85 Dec 2009 - Welsh Bridge Union

Welsh Bridge UnionNewsletter 85, December 2009Up and running againA note from Jill Knight, your new EditorHello and welcome to the Newsletter.It is a means of keeping you in touchand of providing information forplayers, particularly those who do nothave the Internet so can’t see WBUnews on our (vastly improved) website.The big issue is the decline inTournament bridge. This is not a newproblem - all kinds of efforts have beenmade to deal with it - but it persists.Numbers are dwindling; some competitionsare on the brink of extinction.Some have already gone. Social Bridgeis alive and well and new clubs havebeen started; but some long-establishedclubs are facing closure or have closedalready. You will see in the regionalreports how hard people are trying toencourage us to play in tournaments.We all know it is an age thing. Wewelcome new members to our clubswith open arms. They are almost all ofretirement age, though, and while theyenjoy Bridge in their clubs they oftenhave no interest in taking part inNational competitions.Most of our problems stem from thedearth of young bridge players.Working parentsare too busy forfamily cards, andanyway the TV,the computer andall the out-ofschool activitiesfill their children’s lives. It doesn’t helpif a young person does come to a clubonly to find that a few people appear to– nay DO – resent their presence. Theleast we can do is welcome youngstersinto ourclubs. Theyare the futureof Bridge.To addressthese issues,it has beenproposedthat the Executive Council be madesmaller so that it can make decisionsmore quickly. Every member needs tobe aware of the proposals, to discussthem and to make their views knownbefore final decisions are made. No onecan deny that something needs to bedone, but the changes involve theWBU constitution and must thereforebe considered carefully.It is not all doomand gloom,though. All areasare making theircompetitions moreattractive andhave managed toraise numbers. In some areas, Noviceevents have been introduced. Youngplayers are emerging, particularly inthe South. An initiative begun in theWest is thriving and producing youngplayers who represent Wales in theJunior Camrose, and in the East aWelsh Bridge Academy has beenestablished in Monmouth School.Many people are offering Bridgelessons to beginners, and TournamentOrganisers are working hard, as are allthose other wonderful, unidentifiedpeople who work year after year in thecause of the best game in the World.This newsletter is for you. I hope youenjoy reading it. Happy Christmas andgood fun with your Bridge!WBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 1

COMPETITIONS (GO ON, BE A DEVIL) – a message from Sheila SheaSince my appointment as NTO in the summerI have tried to talk to as many people aspossible to find out what they really wantfrom WBU competitions. There is noquestion that the popularity of competitionshas declined while one-day events and twodaycongresses have, at best, remainedrelatively stable.The view expressed by most players was thatthey wanted competitions played in a pleasantvenue, at times that would accommodate anenjoyable (but not too late) evening meal withsufficient boards played on the Sunday tomake the whole competition worthwhile.I have, for this year at least, struck up anattractive deal with the Metropole Hotel inLlandrindod Wells which for the GradedMasters and the Mixed Pairs would give us acomfortable playing room and give playersaccommodation at £49 per head (sharing) toinclude a 3-course dinner at 7.45 on theSaturday. In the busy season the deal will goGraded Masters Pairs 16 th & 17 th January 2010Pick on someone your own size: pairs assigned to Sectionsby ranking – if you are a Club Master we guarantee you willnot meet any Grandmasters· Green-pointed throughout· Cash prizes for each Section· Mystery prizes for special category winners(Ladies, Men, Junior, Senior, Novice etc.)Metropole Hotel, Llandrindod Wells LD1 6BG 01597 823 700 info@metropole.co.ukNational Pairs qualifying heatsup to £59 per head.Limited single roomsare also available .Play will start at 1pmon Saturday and finishby 7.30; with a shortbreak for tea.Sunday’s session willstart at 10.30 for a 4pmfinish.I know I can’t please all players all of thetime; I am prepared for criticism, new ideasetc. But please will you all do your best tosupport the competitions this year so I cantruly gauge opinions. I will try to do the bestI can but I will need help and encouragement.I think this is the only way forward.Competitions start with the Graded Masterson January 16 th - 17th 2010. This is a perfectevent for competition virgins – you play onlyagainst pairs of your own or similar rank – soI look forward to seeing hundreds of you.If you don’t fancy a weekend away, why not ease yourself in tocompetitive bridge by entering the National Pairs events? Area heats areone-day, two-session events* held in your local area, and usuallyincorporate the Area Trophy.National Mixed Pairs Area heats: 6 th December 2009National Open Pairs Area heats: 24 th January 2010*For the National Open Pairs there may be Club heats to qualify for the Areafinal. Contact your Area Tournament Organiser or Club for details of venues,start times etc.WBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 2

Heard at the bridge tableA sign of the times:‘I’ve always been younger than theaverage age of Bridge players andexpect to remain so.’Bridge players are always right:Too many years ago I played with thelate Roy Wiltshire at the time biddingboxes were being introduced. When hemissed my bid Roy, never at a loss foran answer, said:‘Well you put it down very quietly.’Heard at the Bridge table (two keenplayers):‘Shall I get you a cup of tea?’‘No, no! I’ve been drinking all day,what with people dropping in. Myhusband died this morning and I’m notfeeling very clever’ (she, too, is long gonenow).Heard at the Bridge table:‘We had a partnership misunderstanding.My partner assumed Iknew what I was doing.’Heard at theBridge table:‘If I dideverythingright I wouldn’tbe playing withyou.’Battle of the sexes:In a Gold cup match opponents crashedthe Ace and Queen:‘Well, when you won the last trick withthe King I assumed you denied theQueen!’‘Well, I didn’t – obviously – because Ihad it!’[Which was the female? Aha! The first!]Heard at the dinner table:‘I’m a grandma’‘Goodness, I didn’t think your childrenwere old enough’‘No, you didn’t wait for me to finish.I’m a Grand Master, at last.’♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣____________________________________________________________________You’re NEVER too old!!! - from the WWBA websiteSid Gibbins Salver – 2008: It was certainly a special ‘seniormoment’ when Mildred Trigg-Knight and Ken Jenkins won theSid Gibbins Salver at the Porthcawl club. Mildred, who had justcelebrated her 93rd birthday was delighted. ‘I didn’t think we’ddone so well’, she said, ‘but we did seem to be able to get in alot.’ Mildred, an early member of Porthcawl Bridge club, hasbeen playing Bridge for over 70 years. She plays every eveningduring the week and on Sundays at the Golf Club. She keeps herinterest in many things, especially wildlife habitat and butterflies, but says :‘it’s theBridge that keeps the brain going and fit’. Congratulations, Mildred and Ken.John Raymond Trophy – 2008: 93-year-old Mildred Trigg-Knight has won anothercompetition – the John Raymond Transport Company Trophy, played at BridgendClub recently. Her partner in the Teams event was John Moore: a spring chicken at85 years, while the veritable babies in the team were Irene Thomas and GrahamJones. Congratulations to all of you.WBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 3

