Entries are invited for the 2024-25 Brown Cup, the B&BCBA League for Teams of Four. There are likely to be four divisions so you will be able to play at a level that suits your experience. Each team will play five or six matches.

Realbridge and BBO are the usual platforms for on-line matches. Matches can be played on Realbridge with the agreement of both captains. Otherwise, matches will be played on BBO.

Subject to the agreement of both captains, matches can also be played face-face. Such matches are normally played in the home of one of the players.

The entry fee for the 2024-25 season is £20 per team.

If you are interested, please email Bob Dowdeswell, the League Secretary, by Sunday 18th August at the latest, at bobdowdeswell@virginmedia.com.

For teams who have won their county teams of Four Events.

B&B was represented by: Ed Scerri,Steve Eginton, Peter Lindon and Dee Lindon.

They did well to finish in the top half in a field of 29 county teams.

B&B had 5 pairs playing in this prestigious event.

Ed Scerri & Steve Eginton

David Owen & Bob Holder

Dee Lindon & Peter Lindon

Daisy Dillon& Hanna Tuus

John Coleman & Marilyn Murtagh

Congratulations to them all as they were all 50% plus, a great result for the county. Special congratulations to Ed and Steve who came 2nd with 59.37 % (75 pairs played).

 The Club teams final for the Committee Cup was held on Sunday 28 April at Windsor. It was an all play all for 15 teams over 36 boards.

The winners were Chris Mooney & Naomi Gibbs with Bob Holder & David Owen from Ascot on 108 IMPs, second were Mike Ribbins & Pat Dowdeswell with James Chapman & John Greenhalgh  from Reading on 94 IMPs.

The annual League of 8 has been completed for another season with 34 teams from 19 clubs playing. 
Congratulations to Amersham A for winning Division 1 and the Perkins Cup. They finished with the grand total of 155 VPs from their nine matches, well clear of Loddon Vale in second place with 121 VPs. 
Congratulations to the leading teams in the other three divisions:
Division 2 (10 teams): Burnham B 1st, Basingstoke A 2nd
Division 3 (9 teams): Phyllis Court A 1st, The Bridge School at Gerrards Cross A 2nd
Division 4 (5 teams): Newbury B 1st, Hazlemere 2nd 
We thank all those who played and all the team captains for organising their teams and arranging matches. We look forward to another successful season starting in September and would welcome any new teams from clubs. The League Secretary will be asking for entries as usual in June.  

Once again, the winner of the Brown Cup was not determined until the last round of matches when the team led by Mike Perkins (Ian Reissmann, John Howard, Peter Jackson, Jim Niblett)  scored an emphatic win over their closest rivals, the team of Ed Scerri, winners last year.

Congratulations also go the winners of the other divisions:

Division 2: Steve Lynch (Paul Dolphin, Paula Hopkinson, Colin Johns)

Division 3: Bruce Franklin (Mike O'Neill, Jennie Corfield, Mike Corfield)

Division 4: Andrew Ferguson (Mary Ferguson, Barbara Thomas, Neil Thomas)

One team fewer this season. However, still a good year with no problems and all matches played.

Dee Lindon’s team were the eventual winners with a slightly altered line up and will represent the county in the EBU’s Pachabo event. They played last year’s winners (Mike Perkins)  in the final.

Congratulations to Dee and her team and we wish them luck in the Pachabo.

Dee Lindon, Peter Lindon, Steve Eginton and Ed Scerri

Senior Pairs for the Directors Cup 

for players who are members of the EBU and are 60 or over on 20 May 2024

This was played at SBBC on the 20th May 2024 at 10:30 am

Although there was a full day's bridge, scoring problems meant that result the committee decided to cancel the event in respect of Trophies, prizes and master points. Results can be viewed on website.

The final of the Tollemache cup for county teams of eight was played over the weekend of February 17/18th at Coventry Bridge Club. Eight teams competed playing 14 board matches against each team.

The winners for the second year running were Manchester.

Our team began with two close wins but then suffered a heavy defeat by Middlesex, finishing fifth scoring 3 wins, one draw and three losses.

Our team was

Sally Brock and Barry Myers

Steve Eginton and Tim Rees

Bob Holder and Chris Mooney

Mike Perkins (capt) and Ian Reissmann

From the left it is Pauline Hollings (The Bridgertons), Ingrid Hamilton (Beaconsfield Ladies), Nigel Thompson, Mike Miller (The Anxious Amateurs), David Cottam (Double D).

(The captain of the Anxious Amateurs is Caroline Thomson - she was not available to come to the captain's meeting so Mike Miller came in her stead).

The final of the Waller Bowl competition was held on 18 February 2024 at Windsor.

There were 32 pairs entered from qualifying rounds held in clubs.

The winners were Nigel Wolfendale and Dick Davey with an excellent score of 67.32%.

Second were Garry Towns & Evelyne Thomas with 59.39%

and third were Graham Lynch & David Herod with 58.99%.

Congrats to them and thanks to all 32 pairs for taking part. We hope you enjoyed the day.

The County Pairs Championship Final was held on Sunday 7th January 2024 with 22 pairs competing in an all play all over 42 boards at Windsor.

The winners were Ed Scerri and Steve Eginton who finished 4% ahead of second place. Very well done indeed.

The top five pairs will be invited to represent the County in the EBU’s Corwen Trophy event, to be held 1st/2nd June. The other four pairs are David Owen & Bob Holder, Joan Murphy & David Killick, Mike Perkins & Peter Jackson and Hanna Tuus & Daisy Dillon. Congratulations to all.

Congratulations and well done Karen Kelly and Jane Barker, winners of the End of Season Pairs event in the BBCBA Student League.

Congratulations to Clive Owen and John Sansom winners of the joint BBCBA/Hants & IoW Blue pointed Swiss pairs event held on the 26th November 2023.  Well done also to the runners up Kath Nelson and Rhona Goldenfield (2nd Place) and David Owen and Bob Holder (3rd Place).   52 pairs took part.

Winners of the BBCBA Denys Jenkins Cup are David Owen and Bob Holder (pictured)

Winners of the Hants & IoW Wessex Cup are Clive Owen and John Sansom

The EBU have made changes to the Blue Book covering Announcements and Alerts. These changes are effective immediately.
The main changes are as follows: 
a)    Section 4 – Announcements. 
The use of Announcements has been widened, with clarity that they only apply on the first round of bidding ;
We now name the suit for all transfers or “proxies”; 
We state whether bids are forcing or not; 
We extend the announcement with full disclosure where appropriate such as “forcing, may include a weak raise”. 
It is important, particularly while these changes bed in, that we are all understanding of mis-alerts or mis-announcements while we get used to them.
b)    Section 4B2 – Doubles
We have removed the need to alert (or announce) any takeout or penalty doubles after the first round of bidding. 
Later, only alert if the double (or redouble) has an unexpected specific meaning

The revised two-page summary document can be found at :-
https://www.ebu.co.uk/documents/laws-and-ethics/convention-cards/announcements-table.pdf