The club's Christmas American Supper is on Saturday 18th December (6.45 for 7.00 p.m). Unfortunately, it will be limited to a maximum of 7 tables due to the Covid screens. The usual format is that each pair brings food to share and a prize so please liaise with your partner! Mince pies will be provided by the club so use your imagination for the food. We will need to know numbers so please "book early" so as not to be disappointed by contacting Janet & David Drinkwater (phone 01543 579615 or email). Due to Covid limitations (screens on tables), the traditional club supper on a club night will not take place this year.

At the recent Committee Meeting, those present were keen to continue building up the face-to-face sessions at the Club, and to encourage all Club members to support the Club as actively as possible through these sessions.

Accordingly we have decided that the BCL online session on Mondays in our private room will cease after Monday 3rd January. For the time being, the Friday online session in our private room will continue, partly in view of some members' understandable hesitations about travelling to and from the Club in winter in the dark. We envisage that the Friday sessions will continue online until Friday 4th March, after which the BCL private room will no longer be available.

Regarding the Christmas holiday period, the Club premises will be closed after Wednesday 23rd December. Sessions at the Club will resume on Tuesday 4th January. The first face-to-face Monday session after Christmas will therefore be on January 10th.

With the Committee's Christmas greetings, and best wishes for an enjoyable bridge-filled 2022.

Michael Metcalf
Chair, Stafford Bridge Club

Robin's Thursday morning popular lessons for intermediates are going strong and now the Friday morning lessons for improvers have also restarted (19/11/21). The Thursday lessons often take the form of playing hands from a recent club session such that a minimum of 12 pupils is needed for the lesson to be viable. Please contact Robin if you would like to attend so that he can organise an exact number of tables.  The hand shown here is hand 6 from the lesson on  18th November,  The bidding has gone

what should you, as East, now bid?  What would you understand West's 5♣ bid to indicate?

Have you a hand to send to Robin for his new new "Agony Uncle" page!  

Robin has produced plenty of material for the website, including one on Splinter bids, Gambling 3NT, CRO, Redoubles, Trial Bids, Jacoby and his all time most read page on McKenny signals and Discards.

Summary of his latest lessons can be seen here with links to the individual lessons.

Beginner's Lessons.

Some interest has been shown in starting a beginner's course in the New Year.  Please contact Ann (01785 822233) if you would like to join the group and suggest a suitable time/day when you would be available.

In addition BCL are looking to introduce a new virtual club for EBU members as clubs reopen.  One Stafford member gave this a very successful  trial run at the morning session on Tuesday 31st August, the Tuesday morning sessions are the only sessions apparently up and running so far..

Bridge Club Live is the online favourite Stafford Bridge Club Members are invited to use to enjoy the on line club activities, to get going click here to see the basics and here for general information.

2021 EBU Master Point Promotions

4 Star Premier Master (25,000 MPs including 1000+ Green points)

• P Allen

Premier Master (5,000 MPs including 1000+ Green points)

• E Watterson

1 Star Master (10,000 MPs)

• R Woodward

Advanced Master (7,500 MPs)

• P Allen
• R Jessop

Master (5,000 MPs)

• A Sleightholme

County Master (2,500 MPs)

• S Clarke

District Master (1,000 MPs)

• S Lister

Area Master (500 MPs)

• C Russell

For information source see EBU website.  See also the leader board.