Firstly, before anything else, I must apologise for the lack of a recent newsletter. As
many of you who know me well will know our family have had, as our late Queen
once stated an ‘annus horribilis’. I must therefore sincerely thank the Woodcote
Bridge Circle Committee for their support and dedication over the last few months.
They have brilliantly kept ‘the ship afloat’ and have ensured that our dinners,
lunches, Chicago afternoons, Matches, Golf and Bridge Matches plus Duplicate
evenings have all taken place and run to plan. Whilst I have been around, I have
been somewhat distracted and unable to join in as often as I would have liked to do.
We are indeed very fortunate to have such a supportive committee. Thank you all.
As an update, since my early Summer Newsletter, we have had several lovely
memorable events including the Summer Social and the Chicago Lunch, both of
which were very well attended by Members and Member’s guests. Throughout the
year we have continued to hold the usual annual competitions including the Munns
Memorial Cup, the Woodcote Bridge Circle Bridge and Golf Competition, the
Chicago with Friends Silver Salver and the Centenary Cup plus more recently a
Teams Evening. The winners are as follows:
(Prizes will be presented at the Winter Social on Monday 11 th December 2023.)

Munns Memorial Trophy – Mike Blythe and Peter Cox

Woodcote Circle Bridge & Golf Competition – Stuart Mann and Henry McWatters

Deeley Handicap Cup - Heather Petrie and Ursula Wright

Chicago Bridge with Friends Silver Salver - Julian and Elizabeth Bishop

Teams Championship - Nigel & Heather Matthew, Sally & Paul Found

Centenary Cup – Marina Channing Pearce & Tony Scouller

Congratulations all!

The Woodcote Bridge Committee have also arranged for Woodcote Bridge Members  a number of Bridge Matches and Golf/Bridge Matches. See News for the results. 

Bridge Classes
I am more than delighted to report that we have been able to continue offering RAC members organised Bridge Classes at Woodcote. The classes are held on a
Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon from 5pm until 7pm.
Sue Jackson, our popular tutor, welcomed in September a record number of forty-eight students! The classes form two groups of twenty-four, Beginners and
Intermediates. On 6th January the classes will recommence with places offered initially to those wishing to continue the Beginners Class and those wishing to
continue improving their bridge in the Intermediate Class.
It is just possible that in the New Year we may have a couple of spaces particularly in the Intermediate Group. Please do contact
Karolina.Delig@royalautomobileclub.co.uk if you would like to join in either class.
(Please note that without a little bridge knowledge if may be difficult to now join in the Beginners class as this class is one term into the three-term course.)
Monday Evening Duplicate Bridge
The excellent news is, that post covid, our playing table numbers are increasing. We
continue to welcome our member students who have completed the bridge courses
at Woodcote. Our students are venturing into new territory, they are our Bridge
Circle’s future, so it is up to us the Woodcote Bridge Circle, to welcome them, to
encourage them and to be patient. I can remember (many moons ago) my own first
venture into the world of Duplicate bridge. It was daunting and, for new players, it
still is! My motto now is to always remember what it was like to delve into a room full
of experienced bridge players and so to be kind and supportive to all of our new
players, please follow suit. I know you do which is why our bridge circle is so
popular, enjoyable, competitive and above all friendly.

Bridge News
Bidding Boxes - We have purchased for your use new bidding boxes. They are
slightly different in that they are of a different style and shape. The new boxes stack
well and take less storage space hence the change. Please look after them and
make sure that when you put them away at the end of the evening all the bidding
cards are complete and inside their box. We have many odd bidding cards in the
storage boxes which have got left out of their original bidding box. It is time
consuming to find the relevant box and match it with the missing card. It is also
expensive to replace incomplete sets due to the appropriate missing card being lost.
Plastic table numbers - It is an interesting but strange fact that often our plastic table
numbers disappear. This is why at the end of the evening you may notice the
Director very quickly collecting the plastic table numbers from the tables before you
leave. To help the committee should your plastic number not have been collected
could you kindly place it on ‘Nigel’s’ desk by the computer as you leave. Please do
not place the plastic table numbers in the black boxes as they are quickly lost.
The EBU have updated the ‘alert’ rules. To be fully aware and updated it is
advisable to visit the EBU website - click here for the link. I found it useful to print off a copy of the document
and to have it hand as a reminder of the new rules.

Bridgewebs
The Committee are hoping that by now you are all familiar with Bridgewebs. It is a
great source of information. All bridge ‘Results’ for RAC Woodcote can be found
there along with other information including dates for your diary plus also ‘Find a
Partner’. I encourage everyone to use this facility as it is a simple way of identifying a
partner without many phone calls and emails. Should you find yourself without a
partner on a Monday evening please do look to see if there is another member
looking for a partner.
Alan Torry, our committee member guru, is the expert. Alan is your contact if you
have any difficulty in using the site. I believe one or two members have had difficulty
registering on the site, do ask Alan on a Monday evening to help you. If you are not
already registered Alan will register you in order that you may use the facility. We
are currently considering going paperless so in the future all the ‘hand records’ and
Results will be held within Bridgewebs.