The CamroseThe Camrose is a long-standing eventin which teams representing Wales,England Scotland, Northern Irelandand the Republic compete forsupremacy. Before Wales became aseparate international country, Welshplayers could play for the British teambut, unlike our Welsh Rugby team,were rarely selected. Now that Welshplayers are venturing abroad, it couldbe imagined that the Camrose has lostits importance. Far from it. All thebest players still vie to be selected.Over the years friendships have beenmade across the countries involved,and the competition is hard fought. Itis good to watch, too. Some years ago,in Llandudno, when Wales playedEngland, the score was so close that thelast couple of boards were crucial. Inthe Vu-Graph room, we saw PatrickJourdain and Tony Ratcliff (ClosedRoom) on the screen. We knew that onthe penultimate board, the only way toget a good score was for Tony,defending, to drop his king of heartsunder declarer’s ace in the hope that hispartner had the queen and could get inand lead a club through declarer’s king.John Salisbury was commentating, sowe knew how difficult a decision Tonyhad. We watched him ponder, still asstone, for an awfully long time. It wasreally nail-biting. The minutes passed.We in the Vu-Graph room were takingbets (or would have, had there beenanyone willing to take them). ThenTony played his King! The roar thatwent up was so loud that Roy Hobson,the Match Director ran into the Vu-Graph-room in a fury, telling us if wecarried on like that he would cancel theboard. We very quietly watchedPatrick on screen, beaming at hispartner. He was especially pleasedbecause in all the Camrose matches hehad played, though he had played inmany winning teams, he had neverbeaten England.It was a poignant success, though:Alan Pierce, who had been selected forthe team, had died suddenly before theevent took place. His widow, Maggie,donated a cup in his memory, to beplayed for by England and Wales.Wales had played hard to win thatspecial Alan Pierce trophy.This Year’s TrialThe Trial (played over two weekends)for the Home International CamroseCup was won by Paul Denning andPatrick Shields.The team for the first Camroseweekend will be Paul Denning/PatrickShields; Filip Kurbalija/Tim Rees;Gary Jones/Dafydd Jones. Reserves:Adrian Thomas/Mike Pownall.NPC John Salisbury.We wish you all good play, goodcompany and every success to theteam.WBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 4

Being part of Wales’s Senior Team for theEuropean Teams Championship, Pau, Francein June 2008 was without doubt the high pointof my sporting life. Having started playingduplicate bridge in 1998, I had never dreamedof pulling on a Welsh shirt. Now, nearly tenyears later, here I was.At the Seniors’ opening ceremony Wales wasthe only country for whom the nationalanthem was played; the rest had a popularsong (I forget what the English song was) sothe seven of us, who had been expecting aTom Jones number, proudly stood to attentionand sang as best we could. The venue was aformer palace, delightful but for the feebleair-conditioning - it was a very hot June.My baptism at a bridge table with screens(standard at International events, to protectplayers against accusations of passingunauthorised information) was notspectacular. Our team did not performparticularly well despite the encouragement ofNon-Playing Captain Mike “Mikey” Close.One hand, however, gave me great pleasure,especially as it was against the “Sais” [Forthose of you who don’t speak Welsh, thatmeans ‘English’; the word is derived from‘Saxon’. Ed.] The last board of a 16 boardmatch at Vulnerable v Non-Vulnerable:I held ♠ A K Q, ♥ Q J 8, ♦ A 6 4 2, ♣ K 6 3As dealer I opened 1♣ (min. length 2 and

THE YANKS ARE COMINGYou will have heard that the Ryder Cup golfmatch between Europe and America iscoming to Wales next September, the biggestsporting event ever held in the Principality,but did you know that the Warren Buffett Cupbridge match between the two will also beheld in Wales, two weeks before the golfmatch?The Buffett Cup isa recent adjunct tothe Ryder CupGolf tournament.When the inauguralevent washeld in Dublin in2006, USA wonthe bridge andEurope the golf.Two years later inLouisville, theresults were reversed: Europe won the bridgeand USA the golf.As with the golf, the bridge teams have 12 oneach side with a non-playing captain todetermine the line-up. I have heardmurmurings of current world champions BobHamman and Zia Mahmood gracing the eventand you can’t get two more famous Bridgeplayers than that. One difference between thegolf and bridge is that the bridge teams mustcontain at least two women. The world’s topwoman player, Sabine Auken of Germany, isexpected to be in the European team.One thing is for sure, it will be very excitingto watch, and it is indicative of the importanceof this event that all six tables will be coveredon Bridge-Base Online throughout the fourdays of the match.Of course, the best place to watch the greatplayers will be at the event itself, at MiskinManor near Cardiff, where there will be a Vu-Graph room and commentators to explain thebidding and play.The WBU (you!) will not be expected tospend one penny towards the event, but wehave agreed to lendour equipment andwill providevolunteers to helpmake the event one for the Bridge world toapplaud. The Ryder Cup supports the Bridgeby allowing the organiser of The Buffett Cupto allocate tickets to Patrons or Sponsors ofthe Bridge match. If you know of anycompany or person keen to get hold of RyderCup tickets, please put them in touch withPatrick Jourdain.So, volunteers and spectators: if you want tobe part of the excitement, put the date in yourdiary –13 th - 16 th September 2010.The organiser for the match is our ownPatrick Jourdain. Please contact him if youare willing to help or need more information:pdjourdain@hotmail.com and have a look atthe website for up-to-date information:www.buffettcup.com________________________Did you know?The WBU is offering free website design andhosting for clubs? Jeff Smith’s scoringprograms are now customised for Welsh useand will import the membership listing file. Itis hoped that we shall get automatic uploadingof Masterpoints in the near future.WBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 6

