 The Early History of Penarth Bridge Club
On August 22nd 1972, Fern and Jock Middleton,with a few like-minded enthusiasts such as Barbara Wood and Jean Rattray started the group which was to become known as Penarth Bridge Club.
The group met in the hall of St. Alma’s School, with no proper bridge tables, paying 15pence table money. Numbers grew very quickly, and prize money reflected the number of tables.
It was known at first as Westbourne Bridge Club but later changed its name to Penarth Bridge Club. Jean , Barbara, Rubba Dunn, Rose Brannon, Doreen Fitton, Marguerite Winn Jones and others worked as tournament directors, scorers and treasurers. The hall was not available during the daytime, so Monday afternoon and Tuesday evening sessions were started at the pensioners club in Arcot Street. Newcomers were always welcomed, and the club grew apace. It ran on an informal basis until 1982, when it was decided that a committee be formed, with Mary Jones as the first official chairman.
During the next decade the club changed direction to some extent. An influx of newcomers into Penarth led to greatly expanding numbers, and more members were encouraged to put themselves forward for inter-club competitions. An annual competition between Rhiwbina Bridge Club and Penarth gave ordinary members a different experience from social bridge, and during the Eighties ties with the Welsh Bridge Union were strengthened.
Around 1983 the club became affiliated to the W.B.U. and ex- international players John Hockey and David Hamilton played here regularly, together with a talented youngster, Tony Ratcliffe, later to become a Welsh international.
Founder members Jean Rattray and Barbara Wood represented Wales in the Lady Milne Cup in 1984 and 1985.
The Madam Gatti Cup, (now the Charity Challenge Cup,) was played on a Thursday evening in Windsor Bowling Club - except for the year when it had to be abandoned because a card went missing and was never found!
In 1984 the room at St. Alma’s became unavailable, and at first the search for suitable accommodation seemed hopeless. Various venues were looked at and rejected, and the club settled for a package with the council - three meetings a week at the Kymin, with the Arcot Street sessions moving to the new home- a very happy choice. We reckon ours is the Club with the best view!
Mary Jones retired from office in 1985 and was replaced by Jean Rattray, who chaired the club very successfully until 1989, when Eric Favager succeeded her.
The club flourished in the ensuing years under the guidance of Eric, who also served as chairman of East Wales BU and President of the Welsh Bridge Union. Eric and his wife Annie, (treasurer) were a husband and wife team whose input was considerable. Together they were responsible for introducing computerised scoring - a move resisted at first by some, but now accepted by all as a move forward. Sadly, Annie died prematurely in 2007 and Eric resigned. He was succeeded by Jim Wright but Jim moved away from the area, and the position was then filled by Mike Downey, who is our current chairman, in 2015.
In 2006 the club received 2 bequests. The first, £300 was from Arthur Bickerton, a much loved member who kept a shop in Taff’s Well which was featured on television and known throughout the valleys for the fact that it contained every piece of hardware known to man. The second, (£14,400), was from Rose Brannon, the last surviving member of a family of bridge players closely concerned with the founding of the club. She and her sisters, Fern, Ivy and Lily, all players, were known as the ‘flower girls’. In 2007 an annual event was inaugurated, called ‘Rose’s Day’, - afternoon and evening sessions with tea. Nowadays the event is an Friday evening event and we use the weekend to recover from overeating..
The Club recognise the Favagers contribution by competing annually for the Favager Trophy and Annie’s Cup
Among the many successes achieved by regular members of Penarth Bridge Club in the past thirty years have been....
Jean Rattray and Barbara Wood represented Wales in the Lady Milne Cup in 1984 and 1985. John Hockey represented Wales many times in international competition, and was a very successful non-playing captain. He was also the first Welsh Grand Master.
Eric and Annie Favager also represented Wales at the European Mixed Championships, the World Mixed Championships and European Seniors.
John Salisbury has also represented Wales and Great Britain many times, in British championships in junior, Camrose (open), and senior events and in European championships at Open, Senior and Mixed events.
His greatest achievement to date was winning the Commonwealth Games Bridge Gold Medal (representing Wales) in Scotland in 2014. He has won the Bronze medal for Great Britain in the 1981 European Mixed
Championships.
He has also been Chairman of Selectors and non-playing captain of the Welsh team.
Tony Ratcliff and Patrick Jourdain have also regularly represented Wales in the Camrose and European Open and have separately represented Great Britain and Wales in junior and senior championships. They were part of the Wales team who won the Commonwealth games Bridge Gold Medal in Scotland in 2014. Patrick has also been non-playing captain of Welsh teams on many occasions.
Mike Best have also represented Wales in the Camrose and have separately represented Wales in junior and senior championships. Mike was also Chairman of the Eastern area of the WBU.
Mike Downey and Tony Ratcliff have won the Charity Cup, competed for worldwide.
A full list of representative honours of Penarth Bridge club members is provided separately.
Penarth members have had many successes in Welsh and English events - in fact too many to mention in this note.
Hope Hall (PBC Life Member)
Jan 2011
Updated 2015
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