The AGM Pairs is the traditional curtain raiser to a new bridge year and will take place Face 2 Face for the first time since 2019 at Elmswell on Sunday 14 May.

The Annual General Meeting of the Suffolk Contract Bridge Association, which precedes the bridge and has been conducted online for the last three years, will begin at 2.00pm at the Blackbourne community centre (IP30 9GY) - with the bridge starting at around 2.30pm.

The AGM Pairs entry fee is £5 per player and includes a catered tea.

To enter, please click on AGM PAIRS

The SCBA sponsors a number of teams in the EBU’s National Teams League.  This is an attempt to improve the playing skills of those who represent Suffolk and those who aspire to play for the county, by providing a broader range of opposition and exposure to a high standard of competition. 

Most of those who have played report that they have enjoyed the experience and found it beneficial.  Each season lasts about 12 weeks; matches are weekly, 16 boards only.  They are generally played every Wednesday evening on RealBridge, but other platforms/days/times can be arranged by agreement.  Squads of up to 8 are allowed, so it does not require a commitment to play every week.  The next season starts on 26 April.

If you play for Suffolk (or aspire to do so) and would like to play in the next season of the NTL, or need further information, please contact Jeff Orton (jeffortonbridge@gmail.com) by 10 April.

Click SWISS for the entry form.

The well supported Club Teams of 4 was won by a  Stowmarket side on Sunday 5 March. Jan Wynne & Jim Sawyer and Alaric & Dorothy Cundy (photographed by Peter Bushby) made up the victorious quartet.

The Bury Babes (Jo Harpur & Dennis Valtisiaris and Chris Park & Tim Evans) were second ahead of Ipswich A (Bill Bethell & Stephen Parker and Conrad & Alison Simons) in third and Woodbridge W (Sue Smith & Dave Walker and Sue Bentley & Gill Newton) in fourth. The event attracted 16 teams which would suggest F2F bridge is alive and well despite the attractions of online.

Charlie, aged 12 DAYS, attends his first bridge lesson

It is never too early to start learning bridge - just ask Charlie.

Born on 21 February, he enjoyed his first taste of the game on Sunday 5 March when he joined his proud parents, Zoe Clarke and Julian Bickerton, at a regular Sunday bridge lesson in Haverhill library.

The baby boy, beautifully behaved throughout the 90 minute session, even produced his own dummy!

Zoe & Julian, who live in Great Sampford, are among the 200 plus students who signed up to learn bridge for free under the Deben project, which is being run by Suffolk bridge in numerous libraries around the county.

The lessons started in the autumn and have proved very popular. Felixstowe library will join the list of venues in September while beginners are also being taught at a golf club in Essex. New courses for beginners are also being planned. If you know of anyone keen to learn please ask them to email learnbridge@suffolkbridge.co.uk

The National Pairs - think county championship pairs but country wide - gets off the ground in February when players who achieve a qualifying score at a run of the mill club night can play in an online regional final on 26 March.

Pairs who score 55%+ at a regular club duplicate between February 5 and 18 will be entitled to take part in the eastern area National Pairs Regional Qualifier.

Players will have a choice of playing on RealBridge or BBO. The regional qualifier will be hosted by Essex. To enter click NATIONAL PAIRS. A national final is scheduled for April 15-16.

The entry fee for the regional final is £10 per player and the event will comprise 48 boards over two sessions.

A year which saw encouraging numbers returning to Face to Face events in Suffolk ended with 12½ tables at the Bah Humbug Pairs at Elmswell on Friday.

While Eric Newman and Diane Whitley ran out convincing winners, prizes also went to three pairs who did best in the Handicap.

Pictured (l-r):Eric Newman, Diane Whitley, Bim Wilson, Christine Bickerstaff, Sam Wilson, Christine Cooke, Lucette Smith and Stephen Bickerstaff

200+ sign up for lessons in libraries

Stowmarket latest to offer courses

The Deben Project, involving teaching bridge to beginners in libraries across Suffolk, is surpassing all expectations with more than 190 people having signed up - and applications stlll coming in.

