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The County’s Charity Pairs had the best participation for a decade. As a result both of the Charities nominated by Cathy and Evelyn will receive £550.
On Wednesday February 8 we are playing the County’s Senior Simultaneous Pairs. The cost is £2.50 plus a voucher. To participate in the event you must be at least 55, however others may play ‘without status’.
On Monday February 27 we will play the EBU free simultaneous pairs at 1.45, cost a voucher.
On Thursday 8 March we will play the Charity Challenge Simultaneous Pairs in aid of the Prostrate Cancer Charity. Cost Members £4 Visitors £5.
On Wednesday March 14 we will play the EBU Stratified Simultaneous Pairs at a cost of a voucher.
Our AGM will be on Tuesday April 24 at 6.30 which will be followed by bridge.
A date for your diary our annual visit to Barnsgate is on Sunday June 10.
Patcham is very lucky that on Wednesday they have a number of directors who once a month are willing not to play. However once a month we need a member on standby. This will mean they will have 50% chance of a game. As you are only going to be asked to perform this duty once in five years your committee consider that it is reasonable that if you need to stay for a lift you will be happy to spectate on that one occasion.
Please check the notice board to see when you are the designated stand by.

Our participation in ‘Children in Need’ contributed £418 to the charity.
On Monday 16 January we are running a heat of the County’s Charity Simultaneous Pairs in aid of Age Concern Brighton (nominated by Cathy Glendinning) and Impact (nominated by Evelyn Ransom). Please support the Charities and your fellow members by participating in the event.
The EBU wish to further test their simultaneous pairs system and are offering a free event on Monday 27 February. We will play it at 1.45 for the cost of a voucher.
From February our Sunday teams will be handicapped, based on the team’s performance over the previous twelve months. This should provide each team a chance to win this social event. The cost for members is increasing to £4.50 including a Sunday tea.
We have a heat of the Elizabeth North Team Event on January 10 at 1.45. Last year Evelyn Ransom, Paolo Romanelli, Anne Myers and Margaret Paul came second in the final. Ian Macgregor’s club have already entered two teams into the Patcham heat.
We have purchased Bridgemates and they will be used whenever the Director is in agreement. They save the scorers over an hours work per session and reduce the possibility of errors.
The cost of joining the Community Centre is £2.50 a year which automatically enables you to become a member of Patcham Bridge Club. However members are reminded that they need to attend ten sessions a year to enjoy the special prices for Barnsgate, Christmas Dinner and club heats for Sussex competitions.

Congratulations to Hedy Friend and Pam Newman who are the leading pair nationally for the Wednesday Heat of the Children in Need Pairs. Nearly 2000 pairs participated in the event.
You have a chance to emulate their performance on Tuesday 6 December at 1.45. The EBU are testing their system and providing Clubs with a free simultaneous pairs. So for the cost of a voucher you can compete in this national event. Please enter your name on the notice board.
Currently 70 members have signed up for the Christmas Party on 20 December. If you would like to attend please contact Brenda Piper or Pam Newman.
All sessions over the Christmas and New Year will go ahead as normal except for Boxing Day. The regular Sunday Teams will be on New Years Day.
We are running a heat of the County’s Mixed Pairs on Tuesday 29 November at 7.15 please just turn up.
We are running a heat of the Elizabeth North Trophy Teams on Tuesday 10 January at 1.45 for players with under 10,000 points. Please enter your team on the notice board.
On Monday 16 January at 1.45 we are playing a heat of the County’s Charity Simultaneous Pairs in aid of local Charities. The Charities this year are Impact (action today to prevent disability tomorrow) and Age Concern Brighton. Both Charities were nominated by Club Members, so please support both the Charities and your fellow members by participating in the event.

Your Committee endeavour to provide members with a variety of events.

Ladies Pairs Sunday October 23 at 1.00 – 7.00. Cost £19 a pair including a Patcham Tea. Contact Tilly Hennings 01903 506553 tillyhennings@aol.com

County Heats the Club pay the County Fee for regular members who enter the Patcham Heats. This means you can try to qualify for just the cost of a voucher. Even if you do not qualify you are helping other members as the larger the heat the more who qualify.
- Sussex Pairs Heat Tuesday 25 October at 7.15
- Sussex Individual Heat Tuesday 8 November at 1.45
- Sussex Mixed Pairs Heat Tuesday 29 November 7.15

Children in Need We are playing the simultaneous pairs in our normal Club Sessions on Monday 14 November, Wednesday 16 November and Thursday 17 November.

Simultaneous Pairs We are running this event on Tuesday afternoon 6 December at 1.45 for the cost of one voucher.

Match v West Sussex Sunday Afternoon 11 December at Cuckfield, including a tea. If you would like to play in this match at no charge please contact Peter Langston on 01273 507919 peter@peterlangston.co.uk

Christmas Dinner This must be the bargain of the year on Tuesday 20 December at 7.00. Menu on the notice board, bookings to Brenda Piper or Pam Newman. Parking should be easy as the school has broken up!

