Well done Team Mid Essex !!

Team Mid Essex B - Winners Ray Cornell Trophy

(Simon Moorman & Paul Mollison, Sandy Riach & Jacek Lapszys)

Team Mid Essex - Winners Ray Cornell Prize

(Simon Moorman & Paul Mollison, Sandy Riach & Jacek Lapszys, Richard Register & Robert Elliott, Paul Spencer & Marc Chawner)

   Team Mid Essex will represent Essex in the Garden Cities Competition   

Results

If you wish to register for this local Heat please submit the form below

EBU Year-End Congress Mixed and Open Pairs

(Green Pointed two-session event, played online & in local Heats)

on

Wednesday 29th December, 11 am

approx start times for the two sessions are 11am and 3.30pm (TBC based on numbers and EBU guidance at the time)

@

First Class Bridge Barleylands, Barleylands Road, Billericay CM11 2UD

for directions click here, parking is free and plentiful

Registration Fee £25/player, open to all EBU members

Coffee, Tea and Biscuits will be available throughout the day.  Please bring your own lunch. 

 Level 4 Systems are permitted

Full EBU information about the rest of the online congress can be found here and about the hybrid club/online events here.

  Please indicate on the booking form whether you are entering the Mixed or the Open Pairs. The club hopes to hold separate heats of both the Mixed and the Open Pairs, assuming we will have a minimum of 7 tables in each section. If numbers are low, then we will merge any Mixed Pairs entries into the Open Pairs. 

 Please find here our Covid Safety Mesurements and Requirements. We review these regularly and in line with government guidance. If you may have come in contact with COVID in the run-up to the event, please contact Petra on petra.bromfield@talk21.com to let us know. If you have a cold/flu or any COVID symptoms we do ask you not to come to the club.

This is a two session event. All Play all

An ideal opportunity to enter for your first ever county event as a lot of the partnerships are not regular pairs

Entry via the Essex website

    !!!  STOP PRESS  !!!     

   MID-ESSEX CLUB RE-OPENS   

Bridge News by Julian Pottage in the Daily Telegraph, 17/8/2020

!!!  Important News  !!!

BB$ NEEDED FOR ALL ONLINE SESSIONS

 $4 (=£3) per game per person, from this Tuesday 1st September 2020

How to buy BB$ on laptops:

Click on BBO Home right top corner "BB$", then click on Purchase BB$

How to buy BB$ on I-phone and I-pad:

click on your bbo name box, then click on "masterpoints", then click on three lines in top right corner of new window, then click on BB$

!! Don't use the BBO shopping trolley in the bottom right corner as you will get charged a lot extra !!!

If you need help please contact Bernie on 07973-925315 or Petra on 07990-512386

A storming win for Barleylands; the team recorded 3 wins out of 4 with one narrow defeat beating some very strong teams along the way.

So please take a bow Janice Ashby (C), Rene Bessell, Trevor Elcock, Cath Gilmore, Dave Hope, John McCoy, Martin Neill, Alistair Robertson, Terry Stevens, Brian Vincent and Monica Watters for showing the rest of Essex a clean pair of heels!

Many thanks to Bernie Hunt and Graham Foster for organising, Nicole Cook for setting up the final evening deals and to Theo Todman for presenting the trophy.

Chappeau à tous

Over the weekend of 11-13th September, Barleylands hosts the Essex Show. Consequently, Saturday Club is cancelled and Friday Evening Club Session Parking is restricted to the area in front of the sheds - main car park is not to be used.

Barleylands Sweep the Board

Well, nearly! Well done to club regulars Ann Morgan and John McCoy who won the Felixstowe Pairs Championship Final. A truly stunning result!

Bernie Hunt/Paul Mollison & Val Mollison/Brian Davies won the Swiss Teams. To win the Swiss Teams once (Click to check!) is some achievement to retain your title shows true class.

Robert Elliott and Sandy Riach won the Consolation Final. Very well done!

Val and Paul Mollison stormed to the highest percentage in the Qualifiers.

Click here for further results from the Felixstowe congress.   

17 pairs took part in the Session of the Really Easy Afternoon held at Barleylands. The local session was won by mid-Essex regulars Pascaline Mower & Pat Reeves, who have only been playing the game for two years. They came 5/96 nationally, but were pipped by the more experienced mid-Essex pair Alan & Carolyn Veats, who came 4th. Well done to both pairs!

