ISLANDSBC QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER – SEPTEMBER 2026

The last quarter has been a period of major change for Islandsbc with a move from Bridge Base Online (BBO) to RealBridge in September writes Colin Pearson. This newsletter provides background to this move, a follow up to one of our stories in the last quarterly review, a focus on one of our newer bridge players living in a quieter part of the TRNC.

BBO TO REALBRIDGE

Long time readers will be aware that Islandsbc was first formed in April 2020 in response to the impact of COVID. It provided for two free online tournaments a week courtesy of Ellen MacArthur from Oregon who held tournament rights on BBO. In August 2026 BBO announced a monthly charge for players irrespective of how many occasions they played. Given that only 25% of our members played twice a week it was decided to organise a trial for the club on RealBridge at the beginning of September. RealBridge provides for both an audio and video link during play and also operates on a pay as you go basis which would be a better fit for the remaining 75% of our members. Following the trial a decision was made to move to RealBridge and our last tournament on BBO was held on 12 September 2026. In the period April 2020 – Sept 26 over 750 tournaments have been played.

ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE EVENT FOR ONE OF OUR MEMBERS

Avid readers will recall the loss by one of our members of her passport and the subsequent journey to replace it in the TRNC chronicled in the last quarterly newsletter. As if this wasn’t enough Jane McVey was with her sister Liz in St Pancreas Station London on the evening of Saturday 5^th Sept. They had just attended an excellent performance of Stephen Mangan “The Truth” at the Apollo Theatre (can thoroughly recommend says Jane) and were dining at a restaurant at the station prior to catching their train home. Jane received a call on her phone and because of the surrounding noise reached for her earphones from her handbag to discover the handbag containing cash, credit cards, car and house keys were gone. A subsequent search by the restaurant staff revealed nothing more than a phone left behind by one of their customers. Having cancelled all the credit cards and arranged a pickup Jane was just boarding her train when she received a call from the restaurant saying that they had retrieved her handbag. It transpired that the thief had returned to pick up their phone and so the restaurant staff negotiated a return of Jane’s handbag for the exchange although they hadn’t detained him. Having lost just the cash and her earphones Jane decided that she would rather get home than stay to pursue a potential fruitless police investigation. We should all be grateful here in the TRNC that the epidemic of snatching phones or bags in London hasn’t yet reached our streets.

Jane & Liz in London

TIM MORGAN

An early Tim Morgan

BACKGROUND
Tim was born in 1955 in the UK and in 1964 was packed off by his parents to spend his formative years at the Blue Coat school (Christ’s Hospital) in West Sussex as a boarder. At 18 having originally wished to study medicine but lacking the right A levels he did a Pharmacy degree at Bradford University. He decided against pursuing a pharmaceutical career as he didn’t want to end up as a shop retailer (pharmaceutical opportunities are much better these days) so after an uncertain start ended up in the insurance industry. He had spells with the Prudential, Towry Law and by 1983 had moved to Sedgwick an Insurance Broker where he rose steadily through the ranks. In 2000 he was recruited to help run Alexander Forbes (a South African based international Insurance Broker) operations in the UK. This in turn led to being invited in 2007 to take a senior role in their South African operation, in Johannesburg.  He stayed for 5 years in South Africa subsequently taking a role in a leading Insurance Company as Head of Sales and Marketing.  Having experienced a very varied life there he moved on to an only marginally less dangerous life as a consultant in Karachi for 18 months. He remembers in particular the darkened windows of the cars he was transported around in along with the bodyguard replete with an AK47. Between 2014 and 2020 he worked as an international part-time consultant as well as chairing his son’s renewable energy firm.

Tim & Jules

TRNC & KARMI
Tim had originally visited the TRNC in the 90’s but in March 2020 he and his partner Jules came for a 4-week holiday and found after 10 days that the country was closed for COVID and so they ended up staying permanently. They initially rented in Karmi for a year but decided to buy there as they were both attracted by the unique nature of the buildings and location in the mountains. 

