Blogs

To say it was a hot day in Alice Springs is something of an understatement. It was 42 degrees.

Alice Springs Bridge Club

Unseasonably warm they told me (I think the phrase used was “Struth, this is blardy redeculus”). My mother told me ladies do not perspire, they glow. She was wrong. I was dripping with sweat and literally melting during my day in Alice. As Dave and I tried to see the sights, we kept moving into shop doorways to get the benefit of some down draft from aircon. It was therefore with some relief that the delightful Eileen Boocock from the Alice Springs Bridge Club texted me to tell me a member of their club would pick me up from my hotel for my evening of bridge. It was a kilometre away and I was hoping to arrive a bouncy Bridge Babe rather than a limp wet rag. The club is at the over-50s club in Alice. Yes they let me in (no I am NOT 50!!) and made me very welcome.

Alice Springs Bridge Club sign

A small but enthusiastic club (just like Te Aroha in that respect) they had four tables for the night I was there. First shock – AUD$8 to play!!! EIGHT BUCKS!! AUSSIE DOLLARS!! I tried not to show my jaw was dropping. I had only brought AUD$10 with me … Dave can be very restrictive at times! Second shock – wine on sale at AUD$3 a glass. Yes, you canny bridge players have done the arithmetic – your regular inebriate was unable to purchase a glass of wine through insufficient funds! In fact, for once in my life, I was not going to have an alcoholic drink – I was avoiding anything that might dehydrate me and pouring water down to stop becoming woozy. I am certain without doubt the friendly club members would have rescued me and donated a dollar to my cause had I wanted a glass. I was given a very fine pen as a visitor to the club.

Prestigious Pen

In the break they had lovely cheeses with biscuits.
They use bidding boxes, which I had still not really learned to drive by the end of the evening – could not get the etiquette right of when to pick the bidding cards up and where to put them – on the board or back in the box. I was alerting when I should have been stopping – it is a lesson in itself to use them! My partner Diane Hood and I went for a basic Standard American system and barring one complete disaster where I asked for half a hold looking for NTs and my partner left me in that suit for the contract (entirely my fault I should add – that’ll teach me to attempt something totally undiscussed with a partner beforehand) we found ourselves pretty much on the same page for the night and finished above halfway. Eileen, who had facilitated me coming to their club and gone out of her way both before and indeed on the night to be helpful, friendly and a fine ambassador for her club, told me about a new initiative they are running there. They have lessons once a year, sometimes twice, but instead of turning any new enquiries away they now have a separate night of bridge where anyone can come along for help and encouragement in the game. So new members from lessons, combined with others as and when they enquire, are coming on a Tuesday night to the club and this formula is working well for them. Striking while the iron is hot with enquiries has reaped benefits rather than telling people to come back in several months’ time when lessons begin again but interest may have waned. My taxi for the night was Debbie Pepper, from lessons the previous year. She told me how she was enjoying the relaxed Tuesday sessions where she was gaining confidence and learning more about the game.

I had arrived on the amazing Ghan train, overnight from Darwin to Alice Springs. The Ghan
Being in the middle of the outback makes it hard for tournament play. The Northern Territory does have a major event annually and it is shared between Darwin (dripping Darwin – yes more sweat) and Alice Springs. It had been the turn of Alice Springs this year and Eileen told me how they had just held their competition in their town. A 5 day congress at their convention centre. Darwin next year. The top Australian players all attend.
Grandmaster arrives for tournament circa 1880!
I had a great night in Alice Springs Bridge Club. It was a pleasure to meet them all and a privilege to play with them. Back to reality now here in NZ, a blustery, rainy 18 degrees – do you know what? It feels just great.

Reminder that on SUNDAY 13 OCTOBER—MINI MOOS 4 AT TE AWAMUTU BRIDGE CLUB

Jane will be on holiday right up to that weekend so you need to register for the event with NICK. His email is morrbridge@xtra.co.nz $5 entry fee.