The club hosted SIMS for Children in Need on the usual evening club sessions of:-

• Friday 6th (£108 raised for CiN!) the "First Friday" Butler-scored event will consequently be on November 13th), and
• Thursday 12th November (£154 raised for CiN!!): The local winners, Theo Todman and David Tennet, came 4 / 2,106 nationally. 

Additionally, the following clubs which meet at Barleylands also held SIMS:-

• the Monday Cub - at 13:30 on the 9th, and
• the Jubilee Club - at 19:30 on Wednesday 11th. 

Friday 13th - Monday 16th November

A weekend of bridge at the splendid Marlborough Hotel, Felixstowe

• Cost:
  • £140.00 per person (Friday - Sunday)
  • £195.00 per person (Friday - Monday)
  • Price Includes: Dinner/Bed & Breakfast, welcome reception , Duplicate Bridge Sessions, Fun Quiz and Prizes Galore.
• Application form Click Here
• Contact Coral on 07930 804036 or coralfallon@blueyonder.co.uk

Bernie is hosting and directing the Essex Mixed Pairs competition on Sunday 6th December 2015, starting at 13:00 and ending around 20:30. For those new to County competitions, this is a good point of entry as the partnerships entered by the usual suspects tend not to be as well established as in the other ECBA competitions. So, if you are an established mixed pair you'll have a better chance. 

To enter, follow this link.

THURSDAY AFTERNOONS 1.30pm to 4.30pm, Starting 1st October

• A series of 11 subjects aimed at the improving player
  1. 1st October: Getting it right after partners opens 1NT - including Stayman, Transfers and garbage Stayman
  2. 8th October: Double - the most underused card in the box this includes doubling when too strong to overcall
  3. 15th October: Opening Leads - Active or Passive?
  4. 22nd October: Declarer Play in Trumps. When to Draw Trumps and other techniques
  5. 29th October: Overcalls, Simple and Jump - Tricks not Points.
  6. 5th November: Getting to Game - what can we show on way an introduction to the Jacoby 2NT and Splinters, also a look at Fourth Suit Forcing.
  7. 12th November: Declarer Play in No Trumps
  8. 19th November: Supporting partner. - When to support with three cards, When to bid with 5 HCPs. An introduction to the Unassuming Cue Bid
  9. 26th November: Negative Doubles - How to effectively cope with interference
  10. 3rd December: A Defence to the opponents 1NT opening - Modified Cappelletti
  11. 10th December: Two Suited Overcalls - Michaels Cue Bid, The Unusual 2NT and how to show a 6-4 hand when both opponent's have bid
• The cost will be £7.50 for the first session reducing by 50p for any of the 3 subsequent sessions to a minimum of £6.00.

The final Seminar (10th December) is Two Suited Overcalls.

Bernie is running a series of 11 weekly classes on Thursday afternoons (13:30-16:30) which commenced 1st October. The classes are aimed at those with some experience with sound basics who are looking to improve. For the full programme Click Here. The cost is £7.50 for the first session reducing by 50p for any of the 3 subsequent sessions to a minimum of £6.00.

The details of the course for 2016 will be announced shortly. 

Seasons Greetings to All!

Club Opening times:-

• Wednesday 23rd Normal 
• Thursday 24th Open for No Fear 10am
• Friday 25th Closed
• Saturday 26th Closed
• Sunday 27th 2.30 pm Really Easy afternoon. Enter with EBU but can take entries on the day
• Monday 28th Open 7.30pm
• Tuesday 29th 10.30 Supervised; 1.30pm Club Improvers
• Wednesday 30th Supervised 10am; Club closed in afternoon
• Thursday 31st No Fear - Club Open 10am
• Friday 1st January Club Open 7.30pm
• Saturday 2nd Club Open 10.30

Belated congratulations to the winners of the Charity Event held at Barleylands on Sunday 7th February this year! Results are here, with leading positions:-

1. Grace Smith & George Womersley
2. Joyce Vidler & Beryl Murphy
3. Tony & Lyn Gray

Bernie tells me that there's a write-up in the Yellow Advertiser! Unfortuately, I've not been able to track it down on-line. Anyone with better luck, or who has seen the article, might let me know. 

See the image below for full details of an up-coming Charity event. Note that the event is already filling up, so prompt entry is advised to avoid disappointment.  

