SpadeHeart 
playing in Colchester
 DiamondClub
Your Wednesday Evening F2F Game

 

  

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Calendar
18th Jun 2025
Club Pairs
6.15 pm
Director: Christine
Scorer: Paul
25th Jun 2025
Club Pairs
6.15 pm
Director: Derek
Scorer: Marlene
2nd Jul 2025
Club Pairs
6.15 pm
Director: Marlene
Scorer: Christine
9th Jul 2025
Club Pairs
6.15 pm
Director: Paul
Scorer: Marlene
16th Jul 2025
Club Pairs
6.15 pm
Director: Christine
Scorer: Paul
Suffolk Bridge Website
Suffolk Bridge Website

Suffolk Bridge has updated its website to include numerous useful and interesting articles together with details of all the Bridge activities in the area - Clubs, Competitions and more. Just click HERE to have a look.

Bridge in Essex

Although we are affiliated to the Suffolk Contract Bridge Association we, of course, play in Essex.

Click HERE for details of opportunities to play in events organised by the Essex CBA.

Play it again, Sam

There are always hands which you think you could have played better. Have you tried the Play It Again feature? Click on your name in the results list to see your scorecard and choose the board you'd like to replay. Click on Play It Again, then BS Online and you'll be able to replay the hand ... and get guidance on how it should be done! 

Your Wednesday Evening Face-to Face Game

The 2025 Woodbridge Mid Anglia Pairs is being held on Sunday June 22 starting at 11am.

This will be a Blue Pointed event of 30+ boards scored by IMPs with an entry fee of £20/pair.

As usual, the venue will be the Community Hall, Station Road, Woodbridge IP12 4AU.

Click ENTER to see the W-MAP entry form.

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And the 2025 Suffolk Summer Swiss Pairs is being held on Sunday July 20, also starting at 11am, at the Blackbourne Centre, Elmswell (IP30 9UH).

This is also Blue Pointed and will comprise six 6-board rounds with an entry fee of £24/pair.

Click SWISS to see the Summer Swiss Pairs entry form.

Each event will have a mid-session break of around 45 minutes and will conclude by 5pm.

It is recommended that you bring your own lunch.

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And then, on August 21 ... it's Cafe Bridge.

Don't know about Cafe Bridge? Click CAFE  to find out.

If you like the idea, read the notice below or click ENTRY to see the entry form.

 

 
AGM AGREEMENTS

In summary, the Club's 2025 AGM agreed to adopt the revised Constitution and Committee membership and to increase table money to £4/person from April 2025.

Click on 2025 AGM in the Menu on the left for more details.

HESITATION

It’s OK to think, sometimes you have to and it’s not unlawful to hesitate before bidding. If you take longer than usual to bid and then decide to pass, your partner will know you had something to think about. If your partner has a choice of plausible bids, they can’t select one suggested by your hesitation.

The Director determines the list of ‘plausible choices’ by polling what people would bid with your partner’s hand without a hesitation. Their answers define the plausible choices. The result may be changed but this does not mean Partner has done anything wrong. It just means they inadvertently made a choice that is proscribed by the laws as above.

If you want your partner to bid again assuming the bidding is still at relatively low levels, a double might be a better option rather than passing after hesitation.

The way to deal with a possible issue at the table relating to hesitation is to either call the Director or simply say that you wish to reserve your right to call the Director at the end of play of that hand.

Club Teams of 8

Stratford St Mary teams finished a very creditable third and sixth in the annual Club Teams of 8 event at Highwoods on November 16 which was won by a team from Woodbridge.

An excellent tea was provided as usual by the local Sea Scouts.

Results can be seen HERE.

Looking for a Partner?

If you want to play but need a Partner, there are TWO ways to find one!

Members should follow the automated process detailed below, but you can also contact Elizabeth Knowlson on 01206 532839 or 07511 646730 or by email at elizabeth.knowlson@gmail.com and she will inform all club members by email that you are looking for a Partner.

To use the automated Find a Partner system on this website, click on Membership, on the left, then enter your email address and password where requested. If you don't already have a password, click on Forgotten Password and an email will be sent to you with a link allowing you to set one up. Two of you sharing an email address can still use this feature by following these instructions and setting up different passwords. 

Once you are in the Membership section, click in the Partner Required box for the appropriate date.

A note will appear in the Calendar on the Home Page showing that someone is looking for a partner. When another member goes into their system, they will find your name and contact details.

If this does not appear to work, it will probably be because the email address you are using is different from the one we have on our membership list. In this case, please contact the Secretary or Webmaster (click on Where & When, then Committee) so that our list can be updated.

Results
Club Pairs
Director: Paul
Scorer: Marlene
Club Pairs
Director: Marlene
Scorer: Paul
Welcome to Stratford St Mary Bridge Club

We play friendly duplicate bridge at St Johns & Highwoods Community Centre, Colchester, CO4 9SR on Wednesday evenings, with Tea and Coffee provided.

Please be seated by our start time of 6.15pm

for start of play by 6.30pm. 

New members very welcome.

 

Details of the latest season of the Suffolk Online Teams League can be found HERE on the Home page of the Suffolk Bridge website.

Interested in playing Teams?

If so, whether you are a Pair or have already made up a Team of 4, click in this item to contact Chris Green who will tell you more.

PARKING at HIGHWOODS
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Two Stratford St Mary members have received parking penalty notices on a Wednesday evening. The problem was a faulty camera system at the Doctor’s surgery as you enter the car park. I am advised that the problem has now been fixed. ..........

..... see more
Autumn Bridge Festival

The Ladies' Pairs winners were Marlene & Christine

Click HERE for all the results.

Bridgemate App

 

Find out how to make that extra trick or why the Opposition made too many tricks in No Trumps. The Bridgemate App is now available for members to download and use at Stratford St Mary Bridge Club, with full functionality including the hand records and analysis so that you can replay the hand.

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The App is free from the Apple App Store on your iPhone or Google play on your Android Smart phone for the first 6 months and £3 per year thereafter.

Click APP for all the detail!

Late Arrival?

If you are on your way to the Club but get held up in traffic, please let us know on 07444 733810, so that we can include you in the movement.

If there's no answer from that phone, try 07980 822624.

Thank you.

Improving Your Play

A series of articles written in an entertaining style and aimed at improving the play of the typical club player has been written by Marc Chawner.

They cover Declarer Play in No Trumps, Declarer Play in Suit Contracts and Defence.

Click on NT, Suit or Defence to see them ... and see how your game can improve!

 

Do You Want to Learn to Play Bridge?

Interested in learning to play the best card game in the world?

Click Colchester Bridge School for details of Emma Fowler's teaching plans.

To find out about Christine Cooke's lessons, email her on christinesbridgeemail@gmail.com

Then progress to coming along to the Stratford St Mary Club where we play a very friendly game at Highwoods, Colchester on Wednesday evenings.

Give it a try!

Suffolk Online Teams League

The Suffolk Online Teams League Season 15 has been completed, with 28 teams playing in six divisions.

Results can be found HERE.

Season 16 commences mid-December 2024. Results will be found HERE.

Where did I go wrong?
Where did I go wrong?

You've seen these icons alongside the Results each week - but do you know what the green one is for?

Click on it on a Results page and you'll get into Bridge Solver On Line - where, among other things, you will find the Play It Again feature and details of how many tricks you made compared with the best double-dummy play. 

Lots of useful analysis - have a look !