All News

A warm welcome to our new correspondent, Jenny Pomeroy. Jenny will be well known to regular players in the TOTS region, always a plus for a regional correspondent, and has been serving on the Regional Committee. As this is the first report from this region, Jenny looks back at what has been happening since the start of this year. Welcome, Jenny.

As in the other regions tournaments and lessons are well underway in Top of the South. 

 

The year was kicked off with Top of the South Open Teams in Marlborough at the end of January.  There was a great turn out with 28 teams with the event being won by Roger and Carol Minchin, Adrian Abraham and Neal Phillips. 

 

February saw Golden Bay’s 5B Intermediate Teams, a smaller field this time, – come on guys Golden Bay’s a little paradise – make a weekend of it. There’s plenty to do beyond the bridge table!   Winners this time were Mary McCullam, June Tippet, Bet Glengarry and Ann Cegarra. 

 

Westport All Grades took place in the first weekend in March with Tony Oberdries and Adrian Abraham taking the top slot (I heard a rumour that there was whitebait leftover – what!).  Good to see Darryl Ireland, a youth player at his first open tournament.  

 

Nelson Open Teams on 12 April won by Jenny Wilkinson, Shirley Newton, Barbara Fechney and Jim Jessep, again a great turnout with 22 teams.  Next came the Picton Junior the first weekend of April with 30 pairs. Great to see the Juniors flocking to the tournaments and congratulations to winners Ron and Shirley Hebberd.  Special mention must also be made of second place Galen and Haley McGinlay.  Galen, a youth player and fairly new to bridge, was playing with his mother, Haley.  He is the third generation of his family currently in the Marlborough Bridge Club. His grandmother, Glenda Seamens, is also an active member.  Bev Gay, TOTS trainee tournament director, directed the day.

 

One man alone. That's Adrian Abraham among 100 women at the Nelson Women's Pairs.  Read on...

 Finally this last weekend saw 96 women, 24 tables put director Adrian Abraham through his paces at the Nelson Women’s Tournament, with Ruth Allison, Nelson’s president, Belinda Fletcher, the tournament sponsor, and Tania and Janine the wonderful caterers also present. It really was 100 to 1 for Adrian.  Top place went to Lindsey Guy and Pamela Dravitzki.  The strangest raffle prize was won by Ruth Sayer – a single gel sock!  Congratulations to all winners, grade winners, place getters and thanks to you the players and all our tournament organisers, directors and sponsors.  These events don’t just happen. There’s an enormous amount of work and planning going into them.

 and some of those female players, including this group down from Golden Bay.

Lessons are underway / getting underway in many of the TOTS Clubs.  Westport has been running the (NZ Bridge) cinema advertisement and is expecting 5 in its learners' class as a direct result.  Richmond hold their lessons in the same room and same time as their social bridge session in a bid to ease the transition from lessons to play – they can see what they are letting themselves in for!  Again thanks to all those bridge teachers out there. Like the tournaments, there is a lot of work being done behind the scenes.

 

Top of the South held their Regional Conference on the Friday evening prior to Nelson Teams with representatives from most of the clubs.  Phil Rutherford spoke on the NZ Bridge Strategic Plan and the changes to the NZ Bridge Manual.  The rest of the meeting was given over to discussion and ideas of promoting bridge, getting people interested, keeping people interested and using TOTS funds to assist clubs with coaching and bridge development. Lively discussion, plenty of ideas. 

 

Other news. Congratulations to Richmond’s newest life members, Hastings Bullock, John Challies, Steve Gray, Ewan Johnstone and Bevan Russell.  The club celebrated these on 7 April. 

 

Top of the South continues to be a well-integrated region, with much intra and inter club support.  The tournaments are well hosted and well supported.  Particular mention to Westport who invariably have a convoy of at least a couple of carloads. 

 

The first round of the Margaret Cederman Trophy, an interclub teams competition between Golden Bay and Motueka, was played on 27 February.  Motueka had a resounding win – a good start in their bid to wrestle the trophy back from Golden Bay.

 

The Picton home teams is underway again. This is a lovely social initiative where 10 teams play a round robin throughout the year, one round every month.  It is played in members’ homes and it is up to the teams to sort a time to suit.  They pick up the suitcase with everything they need including the 24 pre-dealt boards play their match and pass the suitcase and boards on to next two teams.  Same again the next month with new boards and a new draw.  It’s well worth other clubs having a go at this.

 

There’s a busy couple of months coming up with a tournament nearly every weekend. Hope to see you at some of them.

 

 

Go Back View All News Items