We are sorry to announce that Eva Strauss died on the morning of Friday 19th February. Eva had been a member of Bernie's clubs for the last 15 years and had until the end of last November played on Saturdays with her son-in-law Michael Sutherland-Harper. Our condolences to Michael and to Eva's granddaughter, Sophie Harper, who also plays at the Club. 

February 2016: Friday 26th to Monday 29th

A weekend of bridge at the absolutely splendid Great Western Lansdowne Hotel.

Advanced and No Fear

Includes:

• Dinner, bed and breakfast
• Bridge Sessions
• Bridge Seminar

The cost of a three night stay at the hotel for the bridge weekend, commencing on Friday afternoon, will be:

• Single inland room £235
• Double inland room £215
• Single sea view room £250
• Double sea view room £230

Everybody agreed that last years event was absolutely splendid and great value. All prices are per person. A deposit of £75 per person is due by 15th November 2015 with the balance to be paid before 15th January 2016.

Vera Tillyer will be organising this year's event so if you are interested please contact her via email: vjtillyer@btinternet.com.

If you wish to book a particular room please let Vera know and she will do her very best to arrange it.

If you only go away for one Bridge weekend this is the one!

Book early to avoid disappointment!

For the Itinerary for the weekend of Friday 26th - Monday 29th February, Click this Link!

Well done to Sheena Millins & Bernie Hunt who - by a considerable margin - WON the Swiss pairs on Saturday 5th March!

Thursday Afternoons 13:30 to 16:30 (commended 21st January). These themed duplicate sessions are a follow up to the "Improvers Course" seminars held in 2015. The final session of the series is:-

• Thursday 17th March: Supporting Partner

Each week a different subject is covered. Commentary sheets are provided after the sessions. Click on the heading for a page giving further details and a full list of sessions. 

Please note that the Wednesday 13:30 session is SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

Watch this space if interested. 

The Mid Essex A Team (Paul Mollison, Steve Cade-Bowyer, Bernie Hunt & Simon Moorman) continued their progress through the NICKO (National Inter Club Knock Out) competition, having defeated Chelmsford A in Round 4. They are now through to the last 32. In the previous round they defeated one of the seeded teams - Cambridge A - a remarkable coup, as their opponents included several international players.  

19 Pairs contested the Session of the Really Easy Afternoon held at Barleylands, with 56 pairs in total competing nationally. Well done to the top three pairs, in particular to Amarjeet & Gurdeep Singh of St. Anne's BC in Chingford who won the national event. The second and third-placed pairs are Mid-Essex Club regulars. 

1. Amarjeet & Gurdeep Singh (St. Anne's, 1st nationally)
2. Andrew & Anne Smith (Mid Essex, 4th nationally)
3. David & Jean Cannan (Mid Essex, 6th nationally)

The local results are here; click on the header for the national results. 

The Mid Essex A Team (Paul Mollison, Steve Cade-Bowyer, Bernie Hunt & Simon Moorman) continued their stunning progress through the NICKO (National Inter Club Knock Out) competition, having defeated Norfolk & Norwich A by 68 imps to 49 in Round 5. They are now through to the last 16.   

Bernie hosted another Really Easy Afternoon at Barleylands at 14:00 on Saturday 28th May 2016. This is part of the EBU's Spring Bank Holiday Congress and is syndicated with other sessions around the country. The event is intended as an introduction to 'tournament bridge' and is open to less experienced players who are "probably below the rank of Master and lower than a Jack on the NGS". Entry is via the EBU. 

The ECBA are running some FREE seminars at Barleylands and have asked Bernie and other club secretaries to nominate some of their club players who may be interested in improving their game.

Grandmaster Marc Chawner presented the first seminar "The Case for the Defence" at 14:00 on Sat Mar 19th to a packed house. Likewise Grandmaster Paul Spencer - "Hand Evaluation" - on April 30th. 

The final free session will again feature Marc Chawner at 14:00 on Sat June 11th. This time the topic will be "Special Pairs Tactics", so best to bring your favourite partner! 

Please contact Bernie if you are not yet signed up and would like to reserve a place.

Sadly, the Mid Essex A Team's (Paul Mollison, Steve Cade-Bowyer, Bernie Hunt & Simon Moorman) stunning progress through the NICKO (National Inter Club Knock Out) competition came to an end in Round 6 against TGR's team of internationals. Still, an amazing run through to the last 16!  

