Martyn's funeral was attended by so many of his bridge-playing friends, both old and new, that we could have held a congress in his honour.  Thank you all so much for coming. His sisters, Catherine and Gail and his life-long friends and bridge partners, Mike Pownall and Jim Pepin, gave moving tributes in his memory.  I would have liked to have said a few words myself, but knew that I was liable to choke up and be unable to finish.  So here is my abiding memory of  him...

Martyn had many frailties and was often weighed down by guilt at the pain and distress he saw himself as having caused to his family and friends in the past. So much so that he found it impossible to believe that he could be loved or that he was worthy of the love of others. But I remember what he meant to our best friend, Ingrid, who died a few years ago after a painful battle with spinal cancer.  In her last 18 months or so, when her daily life was a losing battle against this constant pain,  Shirley would cook a meal for the four of us every week, followed by a game of Bridge.  Martyn took it upon himself to ferry Ingrid back and forth, making sure that she got to us safely and got home safely afterwards.  But above all, he made her laugh despite the terrible pain she was in.  She confided to Shirley and I that those evenings were the most important to her, because, for a brief time, she could 'forget the dying and get on with the living'.  Martyn did not think that his behaviour was anything special and that  'anyone else would have done the same'. But it was a very rare gift he gave Ingrid and I won't forget how he behaved with such grace.  During that dark time the four of us developed a very special bond.  How could he not be loved?

So be at peace,

my friend.

The Handicap Race 2012 is now complete and the top ten finishers are shown below,

along with any prizes due. 

Click anywhere in this item for a complete list of results.

Congratulations to all the winners. 

Prizes will be distributed within the next two weeks.

The WBC Derby 2012 is now complete and the top ten places are shown below,

along with any prizes due. 

Congratulations to all the winners.

Prizes will be distributed within the next two weeks.

For a complete list of the results click anywhere in this item.

Stanley Steel celebrated his 90th birthday this week.  Congratulations!!  John Walker presented him with a huge birthday card signed by virtually all our members and Shirley presented him with a birthday cake to mark the occasion.  All the best, Stanley, and we look forward to celebrating your 100th!!

I wish I could claim credit for the following  ploy, but Roy Riley earned that accolade at a recent bridge event.

Arriving at the experts' table to be greeted by reams of system notes masquerading as a convention card, Roy picked up the offending tome and gave it a cursory examination.  Turning to one of the smug experts he observed "Oh!  I see you play Stayman too!"   No doubt this deep finesse earned a couple of good boards!!!   Henceforward this master play shall be known as the 'Riley Coup'

The expert looks for the perfect squeeze in every hand he plays...the rest of us know that the perfect squeeze is not to be found at the bridge table!

The expert always knows that the finesse will fail...and spends an age finding the best percentage line to go off in a lay-down contract!

The expert always knows what his partner has done wrong...and also knows how the opponents could have done better!

More to follow...watch this space.