CLICK HERE for COUNTY TEAMS SELECTIONS

 
 
FREE  Computer-Dealt Hands Available on this Site   << CLICK HERE >>

FOR  COMPETITION  DETAILS  ON COUNTY EVENTS  PLUS  MANY  OTHER  LOCAL  AREA
  & NATIONAL  EVENTS  PLEASE  ACCESS  OUR  <<   Calendar   >>

TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS PAGE PLEASE EMAIL US  

 Please Give us Your News, Results and Stories 

 EBU HARROGATE SPRING CONGRESS  
Swiss Teams - 19 February 2012

CONGRATULATIONS TO M&CBA PLAYERS!

Well done to Ted Reveley* and Bill Niccol*, who, with team-mates David Harris & Alan Oddie, came 5th out of 81 teams.
Also well done to David Stevenson* & Dan Crofts, Paddy Murphy* & Liz Commins* who were equal 9th.
   
* M&CBA members
  
For full list of results CLICK HERE
~~~  SAD  NEWS  ~~~
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of
OLWEN BROWN on Wednesday 1st February 2012,
and we offer our sincere condolences to her husband Colin, family and close friends.
~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~

Olwen was a bright, bubbly and unforgettable person, with great enthusiasm for and dedication to our wonderful game, both as a long-standing player in local and nationally-organised events and for many years as an instrumental committee member within the Merseyside & Cheshire organisation - especially notable is her unstintingly efficient former role as County Secretary.

She would make herself available to play in County events and matches whenever possible, until fairly recently when husband Colin went through a period of serious illness and latterly when her own ill health also reduced her ability to commit time and energy to an activity she loved.

On retirement, when she & Colin moved from Wirral to North Wales, we saw a little less of her in Merseyside events, but whenever we did it was always the same Olwen, interested in what people were doing and trying her utmost to 'best' the opposition at the bridge table - always dressed impeccably & stylishly - sure she wouldn't mind our mentioning that!

Olwen will be sadly missed and remembered with great affection.

~~~  SAD  NEWS  ~~~
We are sorry to have to announce the death of
LEO BRIDGES on Monday 23rd January 2012,
and we offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~

Leo played for many years in the Merseyside area and was especially well known in the Merseyside League and several local clubs. He was a gentle character with a ready smile and a quiet manner which could sometimes disguise his more cunning side at the bridge table! He handled a long-term illness (MS) with great dignity and courage, participating until fairly recently in various physical activities such as bowling and swimming.

Leo was still playing bridge only a short while before he became hopitalised last month. One of his concerns on the day he died was to remind his wife that a Tesco online order was due to be delivered the next day - just a precaution, as he was expecting to be back home himself to take care of it - sadly that was not to be. He will be remembered with respect and much missed by those who knew him.
Leo's funeral will be held at Bishop Eton RC Church, Woolton Road, Liverpool L16 8NQ - at 12 Noon on Monday 6th February. Long-time partner Doris Coltman (0151 924 1712) is in touch with the family should you need any further information.

 WBU NATIONAL PAIRS QUALIFIER  
January 2012

CONGRATULATIONS TO M&CBA PLAYERS!

Well done Julian Merrill* and Paul Roberts*, who won the WBU national pairs qualifier event on Sunday 22nd January. The 4 area finals were played as a simultaneous, with the leading pairs going through to the national finals in March - they were the highest scoring throughout the whole 4 centres.

Barry Jones* & Bob Pitt*s, in 10th place, also qualified for the national finals.

Good luck to them in March!

   
* M&CBA members
  

 BGB SIMULTANEOUS PAIRS  
10 January 2012

CONGRATULATIONS TO M&CBA PLAYERS!

Well done Bob Pitts* and Paddy Murphy*, who had the highest score in this nation-wide event - with 74.08%. Quite an achievement for a first-time partnership!

   
* M&CBA members
  

 MANCHESTER BRIDGE CLUB CONGRESS  
7-8 January 2012

CONGRATULATIONS TO M&CBA PLAYERS!

Well done Ted Reveley* and Stu Matthews*, who, with team-mates Tracy Capal (Manchester) & Liz Muir (Scotland), won the Congress Teams event.
   