The EBU are having a 3 day sale – offers end 12 midday Friday 15th July 2016! The items on sale are:-

• Superluxe Playing Cards £12 per dozen
• Bidding Boxes per set of 4 - £21.60 - SAVE 20%
• Bidding Buddies per set of 4 - £19.94 – SAVE 15%

If anyone wants any of these items, please let Bernie know and he will make a bulk purchase and divide up the cost of the postage.

A club member has had a navy blue Cerruti jacket taken - presumably accidentally - from the club. Would whoever has it please let Bernie know! 

The ECBA has initiated a new "Friendly League" for Teams of Four. The Club has two teams entered - though players do not all need to be members of the same club. Anyone else interested - with or without team members - should let Bernie know. 

Note the Friendly League Teams of Eight, in which the Club also has a team, continues as in previous seasions. 

These Essex County inter-club events are to take place (at Ingatestone, NOT Barleylands) on Sunday 30th October 2016. Those wishing to represent Mid Essex Bridge Club in the Cup for Clubs should contact our recruiting sergeant, Janice Ashby.  

The team for the Fletcher Trophy is Steve Cade-Bowyer, Gary Howchen, Simon Moorman, Peter Oake, Chris Taylor, Sandy Riach, Paul Mollison & Bernie Hunt. 

The 2018 class start on Wednesday 19th September, 13:30. The first two lessons are free, thereafter £7.50 per class on a pay-as-you-go basis.  For more details, contact Bernie. 

Overall a disappointing Sunday for the Club. The team in the Fletcher was lying 2nd at half time, but had a disastrous second half. However, congratulations to the team in the Cup for Clubs (Janice Ashby, Terry Stevens and Carolyn & Alan Veats) who ended up positive overall. 

Where else would you advise people to learn other than at the patient and knowledgeable hands of Bernie Hunt! Tell all your non-playing family and friends!

This year's course started on Friday 16th September 2016, and the course runs at the same time on Friday mornings at 10.30-12.30.

The first two classes are free. After that, fees are "pay as you go" at £6.50 per class.

Bernie will be running SIMS for CiN on:-

• Friday 11th (evening)
• Thursday 17th (evening)

There's a fault with the phone-lines in the Barleylands area, and the Club phone is out of action. Hopefully all will be fixed by noon on Monday. In the interim, Bernie is trying to get it diverted to his mobile (07973-925315) on which he may be contacted. 

AUTUMN SEMINARS

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS

1.30 – 4.30

£7.50pp including a free booklet on the subject

• 9th November: Fourth Suit Forcing. An Introduction For Those Who Have Some Or No Knowledge Of This Convention. This is the most essential convention in the uncontested auction. You will be able to find the best contract without guessing. You will be able to tell partner that we are going to game.
• 16th November: Fourth suit forcing for the more experienced
• 23rd November: The Jacoby 2NT and Splinters
• 30th November: Roman Key card Blackwood
• 7^th December: The different meanings of 1NT

The Autumn Series is now complete. A new series will start in the New Year, pitched at around the same level. More information in due course!

• Monday 19th to Friday 23rd: open as usual with extra light refreshments
• Saturday 24th: No Fear club open as usual with drinks afterwards
• Monday 26th: Closed
• Tuesday 27th:
  • Supervised Play 10.30am
  • REALLY EASY PAIRS 1.30pm £8pp
    (Click for Flyer)

Bernie sends his best wishes for the New Year from himself and his team of helpers to all club regulars & visitors!

CLICK HERE FOR THE SCHEDULE FOR THE EVENT

Apologies to those of you who have been unable to access the website over the last couple of days, when service has been intermittent. The problem is nothing to do with Bridgewebs, but with the servers that host the domain name.

If www.firstclassbridge.com gives a server error, use www.bridgewebs.com/firstclassbridge instead. This link goes directly to Bridgewebs without going via the Domain Name Server. 

February 2017: Friday 24th to Monday 27th

A weekend of bridge at the absolutely splendid Great Western Lansdowne Hotel.

Advanced and No Fear

CLICK HERE FOR THE SCHEDULE FOR THE EVENT

Includes:

• Dinner, bed and breakfast
• Bridge Sessions
• Bridge Seminar

The cost of a three night stay at the hotel for the bridge weekend, commencing on Friday afternoon, will be:

• Single inland room £245
• Double inland room £225
• Single sea view room £260
• Double sea view room £240

Everybody agreed that last years event was again absolutely splendid and great value. All prices are per person. A deposit of £75 per person is due by 15th November 2016 - please pay Bernie - with the balance to be paid before 15th January 2017.

