We are very sorry to report that Mike Hirst, long time Cardiff member, former Chairman, and legend in the world of bridge, has died. Mike was a big man in terms both of physique and personality. He had countless friends throughout the world of bridge and he is going to be greatly missed. We send our condolences to Ann. To learn a little more about Mike this link takes you to an interview with Mike that appeared in the WBU magazine in September 2007.

Cardiff players representing Wales - 30th/31st October/1st November

This weekend sees the online Home International Championships, the Lady Milne Trophy for Ladies and the Teltscher Trophy for Seniors - both on the Real Bridge platform.

Cardiff members feature prominently in both events: Lady Milne - Gilly Clench, Maggie Pierce, Mieke Deschepper, Ceri Pierce and Sarah Amos; and in the Teltscher Trophy - Filip & Diane Kurbalija.

We wish them all good luck.

On-line Bridge is changing, and Cardiff Bridge Club is one of the first to embrace it.  Will you?

Do you miss the social atmosphere of the Club, meeting friends, seeing, and talking to them during the evening?

It is now possible to regain that atmosphere on-line with Cardiff Bridge Club which is moving some of it’s sessions onto a new  platform. 

Many Cardiff players have already experienced this and have given their seal of approval to the format, the graphics and the atmosphere created.

The system is in Beta test now, but when in full production mode, it will charge the Club rather than the individual.
 

Which brings us to another significant change to on-line Bridge:

Cash is a Problem!  Bridge Clubs need income during the Covid-19 crisis.  With everyone playing at home, cash is not an option. 

Returning to the Club, as cash is a commonly handled product, it has potential to spread diseases.
 

The Solution!  Cardiff Bridge Club now has a cashless payment system.

You can book an attendance at a session and pay for it before the event. 

Those of you who play on-line now are probably familiar with the concept of putting money into your Bridge account and it is automatically used when you register for an event.

 Now, you can pay money direct to your Club with SpadeTickets.com.

Monday Evening sessions at Cardiff Bridge Club can be booked through https://spadetickets.com/penylan/

In November, Thursday morning sessions will move the new platform and can be booked in the same way.

The process for attending a session on the new platform at Cardiff will be:
 

Before the event: log-in to https://spadetickets.com/penylan/

First time:  Create an account and put money in.  Thereafter: Ensure you have funds there.

Then:  Book a ticket.  Table money costs are currently the same as they were in the Club (Members £3, Visitors £4).

The link to attend the Bridge session will be in an email that you receive after booking. 

Note:  This changes every session, so you need to book your ticket to get the right link.

If you want you join us, click here for more details:  Cashless Payments V2.pdf  Visitors welcome.

Note:  On Mondays, there is an optional zoom tutorial at 6:45pm (zoom opens at 6:30pm).  Assisted play starts at 7:15pm

Any problems, please contact me on 07754 589527 or Brian.Quinlan@hotmail.com.

Regular Online CBC Sessions - Please note the Tuesday Afternoon sessions have been moved to the evening.

Monday Evening:  6:45pm - Improver Tuition and Assisted Play

18 Boards:  8 mins per board.  

Tuesday Evening:  7:15pm - Pairs Duplicate

18 Boards:  7 mins per board

Wednesday Evening:  7:15pm - Pairs Duplicate

18 Boards:  7 mins per board

Thursday Morning:  10:30am - Gentle Duplicate/Supported Play

15-18 Boards:  8 mins per board

Thursday Afternoon: 2:00pm - Pairs Duplicate

18 Boards:  7 mins per board

For all sessions, the tournament director will find you a partner if necessary.

For more information about how to join these sessions click here.

Another WBU newsletter has been produced by Laura Woodruff with lots of interesting articles. Do have a look. It has also been e-mailed to everyone. 

Click here to read the newletter

In view of the continuing covid situation, the following Cardiff Bridge Club Competitions will now be held online:

Children in Need Sim Pairs - Wednesday 11^th November 2020

Club Mixed Pairs - Tuesdays 17^th and 24^th November 2020

Club Individual - Wednesday 6^th January 2021

Sadie Valdemar Pro-Am Teams - Thursday 4^th February 2021

Club Championship Pairs - Wednesdays 10^th and 17th March 2021

And probably also

Club Teams Championship - 14^th and 21^rd April 2021

Italo Basiletti Pairs - 5th May 2021

Cardiff Bridge Club Presents Online Beginners Bridge Lessons 

with Rachel Oliver

​*** ​£75 for 12 2-hour lessons ​***

In the current climate we could all do with a hobby that allows social distancing while still providing social interaction and that keeps our brains active. In other words, it is the perfect time to take up online bridge!

We are offering a 12-week beginners course which will guide players through learning the basic mechanics of the game and cover all the foundational information you need to start playing social bridge.

Lessons will be 10AM-12PM every Thursday morning starting on the 10th September and will be priced at £75 per person for the 12 weeks, payable in advance.

If you are interested in signing up or would like more information please email Rachel Oliver at racheloliver1@live.co.uk or call 07827928810.

 Please tell your friends!

NEW - ONLINE MEMBERSHIP 

Until we can restart face to face bridge we are offering Online Membership to non-Cardiff Bridge Club members at £12.00 a year. This will entitle you to join CBC online games at members' rates. It will also allow you to take part in all the other online activities we are running. Email membership secretary Helen Houston for details houston@cardiff.ac.uk Online membership is temporary and does not convey the benefits of full membership.

Playing bridge on BBO

To anyone who has not yet discovered Bridge Base Online, this is a wonderful way to play bridge in the comfort of your own home. It's free to  download, and once you've joined you will be able to play as an individual or with your partner, whether against friends or against the rest of the world. The English Bridge Union has provided a valuable guide on how to get started. Click here. Tony Haworth has also provided a guide. To view Tony's guide, click here. You can also e-mail Sarah Amos for help at sarahamostd@gmail.com

In line with government advice to avoid all unnecessary social contact the club has  regretfully taken the decision to suspend all sessions as of now until further notice. 

If anyone would like to learn how to play online, contact Sarah Amos on sarahamostd@gmail.com. 

If anyone has to self-isolate and needs help, for example with shopping, the club has volunteers who can help. You can contact Martin Joseph. His telephone number is 07719 554641 e-mail mjoseph63@hotmail.co.uk