambrook First Responders group, receiving a cheque for £300 from David, our club president, at the summer party on Thursday. The money was raised at the club's charity night earlier in the year.

Allyn and Paul won the 17 table summer bridge evening with a monster score. Well done to Mo and Fred who won Section A and Jean and Hilary who finished top of the Improvers group.

To see all the scores and boards, including those for individual sections, scroll down this column to Results and click on the relevant bit.

Just three hours before Stansfield's annual teams competition was due to start on Sunday, Peter and Marcus were without team mates...

But when all appeared lost, Celia and Jenny very kindly offered to fill the gap - and, lo and behold, the 11th hour combination strolled to victory, ahead of Fred & Mo and Tor & Stella.

To see the scores, please click on the Latest Result tab above.

The second Bridge Club Taster session too place on Sunday when a dozen Improvers played a dozen duplicate boards, learnt how to use Bridgemates - and enjoyed a fine tea prepared by Pauline.

Look out the rest of you...they are the winners of the future!

WITH wine now on sale at the bridge club, Chris made sure recently he had sufficient money to buy a half-time 'sharpener' - $100 trillion to be precise. However, the mega-bucks note issued by Zimambwe which he keeps in his wallet is not worth the paper it was printed on - so he handed over £1.50p instead!

Tea for Two....Thousand!

HOWARD is not someone who does things by halves. When the bridge club ran out of tea recently, he promised to replenish supplies. True to his word, he arrived for bridge on Tuesday with 16 boxes of tea...to suit all tastes. There is Earl Grey, 'Builders', decaf, tea to brew in hard water...and sufficient to last a year or two. "It is my contribution to the club's nibbles and refreshments," he explained.

GERRY'S third bridge lunch proved a winner for 34 club members on Wednesday - and the mastermind behind the splendid meal.

After providing a fabulous fish pie followed by scrummy lemon posset, the former restauranteur then partnered Jan to a famous victory.

An excellent afternoon, which included tea and biscuits, ended with Gerry offering a repeat performance - in the kitchen (and, who knows, at the table) - sometime in the autumn.

To see all the scores and boards played scroll down the right hand column to Results and click on the date of the event.

WINNERS OF TOMORROW

A bridge club 'taster' for players who took up the game relatively recently attracted 17 people to the village hall recently.

They played duplimated boards, used Bridgemates for scoring in addition to experiencing the wonders of duplicate pairs by playing at different tables against different partnerships. For most of those attending, it was all very new.

As always with Stansfield bridge club, the afternoon was not all about bridge and everyone enjoyed the taste of an excellent tea of egg, and cucumber and mint sandwiches, freshly made scones, jam and clotted cream and lemon drizzle cake.

The event appeared to go down well and will be repeated on 20 July.

New Section for Beginners on Thursday nights

Just as important, a new section devoted exclusively to beginners who have been playing for months, rather than years, and genuinely inexperienced or weaker players will be run on Thursday nights provided there are sufficient numbers - ideally 12 or more.

Club president wins gold medal in European bridge championships

David Price, the Stansfield bridge club president, was a victorious member of the England team which landed the European seniors bridge championship in Croatia at the weekend.

After a gruelling non-stop seven days of competition, David and his five other team mates finished nicely clear of Sweden and Poland - having won their last eight matches in the event.

in addition to the team success, the Butler scores - which calculate how individual partnerships performed - revealed that David and his partner, Colin Simpson were the top pair.

The brilliant victory follows on from the gold medal which David won with the England seniors team in the world championships in Sao Paulo five years ago - and qualifies the team to play in the World Championships being staged next year in the Indian city of Chennai.

Hopefully he will have the chance to celebrate his achievement with some of the excellent wines produced in Croatia. The club looks forward to toasting his success sooner rather than later..

The photo above shows the victorious team (l-r) Colin Simpson, John Holland, Gunner Hallberg, Paul Hackett, David, David Mossop, and Simon Cocheme, the non-playing captain.

THE BEAST - IT'S OFFICIAL!

The PlayBridgeDealer4 duplimate machine which generates all the fascinating hands on Tuesday and Thursday nights has a new name.

The Beast...

The epithet was among 11 names suggested by members for the machine which causes so much pain (and pleasure) with its dastardly hands.

Members voted at the summer party and The Beast finished narrowly ahead of Tricky Dicky, Contrary Mary, Enigma and Confucius. A bottle of wine will go to Susan, who suggested the winning name.

A match consisting of 18 holes of golf and 18 boards of bridge ended with Stansfield enjoying a comfortable success over Clare at Newton Green last week.

As expected, the Stansfield team finished well clear in the morning golf - a total of 23 holes up, with all four pairs winning - but the big question was whether they could hang on to their lead when bridge followed lunch.

In the end, they did so quite comfortably with Clare winning the bridge by a margin of only four points.

A special scoring system means a hole of golf is equivalent to a board of bridge. By close of play, Stansfield finished 19 up.

Pictured above is the victorious team. Back row: Derek, Peter, Brian, David and Richard. Front row: Mike, Paddy and Sheila.

David Price, president of Stansfield bridge club, was a member of a team which won the prestigious Crockfords Cup at the weekend.The knockout competition is one of the major events in the bridge calendar and David was winning it for the four time. He is pictured above with team mates Jason Hackett. David Mossop, Justin Hackett and regular partner Colin Simpson.

Take on a world and European champion

The next EBU Sims pairs night is on Tuesday (tonight - 6.45 for 7pm start) when you will have a chance to compete against David Price.