* M&CBA members
  
~~~  SAD  NEWS  ~~~
We are sorry to have to announce the death, at the age of 86, of
BRIAN HORN on Tuesday 20th December 2011,
and we offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~

For many years a well-known character on the local bridge circuit, especially the Merseyside Bridge League, Brian had not been seen for some time at the bridge table. Until recent years, with long-time partner Ian Topp (also sadly no longer with us), he was always willing to represent the County, often at the drop of a hat and involving a fair amount of travelling to away matches. His inimitable "Low please" - said in quite a high-pitched tone - will ring in our ears for a long time to come. He had a unique sense of humour and was always interested in what other players were doing in the various local, regional and national events. He will be greatly missed and remembered with much affection.
Funeral Service to be held at Landican Crematorium on Wednesday 4th January 2012 at 12 noon. Family flowers only please, donations if desired for Alzheimer's Society c/o Charles Stephens Funeral Directors, 215 Bebington Road, Rock Ferry, Wirral, CH42 4QA. Tel 0151 645 4396.

 LLANGOLLEN SWISS TEAMS  
19-20 November 2011


CONGRATULATIONS TO WELL-PLACED M&CBA PLAYERS!
37 teams entered this year, but there was room for 50 - this is an EXCELLENT event with a thoughtful and "value for money" format over the 2 days - the hotel is in a beautiful location just outside the town of Llangollen - why not think about booking early for next year? (likely dates 24th-25th November - TBC)

Pos
    
VP's
1st
   Mike Kinsey & Mike Fithyan, Christine Ray & Richard Ray
166
2nd
   Alan Stephenson* & Stuart Matthews*
John Salisbury* & Mike Tedd*
163
4th=
  

Barry Jones * & Paddy Murphy *
Bob Pitts * & John Hampson*
146
     

CONGRATULATIONS!
 

 EBU  SENIORS  CONGRESS - CHAMPIONSHIP  PAIRS  WINNERS  
4th-6th November 2011

CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNING M&CBA PAIR!
Very well done to Julian Merrill* & John Hampson* who won this demanding 3-day event, taking some prize scalps, including Jeremy Dhondy & Alan Kay, along the way!
   
* M&CBA members
  

CONGRATULATIONS!
For full list of results CLICK HERE

 ISLE OF MAN CONGRESS - OCTOBER 2011  

CONGRATULATIONS TO WELL-PLACED M&CBA PLAYERS!
Dawn Herbert* & John Herbert* were 2nd out of 30 pairs in the Congress Swiss Pairs - well done!
   
* M&CBA members
  

 DONEGAL AUTUMN CONGRESS 2011  

CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNING M&CBA PLAYERS!
David Stevenson* & Liz Commins*, with team-mates John & Pauline Rudolf from Manchester, were winners in the Congress Teams Championship.
   
* M&CBA members
  

   NORTHERN COUNTIES LEAGUE 2011  
CONGRATULATIONS  TO  THE  MERSEYSIDE & CHESHIRE  'A' TEAM
With no 'A' team match scheduled in June, M&CBA won Round 2, came 3rd in Round 3 and won again in Round 4, with a winning cumulative score of 146, 15 points ahead of Lancashire in 2nd position. This result ended Manchester's impressive run of 5 consecutive wins in this division since the formation of the league in 2006.

PARTICIPATING 'A' PAIRS
Alan Stephenson & Stu Matthews
Chris Pope & Andy Prothero
Dave & Jean Keen
David Stevenson & Liz Commins
Julian Merrill & Paul Roberts
Peter Hall & Bill Niccol
Peter Hall & Daniel Miller
Stuart Scholes & Richard Davies
For full details of all results for the 2011-2012 season please CLICK HERE
Well done and thank you to the 'A' team players, some of whom will now be invited to represent M&CBA in the EBU National County League finals next July - and thank you to all M&CBA players in the 'B' and 'C' divisions, where, after a promising start, we were unable to maintain the challenge against our neighbouring counties.

 NORTH WALES GP SWISS PAIRS  
Northop - 9 October 2011

A SPLENDID WIN FOR TED & BILL!
EXCELLENT RESULTS FOR M&CBA PLAYERS
(from a field of 58 pairs)
1st
   Ted Revely * & Bill Niccol *
2nd
  

Liz Commins * & David Stevenson *
3rd
  
Stuart Matthews * & Tracy Capal
8th=
   Peter Hall * & Dan Miller *
8th=
   Julian Merrill * & John Hampson*
10th
   Bob Pitts * & Simon Whitehouse *
   
* M&CBA members
  

CONGRATULATIONS!
For full list of results CLICK HERE

 NORTHERN IRELAND AUTUMN CONGRESS 2011  

CONGRATULATIONS TO WELL-PLACED M&CBA PLAYERS!
David Stevenson* & Liz Commins* also came 2ND in the PAIRS event.

David Stevenson* & Liz Commins*, with team-mates Ciara Burns (Northern Ireland) & Mary Finn (Northern Ireland), came 2ND in the TEAMS event.
   
* M&CBA members
  

 TED REVELEY - 2011 DIMMIE FLEMING AWARD WINNER  

MANY CONGRATULATIONS TED! THOROUGHLY DESERVED!
We are extremely proud to announce that "our Ted" is one of the nine 2011 winners of the prestigious EBU Dimmie Fleming Award - winners' profiles, plus full details of the history of this award and previous winners, can currently be found on the EBU web site Home Page (http://www.ebu.co.uk/) - you need to scroll down the page for the list of 2011 winners.
We have repeated below the entry summarising Ted's contribution to County and Club bridge over a long period of time - missing from this description of Ted is the word "modest" - which he most certainly is.

"Over the years Ted has played many roles in the administration and organisation of bridge both at County and Club level. He is unfailingly courteous, helpful to less able players and he has taken on various roles.

For a period of time he was County Chairman, and he is currently Chairman of the Merseyside Bridge League. Ted founded (jointly with Mike Swanson) Merseyside Bridge Centre, now a thriving Members' Club. For many years he was the Match Secretary for the MBL.

Ted regularly directs at various levels and he is a County Selector and a member of the County Conduct Committee."

MANY CONGRATULATIONS TED!

