| DATES FOR YOUR DIARY |
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CHARITY NIGHT TO SUPPORT CAUSE CHOSEN BY HAZEL'S RELATIVES
- Charity Night and Raffle - Thursday 5 December 7pm. Money raised will go towards a charity chosen by relatives of Hazel Preston.
- Suffolk Sims on Tuesday 26 November - with the boards being played by clubs throughout the county.
- There will be no bridge on Tuesday 24 December, Thursday 26 December and Tuesday 31 December. (However, if you start suffering from withdrawal symptoms the Bah Humbug Pairs takes place at Elmswell on Sunday 29 December - 11am start - and should be fun. Click on BAH HUMBUG to enter)
- New Year's Party Thursday 9 January 6pm
Your committee has also decided that in future the club will pay the entry fee for Simultaneous Pairs at the club. Members will be required only to pay the usual table money of £2.
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| STANSFIELD HANDICAP PAIRS |
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Sue & Dave win Stansfield's flagship event in style
A maximum field of 68 players contested the Stansfield Handicap Pairs on Sunday - despite all kinds of problems with roadworks which hampered their journey.
Players from all over Suffolk and as far away as Hitchin enjoyed an unexpected trip down winding country lanes due to the closure of the main road in the village, but made it to the club on time.
After 36 boards, Sue Smith & Dave Walker not only produced the best overall score but also came out top in Handicap to claim the winners' trophy and £100 prizemoney.
Runners-up were Angela & John Jeffries who finished ahead of two club pairs, Wendie & Peter Summers and Penny Easting & Mary Rix. Andre Gray and his daugher Sarah collected the prize for the next best gross score.
To see all the scores, click on the Latest Result tab in the right hand column, and then click on Handicap to see the handicap results.
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| FELIXSTOWE CONGRESS TRIUMPH |
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Paul & Dave pulled off a tremendous triumph on the opening day of the Felixstowe Congress.
The Stansfield regulars saw off all the opposition to win the Championship Pairs final, the prestige pairs event at Suffolk's flagship event.
After finishing 10th in the afternoon qualifying round to make the final, they led for most of the way in the final. However, their lead was whittled down in the closing stages only for them the get their heads back in front where it mattered - at the final board.
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| SUN SHINES (AGAIN) ON SUMMER PARTY |
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If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it...
The club’s summer party is remarkably similar each year: Gerry’s delicious roast beef, poached salmon and salads, followed by summer fruits and yummie puds - and (always) sunny skies which permits that rare English treat of eating outside.
It seemed to hit the spot once again for 56 members on Thursday, so why change it?
Thanks to everyone who contributed, helped set up the tables outside; particulalry committee members headed by Pauline.
It was fun.
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| BRIDGE RULES YOU CAN UNDERSTAND |
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The Laws of Bridge are anything but an easy read. And some of them are mind blowingly complicated, even for more experienced players.
However, help is now at hand thanks to an excellent ABC guide produced by Suffolk player Peter Bushby in which he offers an easy to understand explanation for the most common laws. Spare a few minutes, if you can, to read his guide by clicking on any of these links:
Hesitation, Use of Bidding Boxes, Changing Your Bid, Insufficient Bids, Misleading Explanation, Penalty Cards, When to Alert, When to Announce.
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| WHO IS FOR SUNDAY AFTERNOON BRIDGE? |
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The Bell tolls for Tony & Sue
The Bell, the unofficial club championship, has a new pair of winners - Tony & Sue.
They won in convincing style from John & Richard in second and Cleopatra & David in third spot. The Handicap prize went to Jackie & Jane.
The Sunday gathering, complete with tea, attracted nine full tables and promoted a discussion afterwards about the potential interest in more Sunday afternoon bridge, perhaps once a month between November and March. The committee would be very interested to hear the views, for or against, of as many members as possible.
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| DEFIBRILLATOR CHEQUE HANDOVER |
 A cheque for £1218 was presented to Stansfield Parish Council by the bridge club on Thursday and will enable the village to buy a defibrillator which will be kept at the village hall.
Sarah Hopkins, chairman of the parish council, thanked members of the bridge club for the fund raiser they held a couple of months ago which, together with donations made by villagers, ensured sufficient money was available to buy the life saving piece of equipment. She is pictured receiving the cheque from David Unwin, the club treasurer.
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| STANSFIELD PAIR SHINE AT LAVENHAM |
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| Celebrating...and on the winners rostrum |
Stunning show by Chris & Gerry in Clare Swiss Pairs
Chris & Gerry produced a career best effort to finish third in the Clare Swiss Pairs at Lavenahm on Sunday.
