These sessions have been suspended for the time being.

*Stop Press! Only 5 rooms remaining as of 19th December.*

Our winter bridge break is to be held at the beautiful Hotel Miramar in Bournemouth, organised in conjunction with Horsham B.C. The Miramar is wonderfully situated near the beach on the East Cliff with excellent food and superb service. As previously, the bridge will be directed by Graham and Berry Hedley and will include two afternoon handicapped sessions and three evening sessions with standbys available. Seminars and hand discussions will be held on Monday and Tuesday mornings.

Flight A and B prizes and master points will be awarded for all sessions.

Prices for bridge & accommodation with dinner, bed & breakfast for 3 nights:
• £215 per person sharing a double/twin room
• £240 per person for single occupancy
• Sea view room +£25
• Premium non-sea view room +£10

We are asking for a £50 deposit but this is fully refundable if the event is cancelled for any reason.

We only have a few rooms left so if you would like to come please contact: Chris Jago on 01825 721282 or email secretary@westsussexbc.co.uk.

Whilst we are continuing with our two face-to-face sessions on Thursdays and hope you can enjoy your bridge, we need to make changes to our playing conditions to bring them in line with HMG restrictions. We will keep tables as well spaced as possible and require all players to have had 2 Covid jabs and their Booster. If you are able to have a lateral flow test before attending, so much the better. Face masks should be worn in all areas of The Old School including at the table. Please aim to keep yourself and other players safe and not attend if you are showing any cold or Covid symptoms.

The current Covid strain is having a major impact on clubs and businesses alike and sadly West Sussex Bridge Club is no exception. The Committee has therefore decided to henceforth suspend all face-to-face bridge on Thursdays and defer our intention to open on Tuesdays until the current high level of infection passes. We are nevertheless continuing our association with Avenue and Lewes Bridge Clubs for online games on Tuesdays at 10am, Wednesdays at 7.30pm and Thursdays at 1.30pm and it is hoped members will continue to support these games.

It is with sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of life member May Langmaid at her nursing home near Bristol. Many will remember May's numerous contributions to West Sussex Bridge Club, as Secretary for many years, bridge teacher and Director. May was also an SCCBA Vice-President. She and her husband Mike, who predeceased her and was WSBC Newsletter Editor and co-authored our Constitution, lived in the next road to Warden Park School and were unwavering supporters of the Club.

We understand May’s funeral is for family members only. However there are plans to hold a memorial service in February in the chapel at St. George's, Ditchling Common where she lived for several years, and we will advise the details of this when known.

Thanks to those members who responded to our recent survey, which guided the committee in making some important decisions. As a result, we are making changes to our game schedule:

Tuesday evening duplicate returns on 4th January, with a 7.15 pm start and 10.15 pm finish. This game is aimed at the more experienced/competitive club member.

Thursday evenings as from 6th January will have a 7.15 pm start (NEW, by popular request) and 10 pm finish (also new). This game is for the more casual/social player, playing fewer boards at a relaxed pace. New and unranked players who have never played at an affiliated club are most welcome. Ranked players must be NGS 9 or below. Simple systems only.

Our Thursday afternoon session will continue as it is, with refreshments.

These changes will be reviewed in March.

Now that face-to-face bridge is back, after a promising start all that's missing is more members to help us celebrate our return and enjoy a game with friends at our lovely new premises, Tudor Hall at The Old School in Cuckfield. There's plenty of room, it's comfortable and warm (now that we've figured out the heating), there's hot water for tea and coffee, and it's a wonderful time to renew friendships and acquaintances in person. We need your support if our Club is to flourish and survive, so do please join us soon! Games are held every Thursday afternoon at 1.30pm and every Thursday evening at 7pm. Venue and parking details are on our Information page. We encourage you to purchase a book of vouchers (session cost is £3 for members or £25 for 11 vouchers); any that are unused will be fully refundable should we at some point decide not to continue with face-to-face bridge.

Questions? We'd love to answer them, so please contact Chris Jago at secretary@westsussexbc.co.uk.

Members of long standing will remember Elisa. She sadly died on 18th December and anyone wishing to attend her funeral at 12.00 on Tuesday 11th January at Crawley Crematorium is asked to contact Claire Dobson on 07940 594824.

