POINTS MADE ON THE REVIEW OF THE RUNNING OF BURLEY BRIDGE CLUB
BY GILL HARRAND 4TH OCTOBER 2021

1. The successful running the Bridge club has taken a little while to master since the re-opening after the ‘lockdowns’.
2. Thanks go to Jane Mitchell for taking on the responsibility of programming Bridgemate.
3. Thanks also to all members for showing patience and understanding during this difficult period.
4. It is important for members to arrive by 6.45pm so that the required programme can be set up on the computer which takes a little time.  Once this is done it is difficult to alter.
5. Bridgemate then dictates how the session should progress and lets everyone know when the session has ended.
6. The session should end before 10.00pm when we have to vacate the Hall.  Jane will tell the members how to make entries onto the hand-held machine if some Boards are not played.
7. The session will progress at a steady pace if members don’t take too long in the Bidding process and playing the cards.  
8. Bridge is considered to be a SILENT game especially during the Bidding and Playing of the cards.
9. Talking, cogitating, pondering and post-mortems at other times should be kept to a minimum and done quietly.
10. As your Chairwoman for the last 10 years and now Acting-Director, I would be very grateful if all members followed as far as possible what is in the yellow book ‘Duplicate Bridge Rules Simplified’, to make my job easier.  Let me know if you need a copy.  
11. Duplicate Bridge etiquette should be practiced at all times. Do welcome new members. Please use the ALERT card or ANNOUNCE if partner is making an unusual bid and the STOP card for un-natural or jump bids.
12. No kind of communication should take place between partners whether it be verbal, sign language or facial expression, which might influence the Bidding process.
13. Members should make sure that they don’t cause any unnecessary noise which might disturb others.
14. I am in charge in the running of the Club and in the management of the evening, but if there is a problem with Bridgemate, please ask Jane.  
15. Members were reminded to look at the Burley Bridge Club Waverton webpage for further information about the club.
16. If you have any queries about any of the above points, please contact me personally.
17. The new alternative afternoon Duplicate Bridge session start this Thursday 7th October at 12.45pm.

Thank You.
 

22-09-2021 from Gill Harrand

We will be starting our extra afternoon sessions of Duplicate Bridge at Burley Hall on 7th October at 12.45pm and hope as many of you as possible will be there.  These sessions will be held on the first and third Thursdays of the month.  The £10 annual subscription means you can play on Monday evenings as well as on Thursday afternoons.  £4 table money for each session attended will be collected on arrival.  It would be appreciated if the correct money is handed in with the Annual subscription (if not already paid) in an envelope with name, email address and phone number, please.  

New members will be welcomed to each session and may attend without a partner as we have a host system in place but they are expected to have some knowledge of how to play Bridge!

 I am pleased to welcome Diana Hill and Jane Mitchell as co-opted members to our committee.  Our AGM will take place next spring at the end of our Financial year – a date has yet to be arranged.

Our annual Christmas party will be held on Monday 20th December and it would be really helpful if you could let a member of the committee know if you will be attending or not as we have to give a non-refundable deposit to the caterer on booking her services for the evening.  As most of you now know, Fred is no longer a member of the club, however, I’m pleased to say he has accepted our invitation to the party as our honorary guest! 

Best wishes, Gill

We are now running our normal Duplicate Bridge session on Monday evenings.

The following is for all members to be aware of when coming to play at Burley Hall:-

Burley Bridge Club Risk Assessment– July 17th 2021
Compiled by G M Harrand (Organiser)

The original assessment was based on the English Bridge Union’s own Template which was applicable in July 2020.  COVID-19 restrictions have moved on since then and are constantly changing but we have to follow and comply with the current Burley Hall COVID-19 Hirers’ Guidelines.  The maximum number of people allowed in the hall is 30.  The Organiser will give appropriate instruction to all members on this matter.

Our members attending are expected to be free from any symptoms and to have been double vaccinated. If anyone starts to feel unwell they must remove themselves to outside the Hall.

The sanitisation of the venue and all inside furniture and surfaces etc. is now the responsibility of the Hirer at the beginning and end of the session.  All sanitising equipment and gloves will be provided by the Hall Management.  All waste materials to be put in bin.

All members will be expected to come with their own hand-sanitiser to be used frequently.  The use of face masks whilst not compulsory is to be encouraged.