For those unfamiliar with the background Karmi was before 1974 a Greek Cypriot village which was largely destroyed during the war and for a long time left deserted. In the late 1970s an inspired German named Nadia Brunton approached the Government and persuaded them to invite foreigners to take leases and restore the original properties in the same style and recreate the village as it had previously been. For those of us overwhelmed with the high-rise development/holiday apartment blocks dominating the skyline to the east of Girne, Karmi represents a unique perspective of North Cyprus. Yes, it may lack solar panels and swimming pools but for Tim and Jules it represents a haven of peace and quiet surrounded by like-minded expats.

BRIDGE
Tim was first introduced to social bridge as a teenager by his father but after going to university stopped playing for the next 50 years. It was whilst helping organise the ATA Games at the Alley Kitchen Café in 2024 that he decided to sit in on the Bridge sessions being run by Phil Conkie and Susan Cahit. This prompted his interest and following sessions at Tony Armstrong’s Chicago group in Alsancak he took the plunge and since 2025 has been playing regularly at the Korineum Monday Bridge Club with his partner Patrick Monvid.

BRIDGE ETIQUETTE
One of the issues that bridge players transferring over from BBO to RealBridge will face is that their reactions to their own poor bidding/play (never your partner of course) which will now be visible to all those on that table. The following scenario is reminiscent of what some of us may have to face up to:
WIFE – opening study door – What was all that shouting about I just heard?
BRIDGE PLAYER (without looking up from the screen) – You’re imagining things my dear
WIFE – But I heard stamping on the floor?
BRIDGE PLAYER (trying to concentrate on screen) - Mice 
WIFE – and there was also loud oaths and expletives?
BRIDGE PLAYER (Still trying to concentrate)– Ill-bred Mice
(with apologies to the late Kenneth Williams/Betty Marsdon - Round the Horne)
 

SWISS TEAMS TOURNAMENT RESULT AND A LOST PASSPORT ODYSSEY

13 May 2026 at the Korineum Golf and Beach resort saw 6 teams competing at the 4^th Swiss Teams tournament writes Colin Pearson. The eventual winners were led by Sue Starling for the 3^rd time, and the result was only settled on the last board when she held her nerve to make 4H redoubled vulnerable with an overtrick against the Hüseyin Cenktaş team.

The full results are as follows:

First Place Trophy – Sue Starling, Colin Pearson, Phil Dolni and Steve Stockwell

Second Place Plate – Jenny Armstrong, Tony Armstrong, Peri Wing and Mike Bezzant

Last Place Consolation prize – Dick Sandeman, Jane McVey, Lalitha Scott and Pam Engels.

One of our visitors Jane McVey apart from the indignity of being placed last at the tournament also suffered the misfortune of losing her passport. The ensuing events – coupled with an appropriate soundtrack - are partly to entertain (although not at the time) but also inform should such a thing happen to anyone else in the future.

Thursday 14 May 2026 – (19^th Nervous Breakdown – The Rolling Stones) having surfaced from the excellent buffet (where over 16 participants/partners attended) the previous evening Jane on reaching checkout discovered her passport was mislaid. Searches of all baggage then followed but to no avail. The Korineum Golf and Beach Resort had no record of anyone handing anything in. It was surmised that the passport may have dropped through an open zip of a side baggage not long after arrival on the early morning of Tuesday 14 May. The conclusion from this was that the passport was lost and not stolen (an important distinction – see police later). Immediate scouring of local websites (BRS in particular – they should consider including this information for their members) ultimately led to Gov.UK which gave a South Cyprus number for the High Commission. Three calls and many diversions down rabbit holes eventually got her to speak to a Consular assistant. She was advised to apply for an emergency document to travel, and an email link was sent immediately. The consular assistant advised that since she was unable to travel to the South, she should request a courier to deliver in the North. The consular assistant was asked if it was necessary to report this to the police and the answer was it wasn’t but might be useful. The hotel advice was more direct in encouraging a visit to Lefkosia and not a local police station.