If you have an NGS of 9 or below – or no NGS rating at all – this game is especially for you. On a Monday afternoon at 2pm you can join the online game on BBO that is offered through our partnership with Avenue and Lewes bridge clubs. Players with an NGS rating of 10 or above are not eligible to play in this game.

The game will run for 18 boards and cost $3 to play. It is a simple systems game, with no robots permitted and limited conventions: weak twos - Benji style or 3 weak twos - or strong twos; Stayman and transfers; a defence to 1NT; simple Blackwood; two-suited overcalls; cue-bidding (including splinters); simple jump-overcalls of any agreed strength.

We hope to see you there!

A message from Peter Clinch, Chairman - SCCBA:

One man. One woman. One dream. And a fiver each. That's all it takes to enter the annual Sussex Mixed Pairs Championship, being held on BBO from 11 a.m. on Sunday 5th December. This is Sussex's premier mixed pairs event. all-play-all. It's a great opportunity to win master points at enhanced County level, and maybe a trophy!

To enter go to the "Entry to SCCBA Competitions" area on http://www.sccba.co.uk, and fill in your details. All Sussex-affiliated players are eligible to enter, so please give it a go now!

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact the organiser, Gerry Stanford at gezukstanford@hotmail.com, or me at peter.clinch@yahoo.com or 07515 333539.

Our club, like so many, is facing an existential threat. Around the country, some have failed to reopen, whilst others have taken the plunge and then closed down again. Indeed, our friends and online partners at Lewes Bridge Club are in the latter category.

Against this backdrop you might be surprised to hear that your committee is considering a second evening session in Cuckfield, with Thursday evenings possibly seeing some changes. However, we need some input from YOU to ensure that the right decisions are made.

If you are a member of West Sussex Bridge Club, PLEASE take a moment over the next few days to complete the online survey (click the link below), and please be brutally honest. For instance, don’t suggest you might turn up one day soon if (secretly) it’s dependent on peace throughout the Middle East or China hitting Net Zero!

Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HJB29ND

I hope you continue to enjoy your bridge regardless of how, when and where you choose to play.

Our weekly online 18 board session on Tuesdays at 7pm is for members of WSBC only. As an introductory offer for the rest of 2021, there will be no charge for playing, and EBU master points will be issued as normal. RealBridge allows you to see and speak to your partner, opponents and Director if needed. It displays bidding boxes and hand layout as when we play F2F and is an enjoyable, sociable experience. There are no robots! It is easy to pick up and members are urged to log into the website: www.realbridge.online where there is a lot of information on how it operates.

RealBridge runs 8 board "taster sessions" at no cost twice a week when you can play with a chosen partner or with another single. The only requirement is that you sign up at least 2 hours beforehand via the website. The next taster sessions is on Friday 22 October, 10pm (sign up by 8pm).

You can play in the taster sessions as many times as you like to get the hang of it before you play in the Club game. They are very relaxed (it isn’t a competition) and you will be helped if you are really stuck. If you are particularly apprehensive about the trial, please ring Club Secretary, Chris Jago, on 01825 721282 or email him at secretary@westsussexbc.co.uk and he will arrange for a member of the Committee to help guide you through the process.

The EBU National Inter Club Knockout - the NICKO - is now open for entry. Later rounds of this event will be face-to-face but teams are invited to indicate willingness to play online, which would be applied to the early stages to reduce travelling. They must be willing to play later stages face-to-face though. Prices for the NICKO entries are based on the previous face to face iteration. This is a great way to play against clubs from across the entire country of all levels.

Entries close on Monday 11 October.

The format is unchanged from previous years, with a plate competition for those unseeded teams losing their first match - so every unseeded team is guaranteed at least two matches. Likewise, the entry process is unchanged so, to ensure all participants are eligible to represent us, entries should be made by contacting Chris Jago, our Club secretary, at secretary@westsussexbc.co.uk.

The Committee has agreed that one team will be subsidised fully or this amount will be split if two teams enter.

A huge thank you to Neil Watts who has been the mastermind behind our 80 fascinating expert teasers over the past 17 months! Find more teasers and their solutions at Test Your Knowledge.

