"We would like to thank all our friends at Stafford Bridge Club for the card and very generous garden token to mark our Diamond wedding anniversary. It is much appreciated. Janet & David"

Keen readers of the EBU’s monthly magazine English Bridge may already have spotted the article in the latest (February) edition, page 22, “Love for the Director”. We heartily commend this very pertinent article to every member. It contains some simple tips for showing appreciation towards those who direct our duplicate sessions. Let’s see if we can put these tips into practice!

Please remember that, regrettably, the club now only has six TDs who currently cover three venues and also set up the computer laptop and submit the results to the website and EBU. Any discourteousness exhibited both during play and to the TD will not only discourage the TD to continue but also not encourage others to take on this role. Without TDs the bridge club would cease to remain affiliated to the EBU.

This is a useful moment to remind everyone of their responsibilities at the table during a session. At the start of each new round, ensure that the right player is identified as North for that round. North is then responsible for ensuring that the correct opponents and the correct boards are in place. North enters the declarer and contract into the tablet. At the end of a board, the result must first be agreed by all at the table. North then enters the result, which the opponents check and agree. North ensures that the cards are returned correctly into the right pockets in the empty board.

The EBU is introducing a new service for members, by which members will receive an email after each game submitted to the EBU within 3 days of play provided the EBU has a current email address for them. This email will include both their results and information on master points awarded, NGS impact, and other statistics such as how many times they have played and how their performance compares with others at the same club. It is a fun and friendly email and the EBU congratulate all players regardless of how well they score. Stafford Bridge Club has opted in to this new system; members can individually opt out via "Account" button on myEBU page.

Stafford members, Robin and Dave, were in the SSCBA team selected to take part in the Tollemache Qualifier on RealBridge played over the weekend 9th-10th November 2024.  The Tollemache is the national inter-county teams-of-eight tournament.

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Wishing all members a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

NB There will be no SBC bridge sessions at Haling Dene and Holmcroft throughout the Christmas and New Year period from Sat 20th Dec until Friday 3rd Jan but there are extra events at Tixall

Normal sessions resume at all venues from Monday Jan 6th.

Pictures, with many thanks to camara lady Rose, show Friday players who got the club festive events  underway at Holmcroft on the thirteenth and the prize winners at the lesson party on 19th December click here for Robin's commentary on the hands and here for the results.  Note no master points for this fun party event.

ECATS “Children in Need” fund-raising week 11th-15th November

Children in Need Interim report. The following cash donations were collected during the Children in Need week

• :Monday 11th November £86
• Tuesday 12th £77
• Thursday 14th £13.50
• Friday 15th £22 (Tixall and Holmcroft combined) 

I will round the total up to £200, and pay this into the Club account. Several other donations have also been made by credit transfer directly into the Club account. Further donations may continue to be made similarly, tagged "Children in Need", over the next few days. The final composite total raised will be forwarded to the Charity and the amount reported to Club members. Members are warmly thanked for their generous response to this annual fund-raising initiative.

Michael Metcalf, Chair 

Stafford took part in the Simultaneous Pairs ECATS event on Tuesday 12th November with the session at Haling Dene.  Many thanks to David for directing.  There was a mis-click on a tablet when scoring board 8, internet problems delayed correcting for a few hours this is the corrected result. Best placed Stafford pair were Alan and Michael .with 72% at Haling Dene, as at 1 p.m, Thursday 14th with results from 1297 pairs collated by ECATs Michael and Alan were 110th overall with 60.28%.  second at Stafford were Beryl and Adrienne with overall 52.36%, Robin and Dave were third at Stafford but overall higher ranked with 54.16%.  Results still coming in so overall positions could to change  a little.  The commentary is available to down load CiN 2024 Tuesday commentary (pdf).

Our Club has a tradition of supporting this ECATS initiative generously and willingly.. No table money was charged for this session, but participants were requested to bring CASH and to donate to Children in Need at the session, with a donation of at least £3 per person in mind.

