Enquiries to:-

• Lorraine Butler
  → lorraine1808@icloud.com
  → 01277 231038
• David White
  → imps01@btinternet.com
  → 01277 218685

Meets at

Hutton & Shenfield Union Church

Roundwood Avenue
Hutton Mount,
Brentwood, Essex CM13 2NA

TUESDAY AFTERNOONS AT 13:30 - 16:30.

Please arrive by 13:25 so play can start on time.

Must have a partner, but everyone is welcome.

Note that the Friday sessions are now CANCELLED due to lack of support

Master Points:-

• While the Scorebridge files below show masterpoints, from 2023 the Club has disaffiliated from the EBU
• So there will be no masterpoints awarded and no impact on players' NGS rating.

Dear All,

It is with great sadness that I must report the death of two of our members, Ken Harries and David Everett.

We shall remember them both with great fondness.

Best wishes to you all

David J G White

Good morning All,

It’s that time of year again, when we balance the books and hold a general meeting.

The meeting this year will be held at The Hutton Union Church, on the revised date of Tuesday 18 March at 13:15.

I attach the following documents for you to look through and, hopefully, approve at our meeting next month:

• AGM Agenda - with revised date of Meeting

• Minutes of the 2024 AGM

• Chairman’s Report

• Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2024

Best wishes,

David J G White

The Church Hall will not be available on Tuesday 4 March 2025, so there will be no Bridge Meeting that day.

Good afternoon All,

I attach the results of this afternoon’s games.

Please remember that next week, Tuesday 19 March, there will be a funeral party at the Hutton and Union Church, so we are encouraging members to “double-up” in their cars, in order to ensure enough parking spaces.

We shall start at 13:30, as usual, but request that you arrive by 13:20, in order that we can have the correct number of tables and chairs put out and our Director, Lorraine Butler, can decide which movement arrangement to use.

Thank you for your co-operation.

Finally, I attach an updated membership list, with contact details, for your information.

Best wishes

David

Good evening All

I attach the results of this afternoon’s games.

Thank you to all those who attended the AGM this afternoon and for your continued support.

All resolutions were approved and passed.

Under “Any Other Business”, the resolution regarding table payments from 1 June 2024 was discussed and, it was decided that, with effect from 1 June 2024, members will be asked to pay 12 weeks’ table fee of £3 per week, a total of £36 for each quarter, either direct into the Club’s bank account or by cheque, made payable to Old House Bridge Club. This policy will be reviewed in December 2024/January 2025 to ensure that the fees collected cover our costs

A register will be maintained to record member’s attendance.

More information regarding payments will be circulated in May, prior to the first payment becoming due.

I would also confirm that visitors to the Club continue to be very welcome and will be asked to pay a table fee of £4, as per usual.

I would also remind all members that the annual subscription of £10 will be payable at next week’s meeting.

I attach a schedule of the members, with contact details, for your information.

Best wishes

David

Dear All

Apologies for short notice, but I have learned this week that the Brentwood branch of Barclays Bank that we use to pay in our annual subscriptions and weekly table fees will be closing at the end of May 2024, which means that our nearest branches for paying in cash will be Romford, Chelmsford or Basildon.

We have considered alternative methods of payment, such as a card payment system, but the operational requirements make this method not practical.

Unfortunately, we are being forced into a “cashless” society!

The proposal that I would like to put to the Annual General Meeting, under Any Other Business, is that, from 1 June 2024, we switch to a quarterly payment, up front, of £3 per week, so a payment of £39 direct into the Club bank account via on-line banking, or a cheque passed to a Committee member.

The sum would be reduced in the fourth quarter, as we normally close for about 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year.

It does mean that if you miss a week, you will forfeit the table fee, as we will not be able to carry over from one quarter to another. This may mean that I shall have to cut down on the number of holidays that I take!

If you are able to pay on-line, we shall supply details of the Club’s bank account and ask that you add your name as the reference, in order that we know who has made the payment.

Non-members will still be welcome, at the existing rate of £4, but this will be payable in cash, in £1 or £2 coins.

It is regrettable that we are having to make this change, but the matter is out of our hands by the closure of the only local branch of Barclays Bank.

If you have any questions ahead of the Meeting, please send them to me and I shall endeavour to provide an answer.

Best wishes

David

Dear All,

Please note that next Tuesday (20th February) is our A.G.M., which begins at 1.15 pm. Please will you therefore aim to arrive by 1 pm.

Kind regards

Mike

Dear All,

Please see message from Lorraine, below:

"Sorry but I just couldn’t score it. All numbers are round the wrong way

Please let everyone know for me. Let them know I really tried.

