Ten years ago I reported on the 50 th Birthday celebration of Farnborough (Kent) Bridge Club (‘Frolics at Fifty’), thereby creating a rod for my own back by saying that, in ten years time, we could look forward to the ‘Sexy Sixties’. Now that the moment has come, I am anxiously seeking a different heading, not wishing to attract the wrong kind of readership. (This is not strictly true – I am desperate for any kind of readership).

The Committee decided to arrange a ‘bit of a do’ to be held in the hallowed halls of Chislehurst Golf Club – sometime home of Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie. This was not a deliberate attempt to redress the Anglo-French balance following our 50 th at Chartwell (Sir Winston Churchill’s residence). The final attendance was 81, a suitably challenging number for our non-playing director to wrestle with when devising movements for pairs, rubber, individual, and cut-in teams. The concept here was to cover the various bridge formats which had been used at the Club since its inception.

The setting and the weather were perfect for a full day’s entertainment including morning coffee, four bridge sessions, lunch, a beautiful anniversary cake and finally, a magnificent dinner, for which the Head Chef and his team deserve all the plaudits we could give them.

The first hurdle was surmounted when all the men managed to equip themselves with jacket & tie. Male bridge players, particularly at the lower end of the age range, are not renowned for the breadth of their wardrobe and this made some of us not instantly recognisable in the early stages of the day. Conversely, it was rather more predictable that the ladies looked universally lovely.

We were grateful to Chislehurst for allowing outsiders into the Clubhouse, which offered a lovely view of the golf course. After a few drinks, many of us could picture ourselves out there scoring birdie after birdie. (Bridge players are like that, even if, deep down, we know our limitations).

Grateful thanks are due to our Committee and other Club members for their time and trouble in arranging the day, but, as this is not a speech at the Oscars, I am restricting the name checks to two individuals who did so much to make the day special.

Phil Bailey ran all the bridge in his inimitable, unflappable way, managing to devise movements (and then score) for a permanently fluctuating number of players without noticeable pause for thought. There were no delays at any stage, apart from the one where all the lunch sandwiches has been eaten by the time Phil got there after scoring the Pairs competition. (Missing the food is a very unBaileylike activity, to those of us who know him well)

Secondly, Martin S. Taylor, a member, not only of Farnborough but also the Magic Circle who performed close up magic tricks at every single table during dinner. The originality and dexterity were truly amazing. Martin is a professional magician and hypnotist and his finale was the ‘escaping from a straightjacket’ routine in 90 seconds – rather less time than it takes me to sort a bridge hand.

After all the excitement, I am left with two thoughts which I cannot shake off – (1) why do all these bridge books tell us of the importance of counting, deducing and planning? Surely, it’s far more useful to become a hypnotist and magician and (2) although Martin brought his own straitjacket, is this something the EBU should be considering as an extra aid to directors for those moments which have moved from difficult to impossible?

On behalf of all Club members, I thank the large number of people who had so much to do in creating such a memorable day for us all.

Mark Howarth

The Anniversary Cake
Made by Wendy Church. It was scrumptious.

Mike de Winter

Ted and Moya Nesom with Mary Kendall and Tony Conway

Phil Bailey, Barbara Howarth and Mark Howarth

Don and Ann Mitchell with Henry Greenberg

Who is this? When and where?
In the middle is young Henry Greenberg at the 1968 Summer North American Bridge Championship in Minneapolis. The toast is to celebrate Henry's promotion to the rank of American Grand Master. In the picture are conference organisers and far left is Blackwood - 'He was getting on by then', says Henry, 'he was in his 70s'. It is Henry's 90th birthday this month - May 2012.

Steve Burton

Tony Price

Marian Hunt and Brad Featherman

Tony Conway

Christine Kempton and Phil Jones

Alison and Peter Burt

Helen and Richard Gibbons

Mike Rafferty and Liz Blande

Chris Wall and Jenny Kerr

Jackie and Neil Wotherspoon

Jan Johnson and Graham Clements

Petra Jackson

Bill Marle and Janne Green

Janet and Campbell Scoones

David and Jo Lightfoot

John Amor, Keith Ashcroft and Mike Hampton

Peter Taylor

Beryl and Fred tedore with Brigid Smith

Jo Swan and Wendy Church

Jeanne Hurst

Daphne Ryan

Michael Price and Garry Andrews

Tony and Yvonne Chalkley

Harry and Gwenda Evans

Iris Willis and David Brown

June Prout and Adrian Lis

David and Hilary Powell

Val Smith and Bill Charlwood

Paul and Jean Fishleigh

Janet Davies

Brenda Cambray

Jenny Jakes

Jim Metcalf

John Hemington and Jennifer Wiles

Allan and Gillian Foster

Rajinder Sehmi

Katy Graves

Martin S. Taylor
His magic tricks were magic - See Martin S Taylor

John Amor, Leila Williams, Keith Ashcroft and June Prout

Jan, Mike and Richard

A nice cup of tea
Jeanne Hurst, Jo Swann, Daphne Ryan and Wendy Church

and for my next trick...
Martin Taylor trying to hypnotise Garry Andrews and Michael Price.
Will this affect their Bridge results?
See Martin S Taylor

Mike de Winter, Mary Kendall and Tony Conway

Another welcome break.
Chrissie Kempton, Peter Taylor, Keith Ashcroft and Phil Jones.

Relaxing on the Terrace
Campbell and Janet Scoones, Bill Charlwood, Farah Diggens, Alison and Peter Burt

Smile Please
Richard Gibbons, Gillian and Allan Foster and Jenny Kerr

Chrissie's 60th nails

The Director at Work

The Director smiles

The Day's Programme

The Table Plan for Dinner

PAIRS

1. Mary Kendall & Mike de Winter

2. Peter Taylor & Keith Ashcroft

3. Brad Featherman & Marian Hunt

4. Alison & Peter Burt

5. Mark & Barbara Howarth

6. Phil Jones & Christine Kempton

RUBBER

=1. Mary Kendall +2300

=1. Mike de Winter +2300

INDIVIDUAL

NORTH

1. Gwenda Evans

2. David Brown

EAST

1. Tony Chalkley

2. Chris Wall

SOUTH

1. Iris Willis

2. Harry Evans

WEST

1. Christine Kempton

2. Allan Foster

CUT IN TEAMS

1. Mark & Barbara Howarth

Helen & Richard Gibbons

2. Katy Graves & Janet Davies

Jan & Campbell Scoones

3. Trish & Vernon Hughes

Jo & David Lightfoot