~~~  SAD  NEWS  ~~~
We are sorry to have to announce the death of
GLYN AUSTIN on Monday 18th July 2011,
and we offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~

For many years a well-known fgure on the local bridge circuit, especially the Merseyside Bridge League, Glyn was a gentleman of the game - modest, courteous and sharp-minded. In later life, when his regular bridge-playing commitments became a little less frequent, he was always still interested in what others were doing and never failed to offer congratulations where due. He will be greatly missed and remembered with much affection.
Glyn's funeral was held at Christ Church, King's Road, Higher Bebington, Wirral CH63 8LX at 2:00 pm on Thursday, 28th July and was attended by many of his bridge-playing friends.

Below is a personal tribute from Glyn's long-time partner, Peter Sims :

E. G. (Glyn) Austin

I met Glyn Austin in 1971 when I started to play bridge with the old Port Sunlight A team, when it consisted of Glyn, Bob Graham, Peter Garner-Gray, Mike Fox and myself. The partnerships varied, and I played with Glyn on a number of occasions, although it was some years later before we played together regularly. I rapidly gained considerable respect for Glyn, both as a man and as a player.

As a player, he was the epitome of steadiness. He always had his bid, he always played with the odds, and he very rarely missed a trick in the play. I lost count of the number of times he would make 1NT when virtually the whole of the rest of the room was going at least 1off. As a man, he was one of nature’s gentlemen. Ever quiet and courteous, he was delightful company both at the bridge table and away from it. If I had to identify Glyn’s predominant quality, it would be decency. There wasn’t a malign bone in his body.

And he never changed, retaining all these qualities to an astonishing degree as he grew older. Glyn and I played as partners in the Swiss Teams and Swiss Pairs at Birkenhead for roughly 20 years. Even when he was over 90 and with failing sight, he was a highly competent player who enjoyed his bridge and made a rock-solid partner – we had a very successful evening when we last played together in March of this year. He might have been a bit shaky on his legs, but there was nothing wrong with his brain. For me, Glyn’s passing represents the end of an era, and I shall miss him.

