| John Craggs |
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John Craggs passed away Sunday 20th June aged 83
John was a remarkably fit man and the first we heard of a problem was on Monday 1st June when he wrote to us just 3 days before he was due to travel with our team to Paris and was to partner with Pascale saying“I am very sorry to say that I am having to withdraw from the visit to Paris this week. I have a medical issue which needs to be resolved” He passed away just nineteen days later after complications relating to a perforated duodenum
Pascale wrote the following:
I still can’t believe John is gone. Such devastating news!
For the last ten years he was not only my bridge partner but also a dear friend. Win or lose, he always played with grace and respect for partners and opponents alike. He treated everyone with kindness and courtesy. He was a true gentleman.
John was also a keen sportsman who enjoyed tennis and skiing holidays with his family. Those precious times with his family meant a lot to him.
He was a great contributor to the bridge committee. The success of many of our organised matches was due to his efficiency, dedication and willingness to help.
He was also a mentor to many of the players, always generous with his time, encouragement and support.
John will be remembered with deep affection by everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. He will be greatly missed.
Rest in peace John.
I wrote this message to John shortly before he passed away. Which I know was read.
I have been kept informed of your progress through Howard Salter and although I have not messaged you, I have been really concerned for your wellbeing. I understand that surgery has not gone as well as it should but hopefully you are healing and over the worst. You are a great man and everyone from the bridge continually ask after you and you are missed by us all and especially by me. Please do not feel you have to reply to this – I just want you to know how much I care for you and look forward to seeing you in good health and hope this will be in the very near future. My best wishes Howard
John never revealed much about himself but reading through some of his emails, he clearly showed a keen sense of wit and I will read out a couple of extracts
In reply to an invite to one of my parties he said “The only remaining decision is what to wear in order to boogie.” And then after the party “And then there was the dancing. I haven’t danced for ages (if you can call it that). Such great music to get us moving on the dancefloor. My aching feet!”
and another email sent on the 6th May to John Kemball regarding a change to the newsletter “Congratulations to Andrew Kisiel who has attained Ace of Clubs. He now rules over three Kings – Lester, Paul W and Nigel. They are kept company by John Craggs and Howard W who are identifying as Queens!”
I would like to mention the tribute on our WhatsApp group from Elizabeth Tucker
“I was so fortunate to have him as a mentor and will never forget his kindness patience and wit”
And finally the email sent by Howard Salter
My dear Alexander and Christian,
Such a sad loss. I have only know your father to be a soft-spoken gentleman with an underlying sense of principle and values. A quiet dry humour and In all the years I have known him, I have never heard a harsh or rude word towards anyone.
We will all miss him as a singularly lovely man.
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| Last updated : 4th Jul 2026 20:29 BST |
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| Match report - Roehampton 30 June 2026 |
8 aside, 24 boards of bridge, competitive match played in such a relaxed, calm and charming manner and a win. What more can a captain ask for? The increasing cross fertilisation of memberships where a player is a member of both competing clubs, on this occasion David Owen, I am convinced adds a spice or twinkle to the occasion. There is a natural softness of familiarity enhanced by the undoubted bond of friendship and respect between opponents who have faced each other across the table umpteen times over the years. The result - a match of two halves as so often is the way. The RAC took an early lead by a mighty 61 imps by halftime matched almost but not quite by a surge by Roehampton of 54 imps in the second half meaning that the RAC won by a much slimmer 7 imps. An excellent contest where clearly either side could have run out winners. In fact there was a recognition possibly on both sides that if the match had continued for another 2 or 3 boards the winning name on the “trophy” would have begun Roe not Roy. Well played team and thank you to the 2 reserves Paul and Sally Found and a last minute recruit Antonia Muir who took the places of those who could not make it. The banqueting team did their usual excellent job and for once received a clap from the diners for their efforts. The Stewart and Seagrave rooms are such exquisite venues to share with guests to the club.
Team
Michael Bailey (Captain) and David Mannooch
Sally and Paul Found
Antonia Muir and David Wilson
John Kemball and David Owen
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| Last updated : 1st Jul 2026 21:30 BST |
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| COTTON CUP 2026 |
Pall Mall
The Cotton Cup, our annual knockout Rubber Bridge Tournament, will take place from July onwards. The final must be played before our Christmas Dinner on Thursday 10 December, when the Cup will be presented to the winning pair.
If you wish to enter, please email Michael Bailey with your name and that of your partner by Saturday 4 July. The first round draw will take place on Monday 6 July.
The first round will be played on Tuesday 14 July in the Terrace Room at Pall Mall, which will be available from 6.00pm. Tea, coffee, biscuits, sandwiches and a glass of Club wine will be provided on arrival.
You are encouraged to play on this date however, if you are unavailable, you are still very welcome to enter. In that case, you will need to arrange and complete your first round match by the end of July. Please let Michael Bailey know if you will not be playing on Tuesday 14 July.
Please visit BridgeWebs for the Cotton Cup Tournament rules.
We look forward to seeing many of you on Tuesday 14 July.
