When members receive this Bulletin the postal strike will be over. Publication has already been much delayed, so I am getting it ready in advance for distribution at the first opportunity. Apologies if it is not right up-to-date when you get it!

There are more Staffordshire members than ever before, over 210, and it is cheering that so many of the new faces are those of young enthusiasts. Perhaps the most outstanding performance so far this Season is that of Graham Link and Roger Keane who were first in the Midlands section of the Young Players National Tournament, coming 5th in the nationwide result.

Undoubtedly the standard of play of the younger players is improving rapidly and the older established pairs with reputations will need to look to their laurels. Just one personal observation - it seems to me that some of our up and coming players tend to go in for painfully slow play. Difficult situations certainly arise which demand some thought, but it is unfair on opponents to take several minutes to play a card or make a bid - furthermore it is rarely that the delay pays off, unless your adversary has meanwhile relapsed into slumber and even then the triumph rings rather hollow.

A series of Bridge programmes for beginners appeared recently on ATV channels just before lunch time on Sundays. Although elementary the presentation was authoritative and interesting. There is an undoubted demand for more advanced programmes on Bridge, and if members would like to write to the Secretary with constructive views on this subject, she will be very pleased to pass them on to ATV.

Most county competitions have had good entries and several Staffordshire teams have survived several rounds of the National competitions, but before we can really record "success" with a capital S, Staffordshire must get back that Dawes trophy from Warwickshire and survive their first difficult hurdle in the Tollemache.

There will be an opportunity for a new Captain to lead the County to glory next Season. Phil Topley seems to be quite adamant that this will be his last season as Captain. His successor will find it hard to fill his place and will rely heavily on Phil as a player and experienced campaigner. The new Captain will be elected at the AGM on May 21st. Everyone who can attend should try to do so with such an important item on the agenda. Please note the date in your diary now.

Congratulations to Geoff Salwey and his wife on the prompt arrival of their second son.

Coronation Cup.

15 Staffordshire teams entered and 9 qualified to compete with the invited teams from Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Northants, Worcestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Dr & Mrs. Best, D. Collins and R.Bryant retained the trophy for Warwickshire scoring 112 i.m.p. with Roger Steel, Peter Tottenham, Graham Link and Roger Keane in second place scoring 95 i.m.p. Geoff Salwey's team were only one point behind in third place. Mrs. Pam Lloyd, who went to great pains to purchase some fine prizes, presented the Cup.

County Events .

Pairs Championship ( Bearn Trophy).

The following 14 pairs have qualified to play in the final at Wolverhampto Bridge Club on Sunday, May 2nd at 2.30 p.m.

Reserves:
Young and Dent (also 15 but worse sixth result).
Codling and Shaw 16
Mrs.Gane and Mrs.McCall 17
Mrs Rowley and Dr Milewski 20.

Mixed Pairs.

Qualifiers were:

The final will be played at Wolverhampton on March 28th at 2.30 p.m.
STOP PRESS result - Won by Mr & Mrs. K.C. Slyde, runners up Mrs. Dash and Ballham.

Men's Pairs (Staffordshire Mugs).

Winning qualifiers were:

In the Final, played on December 6th, the winners Codling and Seymour met the holders Edwards and Parker for the last 3 boards and scored a good victory to force them back into second place.

Ladies Pairs. (Hallett-Bailey Cup)

Winning qualifiers were

The final was played on December 6th simultaneously with the Men's Pairs final. Mrs. Hanley and Mrs. Charlish were good winners followed by Mrs. Glover and Mrs. Sumberg.

Individual (Littleford Cup).

28 players competed at the Wolverhampton heat on February 17th, the qualifiers being: Mrs. Charlish, G. Hammersley, Mrs Price, G. Charlish, Mrs E. Davies, Mrs Littleford, A Lyle, G. Shaw, Mrs Davidson (reserves: J. Jacobi and Dr McIntosh)
12 players competed in Stafford on January 14th, qualifiers being R. Trounce, D. Skinner, G.C. Davies and A. Nallett (Reserves - Miss Duncan and R. Beech).
20 players competed at Newcastle on March 16th, qualifiers being : Mrs. Franklin, Dr. Milewski, Dumbleton, Mrs. Stoddard, Goodwin, Dr. Franklin, Mrs. Glover. (Reserves - Scull and Young).

Teams of Four (Staffordshire Cup).

There were two full rounds before the semi-final which was reached by the following teams: Davies, Slyde, Salwey and Edwards. In the second round Edwards' team had eliminated the holders (Hugo Dash's team) but they found Salwey's team in storming form in the semi-final. As Slyde's team beat Davies' the final will be fought out between Slyde and Salwey.