Area news (This will be a regular feature, so make sure you get your news to Jill Knight)East Walesreport from Chairman,Mike BestIn this area we havenoticed that thetournament scene isdeclining while thesocial scene isthriving, so we have tried to give Easternevents more appeal by providing free buffetsto give an opportunity for socialising and toencourage people to stay for the prize-giving,to ‘round off’ events with some appreciationof players’ successes. So far we have donethis with the Stan Berger Open PairsChampionship and the Louis Lemon TeamsChampionship. We shall do the same for theArea Mixed Pairs on December 6th.At National level we have successfullyorganised the Welsh Foursomes and theAugust one-day events at Cwmbran. Ourobjective was to try to arrest the 20% declinein attendances with experimental changes,such as earlier finishes, shorter breaks, adrinks station, greater amount and spread ofprizes across the board and more extensiveadvertising. The early signs are encouraging.With so many events crowding the calendarwe have combined the East Wales MixedPairs Championship with the Area qualifierfor the National Mixed Pairs.Mike Best has agreed to organise the Welshand Cambia Cups, the inter-area team eventsthat have been struggling recently. In spiteof his great efforts, the Welsh Cup hasincreased by a third, but the Cambria Cup byonly one team. It is an improvement, so thesigns are promising. Good luck to Mike.Latest ResultsEWBA One-Day Swiss PairsSteve Tomlinson and Ralph SmithEWBA One-Day Swiss TeamsPeter Goodman, Patrick Jourdain, DianeKurbalija and Filip KurbalijaWBU Simultaneous PairsThurs/Fri) Eric Favager and Mike DowneyINVITATION PAIRSDafydd Jones and Gary JonesWELSH FOURSOMESTerry Walsh, Brid Kemple, Peter Goodmanand Filip KurbalijaCLARET CUP 2009/210Barrivale – Joan Jenkins & Noelle BondPenarth – Eric Favager & John SalisburyRhiwbina – Bill JonesSully – Mr and Mrs J SparkesOld Hall – Terri PollardChepstow – Peter Smith & Jane Rhodes;Grace & John MartinMid Walesreport from Chairman,Mike TeddWe now have tenclubs in Mid-Wales,Knighton, Rhayaderand Llandrindod Wells having joined in thelast two or three years.Last year saw the revival of the Mid-Walesleague with two divisions. This year we havefourteen teams, and we have split the seconddivision into West and East Division toreduce travelling distances.July saw the Mid-Wales congress, held in theexcellent venue of the Metropole inLlandrindod Wells. This drew 39 teams, justtwo down on 2008. It was well-organised andwent well. The innovation of extra events forthose teams doing poorly in the Swiss bySunday lunchtime was well received.The Aberystwyth Congress remains a friendlyand enjoyable event, but attendance has beendisappointing in the last few years.Mid-Wales hosts the Perry & Spickett interareateams next year and this will also be heldin the Metropole.The President, Alan Screen, has purchased hisown duplimate machine, primarily for use inMid Wales. This is most welcome.WBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 7

Good News!! The Aberystwyth congresswill, henceforth, be green-pointed. Weexpect the prize money to be substantial. Welook forward to seeing the old friends whohave supported us for so many years and wehope to welcome new faces at the Congress –last full weekend in July 2010.Latest ResultsMid Wales Congress July 20091 st Filip Kurbalija, Diane Kurbalija, JillCasey and Paul Denning (183 VPs)2 nd Mike Tedd, John Salisbury, Mike Bestand Mark Roderick (175)3 rd Jim Grant, Stefan Lindfors, AndrewThompson and Mike Fletcher (171)Abersystwyth Congress August 2009Mixed Pairs – Malcolm Mitchell & JudyMitchellFriday Open Pairs – Bob Ainger & GeorgeNovakSaturday Open Pairs – Peter Milewski & IanHastonChampionship Pairs – Lee Collier & EricHartlandConsolation Pairs – Anthony Stephens &Catherine StephensSwiss Teams – Chris Blackman, MonicaCorbett-Edwards, Les Mann, Sal LeechNorth Walesreport from Chairman,Allan JamesThis year it was ourturn to host the Perryand Spickett competitions.Our Treasurer,John Wain, found a very suitable venue inPrestatyn, the Beaches Hotel, at reasonablecost. The playing suite was very good. Ourteams were not as successful as in previousyears, but it was gratifying to see the eventsrun smoothly in a friendly atmosphere.Our two main congresses, the Swiss Teams inHolywell and the Swiss Pairs in Llandudno,were very well attended. Their success wasthe result of a lot of hard work from JeanHand and Margaret Smith. We thank andcongratulate them both. There were 56 tablesat the Swiss Pairs WBU congress. Jean alsoran the WBU one-day Swiss Pairs andmanaged to get a waiting list!The North again provided the Welsh venuefor the Portland Pairs and it was a mostenjoyable event for all taking part. Beth andBarry Wennell were 18 th over the whole ofthe UK. They were also 2nd in the SwissPairs congress. They have been our mostsuccessful pair this year, in Northern events.John Wain started a small congress two yearsago for Bridge players who do not play inWBU or NWBA competitions. He gives lotsof prizes and everyone gets a specially printedscore card and pen as mementos. It is strictlyNo Fear. They pay ten pounds, to cover thecost of a director, and they bring their ownfood, so there are never any complaints there!He has had 18 and 16 tables. Congratulationsto him on enabling potential WBUcompetitors to put their toes in the water.*Sheila Shea has become National TournamentOrganiser, and we wish her every success inher new responsibilities.*This year’s congress is on 21 st JanuaryLatest resultsWBU Llandudno Swiss Pairs (12 x 8-boardmatches) - very close at the top):1 st : Alan Bailey and Jette Bailey (176)2 nd equal: Nick Woodcock and SueWoodcock and Barry Wennell and BethWennell (173)NWBA Autumn One-Day Swiss Pairs:Eddie Thornton and Ben BeeverWBU Simultaneous Pairs:Monday – Paddy Murphy and Beth WennellTues/Wed - Olwen Brown and Pam EdwardsWest Walesreport from Chairman, ChrisDaviesJennifer Wardell, our ATO, hasdone a marvellous job inresurrecting the Area Men’sPairs (gone up from 0 to 11).The Porthcawl Congress andthe AGM events included a Novice section.Our AGM event was very well attended with100+ people. Irene Thomas did an excellentjob with the Porthcawl Congress.Continues on next pageWBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 8

The Porthcawl club organised a hugelysuccessful Bridge Cafe day of free drop-inseminars. Over 100 attended. Sky HD TV, aspart of their advertising campaign, invitedSwansea and Bridgend Bridge clubs to sendseveral pairs to a free, all-day masterclass runby Glyn Liggins; the arrangements wereclearly made by someone with nounderstanding of bridge, but it turned outsuccessfully. Everyone was impressed byGlyn’s input, so much so that we are lookingat the possibility of bringing Glyn back to runsessions for larger numbers.Newport (Pembs.) have changed their venue;they now play at the old school at Dinas Cross,Wednesday evening, starting at 6.45We would like to express our sadness at thedeath of Ann Dolan, in June. For many yearsshe did an excellent job as the WWBAConsolation Pairs: Judy Petran, Joe PetranSenior Mixed Pivot Teams: Colin Thomas,Lavinia Thomas, Peter Milewski, Colin NashChampionship Teams: David Jones, GordonRoxburgh, Ron Davies and Alan OddieSker Trophy Consolation Teams: NevilleShorrick, Martyn Moxley, Pam Crisp andJennifer BakerNovice Event: Pat Smith and Valerie LeggeFriday Open Pairs: Karen and Malcolm PryorArea CompetitionsVince Bevan Trophy Mary Moore and DiJonesArea Pairs Ladies’: Wendy Thornton andBeryl WarnerMen’s: John Gardener andPhil RobertsTreasurer. In the new competition for novicesat the AGM, pairs will play for a trophydedicated to her memory. We also report thesudden death of Dave Griffiths, in October. Itwill be a great loss to Porthcawl; he was such agood-humoured Director and he put so muchinto the game he loved.Latest resultsPorthcawl CongressLadies’ Pairs: (Phyllis Rowe Trophy) AoifeMcHale and Gilly ClenchMen’s Pairs: (Max Powell Trophy) PatrickJourdain and Gary JonesMixed Pairs: Alan Williams and RonaGoldenfieldRed Dragon Pairs: Patrick Jourdain andMikeVailLittle Dragon Pairs: Chris Smart and JackieDaviesWinners of the Mixed Pivot Teams: Colin andLavinia Thomas, Peter Milewski (+ ColinNash) with WBU President Alan ScreenGilly Clench and Aoife McHale, winneers of theLadies’ Pairs, with Chief TD Jim ProctorWBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 9