The first lessons have started at Woodbridge library. Courses will begin over the coming weeks in Framlingham, Aldeburgh and Southwold. In total 90 will be attending.

The response in the Bury St Edmunds area has been equally remarkable with 100 applicants. As a result, two sessions a week are planned for September in Bury library, with a third starting in the New Year, and another class at Thurston. There will also be courses at Haverhill, Ipswich and, possibly, Sudbury.

Richard Evans, the Suffolk chairman, said: "The response has exceeded the most optimistic expectations. Despite the woes confronting bridge at the moment, there is no shortage of people wishing to learn the game."

If you know of anyone wishing to take up bridge please ask them to email learnbridge@suffolkbridge.co.uk

COURSE START DATES + DAYS & TIMES

WOODBRIDGE  6 June. Mon 2-4pm

FRAMLINGHAM 6 July. Wed 6.30-8.30pm

ALDEBURGH 3 Sept. Sat 3-5pm

THURSTON 7 Sept. Wed 1.30-3..30pm

BURY ST EDMUNDS 19 Sept. Mon 10am-12noon & 2-4pm

IPSWICH 26 Sept. Mon 3pm

Online course: 29 Sept. Thurs 7pm

HAVERHILL 9 Oct. Sun 1.30-3.30pm

STOWMARKET 9 Sept. Fri 10.30am-12.30pm

All bridge players who are members of an affiliated club have their own EBU page - which may come as a surprise to some.

'My EBU' is a place where, if you are so minded, you can check your masterpoints and NGS records, book events, modify your account details and carry out other bits of bridgey administration.

"It is important that members can access the My EBU area," says the EBU, "and we are aware that some cannot, either because we do not have the right email address, or it is blank. We would like to encourage you to contact your members to make sure they can access My EBU"

So that's what we are doing. To access your EBU page click on MY EBU.

Deben's generous parting gift

Sadly, Deben bridge club is no more due to a dwindling attendance exacerbated by the pandemic. However, their name will very much live on thanks to a generous parting gift to Suffolk bridge.

The club has handed over the money it held in the bank plus the proceeds from the sale of equipment - a total of £2,964 - to the SCBA with the intention it should be used constructively to encourage more people to play the game.

Bim Wilson, Michael Bizzey, the club treasurer, and Sam Wilson (pictured above) presented the cheque recently to Richard Evans, the association vice chairman,

"Obviously it is sad when a club has to close but the generosity of Deben means something very positive can emerge," Richard said. "The Suffolk committee will be discussing the 'Deben Project' next month to see the best way to generate more bridge players in the county and thereby support smaller clubs who are struggling."

First Suffolk player to be honoured by the English Bridge Union

Malcolm Carey, a founding father of the Suffolk Contract Bridge Association, has been honoured by the English Bridge Union for his outstanding contribution to the game in the county and beyond.

The Dimmie Fleming Award is reserved for a select band of players and administrators, and is a public recognition of all they have done for bridge over a number of decades. The award was announced at the EBU's online annual general meeting.

Malcolm suggested the creation of a Suffolk association in 1978 and following its formation a few months later he has been a key member for more than 40 years, most notably as the county's chief tournament director, a position he held for 32 years.

As well as directing in Suffolk, his talents were regularly in demand in other counties, Jersey and Guernsey, and abroad - including Kenya, Tobago, Spain, Malta, Israel and Egypt.

Malcolm Pryor, the chairman of the SCBA, said: "Malcolm is the first person on the SCBA committee to have received this award and it is thoroughly deserved. Malcolm has been a driving force behind the development of Suffolk bridge from the county's foundation in 1979 through to the present day and the county owes him a huge debt of gratitude for his many years of dedicated service."

Click on MALCOLM to read a tribute by Phillip Edwards, and a report in the Ipswich Evening Star.

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