English Bridge February 2006
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English Bridge February 2006 - pS Teaching Poirot BOOK PRIZES to play his IN OUR BRIDGE cards right - p9 CROSSWORD - p27 English Bridge INSIDE Editor: Brian Cook Camrose hopes Hill Crest, 8 Kingsley Road , Kingsbridge, Devon TQ7 1E Y Bridge on a mountain 5 Te l: 01548 852565 Fax: 01548 8544 17 dented in Dublin email: eng [email protected] ENGLAND have it all to do in beating Wales 38-22, Northern Prize defence 7 Editorial Board the five nations Camrose Ireland beating Scotland 47-11 Sally Sugden (Chairman) , Trophy series after getting very and Wales beating Scotland 37- Poirot plays his cards right 9 Jeremy Dh ondy and Brian Cook much the worst of it in the first 23 the table at the halfway stage Readers' letters 11 Advertisement Manager weekend of matches, played at of the contest looks like this: Laura Grimsley at Blue2 the Castlenock Hotel and Learn with Landy, Bird, Charlton House, Old Estate Yard , Country Club in Dublin. Republic of Ireland 82 Senior and Kambites 13-19 East Hendred, Oxford, OX12 8LL First they took a hammering Northern Ireland 77 Tel : 01235 833060 fax: 01235 862589 from Republic of Ireland, hold Wales 59 Rigal from America 21 lau ra@b lue2design .com ers of the trophy, losing 22-8 on England 46 Printing: St lves (Andover) pic each of the two sets of 32 Scotland 34 London and Blackpool Artwork: Blue 2, 01235 862587 boards. They did better against year end congresses 23 Northern Ireland, but after win The second and final week English Bridge Union ning the first set 19-11, lost the end of the series will be in EBU news and events 24-25 Broadfields, Bicester Road, Aylesbury HP1 9 8AZ second one by an identical score. Wales (March 3-5), where the Book review and In action for England, under England tean1 hoping to turn CONTACTING THE EBU crossword 27 Tel: 01296 317200 non-playing captain Raymond things around is named as Fax: 01296 317220 Brock, were John Armstrong David Gold and Tom Check your ski ll s 29 postmaster@ebu . co . uk and John Holland, David Gold Townsend, Artur Malinowski Web site: www .ebu.co.uk and Tom Townsend, Paul and Nick Sandqvist, David Prize defence answers 30 Bridge play online: Hackett and Tony Water low. Price and Colin Simpson, with www .bridgeclublive.com With Republic of Ireland Raymond Brock again as npc. Tony Banks remembered 31 Direct EBU helplines and email addresses (STD code 01296 for all telephone numbers and Townsend's Get Even 32 suffix @ebu.co.uk for all email addresses) New event in north Dhondy answers your Telephone Email questions 33 Accounts 317210 accou nt Bridge for All 317217 bfa for seniors and vets Seniors' Congress report 35 Bridge Shop 397851 bridge.shop A MAJOR new event for the north of England has just been Co mpetition entry 317203 camps announced. It is the Northern Seniors' Congress and it will be played Bridge Club Live 35 Development 317206 at Harrogate's Cairn Hotel over ilie weekend of June30-July 2, Education 317218 eb uta County news and thereby complementing the souiliern equivalent, which takes place a Laws & Ethics 317208 lecsec pictures 36-45 Licensing of events 317205 license fortnight later in Eastbourne. Master Points 317202 poi nts As with all seniors' events, entries are invited from Membership 317201 eb u players born in or before 1951. An additional require Technical services 317207 tec hnic ment is iliat all partnerships must have a combined Tournament orgn. 317204 to urns age of at least 110 on the day of the tournament. STAR TURN! EBU STAFF Category prizes will be available to the leading Use suffix @ebu.co.uk for all email addresses veterans' pair and team, with 70 on the day of the IT's all happening for tournament being the qualifying age. Manchester's Alan Office Administration anfl.IT PA to General Manager Clare Sm ith clare The format will be the same as the main November Nelson, both as player Office Manager Karen Durrell karend Seniors Congress: namely, a two-session champi and ad ministrator. ttA,~:~ Webmaster Anna Gudge anna onship pairs qualifier on Friday, leading to A and B Recently elected to Administraton Assistant Kay Carter kay all-play-all14-table finals on Saturday, followed by a the EBU board Alan is .. ,~ \_·;;.