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Top of The South News with Jenny Pomeroy
With bridge calendars just about finished for the year, TOTS congratulate the following for winning their respective Club Championship Pairs:
Nelson
Senior Roger and Carol Minchin
Intermediate Lesley Rogers and Hec Arbuthnott
Richmond
Senior Diane Groom and Adrian Abraham
Junior Jenny Vaile and Lyn Carrodus
Westport Val Mundy and Wayne Smith
Golden Bay
Open Jean Beatson and Christine Mead
Junior David Sarll and Jean Wedderburn
Motueka Mary McCallum and Ann Cegarra
Kaikoura Pam Whitehead and Stuart Grant
Marlborough Chris Marshall and Ed Roggeveen
Picton Reg Nicol and Jennifer Cunningham
Some new names there which is always a delight.
Tournament News
We have also rounded off the year with two very successful tournaments: Golden Bay 3A and Westport 5A. Both, as always, well subscribed and both put on excellent hospitality and stunning weather for us.
Golden Bay was ably directed by Craig Shanahan who always adds his own touch - this time awarding “Golden Roughs” (sweets he brought from Australia) to the highest placed Intermediates (Mike and Pauline Murtagh, from Wellington) and Juniors (local pair Pam Wilson and Karalyn Cavaye). Other prize winners were:
Spades
1st Chris Turner and Ian Brash with a whopping 72% in the morning session, 10% ahead of the rest of the field
2nd Adrian Abraham and John Penny
3rd Father/ daughter pair of Bevan and Vicki Russell
Hearts
1st Mike and Pauline Murtagh
2nd Jean Beatson and Christine Mead
3rd Steve Aitken and Celia McKechnie
Chris Turner looks like a man who scored Bevan and Vicki Russell. Can you Mike and Pauline Murtagh, top "Hearts"
72% in a session. He did, with plenty of pick the family resemblance? along with Golden Bay President, Jenny
help from Ian Brash. Cooper (right).
Diamonds
1st Eleanor Bradshaw and Brian Renwick
2nd Martin and Justine Thompson
3rd Mary McCallum and Ann Cegarra
Jean and Christine also won the local prize for the highest place Golden Bay Pair: the Clem Mead Trophy. Lovely to see Christine bring that home.
Jean Beatson and Christine Mead with the Martin and Justine Thompson (2nd in Diamond
Clem Mead Trophy. Grade.)
A few weeks later we were welcomed into Westport by the following billboard for their 5A Tournament
Again a fabulous turnout and not just for the whitebait! A great day, well directed by Bev Gay, who had on occasion had to turn to school teacher tactics to keep us all in order. We were a noisy crew It was particularly special to have 6 players from Greymouth attend. A first for all of them and they promise to be back for more.
Greymouth ran a heat of the New Zealand Wide Pairs and here are members of this unaffiliated
club playing at Westport's tournament. Here's hoping to see more of these players..and their club.
Spades Hearts
1st Jane and John Skipper 1st Tony and Susan Hinkley
2nd Max Robb and Geoff Norris 2nd Chris Henry and Carolyn Wood
3rd Carol Minchin and Sheila Beggs 3rd Sherryn Malthus and Barbara Gordon
Diamonds Clubs
1st Sue Glue and Michelle Gunn 1st Garry Howard and Jill Ireland
2nd Val Mundy and Wayne Smith 2nd Alan and Ann Blackie
3rd Pat Murphy and Michelle Ritchie 3rd Ron and Shirley Hebberd
Spade winners, Jane and John Skipper 3rd in the Diamonds, Pat Murphy and Ron and Shirley Hubbard, 3rd in the
Michelle Ritchie Clubs presented with their prize by Phil
Rutherford.
Golden Bay’s Beth Burdett took the shortcut home through the Heaphy Track. This the way to do it, Beth.
No traffic problems. What a great way to return home from a bridge tournament.
Beth Burdett on the Heaphy Track. The only snag is if you are needing to be home in a hurry... or maybe if
it rains....not that that happens much on the We(s) t Coast (does it!).
Other news
“Tops of the Country” at the “Babich”
A fabulous turn out in Nelson for the NZ Wide Pairs – the club with the highest number of entries.
Fantastic result for Jenny and Peter Story whose 78% winning score was achieved at Kaikoura .
We loved the Inter Provincials
A great time was had by all at the IPs. The players were really appreciative of how Wellington Bridge Club looked after them, especially the food (thanks Mindy) and the shuttle (thanks Bruce). The Intermediates did well, coming third. The team was made up of Wayne Smith and Val Mundy from Westport and Pam Whitehead and Stuart Grant from Kaikoura; the first time Kaikoura has ever had a pair selected. Pam has also been co-opted onto the TOTS committee. We truly have a representative committee with members from all corners of our region. Thanks Pam for stepping up.
Improvers Lessons in “The Bay”
Refresher Bridge in Golden Bay. Not a drop of wine in sight...then!
Ann Blackie has been running improvers’ lessons in Golden Bay on a Sunday evening, with the option of being irrigated with a glass of wine. Good turnouts there
Radio Bridge in Westport
Westport’s Ray Curnow and Phil Rutherford are continuing with their Saturday morning radio session, and Ray has done some good write ups in the Westport News.
Player News
Kaikoura’s new players are settling in well and loving the game. Rosemary Hargreaves won their most improved new player award and Alex Fissenden best novice. Motueka’s Chris Sutton was their highest point scorer of the year; 1000 C Points. Go Chris.
The region is in good heart!
Back in the New Year – have a great Christmas everyone.
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