CHANGING LIVESWhy do people want to play Bridge? Whatmakes someone decide to teach it?Gayda (Gay) Young has been a member ofBenllech club since it was founded, and whenthe founder of Beaumaris club decided to goduplicate, she was able to use her knowledgeto help him, and then ran the club when hewas unable to do it any longer. For severalyears the people who played there enjoyedduplicate Bridge on a social level, but thenumbers remained small. Gay decided toadvertise in the local press, to try and getmore players. At the same time, a new over-50s social club was starting, and theorganisers asked Gay would she be interestedin teaching Bridge if there was a demand.She agreed and went along and introducedherself and talked about the game of Bridge.The response was good. Fifteen peopleenrolled in her class. Their ages variedenormously but their reasons for wanting toplay Bridge were almost identical: theywanted to extend their social life. Some didalready play, but used the ‘asking club’ andwanted to learn Acol. There was a rubberBridge club in town that some wanted to join;others simply wanted to learn and meetpeople.Gay had no experience of teaching Bridge,but her professional experience in businessmanagement and, later, social work, both ofwhich involved staff training, honed her skillin communicating with people andencouraging them.By the end of the firstyear not one haddropped out, so shecontinued for anotheryear.The group comprised ‘a few bright sparks’who would eventually play duplicate andwho, indeed, now do so; some who hadreached the stage where they were happy toplay together at home, or at the rubber Bridgeclub, with the new friends they had made, anda couple of very elderly people who hadenjoyed the lessons, but who would never,sadly, quite get the hang of it. Gay, quiterightly, felt that shehad done all shecould for her group,and ended thelessons.The teachingdidn’t end,though. She begananother group sometime later and,coincidentally, she was approached bysomeone from Benllech who had started anover-fifties club. Now she took on twoseparate groups, on different nights. TheBeaumaris lessons had started before theBenllech ones and the learners wanted to goto both lots of lessons, and Gay had to say no,for obvious reasons.I asked her how she managed to deal withfourteen or fifteen people at once. ‘Myhusband comes along as well and is a greatsupport, and a volunteer from Benllech clubalso helps when she is free. Both groups seemfairly brightish. It’s is very hands on, but I douse a flip-chart to make specific points.’ Iasked was she aware of materials offered bythe EBU and WBU and she said she hadfound a very good site online – ‘No FearBridge’ from where she purchased a book forteaching bidding and scoring , by LeighHarding, that she has found invaluable. Shedid find an EBU book but it was too advancedfor her purposes.‘What do you get out of all this work, Gay?’ Iasked. ‘When they tell me I have changedtheir lives, I am delighted,’ she replied. ‘Theyhave found new friends with whom they canshare many a pleasant social hour or two.Many of these people were lonely and nowthey are not. And an extra bonus is that wehave more members at our Duplicate club.’Well, Gay, you can’t say fairer than that.(Gwen Hurst, Wrexham, teaches people viathe U3A and now has special sessions fornovices at the Bridge club. Our Chairmanalso has ‘his ladies‘ and reports goodprogress.)WBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 10

Better late than neverby Mike TeddThe belated 64-board final of the 2009 WelshCup was held on 30 th October at the GwentBridge Academy in Newport. 6-person teamsare a big advantage in earlier rounds, butwhen all 12 players were determined to playthe final, arranging it was a nightmare!All of the finalists have played for Wales onmany occasions; a husband and wife (Filipand Diane Kurbalija) were on opposite sides.Filip’s team took a small early lead, butAdrian Thomas’s team won the next five setsof eight to put the result beyond doubt. Thefinal margin was 159-110, reversing the resultwhen the two squads had last met in the final.The standard of play was generally high.Several swings happened when Adrian’s teamjudged better in competitive auctions, such aswhen Diane held ♠ - , ♥ K 7 4 2, ♦ A 6 5 3 2,♣ A J 8 5. Fourth in hand at favourablevulnerability, she heard the opponents bid 1♠- 4♠. In the other room her hand passed, butDiane doubled. 5♦ was a good save, andpushed her opponents to 5♠ down one.On another hand, Adrian held ♠ 3, ♥ A 6 3,♦ K 10 9 4 3, ♣ A J 4 2. Again fourth in handnon-vulnerable, Adrian heard 1♠, 3♥ frompartner, 3♠ on his right. He bid FIVE ♥,which can be made, pushing opponents to 5♠,again one down. In the other room this handfancied its defensive chances in a slightlydifferent auction so sold out to 4♠ making.The best play hand of the match fell late on toa member of the losing team, PatrickJourdain:Dlr: EastVul: NS♠ 10 9♥ A Q 6 4 3♦ 10 9 8 2♣ 10 3♠ 6 4 2♥ 2♦ A K 7 5 4 3♣ J 9 2♠ A J 7♥ K J 10 8♦ Q 6♣ A 6 5 4♠ K Q 8 5 3♥ 9 7 5♦ J♣ K Q 8 7At the other table NS stopped in a quiet 2♦making nine tricks for 110. Jourdain chose toovercall 1NT and was raised to the goodlookinggame, which isstraightforward if diamondsbreak.West North East SouthShields Ratcliff Denning Jourdain- - 1♠ 1NT2♥ 3NT*All pass*3NT denied a heart stop (North goes via aLebensohl 2NT with a heart stop)Against South’s 3NT, West led the ♠10 to thequeen which held. A switch to the ♥9 wascovered by jack and queen. Now Westswitched to a low diamond, attempting to cutcommunication with dummy. Patrick wonwith the queen and played a high heart. Westwon and played a second diamond to the ace.Patrick cashed the ♦K discarding a club,finessed the ♠J, and cashed one good heartleaving this ending:♠ none♥ none♠ none♥ 6 4♦ 9♣ 10 3♦ 7 5♣ J 9 2♠ A♥ 10♦ none♣ A 6 5♠ K 8♥ none♦ none♣ K Q 8Declarer now cashed his last heart throwing adiamond from dummy. What can Eastdiscard?If he threw a club, after ace and another club,the last two tricks would be won by the spadeace and a good club. So Paul threw a spade.But now Patrick cashed the ace of spades toremove East’s exit card and then led a lowclub. When West played a small club Patrickput in the nine. East won and had to return asmall club which ran round to dummy’s jack.The well-deserved winners: Adrian Thomas,Peter Goodman, Paul Denning, PatrickShields, Jill Casey and Diane Kurbalija.Runners-up: Filip Kurbalija, Tim Rees, MikeTedd, John Salisbury, Patrick Jourdain andTony Ratcliff.[The photo was a lucky web find. Ed.]WBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 11