Our club president is partnering John Symons so why not make a special effort to be in the presence of greatness! (David is not a bad player either...)

Changes to the EBU's prize structure mean the winning pair on the night - and the club - will go into a draw for some serious cash prizes.

CHARITY WEEK RAISES £293

The local Community First Responders will receive £293.07p raised during Stansfield bridge club's charity week.

Members provided four suggestions for where the money should go and in the end the club committee chose the local 1st responders, based at Wickhambrook.

The seven-strong team covering Wickhambrook, Lidgate, Ousden, Chedburgh and Stradishall operates under the auspices of the ambulance service.  At present they have two sets of emergency equipment, including defribrillators and they aim to equip another responder who will be based in Chedburgh.

A community first responder is a volunteer who is trained by the ambulance service to attend emergency calls in the area where they live or work. Their aim is to reach a potential life threatening emergency in the first vital minutes before the ambulance crew arrives on scene.

The cash raised during the week came from table money and doubled bar prices.

7♥s and 6♦s - plus two voids!

Board 12 on Thursday was a cracker - with West having seven hearts, headed by the Ace and King, six diamonds and two voids!

Not surprisingly, the traveller had some very exotic contracts and scores. Top marks go to Howard who ended up in 6♦ REDOUBLED - and made it!

You can hardly blame North for flashing the X card given she had two Aces, including the Ace of trumps, and a King.

No wonder the duplimate machine was being called some interesting names in addition to those below...

RECORD TUESDAY NIGHT TURN-OUT

THE EBU winter 'Sims' pairs attracted the biggest Tuesday night turn-out - eight tables - since the club affiliated last autumn.

A fascinating set of boards ended with Susan and Jan in first spot, narrowly ahead of the two heroines of the recent Suffolk Sims - Jackie, partnered by Richard, and Bridget, who teamed up with Howard.

Simultaneous Pairs are proving popular and the club will be staging more over the coming months - including 4 February, 11 March and 8 April.

Sixty four clubs - all playing the same boards - took part in the latest 'Sims'. To see the nationwide results, and how you fared, just go to the EBU website.

Many congratulations to John and Celia who enjoyed a comfortable success recently. Their excellent 66.82% score catapulted them to 6th place nationwide. Having won at the club, their names will go into the draw for prizes up to £1,000 - see left.

Pauline and Gerry also deserve special mention. They scored 53.46% at the club but when their scores were fed into the national pool that rocketed to 61.02% - 25th place overall.

To see the final club scores, scroll down this column until you come to Results and click on the relevant date. Apologies for the delay in uploading the result.

To see the nationwide results click on EBU Sims

Club's 'dating agency' arranges perfect Sims Pairs partnership

Jackie and Bridget finish sixth in county event

Stansfield's new system for finding a partner on-line for Tuesday evening bridge (see above) worked like a dream this week when it brought together Jackie and Bridget - who proceeded to triumph in the club's first Similtaneous Pairs.

The pair, who were partnering each other for the first time, notched up a handsome 63% to finish top of the local leader board in the Suffolk 'Sims' - and they finished an excellent sixth overall in the county out of the 148 pairs taking part.

Players from nine Suffolk clubs played the same set of boards on different evenings last week and the scores were merged to produce an overall county result.

Six full tables took part at Stansfield on Tuesday - a good effort as a number of Clare players who usually play at the club on Tuesday were missing, having played in the 'Sims' the previous night.

Jackie, who had to find a new partner at the 11th hour, said: "The new find-a-partner widget on the website works very well!"

To see Tuesday night's Stansfield scores and boards click on SIMS. To see the county wide results click on Suffolk Sims.

CONGRATULATIONS to Sandie and Neil who won the Improvers section of the Suffolk Novice Pairs championship recently - and finished third overall.

A retired charity worker from Boxford who was left paralysed from the waist down after a fall has received £100 raised by the bridge club's recent charity evening.

The money will go towards the £8,600 cost of buying an electric wheelchair for Marion Blower, who was manager of the Sudbury Community Hub for 17 years until retiring in January.

Fred and Mo, who won the charity evening, chose Marion as the recipient of the £96 raised by the evening - rounded up to £100 by the club - after reading about her fall in their local newspaper.

CONGRATULATIONS to Marcus and Gerry who won the Summer Party evening, ahead of Denise and John. Jilly and Fi won the handicap competition from Bridget and Sue.

A record turn out of 70 members enjoyed sunshine, croquet, a magnificent meal - and some bridge - at the summer party on Thursday. You can see more photos of the evening by clicking on 'Summer Party photos' in the left hand column.

WITH temperatures in the 70ºs, sunglasses and a homemade sunhat are required to play bridge outdoors - in March!

The photograph of Penny Morland, Ginny Collins, Lisa Miniprio and David Cossart tells the story of the first Stansfield Bridge Brunch as unseasonally hot weather greeted the 50 players who took part at the Queen's Head on Wednesday.

The warmth meant most players enjoyed lunch in the garden at the Hawkedon venue. Players came from far and wide but Suffolk county player Chris Chambers deserves special mention for having cycled the whole way from Ipswich. Dennis Carter and Peter Warren, the runaway winners, put their success down to the excellent beer on offer. £5 from each player's entry fee has gone to St Nicholas Hospice in Bury St Edmunds (see letter below).

Click on 'Bridge Brunch' under 'Results' in the right hand column to see the detailed scores. Meanwhile, below you can see more photographs from the day.