West Sussex Inter Club League We have entered a team for this team of eight competition for the less experienced duplicate players details from Evelyn Ransom or Paolo Romanelli

Please support your Committee by participating in some of these events.

The simultaneous pairs on Tuesday 13 September has been switched to a 7.15 start. Just turn up with a partner.

The County run a Charity Simultaneous Pairs and a Seniors Simultaneous Pairs which are not currently played at Patcham Bridge Club. The County are seeking local Sussex Charities that they feel could be supported. The Charity should be one where £400 -£500 could fund a specific activity or project. If you wish to propose a Charity please contact Julia Simpson at jbs@backsettown.demon.co.uk

As you are aware you pay your annual membership fee direct to the Patcham Community Centre and the Bridge Club hire rooms from the Community Centre. The Community Centre support local organisations including projects at the Patcham Memorial Hall, local activities of the Brighton and Hove Neighbourhood Care Scheme and Friendship Lunches for the aged in Westdene.

There is no club bridge on Friday 16 September as the Community Centre has been hired for the weekend by the County Bridge Association for its Autumn Congress. Members are eligible to play in any Congress event including the Venture Pairs on the Friday afternoon. Entry forms are available on the Club and County websites.

The Club will again pay the County entry fee for members playing in Patcham Heats of County events. The next event for members with less than 10,000 master points is the David Pavey trophy on 27 September at 1.45. The leading pairs will qualify for a final on Sunday 5 February.

We have a return match with West Sussex Bridge Club on Sunday 11 December. If you are willing to play in this friendly match please contact peter@peterlangston.co.uk or on 01273 507919.

A date for your diary the Christmas Dinner this year is on Tuesday 20 December. Hopefully there will be plenty of parking as the school will have broken up.

The Patcham Bridge Club Committee next meeting is on Monday 5 September at 5 o’clock. Please let a Committee member know if you would like anything to be considered at the meeting.

Wednesday players have decided they wish to continue to play the current yellow card.

At our Sunday teams on 7 August we will use Bridgemates for scoring. This will mean players will not have to score up at the end. It will also enable the committee to get feedback from members regarding the possibility of purchasing Bridgemates.

Stewart Ross gave a successful ‘Bridge on Line’ seminar. Stewart is happy to assist members in using the technology and can be contacted on stewart.ross13@yahoo.com

Congratulations to John Naish & Chris Stewart (2nd) and Philip Butterworth (5th) in the County Venture Pairs at Henfield on 24 July.

At the recent National Seniors Congress at Eastbourne four Patcham pairs, Valerie Benson & Muriel Bailey, Antony Whiteway & Tilly Hennings, Marit & Peter Langston, Mick Carrington & Mike Keeping qualified for the top 20 pair final. The best result in the final was Mick & Mike who finished eleventh.

It has been suggested that members who play in the afternoon would like to play in simultaneous pairs. Therefore on Tuesday 13 September we will play the EBU simultaneous pairs at 1.45. Please sign up on the notice board. NOW evening 7 for 7.15

The County’s Autumn Congress will be at the Community Centre on 16-18 September. The directors will be Ian Macgregor and Peter Langston. There will be no club session on Friday 16 September however members are able to play in the Venture Pairs in the afternoon, a gentle introduction to Congress Bridge.

Last year 4 pairs (Roy Greenbaum & Russell Gross, Rose Goodman & Claude Fleurent, Alan Blackburn & Fred Arnold, Jean Pierre Simon & Liz Hardisty) made the final of the David Pavey Trophy for players with fewer than 10,000 master points from the Patcham Heat. This year the heat is on Tuesday 27 September at 1.45. The Club will pay the County entry fee for members. Please sign up on the notice board.

There is no Bridge on August 12 because the Centre is not available due to the Annual Horticultural Show.

West Sussex has invited us to a return match on Sunday December 11

The date for Stewart Ross ‘Bridge on Line for all’ session has changed to Tuesday 12 July at 2 o’clock. The session will demonstrate how you can use your home computer to enhance your enjoyment of bridge. To enable Stewart to plan the session please put you name on the list on the notice board.

On Thursday evening 14 July we have a charity simultaneous pairs in aid of Kidney Research, please support this worthwhile charity. We also have a simultaneous pairs on Tuesday July 26 at 7.15; please sign up on the notice board if you would like to play.

It has been suggested that some members would like to play simultaneous pairs in an afternoon and we are arranging one on a Tuesday in September.

A reminder that there will be no bridge on Friday 29 July as the Community Centre is being redecorated. Also there is no bridge on Friday 12 August as the Community Centre is reserved for the Annual Horticultural Show.

Members who play on Wednesday are being asked if they wish to extend the current ‘simple system.’ Details of the proposal are on the website and the notice board. Members will be asked to vote on July 20 and 27 whether they wish to adopt the proposals which have been formulated by Ken Ingate and David Peters.

Our annual outing to Barnsgate was a great success and we have booked next year’s event for June 10.

Directors are unable to finalise the movement until they know how many players are attending a session. It would be very much appreciated if you will arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled starting time.