25/07/11

~~~  SAD  NEWS  ~~~
We are sorry to have to announce the death of
MICHELLE BRUNNER on Friday 24th June 2011,
and we offer our sincere condolences to her family and friends.
~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~  ~~~

An adopted "North-West girl", Michelle was much loved and highly respected by so many fellow bridge-players in local, national and international bridge-playing communities alike - a courageous and inspirational person, she will always be remembered with great affection and will be greatly missed. Michelle's funeral was held on Sunday 26th June.
For EBU OBITUARY click HERE
For MCBA OBITUARY click HERE
For TRIBUTE from European Championships in Poznan click HERE
(you need to scroll down the bulletin a fair way)

 JIM DAVIES SWISS TEAMS  
16 June 2011, Heswall Hall
Run by Wirral Duplicate Bridge Club - a pleasing turn-out of 22 teams this year
1st
   Margaret Barnes & Andrea Martin
Sheila Shea & Wyn Williams
2nd
  

Julian Merrill & Paul Roberts
John Hampson & Simon Whitehouse
3rd
  
Chris Whaley & David Howe
John & Dawn Herbert

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!
For full list of results CLICK HERE

 EBU  CORWEN  TROPHY - COUNTY  REPRESENTATTIVE  PAIRS  
4th-5th June 2011

CONGRATULATIONS TO WELL-PLACED M&CBA PAIR!
Very well done to Julian Merrill* & Paul Roberts* (one of 3 qualifying pairs from M&CBA) who came 12th out of 104 pairs in this national.
   
* M&CBA members
  
Liverpool v Dublin  
28th - 29th May 2011

CONGRATULATIONS TO DUBLIN ON COMPLETING A HAT-TRICK OF WINS

Our 15th Annual Match against Dublin was held at Deva Bridge Club

We welcomed our Dublin friends once more for the Cantor-Dowling Shield, always a friendly and relaxed affair, with competitive bridge of course. The comfortable and accommodating venue, in its pleasant location, added greatly to the success of the week-end.

As always the match was played in the best spirit, with "serious fun" bridge. Ending with the traditional Celebration Dinner, this very special annual event continues to create and further cement firm friendships and associations - and we look forward to the return match next year - in Dublin.

The winning Dublin team enjoying their victory
at the Celebration Dinner
Stephen graciously & humorously accepting
the coveted shield + audience having a giggle!
more pics on GALLERY page    << CLICK HERE >>

MORE   DETAILS   BELOW

THE MATCH . . . . . .
It was decided for various reasons to revert to the original format this year - 3 sessions of 5 x 5-board matches - a rather more "social" arrangement than the experimental last 2 years. After the first session Dublin were ahead by 12 VP's, despite the delayed arrival of 3 of their players - our local TD wasn't quite up to the sabotage required while sitting in for 3 matches! After Session 2 Dublin were ahead by 44 VP's - the travelling team are supposed to be tired on the Saturday evening! By the end of Session 3 Dublin had won by an unprecedentedly large margin of 128 VP's - and so have retained the Cantor-Dowling Shield, winning for the 3rd year running. Many congratulations to the Dublin team!

THANKS . . . . . .
Thank you to the Deva Bridge Club for providing the venue and for the excellent preparations, support and care which helped the week-end go so well. Thanks also to Angie and Alison for the splendid refreshments throughout the week-end - Cordon Bleu catering! Our special thanks to the Dublin liaison personnel and to our local organisers and helpers whose efforts, along with the input of all the players, ensure the continued success of this event.

The TEAMS :-

Open 'A' Teams
Liverpool/M&CBA :
Alan Stephensen, Stuart Matthews, Ted Reveley, Ralph Churney, Dave Keen, Jean Keen
