April Newsletter
AFTERNOON SESSIONS 1:15 PM
Don’t forget that all afternoon sessions at WABC will all start at 1:15 PM starting Easter Monday (21 April 2025).
THERE’S STILL TIME TO ENTER…. JUST
Friday Afternoons 4 & 11 April: The two week Handicap Pairs is on for WABC members. 3 tokens. Better pairs get a bigger handicap. Enter on the club website.
Friday 4 April: West to West, the builders of the Hospice, are holding a fundraiser at Rumble Boxing Subiaco. Called Punching for a Cure, participating teams will be punching punching bags for 24 hours to raise money for childhood cancer research! See the flyer here.
Sunday 6 April: RFDS Games Day, hosted by the Friends of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the popular Games Day Fund Raiser is on at WABC. Come along at 10:00am for a 10:30 am start. $45 per person. Play Bridge, Mahjong, or Scrabble. Morning tea & Lunch provided. See the Flyer here. (Please note that this flyer has the correct account number.)
PLANNING AHEAD
Friday 25 April: It’s ANZAC DAY. Normal club sessions but for red points.
Friday 9 May: CHARITY DAY. The Club is raising money for the Perth Homeless Support Group, their website is here. Raffle tickets will be $5 each or $20 for 5. There will be a clothing drive during the week before Charity Day. If you wish to donate to the prize pool then please drop items off to the office.
Tuesday Afternoons 13, 20 & 27 May: WABC GNOT HEAT. Form a team of 4,5 or 6 players and win some Gold Points.
Friday Mornings 16 & 23 May: Restricted Pairs Championship for WABC members with less than 300 Masterpoints at 1/1/2025. There will be a prize for the best Novice Pair.
Friday 30 May to Monday 2 June: WABC WINTER CONGRESS. There’s a range of one and two session events including a Restricted Pairs event and a Novice Pairs event.
CATERING – The Management Committee has been actively supporting club championships as well as congresses this year with snacks at the end of the events. It’s another reason to play championship events, only two sessions, three tokens to enter, red points, and now some snacks!!
WINNERS – WOMEN’S PAIRS CHAMPIONSHIP
The Women’s Championship was won by Belinda Taranto & Patricia McNamara from Angeline Christie & Suzie Futaesaku.
It was a bit of a tussle between these two pairs with the winners averaging almost 63% over the two sessions and the runner’s up almost 62%.
WINNERS – SUPER NOVICE, NOVICE & RESTRICTED CONGRESS
The Super Novice Swiss was won by Jo & Nat Wright from Mike Bennett & Derek Dorward. Jo & Nat were seen over the other side of the country, in Hobart, at the Tasmanian Festival of Bridge and did well in the Novice Section coming second.
In the Novice it was Matchpoints and Trish Christie & Gary Watkins won from Jan French & Judi Ley.
The Restricted Swiss was won by Aruni Bandarage & Maureen Warman from Mira Erskine & Ziggy Morawiec.
WINNERS – NEW MEMBERS PARTY
The New Members Party was held on the last Sunday in March and saw eight and a half tables of new members and senior club members enjoying a drink, playing some food and relaxing with snacks and another drink afterwards.
It was still competitive with Leo Ntoumenopoulos – Robin Challenor winning N/S and Phillip Hutt – Jacqui Ecclestone winning E/W.
ANDY HUNG
Talking of winners, Sartaj Hans and Andy Hung won the inaugural WBF World Tour Final in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The competition saw 16 pre-qualified pairs competing in a two-day IMP pair event to win the Jan Kamras Trophy.
Andy has some holidays planned in Noosa (May), Europe (September), and South Australia (October). See Andy’s Newsletter for more details, some instructive hands, and a quiz (here). Hopefully we will see Andy in Perth if his busy schedule allows.
LESSONS
Go Jodie! Over 50 participants for the Beginner’s Course - Part 1. Was Jodie relaxing on holiday in Egypt just before the lessons started or preparing course notes? The next set of lessons Beginner’s Course - Part 2 starts in June and the next running of the Beginner’s Course Part 1 is in August.
The Club hasn’t forgotten about our other players and information about lessons for Rookies and Intermediate players will be available soon.
NEW MEMBERS
Welcome to the following new and returning members who have joined this year: Geoffrey Barker; Sara Clafton; Sarah Gatica-Lara; Janine Goyder; Philip Grey; Guy Head; Sarah Head; Janet Hovitch; Jan Hunter; Yulia Koh; Greg Macpherson; Chris Mulley; Leo Ntoumenopoulos; Mark O'Donoghue; Barbara Pascoe; Christine Pears; Christine Streitberg; John Suttner; Diana Vitasovic; Susan Williams.
FAREWELL
Rhona Barton, a long-standing member who moved South, passed away during March. There is a memorial service planned for 12 July. (Yes, it is July.)
Rhona’s bridge life commenced at Waratah Ave in 1998 where she took lessons with Peter Smith. Rhona was a committee person for eight years, secretary, club photographer and laid claim to being Perth’s oldest barmaid.
Read more about Rhona here in the club’s biographies.