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| Last updated : 24th Jun 2026 21:44 BST |
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| Bridge Beginners Programme |
Bridge Beginners Programme
Pall Mall
Bridge Starter Day: Saturday 19th September 2026
Beginners’ 12 Week Course Starts: Wednesday 23rd September
Would you like to learn to play bridge but feel rather daunted by it? If so, we
have just the programme for you. Many of our players at the Club learnt to
play bridge at our school in Pall Mall and now it is your turn!
Our teaching programme begins once again with the Bridge Starter Day
on Saturday 19th September.
This will give the complete novice a flavour of what bridge is all about.
During the day we will teach you the basic fundamentals of the game
and an outline of what you will be taught during the Beginners Course
which starts on Wednesday 23rd September
The Beginners’ Course starts with a 12 week programme which will take place every
Wednesday 7.00 – 9.00pm with a one week break for half-term.
There are two further series of courses available during the year
Bridge Starter Day: £110.00
Includes: Tuition, detailed notes, lunch and refreshments. Also included is the
EBTA Fast Track Bridge (student workbook) which will also be used in the sessions starting
on Wednesday 23rd September.
Beginners Course: £180.00 (12 x £15.00)
Dress code: Smart Casual
For further information and to book, email the Activities Team.
Please note classes are limited to 20 persons maximum
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| Last updated : 8th Jun 2026 02:45 BST |
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| RAC PALL MALL NEWSLETTER MAY 2026 |
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PALL MALL BRIDGE COMMITTEE
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MAY NEWSLETTER
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We have lost our newsletter Queen. No more entries from the diary of Fiona, who has stood down her pen and gone on a bridge sabbatical. Her wit and repartee used to brighten our monthly routines and we can only hope that her replacement will share their lifestyle in a similar way. The Bridge Committee at Pall Mall has been lead by Fiona for over 3 years and her fellow committee members pay tribute for all her hard work on behalf of the bridge circle. In particular, she took a leading role in revitalising bridge at the RAC after the COVID interregnum. Our numbers have swelled, and we play in a very positive atmosphere.
Fiona has been personally responsible for introducing us to overseas reciprocal clubs in New York and Washington and fostered an environment for other members to bring home Edinburgh and Belgium. Perhaps her biggest achievement was to widen inter club team selections to embrace the social nature of our bridge circle and encourage all members to participate in teams. She positively encouraged the beginners and intermediates so that we now have a vibrant group waiting to join us in the future on Thursday nights.
We look forward to seeing Fiona and Henry back playing bridge and sharing cocktails with us again soon.
Michael Bailey
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ST JAMES'S BRIDGE DRIVE
Monday 12 October
Always a very popular event, this year hosted by the In and Out Club. The event will run from 1.45pm playing 30 hands of duplicate bridge over the afternoon, followed by a sumptuous dinner,.with wine.
This is a lovely event and great fun. Bookings should be made through the event Booking Portal.
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WEEKLY DUPLICATE
Numbers are now constantly very high which is fantastic, please ensure you arrive no later than 6.35pm for a prompt 6.45pm start. When in the library conditions are quite cramped and it is vital that Victor has time to set up any additional tables that may be required and set the movement.
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JULY TO DECEMBER MATCHES TEAM SELECTION
Look out for notification of expression of interest to play in online match from members, for second-half 2026 matches. This will shortly be posted on Bridge Webs once the match schedule has been finalised.
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NGS RATING
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Congratulations to Andrew Kisiel who has attained Ace of Clubs. He now rules over our three Kings - Paul Weston, Lester Pereira and Nigel Clayton. They are kept company by John Craggs and Howard Wand,.both graded as Queens.
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WEDNESDAY 13 MAY
Team:
Pralab Barua/David Wilson
Michael Bailey/David Mannooch
Nigel Clayton/Geoff Lane
Rita Skinner/David Bruce
Match Captain: Pralab Barua
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MONDAY 18 MAY
Red Team:
Michael Bailey/David Mannooch
Paul Weston/Marina Chaning Pearce
Paul Found/Sally Found
Howard Salter/Robin Kilborn
Blue Team:
Howard Wand/Andrea Geser
Paula Laumen/Ina Wolf
Trevor Southam/John Kemball
Pearse Elder/Rita Skinner
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METROPOLITAN |
CLUB, WASHINGTON DC |
SATURDAY 11 APRIL
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We hosted the Metropolitan club from Washington DC. The Metropolitan club is one of the oldest in the USA and has counted many presidents from Theodore Roosevelt to Barack Obama amongst its membership. This was the first time that we have played a match against them, and it was a most successful occasion, with a strong RAC team coming away victorious by 170 imps. It was a very successful visit by an extremely friendly group of players and they hope that we will be able to travel to Washington next year for the reverse fixture.
The RAC Team was:
Team: David Wilson, Andrea Geser, Andrew and Brigitte Kisiel, Pralab Barua, Howard Salter, Paul and Sally Found, Ivaylo and Xiayou Valev, Nigel Clayton, Pearse Elder
Match report by David Wilson, Match Captain
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MONDAY 20 APRIL
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This biannual event was held in the lovely Terrace Room. The upstairs team was captained by Anne Catchpole, and comprised Marie Josee Matte, Sophie and Simon Dixon Smith, Gina and Greg Hartmen, Harry Jasak and Elizabeth Tucker. The downstairs team was captained by David Owen and comprised Pauli Laumen, Ivaylo and Xiaoyu Valev, Sandy Jones and Mike Hammond, and Anne and Harvey Rands.
