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20th May 2026 21:29 BST
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7th May 2026 14:34 BST
Welcome to the Royal Automobile Club Bridge Circle - Pall Mall
Centenary Cup Match Report

Monday 18 May, saw 9 teams of 8 competed for the 2026 Centenary Cup, including guests from 5 clubs whom we regularly play in the inter club matches. At the midway point, after 12 boards, the MCC were neck and neck with Hurlingham Peacocks with the 3 RAC teams in mid table. However, the very interesting hands proved more helpful to our opponents in the final 12 as the two Pall Mall teams, Red and Blue, drifted ever downwards finishing in 7th and 8th places beating the Cumberland Club into last place a mere 1 imp away. Woodcote Park finished mid table in 5th place just ahead of the 2025 winners Phyllis Court. The Roehampton Club cruised through the field but were unable to catch the eventual winners the MCC with the two Hurlingham teams Peacocks and Hearts finishing a credible 3rd and 4th.

The Centenary Cup competition started in 2011 to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the RAC purchasing its wonderful building in Pall Mall. The bridge competition has been played 15 times missing only one year in 2020 due to the pandemic. Over that period Pall Mall has won on 6 occasions, including the first 4 years from 2011 to 2014, and until this year no other Club had won it more than once. The MCC are clearly on a roll, admittedly with the inclusion of 3 RAC members and one RAC candidate among their 8 MCC members, as they are now two times winners. The other clubs to have won comprise Phyllis Court, Saville, Hurlingham, Roehampton, Reform, Oxford & Cambridge and the Lansdowne Club.

Howard Wand represented the Bridge Committee in organising the event, which was managed by Victor and Gitte during the afternoon and evening incredibly efficiently and Orlando and his banqueting team carried out their tasks during the post match dinner with their usual calm assurance we enjoy so often. It was a successful event enjoyed by all as demonstrated by the kind words spoken by so many of the guest team captains.

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


Match report by Michael Bailey 
 
Last updated : 20th May 2026 21:29 BST
Comment
RAC PALL MALL NEWSLETTER MAY 2026
ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB

PALL MALL BRIDGE COMMITTEE
 

 MAY NEWSLETTER

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

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.
 

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.

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.

    RATINGS UPDATE

NGS RATING

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.

UPCOMING MATCHES
    CUMBERLAND CLUB

WEDNESDAY 13 MAY

Team:
Pralab Barua/David Wilson
Michael Bailey/David Mannooch
Nigel Clayton/Geoff Lane
Rita Skinner/David Bruce

Match Captain: Pralab Barua

  
    CENTENARY CUP

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

 

MATCH REPORTS
  METROPOLITAN  CLUB, WASHINGTON DC

SATURDAY 11 APRIL

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
    RAC UPSTAIRS/DOWNSTAIRS

MONDAY 20 APRIL

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
    ROYAL INTERNATIONAL CLUB, CHATEAU SAINT-ANNE

MONDAY 27 APRIL

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

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.
 

    PALL MALL

SUPERVISED BRIDGE DATES

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.
  • 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
  
  • 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

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! 
 

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.

    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

 

Best Wishes
Pall Mall Bridge Committee

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© ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB 2026
Last updated : 12th May 2026 12:49 BST
Comment
Teams for January to July 2026 RAC inter club Matches

 

RAC v Phoenix at the RAC (Stewart Room)

15.00 for 15.30 on Wednesday 21 January

Michael Bailey (Captain)/David Mannooch

Lester Pereira/Nigel Clayton

Paul Found/Sally Found

Antonia Muir/Pauli Laumen

Lost -2

 

RAC v MCC at Lords cricket ground

16.00 for 16.30 on Wednesday 4 February

Lester Pereira (Captain)/Paul Weston

Andrew Kisiel/Brigitte Kisiel

Sally Found/Paul Found

Trevor Southam/Mark Alcock

Won +55

 

RAC v Athenaeum at the Athenaeum Club

18.00 for 18.30 on Wednesday 11 February

David Owen (Captain)/Pauli Laumen

Mark Alcock/Brigitte Kisiel

Robin Kilborn/Andrea Geser

Paul Mainwaring/Yvonne Rogers

Won +4

 

RAC v AELTC at the RAC (Terrace Room)

15.30 for 16.00 on Wednesday 18 February

Paul Found (Captain)/Sally Found

Pascale Hakim/John Craggs

Nigel Clayton/Mark Alcock

Lissa Gillott/Oliver Wand

Lost -59

 

 

RAC v Queen’s at Queen’s Club

16.30 for 17.00 on Wednesday 25 March

David Wilson (Captain)/Trevor Southam

John Craggs/Pascale Hakim

David Owen/Fiona McWatters

Anne Rands/Harvey Rands

Lost -50

 

Triangular Cup at the Hurlingham Club

15.30 for 16.00 on Monday 30 March

/Ina Wolf/Sally Found

Michael Bailey/Pauli Laumen

David Wilson/Pearse Elder

Howard Wand/Robin Kilborn

2nd to Roehampton

 

RAC v Metropolitan Club Washington at the RAC (Committee Room)