Vera Tillyer will again be organising this year's event so if you are interested please contact her via email: vjtillyer@icloud.com.

If you wish to book a particular room please let Vera know and she will do her very best to arrange it.

If you only go away for one Bridge weekend this is the one!

We regret to anounce that Dave Cannan - a regular at the Club's Thursday Evening and Tuesday Afternoon sessions, and an original member of the Ramsden Bellhouse Club - has died after a brief illness. The funeral was on Wednesday 22nd March at the Bentley Crematorium. Our thoughts are with his wife Jean at this difficult time. 

The above seminar will be held at Barleylands on Thursday 30th March at 13:30. It deals with the meaning of call bids in a reversing sequence, including responder's reverses. The cost is £7 pp which includes a free booklet. The new screen will be in use with practice hands to play. 

Bernie is running a 3-session seminar on the topic of Strong NT and 5-card majors. Cost is £20 for all three sessions or £8 per session. The sessions will be on Wednesdays 7th, 21st and 28th June at 13:30 - 16:30. 

NOTE: The refresher day for those who attended the course is this Wednesday 19th July!

We are sad to announce the death of Miranda Perkins who was a five-times-a-week player well known in the Brentwood / Billericay area. Miranda died on Sunday 16th July. Her funeral is at the Catholic Church in Ingatestone on Thursday 10th August at 1pm. All bridge players are welcome to the funeral and tea afterwards. Paola her daughter would like to know numbers – please contact her on 07976-845760.

The main Barleylands car park is shut this Friday night - please park outside the sheds instead. 

Bernie has started a new Really Easy Club, meeting on Fridays at 10:30. The first session was on 22nd September. 

Bernie has taken delivery of a bulk order of new Bidding Boxes. They are available for collection by those who have previously reserved them. Cost is £6 per box. 

!!!  CLUB  CLOSURE  !!!

Barleylands falls under Essex Council and is now classfied as Tier 2 which says that there must be no indoors gatherings of households, including in businesses like restaurants and pubs.

We have no option but to close the club.

We will reopen the minute that Essex is reclassified as Tier 1.

Please watch this website for further information.

Stay safe and   ♥  THANK YOU ♥    for your loyality and support.

      BBO Etiquette    

♥   ANNOUNCE  ♥   ALERT  ♥   EXPLAIN  ♥  CHAT 

When playing on BBO every player needs to self alert all bids that are not natural; this saves time and avoids misunderstandings. 

Please use the chatbar only for hello, system info and thank you opps.

Please read Bernie's BBO Etiquette before your next game.

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣    CONGRATULATIONS   ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣  

for best Essex Pair at National Pairs:

44th= - Jacek Lapszys & Sandy Riach

Results

♥ ♥ ♥  Congratulations    ♥ ♥ ♥ 

To the Essex players who qualified for playing in the Corwen Trophy (the inter-county Pairs Championship) on 5/6th June 2021:

Richard Perryman & Mike Wren

Val & Paul Mollison

John Sutcliffe & Ray Clarke 

Bernie Hunt & Petra Bromfield

Results

Tricky decision with a lot at stake - with thanks from Marc Chawner

 ♥ ♥ ♥   Seminars @ Barleylands    ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Thursday 3/6, 2pm - Doubles & Responses

Friday 11/6, 2pm - Declarer Play

No Seminar in Week Monday 14/6

 This seminar is aimed at all levels. 

£9 pp  including free booklet

 ♥ ♥ ♥    Well done     ♥ ♥ ♥  

To our Mid Essex Players in the Essex Team in the Pachabo Cup

Paul Spencer, Marc Chawner, Simon Moorman, Peter Oake, Bernie Hunt, Paul Mollison

The Essex team finished a creditable 12^th position out of the 26 participating teams which were the top county teams in England.  They were unbeaten against the top three teams.

Results

♥ ♥ ♥    Corwen Trophy - Congratulations    ♥ ♥ ♥  

Best Essex Pair (37/106)

  Bernie Hunt & Petra Bromfield

Results

  ♥ ♥ ♥   Children in Need    ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Congratulations to:​​​​​​

Tuesday ( 69 Clubs, 1073 Pairs)

75th: Chris Martin & Pascaline Mower (Mid Essex)

Wednesday (80 Clubs, 1334 Pairs)

17th: Peter & Wendy Williamson (Jubilee)

This page will show items of continuing or historical interest that drop off the Home Page