Magazine Layout (issue36)L:Layout 1 18/11/10 15:41 Page 1 Spring 2011 / Issue 36 THETHE ANDREWANDREW ROBSONROBSON BBRIDGERIDGE CCLUBLUB MAGAZINEMAGAZINE Holidays for 2011 include: Sandbanks Dubrovnik Bonus Millstream weekend Includes Spring 2011 NEW Lesson Conventions flipper, and Playing Rules, Acronyms and Ditties book Schedules Defence book t: 020 7471 4626 www.arobson.co.uk Magazine Layout (issue36)L:Layout 1 18/11/10 15:41 Page 2 Magazine Layout (issue36)L:Layout 1 18/11/10 15:41 Page 3 Contents Sections Lesson & Playing Schedules Club Dates p 3 Beginning Bridge at ARBC p 14 Editorial p 4 - 5 Lesson Flow Guide p 15 Club Photos p 12 - 13 Lesson Information p 16 - 18 Lesson & Club Programme p 14 - 26 Course Form p 19 ARBC Holidays p 30 - 35 Membership Form p 20 Club Shop p 36 - 42 How to get to ARBC p 21 Lesson Schedule p 22 Features Playing Schedule p 23 Holiday to Malta p 6 Session Information p 24 - 25 ARBC at Notting Hill Harbour Club p 7 Standing Order Form p 26 Children’s Bridge p 7 Tournament Roundup p 8 - 9 Guide to Duplicate Bridge p 10 Ideas for Christmas presents p 11 Rule of Eleven p 28 Poems p 29 Dates For Your Diary 4th - 5th December 2010 Beginner Weekend 10.00 - 16.30 11th - 12th December 2010 Advanced Weekend 10.00 - 16.30 17th December 2010 Christmas Chicago Party (Free) From 18.00 20th - 22nd December 2010 Children’s Bridge 10.30 -12.30 & 13.30 - 15.30 24th Dec 2010 - 3rd Jan 2011 Club Closed 4th January 2011 Club Reopens 15th – 22nd January 2011 Hotel Alpina, Klosters 19th January 2011 Open Evening 18.00 - 19.15 19th January 2011 Taster Session For Beginners 18.30 - 19.45 4th – 6th February 2011 Millstream Weekend 5th - 6th February 2011 Beginner Weekend 10.00 - 16.30 12th - 13th February 2011 Intermediate Weekend 10.00 - 16.30 26th - 27th February 2011 Next Step Weekend 10.00 - 16.30 5th - 6th March 2011 Improver Weekend 10.00 - 16.30 18th – 20th March 2011 Millstream Weekend 19th - 20th March 2011 Advanced Weekend 10.00 - 16.30 26th - 27th March 2011 Improver Play Weekend 10.00 - 16.30 2nd - 3rd April 2011 Beginner Weekend 10.00 - 16.30 12th - 15th April 2011 Sandbanks Midweek Break 27th April 2011 Open Evening 18.00 - 19.15 27th April 2011 Taster Session For Beginners 18.30 - 19.45 7th - 8th May 2011 Next Step Weekend 10.00 - 16.30 14th May 2011 Spring Teams Championship 11.00 - 16.00 21st - 22nd May 2011 Beginner Weekend 10.00 - 16.30 4th - 5th June 2011 Intermediate Weekend 10.00 - 16.30 11th - 12th June 2011 Improver Weekend 10.00 - 16.30 10th - 17th September 2011 Dubrovnik Summer Holiday How to contact us : ARBC, 31 Parsons Green Lane, SW6 4HH T: 020 7471 4626 E: [email protected] W: www.arobson.co.uk Editor : Andrew, Design: Printalicious, Holidays: Jack Stocken Front Cover: Sandbanks, Dorset Magazine Layout (issue36)L:Layout 1 18/11/10 15:41 Page 4 Andrew’s Editorial As the year draws to a but if you wish to move up to Richard’s close we can reflect on concurrent ever-popular (and rightly so) Gentle many happy memories at Duplicate – where there is a ranking list and a ARBC and look forward to prize-winner each week, then Richard will be many more to come. delighted to have you. Thank you to all of you members for making 31 The only other small change to the Parsons Green such a schedule concerns the start-time of the happy environment; and I Tuesday afternoon duplicate. Because we are would like to take this playing 24 boards in our afternoon duplicates opportunity to thank my these days, we are bringing forward the start fantastic team for making it all possible. time from 14.00 to 13.30 when we reopen in January. This will mean that all our afternoon To Caroline, who is one-in-a-million with duplicates now start at 13.30 (bar Friday – her incredible energy and enthusiasm; to which starts at 13.00 to enable you to escape Paddy who has single-handedly made Friday London for the weekend before the rush hour). night Chicago into such a relaxed, friendly session people travel from miles around to I have devised a full programme of lessons attend; to Martin who’s genial presence is a for the new year, with all regular courses on huge calming influence; to Grazyna, who lights offer and every course (up to Advanced) with up any room; to David whose brilliant, clear both daytime and evening options. As usual, we teaching attracts such a devoted following; to are flexible and happy for you to change your Nick whose