Chair’s Blog September 2023
18th September 2023
As we enter our Winter bridge season, we are seeing positive signs for our clubs’ future.
It’s been a slow climb out from the pandemic hiatus but our session levels are now close to pre-covid levels and moving forward. Nationally, 12 months to August 2023 volume is 4% up on the previous 12 months 2022. Our own county has a more substantial 12% growth, so well done our Yorkshire clubs! Partly our above county average growth is due to some of our clubs enthusiastically adopting online bridge to complement their in-club play.
We are now back to f2f competitive inter-club play. Our clubs’ Yorkshire League participation has improved to 56 club teams for this coming season starting end October. Thanks again to Mike Jackson and his team!
The only national laggard is congress play and I ask you to spread the word and participate in our two day Great Northern Swiss Pairs Congress running in Leeds from 30 September to 1st October. There is still time to enter. Click here.
Our Grants to Yorkshire Clubs project is progressing well with seven clubs submitting applications to date and still time for your club to apply.
The first two sessions of our own training of Yorkshire club TD’s are now complete with fifteen candidates enrolled.
We have been busy restructuring our Board to meet the challenge of future growth.
In my January Chair’s Blog we asked for help to fill our Board vacancy. We now have not one but two additional Board Members: Mark Dunkley from York BC and Ruth Kerr from Hull and Sheffield BC’s.
Also, we have re-structured to better manage our workloads. We have split the Chair responsibilities to two co-chairs, myself taking overall responsibility for competitive play and David Guild managing the bridge development initiatives.
It’s going to be an exciting next twelve months!
Best regards
Nick Woolven and David Guild
OLICANA BRIDGE CLUB DIAMOND JUBILEE 1963 to 2023
18th September 2023
Olicana Bridge Club in the centre of the delightful West Yorkshire town of Ilkley is celebrating its Diamond Jubilee in 2023. Every 60 days or so throughout the year we have celebrated a diamond day to enable as many as possible of our over 300 members to take part. Players enjoyed their bridge with a celebration cake and a fun mystery competition with prizes. These have been popular as was our special Sunday Social event on Sunday 30th July when around 40 members enjoyed the bridge accompanied by strawberries and cream, Prosecco and light snacks.
Olicana has a strong commitment to helping people to learn bridge and to improve their game at all levels. We run a series of Saturday seminars for both intermediate and advanced players which are well attended. Our new series of bridge courses starting this autumn (both face to face and online) will have over 80 individuals participating to learn the wonderful game of bridge.
Each week Olicana runs six sessions in our club including weekly guided bridge events plus two online sessions (one on BBO and one on Real Bridge). Ilkley is a popular town and we offer a warm welcome to visiting pairs.
https://www.bridgewebs.com/olicana/
Help TD Students
27th August 2023
Could the students doing the Club Directors Course in York starting 9-Sep-2023, send me their email details. It is unlikely that Barrie Partridge will be well enough to take the first part of the course. The course will still go ahead but we need to know who will be attending.
My email is jimedwards.bridge@gmail.com
Thanks
Club Membership – Open Days
10th August 2023
Club Membership – Open Days
York is the fastest growth club in Yorkshire and has recently held several successful open days. Read more about how York sets these up – see link.
Yorkshire League expands to 56 teams
9th August 2023
Yorkshire League expands to 56 teams
The fixtures for the 2023-24 season of the Yorkshire League are now available on the website (click on Leagues on the taskbar above). A total of 56 teams have entered, so this year the League will have seven divisions.
The first match day is on Sunday 8th October, with three more match days before Christmas and the remaining three in February and March next year.
GNSP 2023
28th July 2023
It’s not too late to enter
The Great Northern Swiss Pairs
at the Village Hotel and Spa in Headingley Leeds
Sat 30th September – Sun 1st October Details
Waddington Cup 2023 Winners
26th July 2023
The winners of the Waddington Cup (Frank Dixon/Tim Prior/Keith Joules/Christine Child) representing York BC.
Northern MidWeek Congress
19th July 2023
Crowne Plaza Hotel
Will be hosting on behalf of the EBU
Northern Midweek Congress 2023
Tuesday 22nd – Thursday 24th August
Scarborough Congress
10th July 2023
Crown Spa Hotel
Will be hosting on behalf of the EBU
Scarborough Congress
Thursday 13th – Sunday 16th July