Aided by my wife and I, Jane travelled with her sister Liz to Girne Police station arriving at 12:30 just in time to see said police officers disappearing for their lunch. No matter a quick trip to a café outside the Dome Hotel allowed sufficient refreshment for coming interview. After a short wait Jane and my wife spent a happy half hour being quizzed by a lady policeman. Once it was established that the passport hadn’t been stolen (big procedure of photo’s, forms involved) the police lady advised that she could provide a handwritten letter, but it really wasn’t necessary. Jane decided to accept her advice and to proceed with her next stage of her holiday to Famagusta.

Later that evening back at her hotel La Regina Veneziano in Famagusta Jane proceeded to fill in the online forms for an emergency passport but when it came to putting in an address for courier delivery in the North for an application from Cyprus the system refused to accept any address in the North. In desperation Jane switched the application to Turkey and this time the address for courier delivery to the Korineum Hotel along with online £100 fee was accepted. She was unable to complete the online documentation for describing her travel back as the form wasn’t interactive and therefore required printing before completion. This she arranged for a colleague to bring it to her the following day. After a large glass of red wine, Jane retired to bed.

Friday 15 May – (Against all Odds – Phil Collins) Having spent a relaxing morning Liz and Jane visited the Varosha site and whilst waiting for a buggy Jane received the news that her Turkey application had been rejected and her online fee refunded. Panic was stifled by a (long) call again to the Consular office where they expressed surprise that she had been unable to give an address in the North for the courier service. After long pauses and consultation with her superior the Consular assistant advised that she should resubmit her application via Cyprus but not to seek a courier service but to say she was willing to pick up at the UK High Commission residences at Shakespeare House in the North. The Consular assistant also promised to monitor her application. On her return to her hotel in Famagusta, Jane resubmitted her application as directed.

Saturday 16 May – (It’s Getting Better – The Beatles from Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band) the system seemed to work efficiently as her application was accepted by 02:00 a.m. Early that morning an email link was received enabling an appointment to be made at Shakespeare House in Lefkosia which was confirmed for Tuesday 19 May. Sufficiently reassured Jane and Liz spent a day travelling to Karpas and in particular enjoying a Kleftiko dish at the Boylu restaurant recommended by her hotel proprietor.

Sunday 17 May – (All along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix) Spent a happy morning touring the sights of the old walled town of Famagusta. Thought about activating her travel insurance but decided the £200 excess made this unrewarding.

Monday 18 May – (Step On – Happy Mondays) Back to the Korineum Golf and Beach Resort Hotel to play bridge – this time with success coming first with her partner with a 58% score. Received a call from the British Consul confirming the appointment for the next day.

Tuesday 19 May – (Heroes – David Bowie) arrived at Shakespeare House in good time and within 15 minutes emerged with a shiny new light blue temporary passport. Mission almost accomplished. Then visited the old city especially Büyük Han and the associated markets.

Wednesday 20 May – (Should I stay or Should I go? – The Clash) Both Jane and Liz set off for the Pyla crossing by taxi to discover that the Turkish customs at the border were unwilling to let her through as they had no police report! Quick thinking by the Esentepe Taxi driver took them to Pyla police station where 4 policeman debated whether they could issue a report or whether it needed to be handled by Girne. Eventually said letter materialised describing the loss as an incident! This in turn led to another long discussion at the custom border office whether they could accept the report without a Girne stamp. In the end common sense prevailed and Jane and her sister were let through the crossing. There was no issue at the SBA custom point or on arrival at Larnaca airport although the emergency passport did elicit some queries at the airport desks.

Thursday 21 May – (It’s too late – Carole King from Tapestry) The Korineum Golf and Beach Resort contacted Jane/Liz to advise the old passport had been handed in and could they collect it!

And the end of all this and safely returned to England Jane was asked if she had been put off coming to North Cyprus in the future. It was an experience I would rather not repeat she replied but nothing could keep me away from playing in the Swiss Teams Tournament next year – it will be my 5^th year. Except this time, I will be keep my passport close to my person.

