Hamilton Bridge Club suspension of bridge - Updated 22 April

Hello All

We are now four weeks into our self-isolations within our respective bubbles. The Bridge Club committee trusts that all members and their bubbles are safe and well. At our online meeting yesterday, we discussed possible ways forward to enable some form of regular bridge to be played safely at the club when more social options become available. To this end, we are keeping in touch with NZBridge and will follow their recommendations based on Ministry of Health advice. This means the Club will remain closed for the period of Level 3 when we will again report back to members.

There are many opportunities to play Bridge online – BBO have kiwi sessions each afternoon and night and WaikatoBays are arranging sessions for Waikato and Bay of Plenty members to join together for an afternoon or evening of Bridge. Check the WaikatoBays website for more details and instructions if you have not yet played on line. It is like most things - very easy once you know how.

Ella

On Line Bridge – BBO

As many of you likely know there are numerous games of NZ organised bridge taking place on BBO ranging from pseudo tournaments run by Auckland Bridge to smaller sessions hosted by other clubs to private games. Waikato-Bays (our regional bridge group) has taken a lead here in the Waikato organising and running what have become daily bridge sessions using BBO.

Many of these sessions are aimed at junior and intermediate players in the region so don’t be put off thinking you will be playing against open players - dependent on numbers, more qualified players requests may be declined.

Should you be interested, there are detailed instructions on the
Waikato Bays site - https://www.waikatobays.bridge-club.org/node/1099 on how to register and access these sessions/tournaments. To be able to play in these events you need two things – a partner and you need to pre-register with Waikato Bays - details can be found on the Waikato Bays site on how to accomplish both of these tasks.
If you would like to know more about BBO and playing online these are both good resources to start with -

NZ Bridge - http://www.nzbridge.co.nz/latest-updates,listing,6073,instructions-for-bbo.html

Ashburton Bridge Club - https://sites.google.com/site/ashburtonbridgeclub/home/bbo


Payment of Club Subscriptions

Our subs were due on the last day of February but as at the end of March about 22% , some 60 odd members, have still to pay!

We know that times are not easy at present with no bridge and in some cases probably worse things are happening but the Club is also suffering. We still have our fixed overheads to pay along with commitments made in the days before the word Covid-19 existed and none of us had heard “lockdown” being used

So please, can you pay your outstanding subs as soon as possible

Apologies to those who have paid since the end of March but without access to the club building we may be a little out of date

Thank you

Prue Butler

In what is a very sad week for the Club we also sadly note the passing of our member Prue Butler. Prue has been a member on and off starting playing back at the time of the construction of our current building. She then took an extended break coming back to surprise us all as an Intermediate graded player.
Prue was on the committee for a period helping a lot with the catering at the club. Outside the club this "helping" continued into the local community especially with refugee families. She was ever practical and she is sadly missed by her family and a wide circle of friends. The Club extends our sympathy to Prue's family and friends.

Ken Duffield

The Hamilton Bridge Club sadly notes the passing of our member Ken Duffield. Ken was a learner from a couple years ago who played regularly on Fridays. Ken unfortunately passed away last Sunday after a short illness. We extend our sympathy to Ken's family, friends and members of the Hamilton Club who played with and knew Ken.

Hamilton Bridge Club : Suspension of ALL Bridge - updated 27 March

To all club members:

Time has moved on since the Club made the decision to suspend all Bridge at the Club

We are now all into day 2 of our 28 day lock down ( or "home stay" ) so the suspension of play will continue until the lock down concludes. The committee will continue watching government recommendations and edicts on life returning to "normal" in NZ with a view to setting a possible date for the restarting of Bridge. This next update will not be until after Easter

Tournaments the Club was to run in the next 2 months are very likely cancelled but efforts to re-schedule them will be made if dates are available. These changes will not be investigated until the lock down is finished in this region

Bridge at Hamilton continues to be suspended until at least the date the lock down is concluded. Any changes or updates will be placed on our website and Facebook page, and circulated through email

Any queries or concerns can be emailed to the club’s email address (secretary@hamiltonbridge.co.nz), or directly to a committee member

We hope and trust members stay well and safe, and very much look forward to seeing you all at the bridge table soon!
Please keep in contact with our elderly members and offer any assistance they may need if things get worse

Desperate for 'a game' ?

Players at Hamilton Bridge's Pairs Tournament

Day 2 of our enforced holiday @ Club 'HOME' and are any symptoms appearing yet -
☛nervous clock watching, will dinner be ready in time
☛looking for coins to pay the table money
☛waiting to hear familiar voices - "24 tables, 2 boards a table once around the room" & "all move please"?

