MAYFIELD DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB

NEWSLETTER No. 47 – JANUARY 2008

 

 

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – TUESDAY 22 April 2008

 

The 25th Annual General Meeting of the Club will take place in St. John’s Hall on the above date at a start time of 7:30pm, followed by bridge as soon as possible. The usual format will apply with the Officers’ reports being posted on the notice board and, in some cases, on the web site in advance of the Meeting. It is hoped that these will be taken as read at the Meeting. 

 

Please advise the Secretary, Rosemary Rice of any business that you wish to be raised at the Meeting by 14 April 2008; otherwise it may not be possible to include it in the agenda.  A copy of last year’s minutes has been available at the club for the past 11 months and will remain so until the Meeting.  If you require an individual copy please speak to Rosemary Rice.  It is hoped that the accounts will be available in advance of the Meeting. 

 

Members are reminded that, if they wish to propose an amendment to any of the rules, it must be given to the Secretary 4 weeks before the Annual General Meeting – 25th March 2008.

 

There are vacancies on the Committee and nominations to fill these are welcomed. These should be made no later than one week before the meeting. A list will go up on the notice board well in advance of the meeting.

 

 

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

 

Mayfield Teams Cup – 29 Jan / 26 Feb:  Teams can have up to 6 players so that in the event that you can only get a team for one evening you can have up to 2 substitutes for the second night.

 

Norman Cup – 12 Feb (heat) / 11 March (final). The final will be limited to 5, 6 or 7 tables according to the original entry.  There will be Open Pairs on 12 March for those who do not qualify for the final or who were unable to enter in the first place.

 

Mixed Pairs Cup – 13 May:  Members should note that, although unmixed pairs may turn up to play, they will be expected to pair up with other unmixed pairs where possible.   Any pair left unmixed will still be able to play but without standing. 

 

Men’s & Ladies’ Pairs – 17 Jun:

 

Dorothy Williamson Handicap Teams – 29 July.  We introduced a handicap into last year’s teams event which appeared to be successful so intend to keep the same format for this year.

 

 

PLEASE GIVE ALL THESE COMPETITIONS YOUR SUPPORT


 


CHRISTMAS PARTY NIGHT

 

This event was very well supported and it was once again fully booked with 3 on a waiting list who were brought in to replace last minute dropouts. We were particularly sorry that Kath Coward and Peter Norman were two of those unable to come and we hope that they are fully recovered now.

 

Our thanks are extended particularly to those who worked to make it a good evening: -

Rosemary Rice who organised the refreshments together with her team of helpers,

Mary Street, Helen Seymour and Sylvia Timberlake

Ron Maclaren who purchased the booze

Roger Sugden, Chris Pullan and Ron Maclaren who ran the bar

Chris for organising the competitions and prizes and directing for the evening.

George and his wife Angela for their work throughout the evening to run the catering and clearing up with their usual efficiency – and this on George’s birthday too.

 

Winners on the evening were Dean Morley, Martin Trouse, Loraine Murphy and Les Roffey.

 

Thanks as always to Roger Morton for the pictures, now posted on the website.

 

 

MEMBERS SUCCESSES

 

National Competitions

Seniors Pairs                         1st              Bob Rowlands & partner

Tollemache                                          Bob Rowlands and Peter Lee were in the Surrey team which qualified for the final to be held in May

 

Surrey Competitions            

Camberley Invitation Pairs            1st              Peter Lee and partner

Green Point Teams A flight              1st              Bill Hodgkiss & others

                                                2nd                Malcolm Pryor & others

County Pairs – Plate                 1st             Peter Lee and Bob Rowlands

Lady Rose                                            Bob Rowlands, Peter Lee & Liz Phillips team in semi-final

Surrey Affiliated Clubs League           Mayfield A team, captained by Tim Cook, leads with 33/40

with Alan Bailey’s Mayfield B team lying 2nd with 33/60

 

Club Competitions                

Committee Cup 1st Laszlo Magos & Phillip Brooks

 2nd Audrey Kolbe & Elizabeth Johnson

Liz Phillips Cup                         1st        Peter & Margaret Lee

 2nd Dean Morley & Martin Trouse

Pro-Am Cup                            1st              Alan Bailey & Andrew Barnett

2nd              Dean Morley & Gwen Easto

 

 


NEW MEMBERS

 

We are pleased to welcome Michael Aubrey, Vivien Cronin, Bill Hodgkiss, Geoffrey Jackson, Valerie Lacey, Margaret & Patrick Martin, Les Roffey, Brian Smith, James Stone and Ita Walsh as new members to the club. Their telephone numbers are posted on the Notice Board.




LEAVING MEMBERS


 


We are sorry to say goodbye to those who have resigned from the Mayfield:

Terry Kedgley has moved to Yorkshire to be close to his family and he is sorely missed – particularly by those of us on the Committee.  He leaves a vacancy which needs to be filled by another such willing sole.

Audrey Gresziak has also moved away.  She has been a stalwart member of the Mayfield for many years and I fear that we shall see less of Hazel Farmer now that Audrey has moved away.

 

 

CHAIRMAN’S NOTES

 

Recently, in the Daily Telegraph, there was an article on how the ‘unpleasantness of bridge players’ was discouraging to the less experienced players and discouraging them from taking to duplicate bridge.  Sadly, the Mayfield cannot be excluded from this criticism as I, and fellow committee members, have come across several instances of behavioural problems.  We must remember that not all players are aware of all the intricacies of the rules and we must take care to treat everyone with respect particularly anyone in this category.