The Round Knight of the Table by Jill KnightI play regularly in two local clubs and amlucky enough to have a lovely partner in each.The first hasn’t played in competitions formany years; the second is quite keen on theidea, but so far the calendar clashes with otherthings. I don’t mind, although sometimes I domiss the competitive scene.But then I look back and remember …let’s callhim Sir Gawain, for in his head, that is who hewas, though I see him more as Don Quixote.He played one Mondaynight, thirty years ago at ourlittle club - and in our ruralarea a stranger is ofabsorbing interest. Anyway,he was hard to miss. Hewas, erm, corpulent. Whenthe session finished heapproached me, pint in hand, and asked hadmy partner psyched. Said partner was anelderly, Polish man who played Polish system,even before the Poles invented it. ‘Psych?’ (Isaw it in my head as ‘sike’) Hmmm,intriguing. Is that what they call opening aweak No Trump with 15 points?Sir G was a roving test engineer, workinglocally for a couple of weeks, and he needed apartner for the Thursday session in a nearbytown so I agreed to play. The evening wentwell. We played in a damp, bare hall, but myMonday partner, having clocked Sir G’s fondnessfor the taste of hops, had brought himsome beer. He was impressed by the kindness.He asked if I would play when he was next inthe area, and of course I said ‘Yes’. He said Ihad lots of potential, but needed to learn acomprehensive system. This became his quest.Thus began our wanderings, near and far. Onenight, driving to a fairly distant club downwinding roads, he went through, not Multi 2♦(which we had recently addressed), but adefence to it, ‘Killarney’, which was ratherintricate. I could see no logic in it, onlycomplications. We suddenly realised that wehad missed the turning. He had eleven pointson his licence and we were late, so I had totake Rocinante’s reins, sitting up straight tosee through the windscreen. He pointed outthat I could drive faster because if we werestopped for speeding that would be OK.Another time, he took a fancyto my new car. We were onour way to Porthcawl. He keptsaying ‘I’ll drive, if you like’and I kept saying ‘No. I am fine’. Somechunterings later I let him drive. Two minutesafter this, along the Brecon by-pass, he wrotethe car off. We were taken to hospital and,having been cleared, took a taxi to Porthcawlwhere we won a cup.He lived a great distance away from me so itwas only a couple of times a year, when hewas back working in our area, that we playedin local clubs. This was the only practice wegot, so whenever we arranged to meet up for abridge event he would say ‘Get there early sowe can go over our system’. It was quite awhile before I realised that his intention was toteach me some new bidding thing just beforewe started playing. Despite my protestations,he insisted. After several years, we had acomprehensive, comprehensible, but slightlyout-of-date, system. Then he started psyching.But we did have our successes, in spite of thefact that if I disagreed with him about a bid, hewould become very cross. I once told him thatwhen he got angry I could see sparks comingout of his head. He was amazed at thisbecause, he said, he could feel them. So I triednot to argue with him, even though he wasoften unreasonable and, very occasionally,downright wrong. People used to ask why Iput up with him. I would say, ‘Well, he hastaught me such a lot, and away from the tablehe is a nice person.’Wherever we played, we were late. He had noconcept of time. Coming back fromEastbourne one time, he wanted to go andhave a look at Arundel Castle. This was afterour stopping for coffee and his reading theSunday papers. I was driving. He fell asleepfor most of the several hundred miles back. Iwas still glowing at reaching the ChampionshipPairs final, playing against the BigNames; people I had only read about in theBridge magazines. Of course we didn’t win,but at the end of one round, when Sir Gberated me over something I had done, ouropponent, the late Irving Rose, gently put himWBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 12

in his place by giving a brief analysis of theplay and explaining why I had done the rightthing. I was enlightened; Sir G was quiet.Life was full of incident whenever we played.Like the night he put his foot on the brakegoing round a bend on a dark country road andhis aforementioned car slid, in a very statelyway, knocked down a bollard on a centralreservation and at there, immovable. Anothertaxi required. When the police eventuallycaught up with him the next day, he told themhe had swerved to avoid a rabbit. The simpletruth would have sufficed. At work, thefollowing week, he got cartoons of rabbits onhis desk. That incident accounted for severalof the points on his licence.His car was always breaking down. Nowonder he was a member of the RAC. That’show my written-off car returned from Brecon,along with the two of us, after he wrote it off.I told him that one day the RAC would sackhim and, eventually they did. I am ashamed tosay that I laughed when he told me, outraged,that they wouldn’t renew his membership.Then there was the night inLlangollen when there was asudden whooshing sound in theplaying-room and, looking up,we saw a huge chandelierplunging from above. Itknocked an old lady’s headsideways and she passed out.† When shecame to, the ambulance had arrived, but sheinsisted on carrying on. ‘I have come here toplay bridge’, she said.Another time in Llangollen, as a new roundwas starting, a respected International playerapproached our table, white-faced, and said toone of our opponents, ‘I think this is yours’and threw a full pint of beer in his face. Thebeer-sodden man refused to let me call theDirector. I only agreed not to when he told us(after further questioning from us) that ‘in away’ it was his fault; on the previous round hehad thrown his whisky in the International’sface. Later, the beer-thrower apologised to usand explained how it had all started. He hadcertainly been provoked. After the whiskythrowing,he had gone to his team-mates’ tableand asked one of them for his beer, promisingto buy him another. For a man who didn’tdrink, I must say his aim was brilliant.Perhaps he played cricket at school.One night, just before the last round started,Sir G went to get his beloved pint (to be fair,he never drank alcohol when playing bridge;or at least not until the last round.) He placedhis glass lovingly on the table, whereupon itjumped up and soaked the very elderlyopponent from head to toe. His suit wasruined. I kept waiting for partner to apologisetill, in the end, I said, ‘Aren’t you going to saysomething?’ His response was a fairlyagonised, ‘I’ve waited all night for that pint!’The old man replied for him and said it wasn’this fault. Someone told us later that the niceold man was G C H Fox, the Bridge writer.Another time - Porthcawl again - a lady cameto our table and asked what system we played.My partner, who was musing over anotheridiocy of mine on the previous hand, said,‘The Roobish System’. When her partnerarrived, she told her, very seriously ‘They areplaying the Roobish System’, but they didn’task anything else about it.At the Spanish Championships he was playingwith Joe Tarlow when the old man quietly diedat the table. Sir G was truly saddened by this.He had hundreds of such stories: going to playin the Gold Cup against a top English team ina house that was – well, let’s say ratherunkempt. I did notice that the number of usedundergarments on the bathroom floor doubledeach time he told a new audience this story. Ithink he used to get bored with his stories, and‘enhanced’ them for his own entertainment.He was a good raconteur, though.He retired from his wandering with work, butwe did play in one or two events a year untilarthritis made driving too difficult for him. Hewas last seen being wheeled on to a plane, nodoubt bound for bridge adventures somewhere.†[Note from Laura] This lady’s husband had adepression in his skull, no doubt the result ofsome medical procedure. We rather meanlyused to refer to him as “The Man with theHole in his Head”. After this incident atLlangollen we used, even more meanly, torefer to her as “The Woman with the MatchingHole in her Head”. Incidentally, Mike Closehad just that very minute vacated the chair.He’s quite a bit taller than the game old lady.WBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 13

