A bridge to the game of bridge

A new course is set to launch to help bring people in the Sleaford area together by introducing them to the world's most popular card game.
A game for all ages ... a new beginner's bridge course is to launch in Heckington. Picture: English Bridge Union.A game for all ages ... a new beginner's bridge course is to launch in Heckington. Picture: English Bridge Union.
A game for all ages ... a new beginner's bridge course is to launch in Heckington. Picture: English Bridge Union.

Played by more than 220 million people worldwide, bridge counts the likes of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Tennis legend Martina Navratilova, and bands Radiohead and Blur among its devotees.

Now, a small group of volunteers – dubbed the NG34Bridge team – has got together to run a course in Heckington to allow complete beginners to take up the game.

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Terry Gregory, of Heckington, is the lead organiser. Speaking of the appeal of the game, he said: “Bridge is social. As a social game, bridge is unparalleled and a great way to meet new people.

“It can be played at many different levels, ranging from a social foursome, right up to local, national and international competitions. At whatever level you play, you are guaranteed to make a new network of friends!”

“Bridge is a game for all ages,” he continued. “Bridge is probably the only competitive activity that all generations can do together and all have an equal chance of winning. It is a myth that bridge is an old person’s game.”

Beyond this, he said bridge is also good for the mind (and, as a result, the body too), and, in addition, simply ‘great fun and exciting’.

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“If you can play bridge you will never be bored,” he said. “It combines the best qualities of all games – the cerebral challenges of chess, the suspense and psychology of poker and the excitement of a competitive football match. Bridge truly offers a unique combination of challenges and with every deal different, success depends on a combination of technique, teamwork and tactics.”

The course will begin on Friday, January 12, and run for 10 sessions at Heckington Parish Council’s premises in St Andrews Street, Heckington. There is a wheelchair lift.

Each session will start at 10am and should last about two-and-a-half hours, including a 15-minute comfort break with tea/coffee and biscuits.

The course content matches the 2017 Foundation Acol system advocated by the English Bridge Union.

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The course costs £55, which covers the cost of room hire and partly covers the cost of resources and is suggested as a potential Christmas/New Year present. All volunteer time is unpaid.

After the course is finished, the group will offer to introduce learners to a local club that welcomes beginners or help them find a partner if necessary.

For more information (or if anyone has any bidding tables or cloths the group can use), email [email protected] or call 07468 919182