Dear Members,
I promised you a surprise this week and here it is. Your clubhouse has a new sign! Now… if people are looking for us they should find us.
The sign was donated by someone who would like to remain anonymous. However, I’ve got to tell you it’s one of our better looking, new members!! Even the application fee to the council was donated by another good looking new member, hehe, I had to get that in!!
We have spent a fair amount of money, all which was essential, however not a great thing to do whilst we have had no income! This is why we are so grateful for all and any member donations. Although the sign isn’t classed as an essential repair, ti certainly will help improve our brand and help identify us and WOW doesn’t it look fantastic. Notice all the white stuff on the bricks has gone as well.
NOW ALL WE NEED IS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO OPEN AND TO PLAY BRIDGE IN PERSON!
There is a club in Perth that is opening on Saturday, but they are prepared to waive the 1.5m distancing rule. We are not prepared to do that. As your President and your Committee, who you put in office to care for you and your club, we feel that we would rather not take the chance and put you and other members at risk. You are all too precious to us and we ask you to be patient – we promise we are researching and working on options all the time. I also thank the members who have put forward their suggestions – all feedback and ideas are very welcome.
Don’t despair there is always online bridge, and if you are not joining us – you are missing out. We are having so much fun, with Team matches and regular duplicate games, some friendly games too. All of the online Bridge options, we owe to Mike Fulwood for running, managing and helping us. Thanks Mike.
We are busy training as many people to use the new electronic payment terminal – it’s called “Squareup”, which is the machine we will be using to take your money at the table by card. It is just like the regular payment terminals at Woollies or your local shop, so it shouldnt be too new for you – but we have to learn how to operate it.
We are hoping that it will make things easier for you, not to have to have cash, it will certainly make life a lot easier for Cheryl (Treasurer) who wont have to reconcile too much cash – it will also save us money as the Banks say they will be charging to deposit cash soon.
I would like to take this opportunity to make special mention of Cheryl Harding, who is currently inthe throws of taking us electronic. Poor thing, it has been a real battle with Corona Virus, wrong paper work, many trips to the bank, but through sheer determination – she has got us there. Well done Cheryl and thank you, you are doing an excellent job.
See video below, to watch this all in action.
Remember, a directors meeting is being held this Friday at 10 am. If you are interested in becoming a director please come. No strings attached. If you don’t think it will suit you we won’t twist your arm. (Just your leg and you won’t be able to leave!!) YOUR CLUB NEEDS YOU.
That’s all for this week.
Keep safe
Nicky
I was born in London in 1942, my father was already dead killed in action in Ceylon as it was called then Sri Lanka now. My mother was living with her sister after my father was killed and she lived in London. When I was about 18 months old we went to live in Portsmouth my Mother’s home town we lived there with other family members sharing a house as Portsmouth was badly bombed in the war it was a naval city and accommodation was scarce. When I was almost 12 my mum got married again to Rick (quite a few of the bridge club knew them as they were bridge players).
I got married at 19 to a Royal Marine called Trevor and in 1962 the same year we got married Trev got a posting to Johore Bahru in Malaysia for two and a half years, so I joined him just before our first wedding anniversary. It was so different the colours culture and people but I enjoyed our stay there very much and 18 months later in 1964 our daughter Tracey was born at the British Military Hospital in Singapore. We were fortunate to have an Amah who was called Ang she loved children and was great at all things domesticated.
When I left school I went to work in the Civil Service as a punch card operator we were responsible for the wages of the Naval Dockyard who employed at that stage 14,000 mostly men in various trades and occupations. I used to ride my bike to work always running late, but they were very happy days and a great bunch of girls, in fact we had a reunion a few years ago I keep in touch with a couple and they arranged it when I went back for a holiday to England.
We travelled to Australia in 1974 with our two children by now I had a boy called Andrew 7 years after Tracey my parents had emigrated the year earlier. We would have been one of the last Ten Pound Poms. We went to Brisbane to join my parents but there was a recession in the seventies so when Trev saw an ad in the newspaper for ex- service men to join the Australian Navy he applied and was successful so he became a Naval Policeman and we moved to Sydney.