Dublin :
B J O'Brien, Jill Kulchycky, Peter Goodman, Aoife MacHale

Intermediate/Club Teams
Liverpool/M&CBA :
Earl O'Keeffe, Rob Roberts, Geoff Cowie, Cameron Boyd, Ric Dearing, Julia Dearing
Dublin :
Ann Keating, Michelle Murray, Padraig McIntyre, Gerry McKenna

Ladies' Teams
 Liverpool/M&CBA :
Margaret Howe, Barbara Serres, Jean McKeown, Pauline Norman, Shirley Webster, Pam Edwards
Dublin :
Helen Carroll, Ann Hanratty, Sandra Newell, Gilda Pender

Officials' Teams
Liverpool/M&CBA :
Dawn Herbert, John Herbert, Julian Merrill, Paul Roberts
Dublin :
Paula Tolan, Frances Kelly, Stephen Bearpark, Michael McAuliffe

Visitors
Esther Stewart (also substitute player)
Cathy Bearpark (also substitute player)


Tournament Director
Liz Stevenson (also substitute player)

 SOUTH  OF  IRELAND  CONGRESS  -  KILLARNEY  
May 2011

CONGRATULATIONS TO WELL-PLACED M&CBA PLAYERS!
Ted Reveley * with team-mates Alan Williams, Patrick Collins & Bill Hirst, won the Men's Teams
Jean Keen * & Dave Keen*, with team-mates Bill Hirst & Patrick Collins, won the Mixed Teams for a 2nd successive year
Barry Wennell * & Suzy Lawson won the Swiss Pairs
Ted Reveley * & Rhona Goldenfield were 2nd in the Mixed Pairs
Beth Wennell * was in the team which finished runners-up in the Women's' Teams
Jean Keen * & Dave Keen*, with team-mates Padraig O'Briain & Ranald Milne, were joint 6th with Ted Reveley * and team (Patrick Collins, Alan O'Sullivan & David Jones) in the main Congress Teams
   
* M&CBA members
  

 NORTHERN  IRELAND  NATIONAL  CONGRESS  
May 2011

CONGRATULATIONS TO WELL-PLACED M&CBA PAIR!
Very well done to Peter Kaufmann* & David Stevenson* who, together with Northern Ireland's Robin Burns and Ian Lindsay, won the teams event in BOTH 2010 and 2011.
   
* M&CBA members
  

  MERSEYSIDE  BRIDGE  LEAGUE - END  OF  SEASON  PAIRS 
5th May 2011

POS
  
%
1 Richard Davies & Stuart Scholes
72.92
2 Dave Shaw & Bernard Krasner
63.10
3 David Stevenson & Liz Commins
61.01
4 Stuart Matthews & Alan Stephenson
59.23
5 Kate Hodgkinson & David Hodgkinson
57.44
6 Dave Keen & Jean Keen
53.57
7 Wyn Williams & Barry Wennell
53.27
8 Gareth Thomas & Barbara Serres
52.38
9 Julian Merrill & Chris Wentworth
51.19
10 Sheila Shea & Margaret Barnes
50.00
11 Peter Hall & Daniel Miller
49.11
12= Bob Pitts & Barry Jones
47.32
12= Chris Brooks & Jim Hughes
47.32
14= Geoff Cowie & Robbie Roberts
45.24
14= Ann Hall & Ian Stanley
45.24
16 Tony Sutcliffe & Angus Clark
41.96
17 Jill Oddie & Sally Clark
40.18
18 Dorothy Hislop & George Eakin
39.88
19 Vic Ricketts & John Morgan
38.99
20 Pat Ferguson & Shirley Prince
30.65

A splendid win for Richard & Stuart

A much improved turn-out this year - see you all next time!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

  MERSEYSIDE  BRIDGE  CENTRE  - MAY  DAY  SWISS  PAIRS 
2nd May 2011

POS
  
VP's
1 Diane & Duncan Ault
101
2 John & Julia Dearing
97
3 Peter Swarbrick & Jean McKeown
91
4 Ray Nolan & Angela Pinnington
89
5 John Griffith & Olwen Brown
87
6 Ted Reveley & Colin Humphrey
83
7= Gill O'Neill & Ian Stanley
76
7= Pat Ferguson & Shirley Prince
76
7= Geoff Cowie & Rob Roberts
76
10 David Howe & Chris Whaley
73
11 Pat Crossley & Lollo Murthwaite
72
12= Pat Arthur & Jill Oddie
70
12= Shirley Stott & Maureen Foster
70
14 Shirley Lenton & Jean Gregory
66
15 Gillian McMullan & Neil Thomas
59
16 Frances Davies & Bernard Moore
58
17 Jilly Hopewell-Taylor & Robbie Atherton
56
18 Stephanie Howard & Tony Driver
55
19 George Roberts & Bob Corkhill
52
20 Joyce Kennedy & Rita MacCrimmon
48
21 Rose Williams & Anne Harwood
43
22 Elsie Goodwin & Mary Palin
42

  MERSEYSIDE  BRIDGE  CENTRE  CHARITY  TEAMS 
17th April 2011

POS
  
VP's
1 Ted Reveley, Ralph Churney, Mike Swanson, Colin Humphrey
