Hi Everybody,

It is with regret I have to advise you all that, due to a serious lack of numbers, we have decided to suspend the current Sunday Evening Bridge Meetings held at Biddenham Village Hall.

For most weeks since the pandemic our numbers have been between two and three tables and that does not even cover the base costs. We had hoped we would start to see some regular growth by now but sadly that has not happened. Most people do not enjoy playing with such low numbers as it lacks variety and restricts movement.

We plan to try to start it again in the new year when we hope to have in place a players booking in sytem whereby we will know in advance the numbers and we will be in a position to manage a people shortfall more effectivly. Ideally we would like to see a minimum of four tables on a regular basis. We cannot sustain a club meeting with less 16+ people as I am sure you all appreciate.

This email has been sent to all the players that have supported the Sunday club meetings over the last 5 months but if you know of someone who has not received it please pass it on or let me know and I will contact them directly.

We will try again in the new year and thank you for your support since the pandemic.

Regards

Peter Cullum

Our sessions are:

• Wednesday night at St Marks Church, weekly from19:00-22:00
• Thursday morning at Church Lane Community Centre, weekly 10:00-13:00
• Friday morning at St Marks Church, weekly from 10:00-13-00
• Friday afternoon at Biddenham Village Hall, weekly 14:30-17:30

Subs will be £2 for each session (£3 for non-members).

Please note that the Friday afternoon and Sunday evening sessions will now be held in the Village Hall (MK40 4BJ) and not the Church Barn. This is a much bigger building with good car parking and a better playing environment.

The Thursday and Friday afternoon sessions are ‘hosted’, so anyone turning up is ‘guaranteed’ a game. If you’d like to play at the other sessions, or play with a regular partner, please ask Peter (Wed evening), Sue/Peter (Thursday morning), David (Friday morning), Bernard (Friday afternoon) and Bernard/Peter (Sunday evening) and they will try and match-make.

We will be opening all the unlocked windows to provide maximum ventilation. However, please be aware that there are still restrictions in place regarding the opening of fire doors.

We will provide hand sanitiser and will ask everyone to use it upon entering the room; and at each table to be used regularly throughout the sessions.

We will be providing tea, coffee and sealed packets of biscuits. If you wish to have tea or coffee, please bring your own mug with you and take it home to wash it up.

Friday Morning

1. Attendees must sign in and out. This is a LA rule as there are pre school children here and they are in a school bubble.
2. Coffee/tea/milk and individual wrapped biscuits will be provided. Hot water is available from the kitchen
3. St Marks mugs may be used but must be left in the dishwasher
4. Church hall must be cleared and everything tidy or in the cupboard.

Wednesday Evening

1. Coffee/Tea/milk and biscuits (individually wrapped of course) will be provided but you must bring your own mug. The St.Marks ones are not to be used under any circumstances as they are all cleaned by the church dishwasher and we have been told not to use them. The church kitchen will provide hot water from the urn (not the kettle).
2. The kitchen must be left tidy with any spillages cleared up.
3. It would be helpful if we could have a couple of regular player volunteers who are happy to bring the drinks, milk and biscuits. They will be refunded on the night from the table money and they do need to provide a bill as all our expenditure is accounted by an external auditor.
   If you are willing to do this task please let me or Peter Cullum (p_cullum@btinternet.com) know. Ideally we would like one or two people to cover this. A team rota gets too confusing.
4. Church hall must be cleared and everything tidy or in the cupboard

• Sue Ford  / email:suejoan.ford@gmail.com / Phone:01234 300218
• Bernard Henry / email:bahenry0309@gmail.com /  Phone: 07866 456769
• Peter Cullum / email:p_cullum@btinternet.com / Phone: 07545 508185
• Sarah Garner / email:sarah_garner3@btinternet.com  / Phone: 07774 898499
• David Israel / email:davidjosephisrael@gmail.com / Phone: 07816 668578