At the other sessions during the week, members will be charged the normal table money in the usual way, but will have the opportunity to make a CASH donation at the session as well.

Members may also make donations at other times, by cash given to a Club office-holder, or by credit transfer directly into the Club account, tagged “Children in Need”. This should be done within the next two weeks or so.

Members are encouraged once again to give their support to this important and worthwhile charity and ECATS initiative.

Michael Metcalf
Chair, SBC

Some experimentation of moving the desktop computer eventually meant tablets appeared to function but too late for them to be used, Board 14 had to be averaged as error made at some point with the cards,

The Club's AGM, followed by a "farewell party" with light refreshments and then by the normal Tuesday duplicate session which was very well attended.  (Click to read the chair's report)

A great evening to finish nearly 50 years at the show ground, a good turn out of regular players and one or two who don't attend so often on a Friday.  Please report to  Ann asap if your score card does not agree with online results shown,  the tablets had already gone to Haling Dene so travellers were the order of the day!.   

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The club’s last American Supper at the showground was celebrated in style on Saturday 16th March 2024, A good turn out and, as you can see from David's pictures, a wonderful spread of food.

The EBU Combined Premier Life, Life, National and Regional Masters Pairs competition was played  on RealBridge over two days, 57 boards on Saturday 24th and  48 boards on Sunday 25th February,  Robin and Dave finished top of the Life Master section on Saturday  averaging +1.2 but dropped down to 5th place in the combined Saturday and Sunday result with an overall average score of  +0.39 in the Life Master section.  Many congratulations both.

An Open Meeting was held for all Club members on Wednesday 17^th January at the Club, in the light of the Landlord's decision not to renew our lease after it expires on 30^th June 2024.    Michael has visited a number of possible new venues, watch this space for more news. First mention of the club being at the showground can be seen in "as once we were, bulletin No 3 77-78".  The club has moved around various areas within the showground complex during that time including the room upstairs in the grandstand building.

With sim pairs the top pair at the club is not necessarily the highest ranking of the club players in the overall combined list. For example on Monday Pat A and Steve were top at the club but when the results from all participating clubs combined Robin and Gary were higher placed overall, in fact just a little ahead of Liz and Pat M. who were equal fourth at the club. No Stafford pairs made it to the ECats leader boards.

The following sessions are taking/have taken part in the ECATs Children in Need sim pairs. 

• Monday 6th November (as at 5 p.m.12/11/23 after results for 1947 pairs playing at 126 clubs best overall placed Stafford pair Robin and Gary with 56.25% st Stafford and 58.43% overall,) Click for commentary.
• Tuesday 7th November (as at 5 p.m.12/11/23  after results for 1466 pairs playing at 101 clubs best overall placed Stafford pair Robin and Dave with 60% st Stafford and 57.87% overall,) Click for commentary.
• Thursday 9th November (as at 5 p.m.12/11/23  after results for 1486 pairs playing at 98 clubs best overall placed Stafford pair Steve and Liz with 56.25% st Stafford and 64.55% overall,) Click for commentary.
• Friday 10th November (as at 11:20 a.m.15/11/23  after results for 818 pairs playing at 49 clubs best overall placed Stafford pair Clive & Nick with 61.50% st Stafford and 61.54% overall,) Click for commentary.

The same as last year, the club will not be collecting table money, but we expect players to contribute at least the £3.00 table money they would have paid every time they play that week, 6th - 10th November.  Payment to Steve by 12th November (Bank Transfer) if at all possible.  We will not be sending out September/October monthly bills until after we have finished receiving Children-in-Need donations.