104
2 Maureen Foster, Rob Roberts, Shirley Stott, Shirley Prince
75
3 Joan King, Ian Stanley, Angie Pinnington, Ray Nolan
71
4= David Stevenson, Liz Commins, Paddy Murphy, Barry Jones
69
4= Peter Swarbrick, Jean McKeown, Lollo Murthwaite, Pat Crossley
69
6 Jilly Hopewell-Taylor, Chris Griffin, Robbie Atherton, Maureen Campbell
66
7 John Griffith, Olwen Brown, Dawn Herbert, John Herbert
64
8 Jean Still, Peter Marett, Stephanie Howard, Tony Driver
61
9 Margaret Barnes, Gill O'Neill, Avril Thompson, Mandy Johnson
58
10 Brenda Gray, George Roberts, Gill Jennings, Janet Almond
57
11 Ron Walster, Wray Walster, Mike Buckley, Irena Emberson
56
12 Jill Oddie, Rachel Tunstall, Pauline Norman, John Fay
43
13= Elsie Goodwin, Liz Stevenson, Mary Plain, Gwen Hurst
37
13= Shirley Lenton, Bunty Povey, Jean Gregory, Pat Arthur
37
15 Carole Collins, Stan Collins, Martin Collins, Janet Kay
33
A fine score for the winning team!

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT
An excellent £1010 was raised towards “Ruby Day”
- supporting the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust

 NWBA SWISS TEAMS CONGRESS   
April 2-3 2011 - Northop Hall

CONGRATULATIONS TO M&CBA WINNERS!

Many M&CBA members did well in a field of 31 teams
Pos
    
VP's
1st
   John Salisbury* & Mike Tedd*
Bob Pitts* & Barry Jones*
163
2nd
  

Jean Keen* & Dave Keen*
Kath Nelson & Alan Nelson
162
4th
   Ted Reveley* & Colin Humphrey*
Alan Stephenson* & Stuart Matthews*
153
9th=
  

Julian Merrill* & David Flacks*
Paul Roberts* & John Hampson*
148
   
Very close between 1st & 2nd!
  
   
* M&CBA members
  

 PORTLAND PAIRS - 27 MARCH 2011  

CONGRATULATIONS TO WELL-PLACED M&CBA PLAYERS!
Some excellent results . . . . . very well done to . . .

Julian Merrill* & Joan Marray* who won the Colwyn Bay heat of the National Mixed Pairs and came 4th nationally . . .

. . . and to Neil Thomas* who came 5th nationally, playing with Sue Richmond of Manchester.
   
* M&CBA members
  

 NATIONAL PAIRS REGIONAL FINAL - 20 MARCH 2011  

CONGRATULATIONS TO WELL-PLACED M&CBA PAIR!
Very well done to Julian Merrill* & David Flacks* who came 6th in the Northern Regional Final of the National Pairs.
   
* M&CBA members
  

 CUMBRIA CONGRESS - 18-21 MARCH 2011  

CONGRATULATIONS TO WELL-PLACED M&CBA PAIR!
Very well done to Liz Commins* & David Stevenson* who came 2nd from an original field of 69 pairs in the Championship Pairs at the recent Cumbria Congress in Bowness on Windermere.
   
* M&CBA members
  
Dublin v Liverpool  
29th-30th May 2010

DUBLINERS  RETAIN CANTOR-DOWLING  SHIELD - CONGRATULATIONS!

Our 14th Annual Match for the Cantor-Dowling Shield was held this year in Dublin.

Members of the Liverpool/M&CBA team travelled to Dublin via various routes - thankfully the lack of volcanic ash made life a lot less unpredictable for air travellers! Some of our players took the opportunity to spend time visiting the city, which was made even easier this time as we were based in a hotel in Tallaght, a "satellite town" on the southern edge of the city, which is linked by a very efficient tram service into the Centre (the Luas line) and is also the terminus for one of the special airport bus services. The Plaza Hotel, where all the bridge and dining took place, was very comfortable and accommodating, and the "single venue" arrangement was most satisfactory for Home and Away teams alike.
A view of Dublin Bay from the
Dublin/Wicklow Hills not too far from our Hotel
Dawn having a bit of fun with the
Presidential chain of office!
more pics on GALLERY page    << CLICK HERE >>

MORE   DETAILS   BELOW