14.00 for 14.30 on Saturday 11 April

Pralab Barua/Howard Salter

Andrew Kisiel/Brigitte Kisiel

Paul Found/Sally Found

Andrea Geser/David Wilson (Captain)

Nigel Clayton/Pearse Elder

Ivaylo Valev/Xiaoyu Valev

Trevor Southam/David Owen: playing for Met Club

Won +170

 

Upstairs/Downstairs match in the Terrace Room

18.00 on Monday 20 April

David Owen (Captain)/Pauli Laumen

Ivaylo Valev/Xiaoyu Valev

Sandy Jones/Mike Hammond

Anne Rands/Harvey Rands

Downstairs won

 

RAC v Club Int. CSA at Club Int. CSA Brussels

14.30 for 15.00 on Monday 27 April

Lester Pereira (Captain)/Nigel Clayton

Howard Salter/Pralab Barua

Ivaylo Valev/Xiaoyu Valev

Antonia Muir/David Bruce

Won +55

 

 

RAC v Cumberland at the RAC (Stewart Room)

16.00 for 16.30 on Wednesday 13 May

Pralab Barua (Captain)/David Wilson

Michael Bailey/David Mannooch

Nigel Clayton/Geoff Lane

Rita Skinner/David Bruce

Reserves: Pauli Laumen, Harvey Rands, Anne Rands

 

Centenary Cup at the RAC (Mountbatten Room)

14.00 for 14.30 on Monday 18 May

RED TEAM

Michael Bailey (Captain)/David Mannooch

Paul Weston/Marina CP

Paul Found/Sally Found

Howard Salter/Robin Kilborn

 

BLUE TEAM

Pearse Elder (Captain)/Rita Skinner

Pauli Laumen/Ina Wolf

Trevor Southam/John Kemball

Howard Wand/Andrea Geser

Reserves: Mike Hammond

 

RAC v ACF at the ACF Paris

Friday 5 June

Howard Salter (Captain)/Pralab Barua

Andrew Kisiel/Brigitte Kisiel

Michael Bailey/Andrea Geser

Howard Wand/Oliver Wand

John Craggs/Pascale Hakim

Trevor Southam/David Owen

Reserve: Pearse Elder

 

 

RAC v Le Cercle at Le Cercle Paris

Sunday 7 June

Howard Salter/Pralab Barua

Andrew Kisiel/Brigitte Kisiel

Michael Bailey/Andrea Geser

Howard Wand (Captain)/Oliver Wand

John Craggs/Pascale Hakim

Trevor Southam/David Owen

Reserve: Pearse Elder

 

RAC v Hurlingham at the Hurlingham Club

16.00 for 16.30 on Monday 15 June

Michael Bailey (Captain)/Robin Kilborn

Nigel Clayton/Geoff Lane

John Craggs/Pascale Hakim

Sally Found/Paul Found

Lissa Gillott/Oliver Wand

David Bruce/Mike Hammond

Reserves: Pauli Laumen, David Bruce

 

RAC v Roehampton at the RAC (Stewart Room)

16.00 for 16.30 on Tuesday 30 June

Michael Bailey (Captain)/David Mannooch

Marina Channing Pearce/Paul Weston

David Wilson/Brigitte Kisiel

John Kemball/David Owen

Reserves: Sally Found, Paul Found, Pauli Laumen

 

RAC v New Club at the RAC (Stewart/Terrace Room)

14.00 for 14.30 on Saturday 18 July

David Owen (Captain)/Rita Skinner

Lester Pereira/Nigel Clayton

Paul Found/Sally Found

Paul Mainwaring/Yvonne Rogers

Ivaylo Valev/Xiaoyu Valev

Mike Hammond/Sandy Jones

Reserve: David Bruce

 

RAC v Phyllis Court at the RAC (Terrace Room)

10.30 for 11.00 on Tuesday 28 July

Lester Pereira (Captain)/Marina Chaning Pearce

Andrew Kisiel/Paul Weston

David Mannooch/Pearse Elder

Pascale Hakim/Pauli Laumen

Reserves: John Craggs, Brigitte Kisiel
Last updated : 12th May 2026 12:48 BST
Comment
Results
Mon 18th May 2026
Centenary Cup Teams of 8
Thu 14th May 2026
FACE TO FACE DUPLICATE
Mon 11th May 2026
11 May Supervised Play
Thu 7th May 2026
FACE TO FACE DUPLICATE
Calendar
Thu 21st May 2026
FACE TO FACE DUPLICATE
6.45pm
Thu 28th May 2026
FACE TO FACE DUPLICATE
6.45pm
Thu 4th Jun 2026
FACE TO FACE DUPLICATE
6.45pm
Thu 11th Jun 2026
FACE TO FACE DUPLICATE
6.45pm
Tony's Hand of the Week
Tony's Hand of the Week

As many of you know our friend Tony sadly passed away a few weeks ago.  I don't want to remove Tony's hand of the week as he put so much hard work into these hands each week, and it was a pleasure to help him load them onto Bridge Webs.  So for the time being I am leaving this here for you all to look at and enjoy!

Fiona

 
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