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Top of The South News with Jenny Pomeroy
Like all regions it’s been a busy couple of months with tournaments on many weekends, IP Trials, club champs well underway, learners’ lessons in full swing and I have even had a grammar lesson from Richard Solomon! (no charge!)
Marlborough hosted our IP Trials in mid May. Great organisation by Maurice Carter, Robin Young and Chris Marshall and brilliant directing by Julie Atkinson.
Congratulations to our representatives:
Open Adrian Abraham - Chris Turner, Lindsey Guy - Steve Gray
Senior Maurice Carter - Tony Oberdries, Barbara Fechney - Jim Jessep
Women Jos Wallace - Freda Herring, Sita Monaghan - Rebecca Osborne
Intermediate Vicki Russell - Jane Worthington, Helen Robinson - Beth Burdett
The St Clair half marathon was on that weekend. So, for those of us less organised i.e. Phil Rutherford and Ray Curnow and me and my partner, there was ‘no room at the inn’ in Blenheim and off to Picton for the night. Everyone else seemed to be on to it and managed to stay more locally!
Scanning the recent tournament results, I see Adrian Abraham as the common denominator in the first place position. Congratulations to Adrian and his varying partners and thanks to him as well, as he has run a series of Refresher Lessons for improving bridge players in Nelson and Richmond during late April and early May. These have been extremely well received and attended: up to 40 a week between the two venues.
It is not just Adrian’s lessons, which have been so well attended, but also our TOTS tournaments, some running pretty much at capacity.
Top of The South presenter, Jenny Pomeroy (right)
with her regular partner, Jenny Cooper
Tournament News
Oakwoods All Grades, Richmond had 24 tables, the most for a long time. Top slot to Adrian and Tony Oberdries, and a good day for those in the Diamond section, particularly Karen Moynagh and Peter Grooby who came 7th overall, well above everyone in the hearts section! In fact, many in the diamonds section came above those in hearts!
Motueka Intermediate had a full house. Top slot to local pair Chris Sutton and Janet Howell. They also won the Patsy England trophy for the local pair who performed highest above their ranking. Congratulations you two.
Motueka winners, Chris Sutton, and Janet Howell along with
Patsy England.
Kaikoura Open Pairs, 26 tables! All reports were for a fantastic day, wonderful crayfish, generous raffle table and excellent catering. Again, top slot to Adrian and Tony. Congratulations. And congratulations are also due for the stand out result by Helen Barker and John Mitchell, an intermediate pair who were 3rd overall.
Summit Open Pairs Nelson, 23 tables and again top slot to Adrian, with Jenny Wilkinson this time. Great result also for Sally Astridge and Elena Hufflet, intermediate players who came 4th overall. Golden Bay Junior Junior Pair, Jude Edmondson and Suzan van Wijngaarden are also worthy of a mention for their cracking morning (57%). Handing over to Sally here, for a great summary of the day:
“Saturday, 28th May was a day tailor-made for bridge. Torrential rain meant that the almost 100 players who assembled from as far away at Christchurch and Wellington were not compelled to manufacture excuses in order to play. They were rewarded with a day of scintillating bridge, some diabolical cards and distributions and - perhaps most of all - some of the best food any tournament has to offer. We are more than grateful to Summit who sponsored our tournament, to Janine and Tanya who produced such delicious grub and to all those who contributed to making the day so enjoyable.
Play was ably directed by Picton’s Ed Roggeveen.
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| Sally Astridge, Nelson Club President,Ruth Allison and Elena Huffle Sally and Elena are Intermediates and came 4th overall. | "Scooping the pool" as well as teaching our beginners. That's Adrian Abraham here with Christchurch visitor and Nelson winner, Jenny Wilkinson |
Thanks Sally; you should be writing these, not me!
Most recently saw the Marlborough Junior and Marlborough Intermediate Tournament. Congratulations to Celia McKechnie and Karen Sullivan who took the Junior title and Peter Grooby and Barbara Campbell who won the Intermediate. Robin Young and Bev Gay shared the directing. Bev is sitting the Tournament Directors’ Exam in July. It will be great not only for her but also for TOTS to have another local Tournament Director. Good Luck Bev.
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| Second in the Marlborough Intermediate Pairs Ann Baker and Diana Warring | Intermediate winners, Barbara Campbell and Peter Grooby, either side of Marlborough President, Viv Murray | |
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| Marlborough Junior winners, Celia McKechnie and Karen Sullivan |
Joint directors at Marlborough, Bev Gay and Robin Young. Bev will hopefully soon be a Tournament Director while it is impossible to sum up all that Robin has done for bridge in the TOTS Region and beyond in such a short space. |
Players are also travelling beyond the Region. Well done to 4 Picton Juniors, Claire Welch, Lesley Pincombe, Margaret Gledhill and Cecily Warren who headed to Christchurch at the end of May and made a weekend of it at the Junior Teams and Junior Pairs. They acquitted themselves well, none have been playing all that long, and had a blast.
Other News
Yet it is not just about the tournaments. Clubs are happy and healthy. There are eight learners (all women – come on guys) in Picton under the guidance of Margaret Marshall. Picton is enjoying a healthy turn out on club nights averaging 10 tables. Westport has also got a three generations playing with David Dunlop, Susan Dobson (his mother) and Eileen Dobson (his grandmother). Golden Bay are keenly watching the build of the new Shared Recreation Facility in Takaka, which is finally underway and will be the club’s new home along with 30 other community groups.
Newsletters abound in many clubs. Writing this, gives me an inkling of the work that goes into them. Carol Glen produces a fabulous one for Richmond with all sorts of news, tips, bridge bidding quizzes, profile on players. A great read. Ruth Allison has taken up the mantle in Nelson, and is also doing a fantastic job. Thanks ladies.
We welcome our new TOTS committee (Chris Marshall, Robin Young, Helen Robinson, Rebecca Osborne, Jenny Cooper and Wayne Smith) and wish them well and thank Steve Gray for all the work he has done over the last 6 years.
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