The Committee welcomes any questions or feedback our email address is info@patchambridgeclub.org.uk

Patcham is the 23rd most successful bridge club in the Country during the last year based on the number of player sessions according to the EBU. This is a reflection of the variety of events we offer to our members.

The Centre is going to be decorated during the period Monday July 25 to Tuesday August 2. They will not work in the evening and therefore the only session which will be cancelled is Friday 29 July. Although they will be working in the hallway on Monday 25 July and members are asked to be careful.

Bridge is cancelled on Friday 12 August as the Centre is reserved for the Annual Horticultural Show.

This years Sussex Autumn Congress is being held at the Community Centre on 16-18 September this year.

A good introduction to County events is the Venture Pairs at Henfield on Sunday 24 July. One of the players has to have less than 5000 MP and cost including tea is £19 a pair. To enter or for more information contact Bob Whiting on 01403 711707.

The biggest Bridge Event in the Country takes place at the Brighton Hilton Metropole between August12-21. The event incorporates Really Easy Congress (15-17 August) Next Step Congress (16-18 August) Senior Congress (15-18 August). The Programme is very varied and players can play as little or as much as they wish.

Do not forget:-

Tuesday July 5 at 2.00 Stewart Ross Bridge on Computer Seminar
Thursday July 14 at 7.15 Kidney Research Simultaneous Pairs
Tuesday July 26 at 7.15 BGB Simultaneous Pairs

Our annual day out at Barnsgate is on June 12 and Brenda and
Pam are still accepting bookings. If you have not attended on a
previous occasion it is worth asking for details, it is an enjoyable
day out and excellent value for money.
You can use your home computer to play, learn or watch bridge
completely free. Stewart Ross is running a seminar at the Club at
2.00pm on Tuesday 5 July when he will explain what is available.
We have two simultaneous pairs in July. On a normal Thursday
Club night on 14 July an event in aid of Kidney Research please
just turn up to play. On Tuesday July 26 we have a Bridge Great
Britain simultaneous pairs, as this is not a normal club night please
sign up on the notice board.
There have been a few comments recently about the disruption
caused by persistent slow play. We have put an article headed
Bridge Etiquette on the board which was compiled by a new club
member at another club and sent to Bridge by the Secretary. The
article indicates how everyone can help the session to progress
smoothly.
The next management meeting is on Monday 13 June, if you have
anything you would like to be considered please contact the
Secretary Doris at doris@patchambridgeclub.org.uk or on 01273
208387.
Congratulations to Martin Haigh who successfully completed the
EBU Teacher Training Course on 14/15 May.
It has been agreed during the coming season that the Club will
continue to pay the County entry fees for regular members who
enter County heats at Patcham.

Martin Haigh has decided he wishes to be the Chairperson of the Club and therefore we will have a ballot at the AGM on 10 May.
I have been nominated to continue as Chairman by Ian Macgregor and seconded by John Burton.
John Burton is our President and is a founder member of the Club. He was our first Chairman and was instrumental in laying the foundation of a successful club. He passed the role to me to further develop the club.
Ian Macgregor spends a lot of his time teaching and mentoring new bridge players ensuring we have a regular flow of new members.
He believes that Patcham offers the ideal opportunity for his members who wish to spread their wings.
In the last year our membership increased by 15% as we offer a large number of events from which our members can select.
Each of our sessions have their own unique features and attract a cross section of members. We appreciate that the Club is run for the benefit of members and we will not change the format of any session unless over 50% of the participating members vote in favour.
A number of members do not realise that we are a subsidiary organisation of the Patcham Community Centre which has its own constitution regulated by the Charity Commission. Our relation with the Community Centre is currently very strong and it has enabled us to reduce our premises cost marginally the year. It is essential that we maintain the trust of the Community Centre if we are to continue to enjoy the current level of freedom with funds and equipment.
I am happy to endorse the view that a Chairman should be re-elected every year with a maximum tenure of five years in line with the County.
Those of you who have belonged to other clubs will appreciate how over the years their popularity has fluctuated dramatically and I believe currently Patcham requires stability to further build on its success.
If you enjoy playing bridge at Patcham and consider the Club is well run it is important that you attend the AGM to help ensure its continued success.             Peter Langston

Most members will no doubt agree that Peter Langston is a great asset as Chairman of Patcham Bridge Club, attracting a host of new members and holding extra events on a Tuesday evening.
He has also been responsible for running the SCCBA Autumn Congress at Patcham for the past 2 years.
Peter regularly directs on Thursday evenings, some Wednesday evenings and usually runs the monthly teams event on the first Sunday of the month, ably assisted by his wife, Marit, who provides a splendid tea.
During his time as Chairman he has been active in promoting bridge competitions, particularly encouraging the less experienced players.
He was awarded the Dimmie Fleming award (this award is presented by the EBU for long term and outstanding service to bridge at club and/or county level) – a considerable honour for Peter and Patcham Bridge Club.
Peter deserves our support to continue as Chairman and we urge you to attend the AGM – now to be held on Tuesday, May 10th at 7 p.m.
A bridge session will follow.              Monique Jones (member)