Auckland Bridge Club has a solution which will make all those symptoms go away - Bridge online available twice a day every day
The even better news is NO table money

Want to dive in and get started or find out more then click here to find out

Hamilton Bridge Club - Suspension of ALL Bridge

To all club members:

Earlier in the week we received a bulletin from NZ Bridge recommending that clubs close for three weeks as a response to the Covid-19 virus issues. A copy of this document can be viewed by clicking here

Guided by this advice, and after discussion, the Committee has reluctantly decided that in the interests of the club and our members, all our bridge competitions and play must be suspended from Monday 23 March 2020

In line with those recommendations play is initially suspended for three weeks. This will be reviewed regularly with updates placed on our website and Facebook page, and circulated through email

At this stage bridge lessons, after discussions with the attendees, are also suspended

Any queries or concerns can be emailed to the club’s email address (secretary@hamiltonbridge.co.nz), or directly to a committee member

We hope and trust members stay well and safe, and very much look forward to seeing you all at the bridge table soon! Please keep in contact with our elderly members and offer any assistance they may need if things get worse

Hamilton Pairs

Hamilton today hosted it's first ever combined Junior, Intermediate & Novices Pairs Tournament with 54 pairs taking part. The players came from a wide part of the North Island - Waitomo to Taupo to Mount Maunganui to Thames along with 30 pairs from Hamilton for a good day of bridge

Players at Hamilton Bridge's Pairs Tournament




Winners on the day were -

Intermediate Pairs

  • 1st 127.7% Graeme Hope & Trini Lin
  • 2nd 116.9% Megan Jolly & Leanne Curry
  • 3rd 113.4% Roger Gunning & Ian Ross

Junior Pairs

  • 1st 119.4% Vaughan Samuelson & Francoise Campbell
  • 2nd 118.3% Allison Vince & Barb Wilson
  • 3rd 115.4% Julie Hooper & Jane Sandelin

Novice Pairs

  • 1st 63.4% Judy Cooper & Rachelle Meijer
  • 2nd 60.4% Alistair Steyn-Ross & Moira Steyn-Ross
  • 3rd 51.9% Michelle Paterson & Chris Goulding

Many thanks to the kitchen crew of Joan Egger, Barbara Daly, Catherine Cameron, Linda Lin, Val West, Cathy Nolen, Colleen de Luen and also to Jenny Seavill who always makes the delicious muffins. No tournament is a success without the help from members catering for the players.
Well done ladies

Ella

Bridge - "The Ultimate Card Game"

Come March, the Club will again run lessons for those who want to learn to play bridge or those who would like to repeat the lessons.
This year Mark Thomson will be organising the lessons running Tuesday evening and Friday morning - contact him at the phone number in the programme book or email him at markthomson@hotmail.co.nz
Should you have friends, family, work mates etc. who may be interested in learning bridge there is further information here on our website, in the local free Hamilton newspapers, flyers available to be distributed and even a movie on the Club's Facebook page
It is important we all go out and seek these beginners and possible members of our Club as failure to keep our membership numbers up will make the game we all enjoy more expensive !!!

Download or view - 2020 Lessons Flyer ( click here )
View the lessons information on - Hamilton Club Facebook ( click here )
Read the web page - Hamilton Bridge Website Lessons page ( click here )
Secret Club Movie
( Click above to play the movie )

Success for Hamiton Bridge Club members - they are off to Italy!

Bridge winners

1st place -    Jenny Millington and Barry Jones (and teammates)
2nd place -   Liz and Blair Fisher with ex club members Sam and Jo Simpson

The trials for the NZ Mixed Teams were held over the weekend in Christchurch with four Hamilton club members rising to the top of a very strong field. Jenny and Barry will be representing New Zealand at the World Bridge Championships in Salsamaggiore (try to pronounce that) in August as another pair is to be chosen to make up a 6 person team, who knows, maybe Liz and Blair will be joining them

Updated Thursday 6th - NZ Bridge has announced that Blair & Liz have missed out being selected with the last two places going to ex Club members Jo & Sam Simpson       Read the the NZ Bridge story here"

Looking for a "Club Captain"

Looking for a Club Captain

Looking for a challenge ?

The Club is looking for a Club Captain for the coming bridge year. The position is an interface between the Club's Committee and its members with the aim of fostering a "Club Spirit" by promoting such events as Soup & Bun Bridge, quiz night etc... The other area the Club Captain is to focus on is promotion of tournaments to our Intermediate & Junior graded members with the aim of getting more of them playing these

If you are interested and would like to know more or apply then talk to our President Ella Gray before February 10th

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