Readers mail....

From ISLANDSBC Online Bridge Club....

ISLANDSBC QUARTERLY BRIDGE NEWSLETTER

This quarter we cover our second Swiss Teams Tournament, Introductory Bridge with the Anglo Turkish Association, a focus on one of our newer members, and a summary of all the results in 2023/24. In March 2024 Islandsbc celebrated its 500th Tournament.

The Monday Bridge Club again combined with players from the Islandsbc Online Bridge Club to play what is now an annual Swiss Teams Bridge Tournament at the Korineum Golf Club on Thursday 16th May 2024.

The organising committee was headed by Colin Pearson with support from Janice Harper, Steve Spain, Conni Richardson, Phil Conkie, Richard Sanderson, and Lalitha Scott. This year we were able to use electronic Bridgemates to carry out the scoring and fortunately, the tournament went smoothly and was followed by presentations and then a buffet dinner at Korineum.

Results

The Tournament Trophy was won again by the Team captained by Sue Starling and included Jenifer Jenkins, Steve Stockwell and Dick Sandeman. The runner up tournament Trophy was won by the team captained by Susan Cahit and included Janice Harper, Colin Pearson and Phil Conkie.

Such was the enthusiasm for this format that it has been decided to run the Tournament on an annual basis with the next one being held on Thursday 15 May 2025. The support and facilities provided by the Korineum Golf Club were of such a good standard that it has also been decided to hold the 2025 Tournament at the same venue.

Anglo Turkish Association

Members of the Korineum Bridge club first attended an ATA Games Workshop in February 2024 to help those interested in learning bridge to get a feel for the game. Since then, the ATA have decided to undertake these Games workshops on the first Wednesday of every month and from May 2024 Tony Armstrong has been supporting these events.

Richard Sandeman

I first started playing bridge at the tender age of 11, introduced by my parents. It was simple family Saturday evening bridge. I was also happened to be a cathedral chorister, and a few of the gang there decided, as we got older, to have regular weekend bridge sessions. That continued, and when I went on to university there was an active bridge session over lunchtime in the café of the law faculty with fast, rubber bridge – a load of fun to break the monotone of lectures!

When I moved on to work in Edinburgh in 1974, I was introduced to more bridge by my flatmate a keen player, and that led me on eventually to join Carlton Bridge Club, where my partner, a keen and skilled player, was soon to become an international player. I worked in local government at that time, and my colleagues there also started a bridge club which although fairly low level, was great fun.

I moved on from Edinburgh to Falkirk where I joined Falkirk Bridge Club in 1982 and played there faithfully. FBC had many international stars, directors, and teachers as members, was a busy thriving club, and I got a really good game every week.

It really helped my bridge along, although I never really had the time, because of my work commitments, to devote enough time to become a good player. I ended up as President of the club, but sadly like many other clubs, the members just got older and older, became fewer and fewer, and COVID finally put it down.

I now play regularly at Linlithgow Bridge Club, face to face. I have never really got into online bridge, and as I still work, my time is still limited. I qualified as a tournament director in 1995, sufficient for club level at least, and I found that a really good way to get to know the laws of the game, which I find helps enormously in enjoying and advancing the cause of bridge.

There is no doubt bridge keeps the mind sharp and it’s a game I’ve loved playing and had such a lot of benefit from over the decades.

I still live in Falkirk, but always had it in my mind to buy an overseas property. A good friend of mine lives in TRNC. I visited a couple of times and decided that if I was going to do it, TRNC was the place to be! It’s such a great climate, with friendly people, great food, scenery, and relaxed living. I was fortunate enough to buy my villa in Ozankoy which I intend to use much more in the coming years, with retirement beckoning this year (hopefully!).

I was staying at the Korineum, not doing very much of a Monday afternoon, when I happened across a group playing bridge. I noted they were a player short, so I offered to step in. Hence my connection with this club. I try to hook up each time I am across although I obviously have no set partner, but usually there is someone willing to put up with me. The club is a vibrant one, and I wish it every success. They are a young club, but the members are keen and have a great interest in the game. Long may the club survive!

Richard kindly supplied 15 Bridgemates and a server plus laptop to run the computerised scoring system. The Monday club has now become familiar with the system which is both more efficient and accurate than the previous handwritten recording methods.

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