Lorraine"

Many thanks

Mike

Good afternoon All

It’s that time of year again, when we balance the books and hold a general meeting.

The meeting this year will be held at The Hutton Union Church, on Tuesday 20 February at 13:15.

I attach the following documents for you to look through and, hopefully, approve at our meeting next month:

• Notice of Meeting

• Minutes of the 2023 AGM

• Chairman’s Statement

• Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2023

Let me know if you have any queries or cannot open any of the documents.

Finally, I attach a schedule of members’ email addresses and telephone numbers, in case you want to contact another member.

Best wishes

David

From next Tuesday (30th January) we will be starting at 1.30 p.m. again, as it is now staying light long enough to finish at 4.30.

Dear All,

It is with regret that we have decided to close the Friday meetings, due to lack of support.

We shall continue to meet on a Tuesday afternoon, currently starting at 13:15, until the evenings get lighter, when we shall revert to a 13:30 start.

Please do not arrive for a meeting on a Friday afternoon hereafter, as we shall be cancelling our booking with immediate effect.

Best wishes

David

Good afternoon All

A very happy and healthy New Year to everyone and I hope that you had a very enjoyable and peaceful Christmas.

The purpose of this email is to remind you all that the Bridge Club restarts next Tuesday, 9 January 2024, at 13:15.

I am pleased to say that the Shenfield and Hutton Church have confirmed that the heating problems have been resolved, so we can get back to playing Bridge.

Please note that we shall be holding our deferred Christmas party on Tuesday, so please bring along your savoury or sweet food to share with the other members.

We shall be serving non-alcohol Prosecco, orange juice, apple juice or, if all that fails, Adam’s Ale.

We have also been advised that the Church are hosting a large funeral reception on Friday 2 February, so there will be no Bridge Club that afternoon.

If you have any queries please let me know.

Best wishes

David

Good afternoon All

Regrettably, due to a lack of heating at The Hutton and Shenfield Union Church, tomorrow’s Club meeting and party is cancelled, as will Friday’s meeting.

On behalf of the Committee, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

We next meet on Tuesday 9 January, when we shall hold our deferred Christmas party.

Once again, I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but those who played last Friday, without any heating, will testify that it was far from being a pleasant experience!

Take care and we look forward to seeing you all in the New Year.

Best wishes

David

May I also take this opportunity to remind you that next Tuesday is our Christmas Party and that one of each pair should bring a sweet dish and the other a savoury dish.

Will you all please aim to be at the hall at 1 p.m., so that we can make a prompt start by 1.15 p.m.

Many thanks

Kind regards

Mike

Dear All,

With the winter nights drawing in quite early I am sure that we would all like to depart whilst there is still some daylight in the sky and we can see across the car park.

Accordingly, it is proposed that we start our Tuesday and Friday afternoon sessions promptly at 13:15, in order that we can finish at about 16:00.

Please note that the tables will be set up between 13:00 and 13:15, so please be present and ready to play by 13:15.

With best wishes

David

Hi Mike,
Unfortunately there is no way I can score today's results. There is no movement in the computer for it.
Shame
Lorraine

Tuesday Players

• Tuesday 12 December
  → Party and Bridge for both Tuesday and Friday Players
  
• Tuesday 19 December
  → No Bridge
  
• Tuesday 26 December
  → No Bridge
  
• Tuesday 2 January 2024
  → No Bridge
  
• Tuesday 9 January
  → Bridge

Friday Players

• Friday 15 December
  → Bridge (Christmas Party collectively with Tuesday Players)
  
• Friday 22 December
  → No Bridge
  
• Friday 29 December
  → No Bridge
  
• Friday 5 January 2024
  → No Bridge
  
• Friday 12 January
  → Bridge

Good evening All

I should like to reiterate what Lorraine, our director, has said to the Tuesday and Friday meetings about the role of “the dummy”.

Although we are a small and friendly gathering, it is important that we adhere to club rules, which, as far as the dummy is concerned mean that:

• Once the dummy has laid out their cards, they should not touch them again, until instructed, by their partner, to play a particular card; and

• They should not verbalise any reminders or recommendations to their partner.

I appreciate that I am preaching to the converted and that you are all aware of these rules, but there have been situations where such misdemeanours have arisen and complaints have been made to the director, otherwise we would not be repeating them to you all.

Thank you for your understanding.

Best wishes

David

Please note that, after discussion, the majority of regular Friday players wish to continue playing at the church hall and pay more money to cover the cost of hall bookings. It has therefore been decided that we will continue to play in the hall on Fridays and, from Friday 3rd November, the fee will rise to £5.