Latest News
Want to know how the experts would bid and play the hand you just played?
Join us on Tuesday 31 July between 5 and 6pm and find out.
We'll play some boards from the 2018 Vanderbilt finals, and then check out what the experts did - via the Videograph movies and commentary. The Vanderbilt is the major marquee US teams event founded in 1928 by the founder of our contract bridge game, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt. Check out more information at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanderbilt_Trophy and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Stirling_Vanderbilt.
"Currently it is estimated that almost 8,000 people in the Northern Beaches live with dementia. In the area it is expected to grow by 38% by 2050 and almost 150% in Pittwater alone. It is imperative that we act now, to develop communities that are safe and supportive for people living with dementia.
On behalf of Your Side, it is my pleasure to announce the Northern Beaches Dementia-Friendly Communities Project. As a valued community member and professional, I would like to invite you to be part of this project.
As many members are aware the lease on our current premises expires in 2021. The Premises Working Group has been tasked with looking at all our options.
In May we met with Kylie Walsh, the new Executive Manager, Community Arts and Culture at Northern Beaches Council at her request to brief Council on our needs. At this meeting Kylie explained Northern Beaches Council had employed consultants to look at current and future community centre needs. Kylie said Council would advise within 6 months the future of the Nelson Heather Centre.
In the meantime we are keeping alert to any opportunity for suitable premises. Clearly a key issue for us is accessible transport and parking.
Here are the results of the 2018 Member Survey conducted in late June and early July. The submitted individual answers on name, ABF number and date of birth have been removed to ensure anonymity of individual responses.
246 responses were received (more than 40%) which is remarkable in the survey world - thank you. Of these more than 85% were received online which made it so much easier - thank you again. There were a large number of members born in 2018 - hopefully this does not make it more difficult to seek Council and others' support for the value of the services we provide.
On Saturday 14 July our Club hosted a very special celebration - for the 75th Wedding Anniversary of Una and Colin Mingay. Following an early start/finish game of bridge there was a party, splendidly organised and catered by Sue Riley.
Colin delivered a fond and often amusing history of his and Una’s meeting, wedding and subsequent history together. Their son, David, accompanied the talk with a photo presentation and appropriate interjections.
Colin’s verse on marriage, read aloud by Shirley Corbett, should be salutary reading for all couples!
There was an excellent turnout for the Charlie Mitchell Shield on Saturday 7 July - though it seemed several players were unaware that the Charlie Mitchell Shield had come to their normal Saturday session, despite being listed in the Diary, on the website and being announced in the previous week's session announcements.
Many were also unaware of who Charlie Mitchell was, and what he had done to help make the club the success it is today. Fortunately Sue Riley, with a little help from Ada Duignan and others, was able to fill us in on his part in the club's rich history.
The much awaited celebration of Colin and Una Mingay's amazing 75th wedding anniversary has been rescheduled for Saturday 14 July.
The arrangements are as they were originally planned. Bridge will start at 12.15pm and run without a tea break till about 3pm - and then the celebration will commence to allow all to have a good time and still not leave the club any later than normal.
Sue Riley (0412 175 367) is coordinating the event and will respond to any questions. Come and join Colin and Una if you can.
Member Robin Ho teamed up with guest expert Ed Barnes to win the Swiss Pairs on Tue 26 July, ahead of directors Alan Davies and David Farmer, and visitors Margaret Foster and Patrick Neary.
You can check the full results.
The Swiss Pairs followed a free pre-session talk by Ed Barnes on "Declarer play - Avoiding the hidden traps". This in turn followed his excellent one hour PBI workshop on "Passive defense - when and how to think about it" - and several hands in the Swiss Pairs benefited from the key points.
