Bridge club is ready to teach the world
From left, Alison Bailey, Angela Burke, David Burke and Jill Hicks. Photo: SG190810-345TW
BOURNE and District Social Bridge Club is a lesson in democracy for us all. There is no president, no chairman, not even a committee.
“We don’t believe in committee meetings,” says founder member Dorothy Alexander. “Any decisions that have to be made are taken at our regular meeting there and then on the night. We could teach the world!”
Unlike some bridge clubs, Bourne doesn’t take itself too seriously either.
“We are a happy group where many friendships have been made - and even a marriage,” Dorothy, 89, said.
The club was formed in 1985 by a group of former Bourne Centre WI members who took a series of evening classes at what is now The Robert Manning College.
They became hooked on the complex card game and wanted to improve and so began their own meetings, at first at the former Conservative Club, then the Royal British Legion offices, then Digby Court, Stanton Court, the youth centre and now Wake House.
Membership started at 10 and now stands at 42 with room for a few more.
But bridge is not a game for the faint-hearted. It can be complicated and you have to learn how to play before you join - they don’t do lessons for beginners.
Canadian-born Dorothy, of St Gilbert’s Road, Bourne, says although the Bourne players are keen to win they don’t fall out.
But there are rules and regulations and they do have a director of proceedings, Peter Pennyfather, who gives out instructions and keeps things in order and Peter Birch is in charge of score cards and publishing results in The Local and, latterly, on the internet.
Meetings are every Thursday night at 7pm and members are charged £1 to cover costs.
Members also play at each other’s houses, some at other clubs and at various charity events throughout the year. They also have a day of bridge with lunch at Christmas in a local hostelry and any proceeds are donated to charity.
For the past three years this has been the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance.
Dorothy’s late husband Ron, who was Mayor of Bourne in 1977, was a keen player.
The couple met in Canada in 1939 when Ron was sent with the RAF via a “Queen” liner for training to the small town of Rivers, Manitoba. He went to Montreal to be crewed up to fly new planes to South Africa and while attending a local YMCA dance he met Dorothy.
She followed him over to England by travelling on a troop ship in 1946 and the couple lived in Swindon, Bristol, York and Peterborough before retiring to Bourne in 1974. Their son Michael lives in Leeds and daughter Julie in Deeping St James and there are four grandchildren.
Dorothy likes Bourne which she describes as a “very friendly town” with lots going on. She is also kept busy on the management committee for Bourne Youth Centre and so bridge is just a hobby.
“I’m not good at it but I like the game - the fellowship of it. They’re a nice group of people, we just tootle along and enjoy ourselves,” she said.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Bourne
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -6 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -4 C to -0 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