clear-headed organisational mind time slot within each course to suit your is invaluable; to Richard, natural-born teacher schedule, even come to the missed lesson on a and entertainer supreme; to Lorna H, whose future term. Highlighting a few options, presence both at the Club and at the many Richard is teaching the Big Four Conventions weekends and holidays she helps to run with on selected Mondays and also he is teaching a Jack, is such a positive one; to Natasha, who four-week Beginner in January on Tuesday has such a wonderful calm, positivity and the evenings for those (currently) non-bridge gift of communication; and to all the other staff friends to act early on a New Year’s Resolution. – Pip, Heather, Marina, Lena, Sergei, plus Exact class times, dates and all other details Nicky our fabulous bookkeeper, to name but are on pages 14-18. some – for their very important parts. I have been delighted with the fantastic Always seeking to offer more to you and in response to my new Conventions Flipper. I am response to the success of the Supervised biased, but I cannot think of many better Gentle Duplicate (SGD) on Thursday evenings, stocking fillers; even those experienced we are introducing a daytime Supervised bridge-playing friends of yours will I am sure Gentle Duplicate. This will take place on benefit from the eight-page section on winning Thursday afternoons 14.00 – 16.30 (alongside Duplicate Pairs tactics. Talking of stocking the Gentle Duplicate). SGD really is for all, a fillers, we are now selling two of our branded confidence-engendering session where you ARBC packs of cards in an elegant leather box can enjoy the challenge of Duplicate Bridge, – for just £15. Bookwise, in addition to my moving from table to table and meeting new recent books on Hand Evaluation & the Losing people, but in a supremely relaxed way, able to Trick Count plus the one on Defence, my new receive help with every bid and play, able to one is: “Rules, Acronyms and Ditties”. What play as slowly or quickly as you wish and with are the Rules of One to 20? How is learning the no pressure of an overall ranking list. The ditty Every Responsible Dad Cooks Supper dream team of Grazyna, Lorna and Martin will going to help your game? All this and much be there to ensure you have a fabulous and more (for a fiver). Finally, so many of you have rewarding time. You can play in the SGD for said so many nice things about my DVD Play months or years (we have no plans to stop it); Modern Bridge that a follow up – Improve your 4 Magazine Layout (issue36)L:Layout 1 18/11/10 15:41 Page 5 cont.. Modern Bridge – is very much on the cards. All There is still much happening at the Club being well, there will be some filming early in before Christmas. Our free Christmas Chicago the year. For more information on our shop, Party is as usual on the last Friday before we see pages 36 to 42. close for Christmas (17th December) and I hope to see as many of you as possible for We have had our first year of bridge at the some fun bridge with party hats on. Then from Notting Hill Harbour Club; Natasha’s classes December 20th-22nd we will run our more and are flourishing; and in response to demand we more popular Children’s bridge. Natasha and I are making some changes to Wednesday’s look forward to welcoming any children from bridge – a Supervised Gentle Duplicate aged eight upwards, complete beginners plus (replacing the regular Duplicate) will begin in those who’ve played. I know my children January. We hope those of you and your friends Hannah (10) and Mimi (8) look forward to the who live in North and North West London will sessions (and being taught by Daddy – that take advantage. More details on page 7. may not last forever!). Then we break for Christmas and New Year as usual – and will be Jack, Annabel and Lorna H have tons of shut from 24th December, reopening on 4th exciting Holidays for you: Klosters, Dubrovnik, January. Sandbanks, returns to Bosham’s Millsteam including an extra weekend on March 18th- Thank you all again for your wonderful 20th. Demand for our holidays has never been support for the Club, for helping to make it greater and there are waiting lists for some. So such a uniquely happy place, don’t dally! Ring Jack today to book a place. Jack’s Holiday pages are from 30-35 and Lorna’s most amusing write-up of the (by all accounts epic) trip to Malta is on page 6.