•.. ., \ Accounts Swiss teams event on Sunday. now also chairman of ~ • ''J.. Accounts Manager Brian Smith brians There is also a three-session Swiss pairs event start the union's tourna . ' '~ Accounts Assistant Gail Nancarrow gail ing on Friday evening for the benefit of both non ment committee, .. Membership qualifiers from session one of ilie championship pairs while at the bridge .. Administrator Eileen Maunder eileen and for players joining the congress at this point. table, with wife Kath, Club and Master Points Administrator Colin Porch colin Contestants who play in session two of the champi he has enjoyed an Bridge Shop onship pairs, but who fail to reach one of ilie pairs impressive recent run Administrator Sue Humphris sueh finals, will join the Swiss pairs on Saturday with a of success. Telesales Assistant Andrea Fendom andrea! suitable carry-over score. First the couple Alan Nelson Trading Assistant David Keyes david Green Point will be awarded, except for the Friday brushed aside all Tournament Department evening of the Swiss Pairs and the qualifying rounds opposition to win the Tournaments Manager Max Bavin max of the pairs championship. pairs championship at Administration Assistant Dawn Mertens dawn Please see page 56 of your Members Diary and the Seniors' Congress Tournaments Secretary Nick Doe nick Tournaments Handbook for details of the Cairn Hotel. in Daventry (see story Administrators Gill Pain gill page 34); next they Peter Jordan peter General manager were in the tea m that tan Mitchell ian TERRY Collier, general manager of the English Bridge came second at the Education Oeoartment Union, left his post on January 31 to pursue other annual Lla ngollen Education Manager John Pain john activities. The Board thanks Terry for the contribu Swiss teams; and then Youth and tion he has made at the EBU and wishes him well in they col lected two Education Officer Alison Nicolson alison the future. His replacement will be announced in due trophies (mixed pairs Administrator Lisa Miller lisa course. Until a new appointment is made Max Bavin, and Swiss teams) at Oevelooment Oeoartment the union's chief tournament director, will ensure the Year End Congress Development Manager Virpi Ojala virpi that the staff at Aylesbury continues to provide all the in Blackpool. Communications Officer Michael Clark michael Kath Nelson usual services to members. February 2006 English Bridge 3 Ultra Luxury Bridge Cruises 2006 Asia Pacific Voyages Enjoy playing bridge in six-star style on board the all-suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Mariner. per person COMBINATION Exclusive Diamond Bridge Extras include: Daily bridge sessi on s, lectures, cocktail parties, FREE on board credit and more! Call now on 01543 483 222 www.diamondbridge.co.uk Bridg e licensed by EBU . RADISSON SEVEN SEAS CRUISES" How I came to be playing bridge on a mountaintop By Simon Stocken (and several times IT all started about a month before Christmas when I was up to my eyes in puzzle cutting and learned that some friends were planning a climb of Kilirnanjaro on the Kenyan-Tanzanian border, in support of ACE-AFRICA, a charity that helps chil on the way up!) dren orphaned by AIDS. To cut a long story short it was agreed that I could join them More than 10,000 'tourists' climb Kili every - it seemed too good an opportunity to miss - and with much year and December is busy, as the weather is family support (it's a busy time of year when you're in the more reliable. Snowstorms and death are not wooden puzzle-making business) I was touching down in uncommon. Hundreds don't make it to the Nairobi, meeting up with other members of the party and top. Many of the porters have to turn back - ready to start the climb. altitude sickness can slay a regular marathon In scorching heat we headed south in a small plane and an runner. hour later caught the first glimpse of our mountain- shroud I was certain I would not make it - how ed in clouds and rising majestic from the dusty plains. could I, when I felt so appallingly wretched? I Kilimanjaro is the largest free-standing mountain on earth. yearned for a break, an end to it all, just to sit Interestingly, because of the earth's equatorial bulge, it is the down, but on we plodded, even the moon was point that protrudes furthest into space. ghastly bright. More than an hour later we For Felix, our guide, who holds the second fastest time for stopped, still the last group on the mountain. the full up and down (30 hours), this would be his 22nd ascent. Warm water, heavenly elixir, but the break was It was reassuring. not our friend. We had to press on or we After an evening checking our kit, supper feeling after 22 hours of cards and would lose heat. Sub-zero by now and we were and an early night, we headed through lush sleeplessness. off. I was reallocated Felix's heels, which is all banana plantations to our starting point, We arrived at our camp on day two mid I saw for the next two hours. where we met Felix's team. On the basis that it afternoon; now at 4,200 metres with Kili in We stopped again, but spirits were up.