Members will be asked not to ‘bunch-up’ on arrival or departure. Entry via main door and exit by Fire door and to follow all floor markings.

The exact Table money of £3 will be collected in the entrance hall.

Members are required to leave details of their name and contact numbers on arrival. OR use the QR code displayed at the Hall entrance.

All outer clothing to be kept by the wearer (in a suitable bag) away from other people.  There will be no Coat Hanging Rail available.

All members to bring their own bottle of water as the kitchen will not be in use. 

The use of the toilet area will be restricted to one person at a time and queuing will be in the entrance hall.

The ventilation of the room will be done by opening the windows frequently. Curtains are not to be touched.  Doors should be kept open whenever possible.

Social distancing of 1 to 2mts to be respected.

Movement of people in the room will be kept to a minimum.

All equipment used by the Bridge players to be handled as little as possible.  Bidding boxes to move with each player for duration of the session.

Like all of you I’ve tried to keep abreast with the somewhat conflicting information that is emerging from different sources about the lifting of the Covid restrictions on Monday 19th July.  What most reports do seem to agree on however, is the use of common sense that can be practiced by individuals to their own personal values and to proceed with caution! 

Those of us who have been double vaccinated, have not been ‘pinged’ or just returned from a holiday abroad or had to self-isolate for any reason will be very welcome to join us to resume playing Bridge next week.  It is up to everyone to practice responsible and respectful behaviour, to bring their own hand sanitiser, drink and cushion as we will be sitting on the hard plastic chairs and the kitchen will be out of bounds to begin with.

The hall is spacious with ventilation provided by the opening of windows at regular intervals so bring something like a scarf or jacket in case of draughts! 

We are all very sensible, mature adults and I’m sure nobody will have anything to be concerned about by attending our long-awaited first session after 16 months of lockdown.

It would be very helpful if you could have the correct amount of Table Money @ £3.00 

Please be happy and confident and enjoy your night-out!  Best wishes Gill Harrand

A REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE OF THE BURLEY BRIDGE CLUB
MARCH 2021 INSTEAD OF AN AGM

The committee held one meeting last year, during a lull in the Lockdowns.  None of us thought we would be so inactive for so long but we hope the end is in sight.  I know quite a few of you have been playing ‘On-Line’, thanks to the sterling efforts of Jane Mitchell – what a Star -  I’m sure you’re all very grateful to her!

We are all sorry that our Secretary Ann Blake has now left us but we were able to give her a lovely leaving present of a specially commissioned water-colour painting of Burley Hall by local Waverton artist Peter Nell, which she thanked us for and said she would treasure – also a ‘Sorry you’re Leaving’ card which some of you were able to sign personally and others had their names added to it.  I have taken back the Secretarial duties as before.  The other members of the committee are all happy to remain on board.

Our Treasurer, Richard, has written a Report on our finances.  On the 28th February 2021 our funds amounted to £290.97.  If anyone should wish to have a copy of the accounts please contact Richard on ricgom12@gmail.com  The outstanding debt to Fred is £300 and will be repaid as soon as funds allow.

Although we’ve been unable to hold any further committee meetings Fred, Richard, Jenny, Eric and myself have communicated quite often via email and phone.  When we are able to re-start our Bridge sessions, it has been agreed that an adjustment will be made of the £10 Annual Subscription paid by some members last March but not by all i.e.  those members who paid £10 in 2020 will not be asked to contribute again this year.  The table money will be increased to £3 per session for the time being until we get on our feet again as we will have some expenditure such as Insurance, Bridgemate and Bridgeweb fees which have to be met. The cost of the hire of the Hall also has to be covered.  However, we are filled with optimism that all will be well after a few months!

We would welcome any member who might like to take on the task of helping Fred with Bridgemate at our sessions.   Fred will, of course, train up any volunteers nearer the time.

We have discussed the possibility of having afternoon sessions on Mondays or Thursdays.  The outcome from the questionnaire sent to all of you, thanks to Jane Mitchell, was very interesting as about one third said Monday, another third said Thursday and the other third said Monday evening which wasn’t given as an option!  What we eventually do is not entirely up to us as we are in the hands of the Burley Hall Management for any new hiring arrangements.  However, Monday evening sessions will certainly continue, as before.

In the meantime, we would like to welcome you all back on Monday evening 21st June 2021, to celebrate Summer Solstice if nothing else - all being well!

Kind regards to all, Gill Harrand  
March 2021