This is just to let everyone know that the Club is now fully open, all sessions are running and, although this is only the first week back, we have welcomed numerous members who are are keenly returning to Face to Face bridge.

We are so lucky to have a large Clubhouse and the bridge premises are not shared with any other organisation.  That, and the fact that we have three playing rooms all of which can be used if necessary, makes it easy for us to spread out and safely accommodate everyone.

WELCOME BACK TO FACE TO FACE BRIDGE

The Club has now re-opened with all sessions running.

WELCOME BACK

The first drive was on July 19th when there were five tables. Everyone had a good time and was happy with the playing conditions.  All sessions are now running and we are really looking forward to seeing members back.

Just as a reminder about the way that the Club is operating:-

For each session every table has a hand sanitiser and all players are requested to use this at the commencement of each round. E/W pairs retain their bidding boxes for the entire drive. Only the person sitting North is allowed to handle the Bridgemate scoring machine. When a score is entered N should show the players at the table the entry made and upon agreement it is North who confirms the score. At the end of the drive the director will request that every person be responsible for the cleaning of the bidding box they had exclusive use of during the drive. Additionally the director will request that North be responsible for cleaning the Bridgemate. 

Tea and coffee is  available.

Of course we request that anyone with viral symptoms does not visit the club until they have recovered.

Subject to weather conditions, we will keep the room well ventilated. 

BRADFORD BRIDGE CLUB WILL REOPEN ON MONDAY 19 JULY 2021

The club is now gearing up for reopening on MONDAY 19 JULY

The event on 19 July will be a Pairs drive (it will NOT be a teams event on this first evening back). There will also be a resumption of the TUESDAY afternoon drive the following day, 20 July. The WEDNESDAY evening, THURSDAY afternoon and THURSDAY evening  drives will resume on 21 and 22 July respectively.

The specific protocols we will need to follow may be dictated by some retention of restrictions beyond 19 July but we aim to return to as near a ‘normal’ state as possible.

Therefore when we return every table will have a hand sanitiser and all players will be requested to use this at the commencement of each round. E/W pairs will retain their bidding boxes for the entire drive. Only the person sitting North will be allowed to handle the Bridgemate scoring machine. When a score has been entered N should show the players at the table the entry made and upon agreement it will be North who confirms the score. At the end of the drive the director will request that every person be responsible for the cleaning of the bidding box they had exclusive use of during the drive. Additionally the director will request that North be responsible for cleaning the Bridgemate. 

Tea and coffee will be available.

Of course we would request that anyone with viral symptoms should not visit the club until they have recovered.

Subject to weather conditions the room will be well ventilated. 

Mark Armitage

After the June 14 Government announcement we have had to postpone our planned re-opening to a later date but we will be holding sessions at the Club as soon as it is permitted to do so.

WATCH THIS SPACE!

The EBU has sent the following message to clubs.

The government has delayed the end of Stage 4 of the lockdown by four weeks, but this still means it will be over 2 ½ weeks before the start of our flagship Summer Meeting in Eastbourne, which we are excited to be providing as our first national face-to-face event for about 18 months, subject to any unexpected changes to this revised road-map.

Although government restrictions will have ended entirely by then, we will be working with the venue to put in place arrangements to help minimise any risks, by means of table spacing and one-way traffic where possible. We also expect all players to regularly use anti-bacterial hand gel and to do their best to accommodate any requests from opponents to wear face-masks, which we will provide for those who don’t have their own.

We would welcome members entering for the Summer Meeting as soon as possible so that we can get a sense of numbers for planning. As always, if you later change your mind for any reason, you will be able to get a full refund from us. If you are uncertain about attending, you should make bookings at hotels that allow full refunds on cancellation within a stated time.

Similarly, we would also welcome entries now for the Autumn Congress and the Seniors Congress, both due to take place face-to-face in October. Once you have booked your bridge via MyEBU, contact our partners First for Bridge for their exclusive package deals available at the hotels.

GOOD NEWS

Everyone will be contacted by email on 15 June outlining our plan for reopening the club, following advice from Government on the 14th about plans for 21 June. N.B. those unable to receive email will be contacted by phone.

Ray Foster confirms the return to Thursday afternoon bridge will commence on 24 June - subject to lockdown restrictions

ATTENTION ALL BRIDGE PLAYERS

BRADFORD BRIDGE CLUB INTENDS TO REOPEN ON MONDAY 21 JUNE 2021

N.B. SUBJECT TO LOCKDOWN EASING REMAINING ON SCHEDULE

As the lockdown eases in accordance with the Government’s planned timetable the club hopes to reopen on Monday 21 June for a Pairs drive (it will NOT be a teams event on this first evening back). There will also be a resumption of the TUESDAY afternoon drive the following day, 22 June. The WEDNESDAY evening and THURSDAY evening  drives will resume on 23 and 24 June respectively. Clearly this plan is subject to whether the Indian variant causes a delay to the lockdown roadmap. If there is a delay we intend to reopen at the earliest possible opportunity and in accordance with Government guidelines.

The specific protocols we will need to follow will not be confirmed until we receive the Government’s guidance on the arrangements for post-20/6. This guidance is unlikely to be available until a week beforehand.

We know that at the moment the Government’s intention is for a return to as near normal as possible. Of course we will comply with any ongoing legal requirements. Meanwhile we will be preparing for a drive that minimises risk of transmission. Every table will have a hand sanitiser and all players will be requested to use this at the commencement of each round. E/W pairs will retain their bidding boxes for the entire drive. At the end of the drive the director, or nominee, will clean all the boxes used in preparation for their use at the next drive.

Of course we would request that anyone with viral symptoms should not visit the club until they have recovered.

N.B. We do not intend to make the wearing of face-masks mandatory unless it is a legal requirement. Subject to weather conditions the room will be well ventilated. 

There will be a further update on our plans to reopen nearer the time and announcements may also be found on the News section of our website.

Mark Armitage

We intend to open the Club for face to face sessions as soon as it is practicable - hopefully in June.  This obviously depends on Covid restrictions but, in the meantime, members can play in the enormously successful online sessions held on a Wednesday evening.  If you are not sure how to do this please contact Susan - the Club Secretary - and she will let you know how to enter.

We are very sad to announce that Betty Johnson, a long-standing member of Bradford Bridge Club, has passed away.

During her membership, Betty had served on the Committee and helped to run the Tuesday afternoon drives on many occasions.

Her funeral will take place on Monday 15th March at 11.30.

(The Memorial card can be seen at the bottom of this page)

While it is not possible to attend the service, members may wish to make a charitable donation to either:

Sue Ryder, 183 Eversholt St., London NW1 1BU ( in memory of Betty Johnson)

or to 

Support Services, Samaritans, The Upper Mill, Kingston Road, Ewell, Surrey, KT17 2AF (in memory of Liz Johnson at Bradford)

Our thoughts are with her family and friends.