Jane with her emergency passport

Sue Starling and her team being presented with Trophy by Susan Cahit                         Jenny Armstrong and her team who won the Runners Up Plate                                                       Dick Sandeman and his team with the consolation prize

The full results are as follows:

On Monday 6 April 2026 the Korineum Monday Bridge Club held a Teams competition based round an Easter Egg theme. The aim was to win as many Easter eggs as possible during 8 rounds of 3 boards each. In total 5 Teams entered with 2 reserves. At the end the winning team with 23 eggs was made up of JohnTilley, Patrick Monvid, Janice Harper and Susan Cahit

It is often heard these days that fewer Brits are coming to the TRNC, and most leave before they reach an age where health issues drive them back to the tender arms of the NHS in the UK. This quarter we focus on a bridge couple who have done the exact opposite, by forsaking the UK for the TRNC at the ripe old ages of 74 and 80, writes Colin Pearson.

John Waterfield and Lizzy Chaloner arrived in February 2025, having first visited North Cyprus together in 2022. On a visit to Kyrenia Castle they encountered Serhan Güneyli, an official government guide, who subsequently put together for them a series of tours around the island. Serhan became a friend, and on this first visit they formed the idea of moving here. The climate and the more laid-back atmosphere of the TRNC were the principal reasons for their moving here, together with the fact that Lizzy had lived in Cyprus as a child. This was coupled with a growing disillusionment with the UK – the way in which numerous freedoms have been removed, and the failure of politicians to live up to the standards of their predecessors.  As purchasers of a house in the hills east of Esentepe, they encountered the usual challenges of those brave enough to enter the second-hand property market (pending Kocan still with the last but one owner, leaking swimming pools and uncertain plumbing and water supply). On the plus side, they did feel emboldened by their decision to paint their house a pastel shade of pink. They brought one cat from the UK with them (originally a rescue cat from Egypt), and since being here have adopted, or been adopted by, four more. All of these have been neutered with the help of Kyrenia Animal Rescue.

Lizzy’s links with the island go back to 1954 and 1955, when she lived and went to school in Nicosia. Her father had been a navigator with the RAF and was now working as an air traffic controller at Nicosia airport. Lizzy subsequently joined the Civil Service in London. It was in the 1970’s that she took up bridge and played for the Inland Revenue team in the Civil Service league. Later she moved to Edinburgh, then Cheshire and Oxfordshire, where her children grew up, and she followed a second career in the mental health field. After moving to Wales, she worked as a complementary therapist.

John was born in Japan where his father held a diplomatic post, and he subsequently moved as a child to Chile and New York, before being sent to boarding school. During holidays he visited Mali and India, where his father was now working. After two degrees at Oxford University, he embarked on his first career as a music teacher, spending seven years at a Steiner school on Lake Constance, bordering Germany and Switzerland, before returning to Hereford in the UK. Some years later, having to support a family of two children, he acquired an IT qualification and landed a job, but found the work very tedious. He finally settled on being a translator, which turned out to be a more lucrative career. John learned to play bridge in the family at a young age. His American mother played to a high standard, not normally matched by his father who said he played bridge like he played poker, and whose bidding was not to be depended on. John also learned chess as a child, and has been a life-long player, representing Wales in international events, Lizzy accompanying him to Dresden, Bilbao, Rhodes, Crete and Skopje, where they played bridge with members of the English team between chess matches. Having studied English at university, he has retained his interest in language and literature and has three published books to his credit: a translation of Rilke’s Duino Elegies, a book of poems (Lost Children) and a book on Shakespeare (The Heart of his Mystery).

Lizzy and John met in 2009, and found bridge was a game they had in common. Moving to Monmouthshire, they soon joined the U3A bridge club in Usk. They both now play regularly at the Korineum Monday bridge club but have so far resisted the allure of online bridge.

  Lizzy with Serhan Güneyli in 2022        Lizzy in the 70's               John in his youth