THROUGHOUT the year, the Nambucca Valley Bridge Club hosts a number of national and regional competitions.
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One of these is the annual congress and this was held over the June long weekend. Even the heavy rain could not deter those committed players who came from around NSW, the Gold Coast and Brisbane and the room was heavy with the deep concentration of 96 players gathered to pit their skills.
Part of the enjoyment of these competitions is to partake of the continuous supply of food provided by an army of generous club members.
On Saturday the Swiss Pairs competition – after seven hard fought matches – was won by David Tucker from Armidale and Sarah Strickland from Lismore. Local pair Gayle Keenan and Richard Levy won the Isla Campbell trophy as the highest placed pair from NVBC.
Many of the Saturday players returned the next day for the teams event and another seven matches of titanic struggle, the Lynn team including Gary Lynn, Eric Hurley, Janet Brown, and Anne Jackson from Ballina emerged the successors.
There are many advantages to be gained from playing bridge. It improves memory and sharpens the mind. It also offers the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that learning new skills and keeping socially active helps to maintain good mental health.
Bridge is a game where you can experience all of these benefits. You play with a partner, at a table of four, in a room filled with other pairs of players and a chance to meet and catch up over a cup of tea between games.
“As a new arrival to Nambucca Heads from Adelaide in 2015, I joined the bridge club to meet people as well as learn a new pastime. In just a few months the people I met there had become like my extended family and many ongoing friendships have been formed,” local club president Richard Levy said.
“After every game, I find myself mentally challenged and inspired by what other members are achieving at the bridge table. Also, I have had to learn that playing with a partner can be fun but sometimes frustrating when I make a mistake!”
Nambucca Heads is fortunate to own a purpose-built club which was opened in 2012. There are four competitive sessions held throughout the week and supervised play and ongoing lessons once a week.
If you are interested in joining and learning new skills or refreshing old ones, a beginners course is being offered at the club starting Sunday July 23 from 9am to 4pm followed by weekly classes over six weeks run by Mike Siford. Mike will have you playing during the first morning. You do not need to have a partner as that can be arranged on the day.
For more information visit www.bridgewebs.com/nambucca.