“DI-RECTOR!”Every game has rules.exception.Bridge is noClubs affiliated to the WBU must ensure thatplayers observe the rules. There is a book,revised from time to time, explaining the rulesof play and detailing the penalties forwhichever of the rules has been broken. Itwould help every player to be aware of them.Most of the time people do the wrong thingaccidentally, especially when they lead or bidout of turn. The laws, however, deal with thepenalty and not the reasons for the infraction.There are no extenuating circumstances.It is the Director’s job to look at the situation,tell whoever was responsible what the penaltyis, and see that the law is obeyed. He shouldalways have the book with him, and read outthe relevant penalty, making sure that theperson concerned understands.Most people learn the rules by breaking them.It is a good way to learn because having to paya penalty tends to make one remember not todo it again. Rules generally arise because ofrepeated behaviour that damages opponents.This is why hesitation or asking about aparticular bid are deemed to need rules. In95% of cases no harm is intended towards theopponents, but to protect players from beingdamaged there are rules to stop themhappening: the Stop cardbefore a jump bid rule, andrules for asking about thebidding. One old man whoused to play at our club woulddeliberately hesitate whenopponent led up to their ace-queen, to makethem think the finesse wasn’t working. Wesoon learnt to finesse safely when he did that,and not to finesse when he played in tempoand smoothly. He was hoist with his ownpetard. Another player put his wife throughnew systems all the time to try and fox hisopponents. When asked what his latest 2♦opener meant, he wouldn’t tell until he wastold he had to. His response was, ‘What’s thepoint in playing different systems if you haveto tell your opponents what the bids mean?’ Atleast his wife was able to keep up with hissystem after that.People new to duplicate bridge will find someof the rules strange and probably unnecessary,but after a while they will begin to understandthat they are there to protect people from beingdamaged by their opponents. People can givetoo much information without meaning to. ForHey, partner, I’vegot 5 hearts!example, your partner opens the bidding bytaking out the Stop card and then ponders forsome time before putting down his bid.Unauthorised Information has been given!Your partner has a good hand, but is not surewhat to bid. Has he got a long suit or is it abalanced hand? Well, if so his long suit can’tbe that long, or his balanced hand is not verybalanced. Everybody is thinking aboutopener’s hand now. The opponents areallowed to take advantage of that knowledge,but you are not. Your partner should havedone his pondering before taking out the Stopcard; his ‘hesitation’ should come after thecomplete bid is made, to allow your opponenttime to think. Has he left his Stop card downfor 8-10 seconds before removing it? If hehasn’t, he is breaking the rules. Yet how manypeople do leave their Stop card down for therequired length of time? So many of themtake it out, make their bid and immediatelytake the Stop card away, which is breaking therules.It all seems very complicated, but the rules arethere to maintain equity. For example, if yourevoke and thereby get more tricks than therest of the room, your mistake has given you atop and all the other players sitting at the samepolarity a bottom. That just isn’t fair and thatis why there is a penalty.Never feel that you have sinned if you break arule. The word ‘penalty’ is a bit daunting, butif you think of it as a means of ensuring noWBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 14

one is damaged, you can relax. No oneshould overlook infringements because theinfractor is inexperienced. Being kind tothem is being unkind to everyone else, so justbe tactful and friendly and call the Director.He will, equally tactfully, sort it out toeveryone’s satisfaction.Ideally, every club should have two qualifiedDirectors, especially if they are playing. Onecan go when the other is in the middle of ahand, and if there is a problem two heads arebetter than one. Directors must always takethe law book to the table and always be seento be judging correctly. It is better to leave adifficult problem till later than to make awrong decision. This means writing down thebidding, contract and lead as an aidememoire.The Director should always bepleasant but firm.Players should never try to sort out a problemthemselves. It is quicker, and less stressful, tocall the Director. The person who calls theDirector should explain the situation.Everybody else should say nothing until theDirector asks them if they agree with whatwas said. If they cannot agree, the Directorwill take down all the particulars and make ajudgement later. This is why, if you thinkyou have been damaged by an opponentduring the bidding, you should call theDirector before the play starts, to ‘reserveyour rights’. If you then decide you havebeen damaged, you can recall him. It is nouse waiting to see the traveller before youmake your statement.In all situations,just remember it isa game you areplaying. Just asyou can’t go up asnake and down aladder, so youcan’t break therules in bridge. Ifyou follow theprocedure of calling the Director andeveryone is friendly and polite to each other,then you can get on without a stain on yourcharacter and just enjoy the game.Odds and EndsNeville is organisingDirector training andarranging courses, led byMike Amos, condensed intothree sessions at ClubDirector level. Othersalready directing may wishto attend only the finalAssessment session to obtain their formalqualification. Please put your name down assoon as possible. It would be a shame to missthis opportunity.We have lots of info andhelp for people whowant to teach Bridge.Contact Neville whowill give you all theinformation you need. Ifyou want to teach in aschool or in a younggroup of your own, he can give you usefulcontacts for help and advice. Anyone canteach Bridge if they are committed enough,but there are legal procedures to be followedwhen planning to teach young people. Seethe WBU ‘Youth’ page or contact Neville.There are still WBUHandbooks lying aroundin clubs. If you haven’t hadyours, get it while it’s stillthere.WBU Playing Cards: Neville is orderingplaying cards bearing a WBU logo. Availablewill be top quality five-bar Duplimating cardsand standard cards, both at a discount; ANDthe WBU issubsidisingthem forWBU clubs.They shouldbe availablein a fewweeks, so if you want to take advantage of theoffer, put your orders in to Neville now.WBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 15