Facing quality opposition from all over East Anglia, the Stansfield duo were undefeated in five of their six eight-board matches - which included an early thrashing of Richard and his partner, Andre
After four rounds, the pair found themselves on Table 1 (and took a photo to prove it!) Although they lost their match against the eventual winners, they bounced back to win their final match to claim third spot...before celebrating in the local hostelry.
Fifty two pairs took part. Bridget & Paul finished fifth equal while Richard & Andre recovered from their drubbing to finish ninth. The other highlight of the day was the excellent sandwich lunch prepared by Clare members - far and away the best of its kind at any local bridge event.
To see all the scores, click on CLARE
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| DEFIBRILLATOR BRIDGE AFTERNOON RAISES £1,640 |
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| Sue & Jean |
Christine & Paul |
The bridge afternoon in aid of the Stansfield defibrillator appeal surpassed all expectations and raised £1,640.
That means the village now has the money to buy the life saving piece of equipment and install it at the village hall, home of Stansfield bridge club.
Sixty two players from far and wide supported the event. A raffle rasied £540 and a number of members made donations.
Richard Evans, chairman of the club, said: "The sum raised by a bridge club which, let's face it, is in the middle of nowhere was remarkable. A huge thank you is owed to members and visitors who made it happen and together with local businesses provided some fabulous raffle prizes."
The winners of the afternoon, based on handicap scores, were Sue & Jean, while Christine & Paul recorded the top overall score. Hugh & Sue Sandle, playing in their first ever duplicate, deserve a special mention for finishing runners-up in the Handicap. To see all the scores click on DEFIB
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| VALENTINES DAY SPECIAL |
| And the Valentine's Night winners were... |
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| Ginger & Fred aka Jean & Richard |
Jack & Jill aka Kathy & David |
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'Jack & Jill' and 'Ginger & Fred' swept each other off their feet and were happy ever after following Valentine's bridge on Thursday.
Players chose a name from a famous partnership out of a hat and were paired off with their opposite number. In most cases, the resulting partnerships were playing together for the first time.
With chocolates and rose petals on every table, and hearts fluttering overhead, one might have expected some romance. However, instead of sweet nothings, the most common phrase on players' lips was: "We seem to have misunderstood each other, partner."
Congratulations to Kathy & David, otherwise known as Jack & Jill, who won overall, and Jean & Richard (Ginger & Fred) who landed the handicap.
A huge thank you to Joan whose Valentine's bunting and decorations helped to set the tone for a great night.
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| CLUB CELEBRATES DEN'S SPECIAL BIRTHDAY |
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Den at 90: 'I'm learning all the time'
Den Bishop, one of the most popular players in the area, started his birthday celebrations early at Stansfield bridge club on Tuesday.
A card signed by many of the club's 130 members was presented to him and a special chocolate cake was baked in his honour. Den, who is 90 on Saturday, has been a Tuesday and Thursday evening regular for many years, together with Dave, his son-in-law. After bidding a particularly adventurous 6NT, he quipped: "I am learning all the time!"
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| NEW YEAR PARTY ATTRACTS 60 |
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A NewYear party to remember - for a number of reasons - attracted 60 members on Thursday.
A glass of fizz was followed by canapes although the word hardly does justice to the magnificent spread produced by various members.
Joan went to the trouble of giving the club bunting a dazzling 'makeover' to add to the party atmosphere, while Tony had a new competitor in the sartorial stakes in the shape of John. A very big thank you to everyone who contributed to such an enjoyable evening.
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| BRIDGEMATES, DUPLIMATED BOARDS, DUPLICATE EVENINGS & LEARN AND PLAY SESSIONS |
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STANSFIELD bridge club, formed in 2007 and situated in the heart of Suffolk countryside between Clare and Bury St Edmunds, is not only the county's jolliest and fastest growing bridge club - but also one of the most progressive with a state-of-the-art scoring system, computer generated hands and lively website.
The club meets three times a week in the village hall. On Thursday evening (6.45 for 7pm) the emphasis is very much on having a fun evening out where less experienced players can flourish (and use 'crib sheets' or receive supervision)
There is a half-time break when players enjoy delicious nibbles prepared by members, and a glass of wine or cup of tea/coffee. A host system is in place so visitors are welcome. Bridgemate scoring means duplicate players get the result on the night and, in addition, computer generated boards are available every week with the hands uploaded on to this website. (Click on 'Results' in right column)
In September 2013 the club voted in favour of affiliating to the English Bridge Union. Thursday nights continue to focus on encouraging beginners and improvers - while Tuesday night (6.45 for 7pm start) offers 24+ boards for more experienced players.
On Wednesday afternoons (2-4.30pm) there are Supervised Learn & Play sessions for Improvers and those who prefer gentle or afternoon bridge.
As of August 2019 the club had 120 members.
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