Last year ECATs raised total of £60,678.43 which included the £675.86 raised by Stafford members, This year Steve  sent  a total of £711.25 (total money marked as Children in Need paid to the club account before 24th November) to ECATs and a member sent £10  direct making a total of £721.25 donated by Stafford members for the Children in Need sim pairs in 2023.  "That’s just amazing Steve, thank you so so much!  All the best, Anna"

31st  August end of year party celebration  A very enjoyable event, just look at the smiles in the pictures!  A well organised group, exactly 4 tables, managed to play 15 out of the 18 prepared boards. Many, many thanks to Robin for all the hard work on the day and throughout the year.  Many thanks also to second in command, Terry, who not only helped throughout the year but also prepared 4 sets of boards for the party (to ensure no sharing necessary) and looked after the scoring.  Thanks too to Pat and Nicky for organising the spread in the kitchen and thanks to all the players who contributed to the food, drinks and prizes.  All in all a fun event, click here for the results. 

If anyone would like a copy of any of the pictures larger versions are available either from Steve or Ann. 

Several hands went up for taking part the Shelley handicapped teams competition in the coming season which was very encouraging following the Lesson Teams practice

The Thursday 20th April 2023 lesson had practice teams session. 4 teams playing 24? boards at a good speed but in such a way that no sharing of boards was required which floored the scoring program for the tablets!  Terry scored by hand from the travellers and then applied handicaps.  Two more teams sessions have been run on May 4th(18 boards) and May 11th(24 boards), both times with success for the tablets! Un-handicapped results can be seen on an experimental results page along with the April 20th handicapped scores.

At the lesson party 31st August several hands went up to take part in the Shelley this coming season showing experiment worked well.

Ten pairs from Stone Bridge Club visited our Club for a friendly bridge match with ten pairs from our own members on Wednesday 19th July 2023.  This is the first for four years or so of what used to be an annual fixture. The very successful social occasion was enjoyed by all, with much good bridge, and it brought great credit to the Club. Our warmest thanks go to David Drinkwater for organising and directing the event, and to Janet Drinkwater and helpers for the ample refreshments which were generously given and hospitably provided. Also, many thanks to the Club members who supported the match and welcomed our visitors - and even allowed them to win!

Many thanks, David, for the post match pictures of the winning Stone team.and the winning Stafford pair,

See David's question in "Ask Robin" item on pages 24/25/27. To look at the results in question click here or here for the overall SSCBA results.

County Mixed Pairs were played at Stafford on Thursday June 8th.

When the entries closed on June 5th there were 9 tables, just one table short of the limit, very good planning!   Winners from Stafford were Steve & Janet just ahead of Wolverhampton players Tony Leech & Linda Curtis and In third place were Friday night Stafford players Alan and Ann. Many thanks to David as non-playing director, and also to Rose and Carol for providing cakes. Pictured are Steve and Janet receiving their trophy and prize from SSCBA chair Pamela Booth-Jones. A very pleasant evening, click here for the results.  Message form Pat Andrews, our President, "Very well done to Janet and Stephen  for winning the event and to Ann and Alan for a very creditable 3rd place, Lovely to see that our club can hold their own in county competitions."

Stafford members Geoff and Anne played in the SSCBA 2022-23 winning league team.  Paul and David, their captain and his partner, have both played in Geoff's pre-Covid Shelley team at Stafford. Congratulations all. For full results click here.

The motion was carried overwhelmingly at the special general meeting on June 26th meaning that as from 1st July table money will be raised,

Proposal for consideration at Special General Meeting on 26th June 2023. the motion was carried overwhelmingly

SBC Committee proposes that table money shall be raised from July 1st 2023 as follows; 

• regular playing sessions and Thursday lessons by £0.50 to £3.00, 
• Friday morning lessons by £1.00 to £2.00, 
• Visitors fees raised to £4.00. 

There will be no increase in online table money as members have to pay to be members of BCL as well as pay table money. 

Also that SBC annual subscriptions shall be raised  from 1st April 2024 for 2024 membership to £15.00 per year.

Click for the letter.

The club bank account has now changed, June 2022, if paying by BACs please click the link here for the NEW details.  Any problems please contact  the Secretary, see committee page.