If you need help finding the Te Awamutu bridge club ... check out directions on their site: http://www.teawamutu.bridge-club.org

Congratulations to Henk and Hermanna Hemmes and Jacob Kalma.

Henk and Hermanna (along with John and Rona Driscoll from Taupo) competed at the week long congress and took home the prize for top team henk and hermanna playing at teamsless than 150 A points.

JAcob competed with the Waikato Youth Team and they came a creditable fourth. As Jacob said, we played pretty good but unfortunately got whupped by the eventual winners Auckland.

Congress is a pretty tough work with at least 60 boards played each day for a week ... The creme of New Zealand (and Australian) bridge compete fiercely. Not for the faint hearted.

Here are some photos from the final night of the teams series. The results were 3rd The Floosies, Hermanna, Jillian, Ross and Alison J, 2nd the Fill Ins - a selection of good sorts filling in to make up the 6th team so we could run the event and the winners, the Fairy Gs featuring Anna, Rochelle, Shirley and Joan. Of course the main event was the BEST DRESSED TEAM. The theme was the letter F. Our independent Judge (Angela) after deliberation declared the winners as THE FLOOSIES. More pix to come from Anna's camera ... but here are Jane's to start you smiling.Fonterra
Footy Players
A Fairy A Foreigner and a Floosie
Work out which one Victor is
A Male Floosie
Male Floosie from rear
Male Floosie interacts with female Floosie
Female Floosie interacts a little too much with Male Floosie
George restores standards
Rad
A Startled Fairy G
Alison
Sue
Miss September Floosie

Our two pairs of Te Aroha Novices taking part in the Novice tournament at Matamata today pulled off amazing scores to produce outstanding results for the club. In the morning Victor and Alison Cradock were on fire. Fresh out of lessons only a couple of months ago, they managed the highest score in the morning, 60.51%, to finish top of the room. They came a very creditable 5th overall in the tournament. Meanwhile, having an excellent morning session with 58.24% eclipsed by a stunning afternoon score of 64.77% were Anna and Rochelle. Combined, these results meant ANNA AND ROCHELLE WON the tournament. CONGRATULATIONS!!
Alison on hot formVictor Top of the RoomRochelle stunning on debutAnna Te Aroha Star

Congratulations to Alison and Shirley on their tremendous performance on debut in the Mini Moos on Sunday. With a rocking 101 IMPS they finished 3rd overall - well played!

Moos Noos, the newsletter for Mini Moos is attached below.

For those of you who missed my seminar this morning, attached are the seminar notes if you are interested. I am happy to field any questions. Nick will be taking the last Monday morning session for learners next week on Monday 23 September before Monday morning finishes for the summer. It is hoped that Monday morning daytime bridge will resume next autumn.

Five tables battled it out at Hamilton Bridge Club this afternoon in Mini Moos 3. The results are below. The hand record and Nick's comments on the boards are attached in pdf format. Dates for your diary: Mini Moos 4 at Te Awamutu Sunday 13 October. Final Mini Moos 5 - Bridge in the Garden at Te Aroha with Pimms and Strawberries Sunday 3 November.

Without even having to play the third round, the results have changed with a new leading team!

Appears that my manual input of scores created some IMP anomalies which once sorted out have seen the Four Fillins (aka Ian MArtindale, Nelson Hodgetts, Betty McLaren and Foster Kalma) rocketing to the lead.

Mind you, this is before handicaps are applied ... once we have figured out a fair handicap for our visiting team, we may see a tighter contest ensuing.

Looking forward to Tuesday night.

Congratulations to GREG SAXON and LESLEY SHEEHAN for their amazing performance in Thames today. They won the Open playing with a Junior section finishing top N/S in the morning with a handsome 60.82% and following it up in the afternoon with a steady 52.68. This was enough to give them third place in the competition overall. Following close on their heels were HERMANNA and ANNA KALMA who were 2nd in the Open with Junior class, and finishing 4th overall with a very good and consistent performance of over 55% in each session.
With Henk and Hermanna's win yesterday this weekend has been an amazing success for Te Aroha. CONGRATULATIONS!