♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ CLUB QUESTIONNAIRE - ONLINE vs FACE TO FACE - we need your views ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ 

Formal Covid related restrictions are being lifted from the 19th July, but as we all know the virus hasn't disappeared and infection rates are rising.  I am sure that members will have their thoughts on the risks that are involved with playing bridge face to face.  To help us plan, we are keen to understand how many people are considering a return to F2F bridge, given the arrangements that the club has put in place for running sessions from 4th August. We know that things can change as more data becomes available, but we would like a snapshot of your current views.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE QUESTIONNAIRE

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣  NEW - Social Lounge Sessions Every Day with Extended Hours ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ 

Following feedback, from Saturday 17th July 2021 the club will be offering Social Lounge Sessions on RealBridge every day from 9.30 am to 9.30 pm.  Up to 20 boards.  £2 for members and £3 for non members per table.  The person who pays for the table needs to forward the RealBridge link to the other players.

The sessions will not be on the calendar but you can book a session as usual through the shop by clicking here.  You can purchase a session up to 7pm on the same day as the session. 

Enjoy!!

The new teaching programme for 2021/2022 is now available including a free 4 week starter course for Beginners and a new Improvers Course.

Please click here for further information.

♠ ♥ ♥ ♣  Charity Walk in aid of Wessex Heartbeat (Robbie Burns) ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ 

On Sunday 12 September Robbie is going to do a half marathon walk in aid of Wessex Heartbeat who support the work of the cardiac unit at Southampton General Hospital. It will be from their house in Twyford to Southampton General Hospital. 

You are invited to join Tamsin and Robbie for the walk.  People do not have to do all the walk, there are different stages and all levels of fitness/mobility can be accommodated.   It will be well organised with 3 planned stops for refreshments, drinks, lunch, toilets etc., providing an opportunity for people to join along the way. Some of his cardiologists will be joining him on the walk including the incredible Sam Fitzsimmons (Robbie's lead Cardiologist in Southampton from 2015 to transplant and Katrijn Jansen from Newcastle).

The event with full details is on the Wessex Heartbeat website.  Click link to view the advert: 

Heart Transplant Patient Robbie takes on 'Half Marathon Walk' | Wessex Heartbeat

So please make plans to join Robbie for some or all of the way. You will be most welcome!

Club is re-opening in August.  However the club will still continue to provide online sessions as well as face to face.

Please see the calendar for a list of the events running.  Bridge will be run on either BBO or RealBridge.

 Any queries please contact John Glasscock or myself, John Fairhurst.

Bridge for all players

Basingstoke Bridge Club is the largest club in Hampshire and 48th in England (by player sessions) and welcomes all bridge players, from complete beginner to expert. Whilst our current focus is supporting online play - and we have established our own Virtual Club - we have our own premises and licensed bar which will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so..

The Basingstoke Chess club use the premises when open. For information please phone John Shaddick on 01256 469749. There is also a link to their web site -  www.basingstokechessclub.co.uk

If you would like to know more about our club, please ring me on 01962 882715 or email me -  bstokebridge.chairman@gmail.com 

 John Fairhurst  Chairman 

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Our  Store is up and running from 14^th November and since that time we have made some improvements based on feedback and learning more about the way the shop works.  The guide has now been updated – Click Here to read it. 

We also have a document giving answers to the following frequently asked questions:  1)  I can't work out how to log into the shop, 2) I get the message that my password is incorrect 3) I want to pay for my ticket using my account funds. I can't see how to do it. 4) I haven't received my link for the session  Click here to view the document.

When using the shop, the first point of entry should be the Home Page – where you log in to your account.  Click Here

We would like to encourage members using the site to purchase an Account Top-Up providing funds that can be used to buy sessions or other products from the shop.  Using the shop in this way reduces the credit card charges that the club will see.

You can use the shop to do any of the following:

• Pay table money for sessions on RealBridge or special charity events on RealBridge or BBO. 
• Apply for new Membership of the club or renew your membership
• Book teaching courses and teaching materials

There is a updated video on how to access and purchase from the shop.  Please click here to view

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These sessions will be run on either BBO, or RealBridge.  To play in BBO sessions, you need to enter your BBO username through the BBO Names link on the website; you only need to do this once. Then for BBO sessions on the day of choice, up to 2 hours before the scheduled start, register on BBO with your partner online at the same time.  (Log on - go to competitive and search for Basingstoke).  You can only register as a partnership.  There is a partnership matching service.  Please contact Sam Golding who will assist you.  Sessions cost BB$3 and will be directed by a Basingstoke Director.  More information is provided under the BBO Duplicate link.

For RealBridge sessions click on ‘more info’ on the appropriate event in the calender which will take you to the events section of the shop where you can purchase a place on the event.  The cost is £2 for members and £2.50 for non members.  An email with a link to the RealBridge session will be sent to you.  Please see further information on this website about RealBridge.

Please remember to be polite and tolerant and introduce yourself before you start to play the hands

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