Winter Social – Monday 11 th December
Time has simply flown by. Events have been taking bookings for some-time. If you have not already booked, then do so quickly as the Event is quickly becoming
booked. It is the highlight of the Woodcote Bridge Circle year and not to be missed!
Andrew Robson – Thursday 22 nd February 2024
Events will open bookings during December.
That’s probably just about enough from me now! I look forward to seeing you around the bridge table and especially at our Winter Social!
Just in case I miss you, I take this early opportunity of wishing everyone a Very Happy Christmas and Healthy New Year. How this year has flown by!
With best wishes and kindest regards to all.
Angela
Angela Reid
Chair – Woodcote Bridge Circle

The programme of matches for 2022 

  RAC Pall Mall - Away - Wednesday 18 May - 1pm light lunch (no charge) then 24 friendly boards. Woodcote Park lost this year. 

  Guildford – Golf & Bridge Away – Friday 10 June. 4 tee times from 9.30am. RAC lost the golf and drew on the bridge.

  Roehampton – Home – Wednesday 20 July - Start time 4.30pm and Supper at 7.30pm. RAC lost.

  Burhill - Golf and Bridge Home - Friday 22nd July, 6 tee times from 9.20am, lunch 19th, Bridge  4.00-7.00pm. RAC won both the golf and bridge.

  Tandridge - Golf and Bridge Home - Thursday 4th August, 6 tee times from 9.20am, lunch 19th, Bridge in Derby Room 4.00-7.00pm - Postponed

  Effingham - Golf and Bridge Home - Friday 12 August, 4 tee times from 9.30am, late lunch 19th, Bridge in Oaks Room ending by 6.30pm. RAC won the golf and the bridge.

  Golf and Bridge Pairs Tournament - Thursday 25th August, tee times from 9.10am. The golf was rained off so the bridge was followed by a leisurely lunch.

  Roehampton – Away – Thursday 8th September – RAC again lost despite fielding a good team

  Kingswood – Home – Wednesday 21st September – RAC won two halves and lost two halves, but lost on IMPs overall.

  Royal Mid-Surrey - Away - Wednesday 12th October, after a light lunch at 1.00pm. RAC lost.

  Kingswood - Away - Wednesday 11th November, friendly league warm-up. RAC won.

There was a very limited programme of matches for 2021. These were:-

  Friday 14 May - Internal Golf and Bridge - won by Mike Blythe and June Hill

  Thursday 22 July -  away versus Roehampton - bridge and supper -RAC lost

  Thursday 9 September-  home versus Roehampton - bridge and supper - RAC won

  Friday 17 September - Internal Golf and Bridge - won by Stuart and Pauline Knee

  Wednesday 22 September - away versus Royal Mid Surrey - 2.00-2.15 start + afternoon tea

  Wednesday 13 October -  home versus Pall Mall - 2pm start + afternoon tea - won by Woodcote Park

The Bridge Winter Social at Woodcote Park was well attended and even after an excellent meal, and a fair smattering of drink, there were still 25 tables playing Chicago bridge. Was this a record?

Chairman Angela Reid presented the various prizes and thanked Sue Forbes-Wilson for organising the event.

• 

  Cup Winners 2022
• 

  More Winners
• 

  Past and present Chairmen

The Woodcote Bridge Circle held their Winter Social this week on a very wintery evening when snow and frost covered the ground.  Despite the outside conditions over 90 members of the Bridge Circle met and enjoyed a very warm and jolly evening.  We had a superb three course Christmas Dinner in the Cedar Room and were able to play Chicago bridge after coffee and mince pies were served in the Lounge.  The staff as if by magic had turned an elegant dining room, where we had been served dinner, into a room for bridge where 23 bridge tables were quickly set out for us to continue our evening playing Chicago bridge.  Altogether a happy evening in good company with lovely food and wine.

The winners of the cups were - 

Joyce Munn Pairs cup  = Jo Stein and Karin Goodway

Deeley Cup, Handicap Pairs = Mark Pattinson and John Bligh

Chicago with Friends silver salver = Sue Forbes-Wilson and John Lovesey

Centenary Pairs Cup = Marina Channing and Tony Scouller – a remarkable 62.08%

Golf and Bridge Cup = Terry Hornet and Dick Stratton 

Congratulations to the winners of the Munns Pairs Trophy, held on 24th May - Mike Blythe & Peter Cox. The cup will be presented at the  Winter Social

The Woodcote Park Bridge Circle welcomed back Andrew Robson on 23rd February 2023. Andrew has not visited Woodcote Park since prior to lock-down. 

Over 120 Members plus their Guests arrived by 10:00am to enjoy a day’s Bridge tuition where Andrew focused on conventional 2 club bids, responder bids and the increased value of "golden cards". Lunch was served at mid-day when Members were able to mingle and socialise with fellow bridge circle members and guests. The day finished around 3:30pm when we were able to confirm that we had raised over £3,060 for the Royal Marsden Hospital plus two collection buckets which have been sealed and passed on to the Marsden for them to count. Over several years Woodcote Bridge Circle has raised over £20,000 for this very worthy charity and we thank you all for your support. We have booked Andrew Robson again on 22nd February 2024.

Tuesday 29th October 2019 v Royal Wimbledon   Away     5pm start    Won 8 - 2

Thursday 7th November 2019 v Kingswood         Home     6pm start    Won 10 - 0

Wednesday 11th December 2019 v Epsom          Home     6pm start    Won 10 - 0

Tuesday 4th February 2020 v Woodcote Park       Away      6pm start    Won  10 - 0