Promotions from 21 st June 2008 to 14 th May 2009Local Master Kath Pratt NT Margaret Jones LPPhil Bowers MG Martin Rich CAS Ann Macdougall BVBrian Griffiths H Nesta Thomas R Frances Masters MHKay Taylor K Tina Torkington T Elen Pierce STony Taylor K Trevena Vincent T Christine Redman MONDerek Thew LD Roy Wallwork W Jonathan Richards BRJan Vanringelenstein H Rebecca Watkins MB Margaret Richards KClub Master Margaret Williams OH Valerie Richards MERKlaus Aehlig S Berwyn Woolnough LW Herbie Rowley CDJane Beale GA Sandra Woolnough LW Sara Sabir PTMike Beale GA Thelma Wright F Beryl Sales PVClive Case GA District Master Harry Starr MGBrian Chadwick S Margaret Algar MB David Stewart SSam Fellows PN James Boulton GA Brian Summerfield BREElizabeth Hale DM David Bussey PD Susan E Thomas NPJames Harris MB Gwenda Davies LP Martin Thorne FSylvia Hilton RY Martin Davies BRE Byron Williams SAnne Hughes OH Peter Davies S John Worlock SUCharlotte Ingham DM Anne Ellis Y Gillian Young WSGladys Irvine T Donald Ellis PW MasterAdrian Miscusan L Susan Enfield T Keith H Butt SDerrick Nolan BEN Jennifer Harris CD Helen Caldicott CRIPhil Nuttall DEE David M Jones BEN Belinda Davies BREIrene Parker DM Ellen Lane-Cousin VOG Tony Davies BREOlwen Parry CN Judy Lewis T Michael Dent AGHywel Probert T Sean Macdougall BV Colin Easterbrook OHMary Savage LP Suppiah Navaratnam W Gwynant Edwards AJohn Spottiswoode R Barrie Phillips PT Vernon George MERHerrick Westcott GA Shirley Powell PN Brian Griffiths RJoan Westcott GA Glenda Roberts OH Mary Hobbis MONAlun Williams P Ashleigh Scrimshaw MH Betty Hollis PNKath Williams F Jackie Stevenson CD Susan Jackson MArea Master Nigel Symons Jones LP Eric E Johnson DKaye Bennett NT Mike Taylor T Charlotte Jones MONLinda Blunt MON Alan Thomas R Eddie Jones PCDawn Bowers MG County Master Jacquie Jones FDorothy Bugden P Jean Akers PN David Lovering RDeborah Davies PT Joan Andrews PN Stella Pink RYRoger Draper S Joan Boother S Mary Rees MBJohn Edwards OH Roger Davey WS Phil Roberts NPElinor Ellis PW Barbara Dawes SU Vera Ross CNJane Field LP Anne Edwards A Patricia Scott MGBob Hughes MB C Stuart Evans MG Marion Shewell ARAinsley Jones S Angela Gilbert C Joyce Sprake FPeter Knott LP Julia Griffiths L Jean Thomas PNTerry Margolis NT Richard Hughes C R Mike Thomas YMary Palin W Glan James L Gary Williams PAnnette Phillips W Gareth John L Vivian Woolley BENTony Phillips W Dian Jones PPam Powditch PN John Jones BREWBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 16

Advanced Master Reg Mealings WS Allan Lewis MGSara Bartlett OH Jill Quick S Godfrey Lewis MBSteve Burgoyne BR George Woodhouse WS Robin Lewis BREJean Flynn C Three Star Master Mike Reed CARIan Grove S Monica Dewsberry MG Paul Smith BREEllen Gwynne-John CBY Alan Heath PC Regional MasterRosemary Hathaway T Wendy Jenkins WS Liz Crockford TIris Jarman NT Megan Jones WS Huw Jones SMichael Jones BRE June Owen GA Chris Morley CAREric Joseph R Una Thomas WS Debbie Richards MGMark Laming CN Jacqueline Williams S Christine Smith SMartin Ley S Leighton Williams AG Sharon Winter CGerry Morris L Four Star Master Premier Regional MasterJanet Richards P Gwen Davies CD H John Evans MGPenney Saunders R Gladys Griffiths L Nick Huggett CGeorge Williams GA Jack McCombie CRI National MasterOne Star Master Stan Newman WS Bryan Clarkson CNJane Allen WS Marion Stephenson VOG Ian Haston HDavid Batterley AA Five Star Master Peter Milewski HJean Brooks MG Tony Mitchell NP Jennifer Wardell CARMargaret Day T Lena Morgan S Premier National MasterCatherine Dudlyke L Martin Morris NP Dave Barwood MGDerek Earle MER Pat Radway BR Sylvia Davies STeresa Goss C Ron Thompson GA Lyn Lamb AJayne Greatrex PN Mildred Trigg-Knight P Eleanor Price STony Hall SU Tournament Master Barry Wennell LDKath Jenkins OH Chris Bickel MB Beth Wennell LDNeil Jenkins OH Chris Bradshaw MER Jill Williams RAveril Jones PC Margaret Church MB Life MasterMargaret Ann Jones WS Olwen Brown FJupp Korsten D Sian Ellis PWDoris Powell GA Premier Master Pat Fielding NTMichael Rowland CN Christine Bowman PV Sandra James RLona Thomas BRE June Broeders W Betty Lewis BVAnn Walters R Betty Brookes A Beryl Warner HIrene Warlow T Kate Craven MB Lucy Williams CRPat Williams NT Sid Craven MB Senior Life MasterTwo Star Master Christine Forbes BRE Ann Fox BRKeith Bellamy MG Carol James PN Eric Hartland HRoy Dickinson WS Anne Johns PN Diana Jones BRVida Halford PC Mair Jones A Colin Nash SEast Wales Congress (Cwmbran) 13 th & 14 th February 2010The brochure and entry form are now available on the website, or from Irene Thomas(Tel. 01446 407734, email r.h.thomas@ntlworld.com.Wales are at home to Scotland at rugby that weekend so we recommend earlyreservation of accommodation. Please note the early payment discount: entry fee£160 per team, £10 reduction for early payment received prior to 5th February.WBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 17

Promotions from 8 th June to 2 nd December 2009Local Master Wendy Walker CN Two Star MasterDavid Hill GA County Master Joan Bakewell PWChristopher Rawlings P Judy Collins PN Patrick Llewellyn YCecilia Rossiter H Heather Cummins CAS David Nicholls WSClub Master Jeremy Dawes CAS Premier MasterHilary Davis CD Anne Ellis CN Anne E Hughes PRDan Gordon R Jennifer Harris CD Peter Jenkins PYvonne Greenleaf S Marion Higton CBY Sandra Helen Jenkins PGeorge Kinchington LP Suppiah Navaratnam W George Novak CASStella Miller MG Master Linda Powell CBarbara Roberts R Mary Fletcher PT John Raymond MGMyfanwy Rose CD David Everett Y Rod Sheard WArnold Sandrey MG Roger Goodwin CD Ron Thompson GAAnn Scott PR Philip Hawkins C Regional MasterMargaret Worthington CBY Gill Howells CD Richard Stedman WSArea Master Pauline Rhodes CD Gloria Walters HClive Case GA Keith Vincent S Premier Regional MasterMagda Corser A Gay Young BEN Judith Graham-Jones HGillian Joel A Advanced Master Pat Mullally CNAnna Levi CN Malcolm Frieze GA David Spalding CNOlwen Parry CN Isabel Good C National MasterCaroline Stephenson C Desmonde Jefferies NP Kay Dyer BVAnthony Stevens NP Tony Mason WS Margaret Morris MONLiz Taylor MER Linda Miles S Premier National MasterDistrict Master Stella Pink RY Jane Brook BVJill Birchall CBY Ed Robertson GA Peter Milewski HTom Birchall CBY Marion Shewell AR Brian Schofield YPam Ellis A David Stevens CN Colin Thomas PTPhil Gould RY Geoff Tremlett L Lavinia Thomas PTJean Hellier GA Rosemarie Yates GA Life MasterNeville Layhe W One Star Master Frances Williams LJean Morgan MER Don Bell R Senior Life MasterAlan Pearce GA Steve Burgoyne BR John Cox SKath Pratt CAS Ian Grove SMartin Rich CAS Pat Harris GA Grand MasterDebbie Rosevear OH Angela Roberts WS Laura Woodruff BRMaster Point of ViewWe had so many promotions to include, there wasn’t room for myusual screed. So Master Point of View has been held over till thenext issue.There is, however, just room for me to congratulate you all andwish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.NoelleWBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 18

