Editorial

Exception was taken at the A.G.M. by a county member to my endorsement of the new E.B.U. Teachers Training scheme. Unrepentant, I shall continue to be mildly controversial when the spirit moves me - that is the one privilege the Editor has!!

"Dress" is the thorny subject this time. At a recent meeting of the E.B.U. it was decided that competitors in E.B.U. Congresses must observe a proper standard of dress and that offenders might be debarred from playing. Following this lead I would recommend that we adopt a similar line for Staffordshire County events. But what is a "proper standard"? No, I am not going to be drawn on that one! "Neat but not gaudy" would hardly qualify nowadays, it must rather be adequacy and cleanliness of apparel that constitute the criteria.

Welcome to our newest affiliated club, the Alsager Bridge Club. The Secretary has reported that they have come into the fold, and that they will be running Bearn heats and sending representatives to the Management Committee. We all look forward to meeting Alsager members in friendly combat.

Stafford Bridge Club now have new premises. Bob Beach has sent these explicit instructions on how to get there. "Take the Newport Road out of the town centre - past the Grammar School on your left (Top of the World on your right) - proceed over the railway Bridge and take the first turning or the left (Brunswick terrace). Take the first gate on the left hand side of the road into the M.E.B. Works. The Social Club where the Bridge Club will meet is on the left hand side.

There is so much meat in this issue of the Bulletin that I have had to omit all the interesting hands that have been sent to me. Please go on sending them, I am sure they add a lot of interest, especially when they come from the real live situations arising during the events we are reporting.

Finally, I must just try to summarise some of the information I have on the form of the Bearn heats this year and of the new pairs competition initiated by the Newcastle Bridge Club. You will find a few words regarding the general form under "Annual General Meeting" see below, these are the more mundane details:-

The Newcastle Bearn heats are being run in conjunction with their new County Pairs competition. All County members are eligible to compete and there will be a 5-table Final at the end of the season and I understand there will be substantial prizes. I hope that that is all clear. There will probably be some sorting out of the Bearn qualifying rules at each club, but they are entirely within their own discretion.

Did I say finally? just one more snippet. the League matches will be held on the third Thursday of each month at the Stafford Bridge Club. The closing date is September 17th. If you want to enter a team or fill a vacancy in an existing team, I suggest that you contact Geoff Salwey at the Stafford B.C. or your own club representative. Just a reminder that September 17th is also the closing date for entries for the Coronation Cup. There is a list on your club notice board.

Annual General Meeting - On May 12th George Charlish took the Chair for the last time in his very successful year of office. As a result of his efforts in committee, we now have an official Constitution for the S.C.B.A. (kept by the Secretary for those who wish to refer to it) and a new form for the pairs championship (Bearn Trophy) which promises to restore the stature to this premier county event that it merits. In future each Affiliated Club in the county will run its own qualifying heats (open to all county members) in its own way - places in the semi-finals being allocated pro-rata to the number of registered pairs competing at each club. Pairs may register and play at the club which is the most convenient for them. The semi-final of 28 pairs and final of 14 pairs will be single session events at the end of the season. Details are shown with the Calendar at the end of the Bulletin.

The winners of the trophies presented at the AGM were: -

The new Chairman, Tom Young, was duly elected and installed and Richard Trounce was elected Vice-Chairman. Other officials were all re-elected - Jean Edwards (Secretary), Freddie Dumbleton (Treasurer) Geoff Salwey (Captain) and Graham Link (Master Points Secretary) who took over from Teresa Ferguson. The new Eric Jamieson Trophy was displayed and presented to the League winners and Jean Edwards announced that, while she was Secretary, she would award annually a sum of £5 to the competitors who gained the most points at the end of the season without winning a trophy or major prize. Points would be awarded for lst, 2nd and 3rd places in the heats and 2nd and 3rd places in the finals of county competitions with the exception of the Staffs Cup, the Leagues and the heats of the Bearn. £3 to the competitor gaining the most points and £2 for the runner-up, to be announced at the A.G.M.

Notable Performances

Since the last Bulletin was published there have been two outstanding performances at national level by Staffordshire players. The Pachabo Bowl, in which the champion teams-of-four for each county compete against each other, was won by this year's Staffs champions - Graham Link (Captain), Peter Tottenham, Ken Slyde and Roger Steel. The success was handsomely celebrated a few days later at a party given by Mr & Mrs Frank Lloyd in their honour and it even came to the ears of the mayor of Wolverhampton who sent a letter of congratulation on behalf of the town and Corporation to the Captain.