Teams of Four League.

This new event in the Staffordshire calendar has got off to an excellent start with 16 teams competing in two sections. Following the 5th round played in February the league tables stood as follows :

* denotes match to be played.

Midland Pairs.

Three pairs qualified for the Droitwich area final in the Wolverhampton Heat on February 28th - Slyde and Steel, Tottenham and Smith, Mrs. Slyde and Shaw.

National Competitions.

Gold Cup

G.C. Davies' team (Davies, Downs , Beech and Benn) won their second round by 4 i.m.p. and their third round by 53 i.m.p. They met J. Hill's Liverpool team in the fourth round. Gearing's team (Gearing, Smith, Sartain, Link and Codling) won their first round by 59 imp but fell to Robinson's team in the next round. Robinson's team (Robinson, Topley, Mallett, Ferguson and Salwey) won their first round by 37 i.m.p., beat Gearing's team in the second round by 43 i.m.p. but lost to J.Hill of Liverpool by 12 i.m.p. in the third round. Slyde's team (Slyde, Steele, Tottenham, Oborski, Monckton and Bieganski) also won their first two rounds (the second against a Preston team after being 33 i.m.p. down in the first half). Knott's team (Knott, Evans, Norris and Feltbower) won their second round by 17 i.m.p. but lost in the third round to W.W.L. Fearn's team by 39 i.m.p.

Hubert Phillips

Knott's team (Knott, Evans, Feltbower and Mrs. Gane) beat Paul Hackett 's team by 20 points in the first round but lost in the second round to J.A. Hudson's team

Crockford's Cup.

Tottenham's team (Tottenham, (Topley?), Link and Gearing) and Twine's team (Twine, Edwards, Parker and Mrs. Absolom) qualified. Tottenham's team won through two rounds and Twine's team through three rounds, being beaten eventually by Rimington's team, (Mr & Mrs J.A. Priday, Rimington, Rowlands and Nicola Gardner) after a close 48 board match.

Portland Cup.

Mrs. Sumberg and Dr. Milewski put up a wonderful show being 5th in the overall National result.

Other Notable Performances.

In the Droitwich Congress Mrs. Harthill and Mrs. Hill won the Ladies Pairs Championship, followed this up with a major success in carrying of the Littleford-Healey Cup (Teams of four) with Mrs. Lovell and Mrs. Bayliss and then came second in the Haywood Bowl (also teams of four) with G.C. Salwey and S. Davis

Also at Droitwich Mr & Mrs Braddock won the Flitch (scoring the first of what we hope will be many notable successes) and Benn and Beech won the Cooke-Foster Cups (runner-up Championship Pairs). There were also 10 Staffordshire, pairs who won Open Pairs sessions.

At the Harrogate Congress, Beech and Davies with partners from outside the County came third in the Championship Team of Four.

The Frank Cup (Warwickshire invitation Teams of Four) was won by the Staffordshire team of Topley, Robinson, Salwey, and Mallett. Also in Warwickshire Mr & Mrs K.C. Slyde came second in the Warwickshire Flitch in the Coventry Final having won the Wolverhampton qualifying round on the way.

There are probably many other successes of which I have not heard but, we certainly have a lot to celebrate with those recorded.

Dawes Trophy

Since the last Bulletin Staffordshire has played

A mixed set of results - not good enough to vie with Warwickshire.

The following heave represented the County in these matches

1st Team - Topley and Mrs. Topley, Robinson, Monckton, Bieganski, Salwey, Mallett, Edwards and Mrs. Edwards, Slyde, Tottenham, Speedman, Day, Mrs.Dash, Ballham, Ferguson, Link, Keane, Stewart and Clayton.
2nd Team - Dumbleton, Stubbs, Link, Keane, Davies, Downs , Feltbower, Norris, Milewski, MacAlister, Knott, Evans, Young, Dent, Salman and Goodwin.

Forthcoming Congresses

The Secretary has received notification of the following

1) Norfolk Congress, April 30th, May 1st and 2nd at Dukes Head Hotel, Kings Lynn. Entry fee of £2.75 to Mrs G. Haylock, Avenue House, Barton Bendish, Kings Lynn

2) Yorkshire Annual Congress. Royal Hotel, Scarborough and at Grand Hotel, Scarborough June 17th, 18th 19th and 20th. Entry £3.50 to Mrs. M. Cartwright, 170 Sewerby Road , Bridlington

Secretary's Address. Please note that the Secretary's address and telephone number are
Mrs F. W. Edwards,
31 The Wold,
Claverley
(Near Wolverhampton
Tele Claverley 381.
She will be pleased to receive any news items for the next Bulletin and to give any help or advice she can to county members.