I went back to work as an accounts clerk had no idea of debtors and creditors but survived, I stayed with that company until 1987 when Trev was posted to Garden Island Rockingham and we moved here. Tracey stayed in Sydney but Andrew came. We bought a block of land and built a house at Winthrop, but after three years they posted Trev back to Sydney. In the meantime I got a job at the Lions Eye Clinic but had taken the Public Service exam here and eventually was offered a job with Veterans Affairs but transferred to the CES thank goodness and another career started. I was able to transfer to a position in Ryde office Sydney. When Trev had done 20 in the Australian Naval Police he had to finish and he wanted to come back to Perth, because by then my parents had moved here too and Tracey and my grandson. I once again managed a transfer back and worked at the Fremantle office. The CES was changing and I was the Disability Officer so was transferred to Centrelink. I have met lots of lovely people in my careers and some scoundrels when on one occasion I went fishing at Coogee beach half of my clients (who couldn’t work as they had bad backs) were there too. Naturally they had a fit when they saw me.
When I also retired Trev and I did a holiday to Thailand and then on our return we decided to tour Australia which we did in a Swan camper trailer for nine months. We had previously travelled qute a bit along the East coast up to Cairns and we also did a camping trip from Perth to Darwin that was amazing. At the end of the trip I wanted to learn bridge and I joined the Rockingham Bridge Club and had lessons with Di Brooks and we have all been together ever since it was the best thing I ever did, we have had such good times together.
Online Bridge continues to offer the chance for play during COVID-19 restrictions.
Online tournaments are now being regularly run by both Rockingham and Mandurah Clubs with all players from both clubs welcome.
Tournaments are run :
Mondays from 12:30pm by Rockingham (registration from 10:40am Monday)
Thursdays from 1pm by Mandurah (registration from 11.10am Thursday)
Casual play is offered on Saturdays at 2pm, please join play in the casual room facilitated by Janice (Jobejhang) and Mike (tjilpi2).
The results of the Online Master Point days are now on our Results Page – thanks to Neville. Click here to access.
The next BBO National Online Tournament organised by the ABF will be played on Sunday, June 21.
There will be separate Open and Restricted* events.
They will start at 12.30 pm. You can enter on BBO from 10.30 pm onwards. Click here to view more information.
For more information on online bridge check the website or contact Mike Fulwood (online coordinator) on mike.fulwood@lca.org.au
Mike Fulwood
Online Co-ordinator
Here are some videos, images that will hopefully bring some joy.
We have 7 sure tricks:
1 in ♠, 1 in ♥, 1 in ♦, 1 in ♣
The play seems simple:
We will win with the ♠A and finesse in ♣. If the finesse succeeds, our problem is solved. But what if the finesse fails? East will continue with ♠ and we might fail to make the contract.
Well, then let’s cut off communication in the ♠ suit, by holding-up the ♠A twice (“Rule of 7”). Now, if the finesse fails, East will not be able to play ♠.
But wait a minute… what if we don’t win with the ♠A and East switches to ♦? We will win with the ♦A and finesse in ♣, but then, if it fails, opponents will continue in ♦, and prevent us from making the contract.
Worried? Confused?
Let’s take a deep breath, clear our mind and take note of a simple fact: The lead card – ♠2 (4th best) indicates that West started with 4 cards (not more) therefore East too has 4 cards so the opponents can only win 3 tricks at most, so why worry?
Not only should we not have to hold up the ♠A it’s important that we win with it immediately, otherwise we will encourage East to switch to ♦ – This is where the real danger lies!
(One of the opponents has at least 5 cards in ♦, so if the finesse in ♣ fails, the opponents will win 4 more tricks in ♦ and the contract will fail).
The correct play:
1. Win with ♠A (don’t hold-up).
2. Finesse in ♣ – East wins
3. Opponents win 3 tricks in ♠
4. Cash the remaining tricks to make the contract.
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Don’t focus on the lead suit only– try to assess the “full picture”.
That’s all folks. Stay safe, keep healthy and if you have any news, stories, jokes and tips that you want to share – please complete the form below.