The Cutty Sark Rubber Bridge Championship, the first prize for which was a fortnight in Miami at World Bridge Championship time, was won by Derek Randall and Paul Oborski. Players from all over the country competed in preliminary knock-out rounds and a final held simultaneously at several regional centres - our pair's result was the brilliant best.

Two other individual performances rank only a little way behind. Bob Speedman playing in Dr. Staveley's otherwise Oxford team reached the final of the Crockford Cup and their team was ultimately placed 6th out of the 10 finalists.

Graham Link, partnered Richard Granville of Worcestershirc, playing with a London pair in the Junior International Trials just failed to qualify for the final trial, coming 4th out of 22 teams.

Personalities. One happy event, one sad, to record.

Thecla Trounce has presented our new Vice - Chairman Richard Trounce with a fine boy, David. It is reported that they are relieved to be able to rear him on the Blue Club - had they had a girl, would they have invented a Pink Club?

Mrs D. Bigham died early in June. I last saw her in Newcastle last February playing happily in the Bearn Heat. It came as a great shock to hear that she had succumbed to the grave illness she had so bravely fought in recent months. She will be long remembered by Staffordshire players not only for her successful year as Chairman of the S.C.B.A. in l969/70, but for her unfailing kindness, courtesy and good manners at the bridge table during the many years she played with us.

SCBA COUNTY EVENTS AND HOLDERS 1972/73

STAFFORDSHIRE FLITCH
Holders : Mr & Mrs D. Kennedy
A One session event for married couples to be played at the Wolverhampton Bridge Club on Sunday, November 26th at 2.30 p.m. Entry fee:- 50p per couple

STAFFORDSHIRE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS OF FOUR (STAFFORDSHIRE CUP)
Holders : Messrs Link, Tottenham, Slyde & Steel
A knockout teams contest (with two reserves). No player can be nominated for more than one team. Preliminary rounds of 32 boards and a final of 48 boards. The winners will represent the County in the Pachabo Cup which was won by the above team this year. The draw will take place after the Coronation Cup and the draw and the dates by which matches will have to have been played will be posted on Club notice boards. The Captain of the winning team of the first match will be responsible for forwarding the result and the entry fees of BOTH teams to the Secretary, Mrs Edwards Entry fee:- £2 per team

STAFFORDSHIRE INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP (LITTLEFORD CUP)
Holder W. C. Stewart
Dates for qualifying heats to be fixed by Clubs not later than 3 weeks before the Final on February 18th at the Newcastle Bridge Club at 2-30 p.m. Entry Fee: 25p

CHAMPIONSHIP MEN'S PAIRS (BRUCE MUGS)
Holders : Messrs Tobias & Barnard

CHAMPIONSHIP LADIES PAIRS (HALLETT-BAILEY CUP
Holders Mrs J. Edwards & Mrs B. Johnson

Qualifying heats will be held for the Men's Pairs, but the Ladies Pairs Will be a one session event held on the same day as the Final of the Bruce Mugs - January 21st 1973 at the Wolverhampton bridge Club at 2.30 p.m. Entry fees for both events: 50p per pair.

STAFFORDSHIRE MIXED PAIRS CHAMPIONSHIP (DAVIES CUP)
Holders: Mr & Mrs H. P. Dash
Qualifying heats to be played at clubs not later than three weeks before the Final on March l8th atNewcastle Bridge Club at 2.30p.m. Entry fee: 50p per pair

STAFFORDSHIRE LEAGUE "A" (ERIC JAMIESON TROPHY)
Holders: Messrs Davies, Downs, Beech and Ballham

STAFFORDSHIRE LEAGUE "B"
Holders: Dr Milewski, Dr. Fitton, F. Dumbleton, Mrs Glover and Mrs Sumberg
Entries to Club reprentatives or direct to Geoff Salwey, 24, Hazeldene, Great Haywood, Nr. Stafford before Sept 17 th See notice boards for date of 1st match.

STAFFORDSHIRE PAIRS CHAMPIONSHIP ( BEARN TROPHY)
Holders: G. Davies & D. Downs
Affiliated clubs will run qualifying heats for this competition entirely at their own discretion. Pairs will register and play at only one club, and the number of pairs to qualify for the semi-final (if necessary) and final will be pro rata to the number registered. See your notice boards for a list of clubs and the days on which they hold their Bearn heats. There will be a once only fee of 50p per player payable at the time of registration.

NEWCASTLE COUNTY PAIRS
This year, Newcastle are holding a new pairs competition open to all members of the S.C.B.A. Fourteen heats will be played on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays every month from September to March inclusive. Pairs must register before the end of November for their best five results to qualify for a 5 table final. Prizes of £10 for the winners, and the best qualifiers' will also receive prizes providing that an average of 6 tables per heat is achieved. Local paints will be awarded.