1. SIMULTANEOUS PAIRS, Tuesday, 11th January 2000

This event was on a Tuesday evening and there seemed to be even less support than there was on Tuesday evening last year. Only five tables took part in the event. If members don’t support the events when they are on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, then your Committee may well have to remove these days from the Club Calendar.

On the more pleasant side; one of our pairs, Mike Asher and Peter Dawson, came 9th out of a field of about 2,500 pairs.

2. IMPROVERS COURSE, FEB/MARCH 2000.

The menu this year was all very basic material and the uptake for the Course was enormous with an average attendance of 33 players for each of the five lessons.

Players commented on how much they had enjoyed the five lessons and said how they particularly appreciated the 32 made-up boards of exercises/problems in the second half of each lesson and the lesson notes which were handed out at the end of each evening.

3. WEDNESDAY EVENING BRIDGE.

Your Committee understood, from comments made by members, that there was a need for Wednesday evening bridge. In the event, this turned out to be somewhat optimistic and after its introduction it struggled to succeed right from the start.

Eventually, it was obvious that not many players were interested and, after a 3 month trial, we called a halt.

It seems strange that with such a large membership, there was little support and enthusiasm for an extra evening of bridge. Nevertheless, your Committee did listen to initial comments and went on to introduce it and organise it. After this, it became the concern of members, and it has failed because of the lack of response from members.

4. MANCHESTER COUNTY CONGRESS 15/16 JANUARY.

This was duly held at the Renaissance Hotel on Deansgate and it was a huge success. On each of the two days there were about 46 tables, with pairs events and improvers/novices events each day.

There was a sprinkling of members from our own Club, but we were not represented in any great number. Congratulations go to Michael Alexander who won (with David Baskin) one of the pairs’ events.

It is a pity really that not many of our members go in for Manchester County Competitions. There are several of them held each year and they are all advertised on our notice boards. We have two members on the County Committee, one member who regularly Directs for the County and very few members who actually play in the events!

5. TRUDY CANTOR COMPETITION, SUNDAY 26 MARCH

This County Competition for improvers was again held at our Club and Directed by one of our members.

This year there were 60 players and 15 tables and a Mitchell movement was used, playing 24 boards.

The competition is for players who are not above the level of Club Master (in the EBU gradings) and it is nice to record that there was a larger number of competitors in this competition than in any other Manchester County Competition over the last 12 months. Seven pairs entered from our Club.

6. SIMULTANEOUS PAIRS, WEDNESDAY 12 APRIL

You may, or may not, get your copy of this newsletter before the above event. If you do, then please can I remind you that your support will be very much appreciated. Last year, we had 8 tables on a Wednesday and after the poor attendance earlier in the year at a Simultaneous Pairs event, we could do with an increase in numbers.

It lies in your hands. If you don’t support Simultaneous Pairs events, then this means you are not interested in them. Therefore, please do not complain if your Committee decides to axe them from our Calendar.

7. AVERAGES AWARDED FOR SLOW PLAY.

Your Committee discussed this problem at the Committee meeting in March and came to the following conclusions, which are to be regarded as Club Policy from now on:-

a) Generally speaking, the Director has to note the presence of a ‘slow’ pair. If need be, he will first warn them of his intention to award an average if they are slow at a future table (60% to non-offenders and 40% to the slow pair.)

b) The Club does not wish a Director to award an immediate average (50% : 50%) at a table when neither pair has been warned at a previous table. Occasionally, this may be necessary but it should be a rarely-used exception. It is not anticipated that more than one average would ever be awarded in this way in any one evening.

c) All Directors work to EBU recommended timings and call for a move either when all pairs have finished or when time is up. Often, there will be several tables still in play when move is called and the onus is on these pairs to move as quickly as they can.

Nevertheless, Directors have to be aware of any hold-up and must give all pairs the full time allowed for the next round, even if they are late moving. All pairs who move ‘late’, must make a determined effort to catch up on time, otherwise all the boards will not be played before 10.45 p.m. when play ends.

8. ETIQUETTE AT THE TABLE.

As you will remember, I have devoted a small portion of recent newsletters to comments relating to certain parts of the Laws of Bridge.

I thought that I would mention etiquette at the bridge table for this issue of the newsletter and I have thought up a short list of things I would not wish to see happen.

a) If your partner forgets to alert a call, you should under no circumstances point at a bidding box, look at a bidding box, stare at partner, or make any comment, etc !

b) If partner makes a bid you ‘don’t like’, then you should never express your dislike with any body language (e.g. rolling your eyes, shaking your head, staring at him), commenting, etc !

c) You should never, when it is your turn to bid, fiddle with one section of the bidding box (e. g. the pass card section) and then move to the other section of the box and make a bid. This gives partner unauthorised information and also raises opponents’ blood pressure!

d) If your partner explains what an alerted bid means and you think he has wrongly explained it, then you must not speak or stare at him or use any body language to bring this to his attention !

Unfortunately, I have observed all these bad habits happening, some because of inexperience, but sometimes from players who should know better. I suggest that if it occurs at your table, you have a quiet word with the Director at a suitable moment.

9. TUESDAY EVENING DUPLICATE.

Jim Morris has kindly agreed to obtain and supervise a rota of Directors for the duplicate on the first Tuesday of every month.

Hopefully, it will now pick up again and run smoothly.

10. A SUGGESTION FOR FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION.

At the recent Committee meeting, it was decided to seek members’ views about one way in which our Club could increase its financial position.

There is no intention to seek a move at the present time, but it would help if we could build up a fund, over about 5 years, so that we would be serious applicants for a rental agreement if and when we have to seek a new venue.

The enclosed letter explains this in more detail and asks for members’ opinions. If your Committee decides, on receipt of your replies, to make any further advance, then an EGM would be called.

Peter Dawson ( 1st April 2000 )