N/S Game, Dealer: North
Contract: 3NT by South
Lead: 8♠

North opened 1♦, East overcalled with a pre-emptive 3♠ and South bid 3NT.

Declarer allows East to win the first two tricks with the jack and king of spades, but wins the third round with the ace.

You are sitting West. Plan the defence – it’s a teams match. 

In preparation for our eventual return to running our own bridge sessions, we need more volunteers to be Directors and Directors' Assistants. If you feel you can help in this regard, please contact Chris Jago at secretary@westsussexbc.co.uk and we will arrange suitable training.

Following our departure from Lamb House, the Committee has reviewed possible alternative locations including all those kindly suggested by members. The Old School in Cuckfield, whose Tudor Hall is a decent sized rectangular shape capable of accommodating up to 12 tables, is available when we wish to hold Club sessions and can also store our equipment.

We are therefore pleased to announce the reopening of our Club for Face to Face (F2F) sessions for double-jabbed members at The Old School on Thursday evenings at 7pm starting from 23rd September and Thursday afternoons at 1.30pm from 7th October.
Please see Information page for full details on location, parking and Covid restrictions.

It is with sadness we announce that Peter Brown passed away on August 24th following a long illness. Peter's funeral will take place at 11.30am on Monday September 20th at Cuckfield Holy Trinity Church (RH17 5JZ). Peter's family hope that Peter's friends will join them to celebrate Peter's life. Donations instead of flowers to St Peter & St James Hospice. Anyone attending the funeral is invited back to the Talbot Inn for refreshments afterwards but please advise us via secretary@westsussexbc.co.uk of your intention so the family can cater accordingly.

The 2021 competition is due to commence on MONDAY 6 SEPTEMBER at 19:15. It will be run on the first Monday of the month for 5 months, finishing on 3 January 2022. (Mondays 6 September; 4 October; 1 November; 6 December and 3 January)

The format will be the same as in previous years but with the event being played online at BBO (run by WSBC) using Team Matches. The 3 team matches per session should be completed within 3 hours. The scoring is automated using the results from the team matches with the same boards being used in each division. 

This competition is free to enter and has no cost associated with it playing on BBO. What is asked of you is that you and your partner commit to playing in all 5 matches and if you are unable to play to find a substitute player/pair and inform the organisers.

Last year we managed 3 Divisions! (We will also need behind the scenes Directors to set up the Teams Matches - we had several last time but we will need one or two more to help spread the workload.)

To sign up please supply your and your partner’s name (and BBO names if not already known by WSBC) to mps@westsussexbc.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from many of you!

The EBU has confirmed that, with the lifting of lockdown restrictions on 19th July, they intend to hold their Summer Meeting in Eastbourne from 6th to 15th August. It will be their first national face-to-face event for about 18 months.

Since government regulations will no longer limit the number of people who can meet in a group and the “1m-plus rule” will be removed, there will be no requirement for players to wear masks beyond the government’s statement that it "expects and recommends" people to wear face coverings in crowded areas. They will provide masks for those who wish to use them. You will not be asked to provide evidence of vaccination or a negative COVID test.

If you are interested in entering, full details of the congress and all the events contained in it, including some events for less-experienced players. are available on the Summer Meeting webpage. For those who are not able to come in person, the Monday and Tuesday mid-week sessions are able to be played online and the Wednesday and Thursday evening games will be offered as “satellite events” in a few clubs, as listed on the website.

With lockdown ending on 19th July, the Committee is examining how and when we can reopen the club for face-to-face bridge. We are determined to provide as risk-free an environment as is reasonably possible but at present there is no guidance available from the Government, the EBU or indeed Age UK (owners of Lamb House) on what is desirable.  

We are conscious that many clubs that have reopened have had a very limited take-up so far but we know some local clubs have announced their intention to open immediately after 19th July. We want to get it right but have no wish to have a system necessitating use of more than one set of boards and a major cleaning requirement of cards, bidding boxes, bridgemates etc. after each session so we have decided to delay reopening until at least the end of August when we can be sure what protocols are necessary.

However we still need more volunteers to be Directors and Director’s Assistants so if you feel you can help in this regard, please contact Chris Jago at secretary@westsussexbc.co.uk and we will arrange suitable training. We will keep members fully informed as the position becomes clearer but in the meantime our joint on-line sessions with Avenue and Lewes Bridge Clubs continue.