Llangollen© Freefoto.comThere was a disappointing number of tablesfor the Llangollen Congress. One reasoncould be that the organisers had moved houseand there was some confusion about where tosend entries. It is all the more disappointingbecause Llangollen has been a favourite venueof players for many, many years.Those who did go fought as hard as ever, andit was good to see a repeat win for last year’sWelsh team of Filip Kurbalija, Paul Denning,Patrick Jourdain and Tony Ratcliff. They hadwon before going into the final, being morethan 20 VPs ahead. In fact, they won all oftheir last ten matches! Second and Third wereteams from Merseyside.The first three teams were:1. Filip Kurbalija, Paul Denning, PatrickJourdain and Tony Ratcliff (216 VPs)2. David Stevenson, Ted Reveley, Bill Niccolland John Gladders (177 VPs)3. Dave Keen, Jean Keen, Peter Foster andNeil Fellows (174 VPs)Congratulations to our Welsh team* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Around the Ash BucketThose of you who remember the days when Iused to produce the Newsletter, a task nowgratefully surrendered to Jill Knight, may havebeen wondering how our livestock have beenfaring since I last penned a few words to fill aspace. If not, just skip to Page 20.We don’t seem to have made much progresswith the house – insufficient funds, as thebanks used to say when they returned a cheque– but there has been a significant change in theoutdoor inhabitants. Andy, my daft, belovedhorse, has moved on to pastures new with alovely young man who has the time to ridehim and, moreover, is tall enough to look himin the eye. I don’t think I’ve ever experienceda more heart-breaking farewell; but Josh (theyoung man) sends me regular updates. I missmy boy, but I don’t miss the mucking-out,especially at this time of year.Chickens have come and chickens have gone,mainly over the back wall. Unfortunately thedrop on the other side is twice the size, sohaving made their escape, they can’t fly highenough to make the return journey. I hopesomeone is enjoying the eggs, rather than thehens. The aptly named Vinny, our handsomeWelsummer cockerel, fell foul of the new pairof geese, Edward and Mrs Simpson, and isnow roosting in heaven. He was succeeded byJasper, an almost equally beautiful BlueAraucana. Jasper immediately impregnatedone of the hens; and in short orderimpregnated his daughter, who went on to laypretty little blue eggs. He too has gone overthe wall – at least, we hope he has, for onemorning he was simply no longer there. So nomore Easter chicks for us. It’s probably forthe best: TomTom (the cat) ate the last two.Our most popular new resident is Cornelia, arather terrifying nanny-goat who is actuallyvery timid. She has eaten all the ivy andbrambles, but eschews the nettles unless we’veuprooted them first, which is a nuisance. Sheoften comes into the kitchen and stands by thevegetable rack or the fruit bowl, according toher gastronomic preference of the day. Jonhas taught her to spit the stone out when sheeats plums. And she does love a doughnut.WBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 19

Information page (Please mark changes and corrections in your copy of the current Journal)Item Page DetailsWBU Officers 3 As you will know by now, the Magazine Editor is Jill Knight,email Polly64335@aol.com, Tel. 01248 853033.East Wales BridgeAssociation4 Website is now at:http://www.bridgewebs.com/eastwales/home.htmlWest Wales ATO 4 Jennifer Wardell’s telephone number is 01267 230561(Archway) ChepstowBridge Club5 New contact: Peter Smith, Tel. 01291 627599, emailpjsmith17@hotmail.co.ukOld Hall Bridge Club 5 Start time has changed to 7.00Sully Bridge Club 6 New contact: Sean Macdougall, 35 Trem y Don, Barry CF62 6QJBellech Bridge Club 7 Website: www.benllechbridgeclub.org.ukCalendar 66 The Senior Camrose is to be held in Edinburgh, not Oxford, andis scheduled for the weekend of 28 th -30 th May 2010.Calendar 66 The dates of the Warren Buffet Cup have changed to 13 th -16 thSeptember 2010.Calendar 67 Commonwealth Nations Tournament: 24 th -29 th October 2010Top Twenty in John Hockey Trophy (most points registered in one year) as 1 st December 2009Filip Kurbalija 85 Beth Wennell 71 John J Evans 54Dave Barwood 80 Barry Wennell 71 Steve Webb 51Peter Goodman 80 Wendy Williams 68 John Salisbury 49Barry Jones 77 Tony Ratcliff 68 Paddy Murphy 48Peter Milewski 75 Gwynne Maddox 65 Graham Jones 48Val Kennewell 73 Steve Kennewell 59 Irene Thomas 44Colin Nash 72 Patrick Jourdain 56Neville’s contactdetails:Neville Richards, Chief ExecutiveWelsh Bridge Union, Meadow View, Llanddewi,Llandrindod Wells, Powys LD1 6SETelephone: 01597 850050/05602 941492Email: neville@wbu.org.ukSouth Walians who were wondering what’sbecome of Andrew Scott, erstwhile Perrypartner of Liam Sheridan and irregular playerin the Cardiff League, may rest easy.He’s alive and well, and apparently living onan industrial estate in Margam.Sincerest thanks to all the peoplewho have contributed to thisNewsletter. Your help is VERYmuch appreciated.If you have any comments, questionsor suggestions (constructive ones,please!) for the Newsletter. pleasecontact me, Polly64335@aol.com, ortelephone 01248 853033. I welcomecontributions: information, Bridgehands, letters, Bridge tales etc.Jill KnightWBU Newsletter Issue 85 Page 20Published by the Welsh Bridge Union, Meadow View, Llanddewi, Llandrindod Wells, Powys LD1 6SE and printed byPaul Clark Printing, Park Lane, Toppesfield, Essex CO9 4DQ