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Rutland & Oakham Bridge Club
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9th Sep 2026 21:42 BST
Bulletin
9th Sep 2026 14:33 BST
Online Beginner Course
5th Sep 2026 15:02 BST
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26th Jul 2026 16:25 BST
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Bulletin

Please encourage your friends and neighbours to join our Beginners Course

We are a social club

We aim to welcome and treat new players and visitors as if a guest in the home. 

We expect politeness at all times and for members to make play enjoyable for themselves, their partner and the opponents. We hope everyone who plays will save badgering, haranguing or negative comments for another occasion. In time, all new members will be expected to understand the Club's standards for table conduct. However, this expectation does not extend to established members supervising observance in others, which is the strict preserve of the session Director. The summary of Table Conduct, adapted from the EBU, can be found by clicking here.

Please click here to obtain a summary of the EBU summary for announcements and alerts. Please be tolerant if opponents alert when they should announce and announce when they shouldn't.

Privacy Policy

Rutland and Oakham Bridge Club's Privacy Policy complies with current government legislation and can be found by clicking here. Please read it and let the Secretary know if you do not wish your name and contact details to be used as described.

Rutland and Oakham Bridge Club Health and Safety

The Club is committed to the safety of its players. The Club's Health and Safety Policy is a balance between what hazards exist, the free spirits that comprise the membership and how a responsible Club will operate. You can find the policy and an assessment of risks by clicking here

Welcome to Rutland & Oakham Bridge Club
Welcome and contacts
Welcome and contacts

 

Welcome to the website of Rutland and Oakham Bridge Club. 

Secretary and all enquiries: Tony Lochery (tonylochery@yahoo.co.uk) 

Chairman: Richard Merriman (richardjmerriman@yahoo.co.uk) (above)

Treasurer: Paul Collins                     (paul.collins0759@gmail.com)

We play at the King Centre in Oakham, and the location can be found in the Information tab. If you are not a member and wish to play, please contact the Secretary in advance of arrival. The Club schedule is:

Monday Social Learning 0915 for 0930
Monday Gentle Duplicate 1315 for 1330
Tuesday Competitive Duplicate 1845 for 1900
Wednesday Chicago 1315 for 1330
Wednesday Gentle Duplicate 1845 for 1900
Thursday Gentle Duplicate 1315 for 1330
Friday Competitive Duplicate 1315 for 1330

 

 

 

 

 

Standards of Play and the Role of the Director

1.        Players should call the Director as soon as a problem arises. Everyone should work together to find a fair outcome. 

2.        Nobody should expect the Director to know all laws by heart. If the Director cannot make a ruling at ‘first pass’, they can and should refer to the EBU flowcharts or the Yellow Book both by the Director’s desk.  If the Director is playing, the Director must not make a ruling at their own table. They should call another experienced player, and if this is not possible, follow the procedure at 3 below.

3.        If a player is unhappy with a Director’s ruling, or there is still uncertainty, the player may ‘reserve their rights’. A written note should be made at the time to avoid reliance on memory. At the end of the session, the player can ask for three senior club members to assemble and decide an appeal. If this cannot happen, a call can be made to the Play Director (Tony Ross) whose contact number is kept in 'The Wallet'.

4.        Before a score can be corrected, the Director must be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that it is wrong. In situations where players cannot remember or cannot agree what has happened, the original score as entered will stand. A Director may not change an entered score without the agreement of the table.

5.        Players and directors must maintain a courteous attitude at all times. Both should avoid saying anything that might annoy or embarrass another player or interfere with the enjoyment of the game. 

6.        The Club will use these two EBU policies, which can accessed by clicking here.

Recent EBU masterpoint promotions (last 6 months)

July 2026

Michael Gromett: promoted to a District Master
Anne Ivory:  promoted to a Local Master
John Harvey:  promoted to a Local Master

June 2026

Paul Collins promoted to a 4 Star Premier Master

April 2026

Paul Collins: promoted to a 4 Star Master

March 2026

Carolyn Hynes: promoted to an Area Master

 

Beginner Course 2027

The details of the 2027 Beginner can be found by clicking here. We are offering a face to face morning course, which will consist of 2 sessions per week, one teaching and one practice. Second, a predominantly online evening course, which will again consist of 2 sessions per week. Both courses will start on January 11th 2027 and run for 10 weeks. If you would like to register interest, please reply using the box below. 

Trial NGS Below 8 Graded Gentle Competitive Session

On Monday 28th September 1845 for 1900, there will be a FREE session for those interested in hearing about EBU grading. The first 15-20 minutes will be an explanation of what EBU grading is about (you can also find an explanation by clicking here), why members might be interested and what the day/time options are going forward. We will then have an 18 Board session, which will be graded assuming more than 12 players. You must come with a partner. This is a trial only and members must not assume that monday nights will be the day/time going forward. No need to reserve a place.

Rutland Teams Shield

September 8th - Round 1. Congratulations to Rosemary Clifton, Chris Rees, Anne Ivory and John Harvey who won the opening round of the new teams competition. Over the coming rounds, if you would like to track the progress of the different teams, you can click on the Menu Tab on the left hand side of this home page, titled "Rutland Teams Shield". Team members can access some tactics for Team competitions by clicking here.

Training Programme 2027

We are in the process of planning the training programme for 2027:

Beginners: January to March

Continuation: Likely to be May to July

Intermediate: Likely to be September to December

If you would like to register interest, email Tony on tonylochery@yahoo.co.uk

Chicago Bridge

Wednesday Chicago session, please arrive on Wednesdays at 1315 for a 1330 start. Any queries, please contact Jill Harris on jill.harris742@gmail.com

Monday Mornings - Social learning

The Monday morning session is 'Bid and Discuss' - a comparison of bidding and play to other club members who played the same hands in a previous session. Discussion during and after bidding and play is encouraged.

Each table sets its own pace. No booking is required, the session is hosted so you can come without a partner, though partnerships are preferred. The table fee will be £3.

Gentle Duplicate

Gentle Duplicate is played on Mondays (18 boards, 1315 for 1330 start, finish around 1600), Thursdays (18 boards, 1315 for 1330 start, finish around 1600) and Wednesdays (15 boards, 1845 for 1900 start finish around 2130). In Gentle Duplicate, we generally have 4-6 tables. The sessions are not EBU accredited and are aimed at those who enjoy duplicate without the pressure of fully competitive play. The sessions are hosted, which means you can come without a partner and be guaranteed to play.

Competitive Duplicate

Competitive Duplicate is played on Tuesday evenings (1845 for 1900 start, finish around 2200) and Friday afternoons (1315 for 1330 start, finish around 1615). We generally have 4 to 6 tables at each session and play 21-24 boards. The sessions are EBU accredited and masterpoints are awarded. 

Calendar
15th September 2026
Competitive Duplicate
1845 for 1900
Director: Tony Ross
16th September 2026
Wednesday Chicago
1315 for 1330
Director: Jill Harris
16th September 2026
Gentle Duplicate
1845 for 1900
Director: Tony Lochery
Results
Competitive Duplicate
Director: Paul Collins
Gentle Duplicate
Director: Tony Lochery
Gentle Duplicate
Director: Trevor Burns