Well done to Dublin, who won again this year, by a significant margin! This brings the total wins to 8-6 in favour of Liverpool (M&CBA) - there have been many slim victories, and so far no draws. Long may the competition continue!

As always the match was played in the best spirit - competitive bridge, yet always with a fun ingredient. Ending with the traditional Gala Dinner on Sunday evening, this regular, most enjoyable event continues to create and maintain solid and valued friendships. We look forward to the return match next year, when the venue is very likely to be the Deva Bridge Club, Chester.

On the Friday evening a few of our players were able to take advantage of the hospitality of the splendid Templeogue Bridge Centre - thank you to everyone there for such a warm welcome. Our thanks also go to the Plaza Hotel, Tallaght - a friendly, spacious, comfortable and well-appointed venue, with an excellent shopping complex just around the corner!

Our special thanks to the Dublin organisers and helpers, especially to Martha Tuite - and thanks to the M&CBA liaison personnel - these events don't just happen, they require a lot of work and effort by volunteers from both sides of the Irish Sea.

The TEAMS :-

Open 'A' Team
Dublin :
Pádraig Ó Briain, Micheál Ó Briain, Thomas MacCormac (Capt.), Terry Walsh
Liverpool/M&CBA :
Alan Stephensen, Stuart Matthews, Dave Keen (Capt.), Jean Keen

Intermediate/Club Team
Dublin :
B.J. O'Brien, Fionnula McInerney, Gerry McKenna, Dermot O'Brien
Liverpool/M&CBA :
Geoff Cowie, Cameron Boyd, Chris Whaley, David Howe, Ric & Julia Dearing

Ladies' Team
 Dublin :
Jill Kulchycky, Teresa Rigney, Sandra Newell, Helen Carroll
Liverpool/M&CBA :
Margaret Howe, Barbara Serres, Jean McKeown, Kathy Wilde, Elaine Caine, Sheila Mattison

Officials' Team
Dublin :
Mary Kelly Rogers, Frances Kelly, Paula Tolan, Sean Treanor, Stephen Bearpark
Liverpool/M&CBA :
Dawn Herbert, John Herbert, Julian Merrill, Paul Roberts

Visitors
Krista Stephenson, Vera Roberts

Tournament Directors
Frank Doolin, Kay Downes

 The Bar Coup

There is only one recorded occurrence of 'the bar coup', or 'the barmaid coup' to give it its full name. It happened one Tuesday night a good many years ago at the Merseyside Bridge Centre.

The Contract: 3NT
The Opening Lead: S5

Partner won and took the club finesse - it lost. If RHO returned a spade then partner had 9 tricks, a heart return and the contract was doomed. RHO thought and thought ... his hand went from H2 to S9 so often it was dizzy ... at last, decision time ... yes, the S9 is on its way ... oh no, the barmaid has dumped a tray of drinks in the middle of the table ... RHO pays and removes his drink ... he picks up his hand again and without thought leads ... you've guessed it ... H2 ... two down!

 Give us Your Stories!

 HOW  TO  CONTRIBUTE

Please let us know of any successes you may have, also any humorous stories from the bridge table or interesting hands. We cannot guarantee to include them, but there is a good chance that we will. We would especially like to hear from players who usually would not contribute to this sort of thing. Any general news of members (marriages, births, moving away, coming back! ... ). We would like to avoid this News section becoming an area featuring the same one or two names all of the time. Bottom team beating top team is news. Winning a swiss teams match against a known team is news. The bar coup was news - see above.

To contribute, please email us :
If you have any good results, unusual occurrences, humorous stories, interesting hands, news of your own or of other members - anything that you would like to share - please send us the details at :
 
Merseyside  &  Cheshire Bridge Association
  
President : Grattan Endicott
Chairman : Paul Roberts
  
Site created by DESERT STAR - Copyright 2001 - 2011