 

Here are some points that I would like members to pay special heed to:

 

Always welcome your opponents to the table.

 

Apologise if you have held a couple up or if you arrive late at the table.  Similarly apologise to your opponents if you take a long time thinking and playing a hand.

 

Move as soon as the move is called and do not continue to discuss the hand.

 

Be polite at all times to your partner and opponents.

 

Always call the director if there is a problem and do not attempt to solve it yourself.  This is his function.

 

If there is a problem and you need to call the director to reserve your rights or discuss a problem, do so very politely and make sure that your opponents do not feel intimidated by your action.  One of the biggest problems in this area is when there appears to have been a hesitation and the partner of the hesitator then bids.  Many inexperienced players do not realise that this may be an infraction of the rules and you should take care to call the director calmly explaining that there may have been a rule violation.  Don’t forget that, as long as the person bidding after the hesitation has his bid, no rule has been broken.

 

Please make a particular effort to welcome visitors and new members to the club.  The director or myself will make an announcement at the start of the evening so that you are aware of any of these players.

 

Please do not let our standards drop.

 

 The Daily Telegraph article is on the notice board so please take a few moments to read it.

 

On a lighter note, when John and I were at the Rhodes Congress in October, the director suggested that players should introduce themselves to each other when they came to the table.  I took this to heart, to the amusement of my husband, but as, in a room of 200 players, I seemed to be the only one paying heed to this request I soon stopped.  Lets face it, how would we have remembered so many names.  However, in a room of less than 60 it would not hurt to try it occasionally with new members and visitors.  I leave it up to you.

 

Thank you so much for using the boxes put out for the travellers and curtain cards.  Just one little point – could you unfold the travellers before you put them in the box.

 

 

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Christmas Party Bridge Hands

 

To ensure that the hands were ‘interesting’, we used hands from the Charity Challenge Cups of 1978 and 1979.  Regrettably or perhaps not, there are no records of how each hand was played but from two comments they were definitely ‘interesting’.

 

Long memory

 

Most of us cannot remember the hands we played last week but that’s not true of everyone.  Tony Scouller asked me about board 16 and whether it had been submitted by Boris Shapiro.  With dealer West and East-West game, the hand was:

 

 

North

♠A 8 6 4 3

♥9 6

♦10 3

♣9 8 7 6

 

West

♠K 10 9

♥A 8 3

♦K 8 7 6

♣A K J

 

East

♠Q J 7

♥K Q 7 4

♦A Q 5

♣Q 10 5

 

South

♠5 2

♥J 10 5 2

♦J 9 4 2

♣4 3 2

 

 

The contract was 6NT and North led the ♣9.  What actually happened was that at trick 2 West led the ♠K to North’s A.  As a consequence South was squeezed in the red suits as East cashed the black suit winners.  But the point of the hand is that if North ducks twice with ♠A, no pressure can be brought and there are only 11 tricks.  As neither red suit breaks, either South gets 2 red suit winners or North wins 2 or 3 spades.  Yes, it was a hand from rubber bridge submitted by Boris Shapiro.  Tony recognised the hand and its significance.  What an amazing recall!

 

 

 

Not easy to bid

 

Some hands are just difficult and this is what Maria Martin thought about board 18 when she asked how should it be bid.  With dealer East and North-South game, the hand was:

 


 

 

North

♠A 4 3 2

♥Q 6 3

♦J 9 6 3

♣K 5

 

West

♠Q 7 6

♥A K J 9 8 4

♦A 10 8

♣8

 

East

-

10

K Q 5 4 2

A J 10 9 4 3 2

 

South

♠K J 10 9 8 5

♥7 5 2

♦7

♣Q 7 6

 

 

The commentary starts ‘The East-West hands will not prove easy to bid in a pair’s competition.  Probably Four Hearts will prove the best bet as even Five Diamonds might prove difficult.’  Some bid Six Diamonds but this has no play.  It then points out that on the favourable lie of the cards, Six Clubs makes.  A Heart to the A and take the Club finesse.  This loses but the King now drops and if East plays all the Clubs then North is squeezed in the red suits. 

 

So when you think you have a problem bidding, you’re in good company! 


 

 

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EBU Points

 

 

We regret that we are not able to publish these in the newsletter due to Malcolm being unwell. They will be posted on the Notice Board when they are available.

 


 

YE OLDE THYME MONYE QUIZZE

Submitted by Mary Street

 

 

The answer to each of the questions below is an amount of pre-decimal money (or sounds like one) which you enter on the right. When you have completed your answers, calculate the total sum at the bottom of the page.

 

The first correct entry received will be awarded free play passes to the value of approximately one-fifth of the total. Closing entry date is 29th February.

 

                                                                                                                        £            s            d

 

1.                  A stone

2.                  A bicycle

3.                  A singer

4.                  A part of a hairy primate’s leg

5.                  A man’s name

6.                  A kind of pig

7.                  The Sun, Moon and Pluto

8.                  A leather worker

9.                  50% of panties

10.              Monarch’s headdress

11.              Hit repeatedly

12.              Unwell sea creature

 

Total £

 

 

Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

 

 

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