New Zealand Bridge are really keen to hear from everybody just how they feel about Tournaments and Gradings - whether they're someone who plays tournaments or someone who doesn't.

Yes it is our fun season of bridge approaching! And our experienced fun-loving elves Deb and Bill Robinson have been busy in Santa's workshop preparing to make your Christmas bridge enjoyable.

Wednesday 29 Nov - wear your Christmas colours!

Wednesday 6 Dec - we want to see you in Christmas headgear

Wednesday 13 Dec - time to be in International Christmas garb

There are prizes for the best dressed each week.

Last night - Eunice and Calum received their prizes - two bottles of the sponsor's fine products - for achieving second place Junior/Junior in the Babich pairs.   Congratulations to them both - don't think they'll be Juniors next year!

The evening started early in Cambridge with many of the 30 pairs entered opting to enjoy a slice or two of pizza with a glass of wine first. By 7.30 the room was set and the players were stuck in to the first round of the 2017 NZ wide pairs.

The results in Cambridge show why this competition is a bit different! More later on this.

It was quite something see 19 our club rooms full to play the last of the Intermediate League today.  We welcomed 38 pairs from 12 other clubs. One car load came from Hawera and new Plymouth just for the day! What an effort!

And there was some success for Cambridge too! Jenny Oxley and Barbara Read got off to a stupendous start and won the EW morning session prize.

Our new Regional Bridge Mate, Eunice Eccles, won the best Junior-Intermediate pairing with Malcolm Kirkby from Te Aroha. An excellent result for them.

Huge congratulations to Saty and Matt who had a MASSIVE morning scoring 67% leaving the rest of the field behind in the overall standings at the end of the day. Saty and Matt do not venture out to many tournaments these days so it was an extra special win for them.  Well played gentlemen!

We all enjoyed having Margaret back at Bridge tonight and helping her celebrate her 95th birthday (actual date 1 October).  Until last year Margaret played Monday, Wednesday and Thursday most weeks so it was wonderful to see her back at the club tonight and I was privileged to play with her.

Cambridge has been well represented in this weekend's National Open Restricted Pairs which was held at the Distinction Hotel in Te Rapa. Jane Stearns  & Di Emms finished 7th with solid results in all four sessions while Kate McFadyen & Gwyn Lobb came 18th followed by Clare Coles & Kevin Whyte in 22nd place out of a field of 62 pairs.

Our very own Eunice Eccles has been appointed one of seven Regional Bridge Mates (RBMs) in the country. (RBMs are distinct from the Bridgemate tabletop devices we use at the club.) They are a newly implemented concept of Jane Stearns who was elected to the NZ Board on the back of the work she has been doing these last five years rejuvenating memberships of clubs in decline.