2026 FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER
GENERAL
It’s not long to the Joan Butts Workshops. If there are four of you attending all four workshops then you can reserve a table. Please email Martin (bridge@wabridgeclub.com.au) to make sure your table is organised. There will be a list on the wall next to the Joan Butts Workshop flyer where you can check. It would help if attendees can pay prior to the day and if you are no longer coming then please delete your entry as the workshops are almost full.
The Old Fremantle Bridge has closed, the schools are back, and the traffic? So far, all is fairly normal.
The Gardening Gang were hard at work on the Sunday following the Anniversary Pairs tidying up the backyard. I thought they were burning off calories from eating cake the day before, but no, they had more cake at morning tea. Thanks to Karen Moller, Jane Blacklock, Jan & Jen French, Harry Nesbitt, Kate North, Leo Ntoumenopoulos & Lindsey Shepherd.
A Volunteer Policy has been ratified by the Committee of Management and is available on the Club’s website along with other updated documents. One major change is the ability for the Club Recorders to follow up verbal complaints if warranted. The Volunteer Policy and other changes were based on work from the Volunteer Sub-Committee Penni Fletcher-Hughes, Kitty George, Prue Hart, Bruce Fraser, John Rigg & Mark Doust. A review of the Club’s Policies is ongoing.
NO PARKING
Please do not park on the dirt under the No Parking sign on your left as you come into the main carpark. It can be tempting but this is the start of a fire break as well as the main entry to the Club’s backyard. You will be asked to move.
The gardening gang has tidied up the backyard and, with a bit more work by some contractors, our backyard will be available for parking on busy days.
PLANNING AHEAD
There will be a List of Upcoming Events and other useful information on the playing room door. This should ease the burden on the Directors, who can spend less time telling us what is coming up while players are bidding and playing.
Membership Renewals
Still a few renewals to go. Thank you to everyone who has already renewed.
Learn to Play Bridge
Beginners Lessons with Jodie Basham started on Monday 2 February with a choice of morning or evening classes. There is still time to join if you know someone who wants to learn.
Rookies
A Rookies Course with Warwick Potter starts on Wednesday 18 February at 9:00 am with a focus on essential conventions.
Wednesday Night Swiss Pairs
Two Wednesday evenings, 11 & 18 February. Pre-entry required. It’s an Open Red Point event.
WABC Mixed Swiss Pairs Congress
Saturday 14 February. Two session Swiss Pairs. What could be better than spending Valentine’s Day playing bridge with your favourite partner of the opposite sex? There will be a normal duplicate session in the afternoon running alongside the Swiss Pairs.
JOAN BUTTS WORKSHOPS
Not long to the morning workshops (10am-12noon) which are being sponsored by Bridget Robertson of Realmark Urban. There is an a normal afternoon session of bridge each day with Red Points on the Sunday. There will be some light snacks after the afternoon bridge session especially on Sunday. If there are four of you attending all four workshops then you can reserve a table. Please email Martin (bridge@wabridgeclub.com.au) to make sure your table is organised. There will be a list on the wall next to the Joan Butts Workshop flyer where you can check. It would help if attendees can pay prior to the day and if you are no longer coming then please delete you entry as the workshops are almost full.
Fri 20 Feb: Improve Your Slam Bidding (Key Card & Cue Bidding) - No morning duplicate or supervised
Sat 21 Feb: Defender’s Plan: Keeping Defensive Communications Alive
Sun 22 Feb: Improve your Declarer Play: Playing Safe, and Recognising the Danger Hand
Mon 23 Feb: A Modern Approach to Competitive Bidding - No morning duplicate
FREE TEACHING WORKSHOPS
Do you have any interest in teaching bridge? Joan Butts is also running some teaching workshops for BAWA. There are two sessions at WABC on Tuesday 24 February and two at Melville on Wednesday 25 February. All welcome. More information available at WABC.
Women’s Pairs Championship
Club members only. Two Tuesday afternoons, 10 & 17 March. Pre-entry required. It’s an Open Red Point event. There is a normal duplicate session as well.
INTERCLUB TEAMS OF FOUR
A competition where a team from one club visits another club to play a 28 board match and then has a drink and some snacks afterwards. There are usually about six matches to play per team. In 2026 the categories will be NOVICE, RESTRICTED and OPEN. The other change is that you can only represent ONE CLUB. You must be a member of the club you represent but it doesn’t have to be your HOME club.
Are you interested in being in a team from WABC? Do you want to be a team captain? It’s fun but there is a bit of work to do. Have a chat with your friends and see what they think. There will be an email out to everyone about his later.
WINNERS & PAST EVENTS
Charles Pearce Cup
The first tournament of the year was won by Ravi Soin & Geoff Yeo from Carla Sullivan & Kate Pinniger. The best Restricted (Under Life Master) Pair was Denise Baker & Nicki McGrath.
Mimi & Chris
Anyone else need a cake made?
WABC Anniversary Pairs
Lots of cakes. Lots of players with 43 tables in action. The winners were Chris Cullen & Mimi Packer from Chris Ingham & David Matthews. There certainly were some interesting hands
Nedlands Birthday Swiss Pairs
A number of WABC pairs did well at Nedlands with Ron Cooper & Jonathan Free winning from Cathy Hood & Viv Wood.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
Welcome to the following new members: Daina Bruers; Dyana Fripp; Kay Hanlon; Helen Knight; Maxine McKenzie; Diana Neale; Madelaine Ogilvie; Diane Oliver; Maryam Omari; Tanna Ross; & Cathy Waldon.
LESSONS & WORKSHOPS
JOAN BUTTS WORKSHOPS
The Joan Butts Workshops are listed earlier. Enter here or use a paper form at the club or see Martin or one of the Directors.
2026 WABC TEACHING PROGRAMME
The programme for 2026 includes the courses below and everything is repeated later in the year:
Beginners Part 1 (February) & Part 2 (April)
Rookies (February)
Card Play 1 (April) & 2 (May)
Deadly Defence (June)
The 2026 timetable is here.
There will be another week of workshops mid year as well as a number of one off workshops by some of our well known local experts.
PUBLICATIONS
BAWA FOCUS: Latest issue here. There is a good article by Avon Wilsmore to read. Don’t pay any attention to the UPCOMING EVENTS as the gremlins have been hard at work with this section.
TRUMPS PLUS: Coming next week. Link will be here.