The scores at the end of the day showed a resounding win to the downstairs team. There were a lot of difficult hands and the experience of the downstairs team dealt with these expertly. However this was great practice for the students and mentees playing, and everybody really enjoyed themselves.
Match report by Anne Catchpole
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ROYAL INTERNATIONAL CLUB, CHATEAU SAINT-ANNE |
MONDAY 27 APRIL
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The fourth instalment of the annual Bridge match vs the Royal International Club,a reciprocal club of the RAC. Our hosts gracious and good company as always treated us to sunny weather throughout our stay in Belgium and a delicious meal with fine wine following a competitive Bridge match. We led by 16 Imps after the first half and we extended our lead in the second half to win the match overall by 55 Imps. The RAC Bridge players took advantage of the sunny weather and their time in Belgium to explore Antwerp, Luxembourg, Waterloo and Ypres beyond Brussels. We look forward to welcoming our friends from Belgium to Pall Mall next year.
Team: Lester Pereira/Nigel Clayton, Howard Salter/Pralab Barua and David Bruce/Antonia Muir, Ivaylo/Xiaoyu Valev.
Match report by Lester Pereira, Match Captain
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BEGINNERS AND INTERMEDIATES
If any students have Royal Automobile Club friends wanting to learn to play bridge, the Annual Bridge Beginners' Programme starts with Bridge Starter Day on Saturday 19 September. For those who enjoy this and want to learn more, there is an 11 week course of evening classes commencing Wednesday 23 September. It is a great way to get bridge into your head and meet the students who will accompany you on your path to the Duplicate!
Lessons are ticking over nicely with our Beginners and Intermediates, our mentees are coming along once a month to play and everything looks good.
Intermediate Bridge summer term lesson schedule is as follows:
May:
7th Slam Bidding - Blackwood
14th Slam Bidding – cue bidding
21st Half Term
28th Count signals
June:
4th Working together on defence
11th What does that double mean?
18th Gentle duplicate
25th Landy – a defence to 1NT
July:
2nd Tactics when playing in NT
9th Bringing it all together
The Supervised Bridge is popular for RAC students, and it forms part of our teaching schedule. We cannot accommodate non-members.
ADVANCE TRAINING
The final session in the series of Defence took place on 6th May. Everyone who attended appears to have enjoyed and benefited from these sessions. Niall has proved to be a valuable find. Going forward, we will not now be running the series of training sessions planned for May to July, however will resume in the autumn with a new series and training topics.
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SUPERVISED BRIDGE DATES
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Bridge will start promptly at 2.00pm and end at 4.30pm. The cost per session will be £15.00 including refreshments. Mike Eden will be on hand to 'teach' and help students with hard hands.
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- Monday 27 April, Mall Room
- Monday 11 May, Terrace Room
- Monday 8 June, Stewart Room
- Monday 22 June, Mall Room
- Monday 6 July, Mall Room
- Monday 20 July, Terrace Room
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- Monday 7 September, Terrace Room
- Monday 21 September, Mall Room
- Monday 5 October, Mall Room
- Monday 19 October, Mall Room
- Monday 9 November, Stewart Room
- Monday 23 November, Mall Room
- Monday 7 December, Mall Room
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WHATSAPP GROUP
Do You Need a Bridge Partner?
If you need a partner, just ask the group! If you don’t recognise someone looking for a partner, please don’t discount them. We have some new additions as Club members continue to start playing bridge with us.
If you are looking for a partner to play bridge with at Pall Mall on Thursday evenings, this is the place to find someone!
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ST JAMES'S CLUB MEMBERS
Teams Event
We warmly welcome our St James’s Club friends to join us on the last Thursday of every month for our regular Duplicate. We do encourage you to find a partner either from your club or the Royal Automobile Club before coming along.
We hold a Teams Event four times a year on the last Thursday of the month which is open to both Royal Automobile Club and St James’s Club teams. It has been very popular this past year and I am pleased to give you all the dates for these matches for this year:
Thursday 28 May
Thursday 27 August
Thursday 26 November
Non-St James’s Club guests are very welcome to come and play at the Club 12 times in any one year with a Royal Automobile Club member.
I advise all players to visit the Club’s BridgeWebs page often, as any news will be posted there throughout the month.
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IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR DIARY |
- Monday 18 May: Centenary Cup
- Tuesday 7 July: Pall Mall Bridge Summer Party
- Saturday 19 September: Bridge Starter Day
- Sunday 27 September: Bowman Pairs Tournament (please note the date change)
- Monday 12 October: St James's Bride Drive
- Thursday 10 December: Christmas Party
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Best Wishes
Pall Mall Bridge Committee
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Subscribe to our emails for Club news and for information about events and activities. Select subjects in your ‘Mailing Preferences’ to tell us what you would like to hear about.
© ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB 2026
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| Last updated : 12th May 2026 12:49 BST |
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