I am coming to the end of my stint as chairman. Thank you for taking the time to read these chats and for your encouragement. It has been an interesting journey and I know a lot more about the workings of the club than I did. I have huge respect for all those who volunteer to help to run the club in any capacity-thank you all. More volunteers are always welcome!

I receive regular missives from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and perhaps it is not that surprising just how often something seems relevant to all of us. The latest bulletin from our President contained some pertinent discussion on the meaning of kindness prompted by a paragraph in new draft guidance on the standards of care and professional behaviour expected from all doctors “you must treat the patient with kindness…...”. The dictionary definition of kindness is “the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate.” Kindness does not mean that we should never disagree with each other, but that when we do express a different point of view, we do this professionally and courteously whether at the bridge table or during meetings. Please respect our code of conduct and guard our club’s reputation.

I hope that you are soon going to have the opportunity to play some entertaining relaxed bridge games at the club. Have you heard of Speed Ball bridge? I am looking forward to a bit of summer fun, but last week I swapped the rigours of Oxford duplicate for card games with the grandchildren. Our 7-year- old grand-daughter enjoys whist, but she was most peeved when her ace was trumped by her older cousin. I can see the makings of two bridge players.

I hope you enjoyed the Jubilee Celebrations and I look forward to seeing you at our own prize-giving and celebrations at the AGM in the club on July 20th at 6.00pm when we will also elect our new office holders. I was serenaded by nightingales in France and the chiffchaff was living up to its name in our garden today (the chiffchaff is named after its song). I have a rich purple bearded iris in our gravel bed- precise name unknown as it came from my mother.

Sue

Although there seems to be an awful lot of COVID around, the virus is probably running out of people to infect and cases are falling in the UK. The University has lifted all restrictions. The prospect of more face-to-face bridge is excellent and our social team will be laying on events to tempt you away from your computer screens.

The unfolding tragedy in Ukraine continues to dominate the news. The university and colleges are supporting undergraduate and graduate students from Ukraine. We have refugee families coming to live in our village and perhaps some of you are also in contact with individuals displaced by the war. I just wonder if any are bridge players, in which case I would love to welcome them to the club. Please do think about it.

The EBU held a Zoom meeting with the theme “Rebuilding your club”. We are fortunate that our club has so many dedicated members, but the national picture is that about one third of players have ceased to play bridge in EBU-affiliated clubs; and that the number playing face-to-face is lower than before the pandemic. Online bridge has many attractions, but perhaps one reason that Real Bridge works so well is that we already know each other. We need to maintain those social links. Here is an opportunity and a key date for your diary - our AGM (and prize giving) is on July 20th at 6.00pm. I hope the AGM will be held face-to-face in the club and that it will be followed by some bridge. It should be a great way of renewing contact with folk you have not seen in the flesh for some time.

I hope you have been enjoying the sunshine, the spring flowers and your bridge. My stunning trumpet gentian ( Gentiana dinarica ‘Colonel Stitt’), a plant from Albania and rocky parts of east Italy, is a joy.

Sue

First the pandemic and now a humanitarian disaster in Ukraine. Our thoughts are with the millions of refugees, the bereaved families, the sick people without medical help, those trapped in the war zone and so much more. I hope that you already know about our Ukraine Fundraiser at duplicate pairs next Friday morning. I hope with your support OBC can make a significant donation to the Ukraine Disaster Emergency Committee appeal. If you cannot attend but wish to make a donation, here is the link: DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal

Moving on to bridge. It was lovely to receive an email from one of our Learn and Play players saying how much she had enjoyed her first morning of club duplicate. Thank you for looking after her. Someone pointed out to me that it is much easier to chat when playing on RealBridge than during face-to face-games, when silence prevails so other tables are not disturbed. An unexpected advantage of online play. Do talk to your opponents (do not offer advice on bidding or play unless asked) and above all be kind to them. We all make mistakes but please be understanding if something goes wrong and try to keep things in perspective. Winning should not be the most important reason for playing. Instead our bridge should be fun for everyone and provide a welcome relief from so much grim news.

Spring has arrived and butterflies have emerged from hibernation. I have seen brimstones, commas, red-admirals and peacocks in the last few days. My pasqueflowers (Pulsatilla vulgaris), one of our most beautiful wild flowers, are just opening. According to legend, they spring from the blood of Viking Warriors. I have no warrior graves in my garden, just a well-drained sunny spot. The silky blooms lift my spirits.

Sue

I was amused to read this academic piece ‘Playing your Life: Developing Strategies and Managing Impressions in the Game of Bridge’ that was published in Sociological Research Online. Did you know that playing elite bridge requires “an ability to read people and scenarios strategically, to respond with discipline to changing and sometimes demoralising situations, and to nurture a trusting and supportively silent relationship (at the table) with one’s partner”. I do my best to nurture my partners but I have not mastered the ability to read my opponents- some of them spring quite unexpected and unwelcome surprises. In fact, sometimes my partner does too - never a dull moment. Apparently, the skills that we learn at the bridge table can be an advantage in other areas of our lives - another great reason for taking up the game.

Ace bridge player (by which I mean very good indeed), Kathy Talbot (who has clearly mastered the above skills), hopes to resurrect “Kathy’s Korner” in March, probably on the 2nd Wednesday of the month in the morning. Kathy has offered to provide online tuition on tricky hands that have cropped up in recent club duplicate games. If you have come across a challenging hand, either as declarer or in defence, that you would like Kathy to explore, please keep a note of the date and the board. More information should appear soon on the club website.

Thank you to everyone who has returned the skills questionnaire that we circulated recently. It is all too easy to just press delete, so I really am very grateful to all those who took the time to complete the form. It is encouraging to know that the club has such a fantastic pool of expertise to call on.

Spring is on the way, spirits are on the up and my snowdrops are fantastic! It is the peak time of year for galanthophiles (snowdrop enthusiasts) and many beautiful snowdrop gardens are open for visiting, so I hope you can get out and enjoy them. ‘Diggory’ is one of my favourites and easily recognised by the unique shape of the flower.

We played face-to-face bridge recently with friends and found we had almost forgotten how to shuffle and deal. It felt so strange holding a hand of cards. We are social animals and it is great to meet around that table but there is no denying the many advantages of the online game. I particularly enjoy being able to see my partner’s cards and watch the play when I am dummy. I suspect that most clubs will continue to offer a mix of face-to-face and online sessions so there will be something for everyone.

I have only recently discovered how to interrogate play using Bridge Solver online. I thought it worth pointing out this tool exists on our website, although I suspect most of you know about it already. Click the Results tab on the OBC website and it opens in Results Calendar. Click on the session you wish to review and find your pair number on the ranking list. Open the travellers tab at the top. Then find the hand you want to review, find your pair number (or look at someone else’s play) and click on the play button. A new window will open “Play it Again”. Click on the BS Online button at the bottom of the window. BS Online will show makeable contracts and optimum contracts. You can play hands in double dummy mode with guidance to discover the lines of play that allow the makeable contracts to be achieved. So much to learn!

My “Schoolgirl” rose was still in flower a few weeks ago and many snowdrops are emerging – harbingers of better things to come.

Happy New Year and may everyone’s bridge go from strength to strength in 2022.