*Time is running out to renew your 2021-22 membership*! Please contact Membership Secretary Ed Barter at memsec@westsussexbc.co.uk by 15th August to ensure your membership does not lapse. There is no subscription to pay this year; we just need an accurate figure for our total membership.

If we don’t hear back from you we will assume that you don’t wish to remain a club member nor wish to play in the Avenue/Lewes/WSBC sessions on BBO.

St. Albans managed to get the better of West Sussex in the online team game held this past Tuesday, 22 June. Our pairs battled valiantly, but the end result was St. Albans 62 VPs and West Sussex 38 VPs. Better luck next time!

Chris Gray/Suzy Gray/Heather Barker/Peter Collins lost to Simon Cook/Bob Howard/John Graham/Sorin Butiu by 9 IMPs, 6 VPs
Brian Kirkdale/Peter Berry/Colin Mallows/Robert Hirst lost to Gerald Freedman/Linda Freedman/John Mathews/Roy Seaman by 39 IMPs, 16 VPs
David Young/Stuart Thornton/Brian Cutler/Vincent L’Estrange beat Susie Bond/Jane Farndon/Chris Eveleigh/Pat Jacobs by 1 IMP
Eric Jenner/Robert Jenner/Sue Cutler/Richard Begley lost to Tricia Taylor/Judith Burns/Clare Garretty/Janet Elliott by 41 IMPs, 16 VPs
Carolyn Hawkins/Helena Hoare/Steve Smith/Sue Smith beat Phil Minor/Linda Spiri/Martin Melhuish/Ann Neuff by 31 IMPs, 14 VPs

Thinking ahead to when the club returns to face to face play at Lamb House several new Directors will be required. Full training will be given and it is likely you would direct once a month.

Please consider helping the club by becoming a Director. Please email the T.D. Coordinator Neil Watts if you are able to help.

Thank you to all who took part in the Teams match verses Hitchin Bridge Club. The club won 1 of the 6 matches. Results below

Further to the recent announcement by the Prime Minister, the club have sadly decided to cancel this holiday for next year. The virus shows no sign of going away and even if the vaccination programme accelerates, it is doubtful that many of those under 80 will have immunity by February. There is no chance that our respective bridge clubs will be operating normally by then as there would still be the issue of handling cards and being in close proximity to those outside your normal “bubble". We have, however, negotiated with the Hotel Miramar to transfer the booking to the same weekend in 2022 (6th - 9th February) so keep the dates free in your diary.

ROY HAMILTON

We are sad to announce that Roy died on 19th January, 2021.

Roy played regularly at the club initially with the late Dave Hewer, with whom he won the David Pavey Trophy three years running from 2007 to 2009. Latterly he was regularly partnered by Peter Berry.

Congratulations to:

Thank you to all 48 players who took part in this online competition.

ARTHUR McCULLOCH

We are sad to announce that Arthur died on 7th February, 2021.

Arthur was a past club member and played at the club several years ago but will be remembered by many. One of his main partners was Martin Barton-Smith.

Thank you to all who took part in the Teams match verses Patcham Bridge Club. The club won 2 of the 5 matches and lost overalls. Result below:

Congratulation to Liz and Ian Lancaster who won the annual Eric Valentine Reeves Mixed Pairs Championship held online on Sunday 14 February.

Congratulation to Bill Nicolle & Linda Gardiner who pipped Brian Kirkdale and Peter Berry by 7VPs to win the Lockdown Pairs League series 2 run between Sunday 8th and Monday 15th February.

Thank you to all who took part in the Teams match verses Tunbridge Wells Bridge Club. The club won 4 of the 8 matches and lost overalls. Result below:

CAROLINE FEATHERSTONE

We are sad to announce that Caroline has died recently after a long illness.

Caroline played regularly at the club initially with Rosalie Husson and latterly with Robert Hirst. She brought a brightness to the table and will be much missed.

GEOFF JEWSON

Geoff played regularly at the club until a few years ago. Our thoughts are with Jo and their family.

Thank you to all who played in the Teams match verses Tyler Hill Bridge Club.  Both teams won 2 matches and drew one.  However Tyler Hill was just ahead on Victory points.