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On this page: Duplicate
Bridge | Practice Groups for New Players | Classes
from Absolute Beginner to Intermediate
Welcome
to my home page. These days I am involved full time in the game of bridge. I am
a bridge player, teacher, organiser, tournament director, writer, translator and
historian. I am based in London, England, where there are many bridge clubs catering
for different standards of player. I have played bridge for over 30 years and
try to be a sympathetic teacher, encouraging others to look forward to as much
fun from bridge as I have had over the years. I am particularly known as a teacher
for beginning bridge players and offer tuition for absolute beginners either on
a weekly, day or evening class basis or on one of my ‘Learn Bridge in
a Weekend’ courses that happen several times a year. This course is particularly
effective at getting people playing quickly. See the websites indicated below
for current dates. Below are some of my activities
aimed at those who already play: - Duplicate Bridge
I
run various London bridge clubs that play duplicate bridge. All welcome new players
and visitors and partners are guaranteed.
- Putney
Bridge Club (MONDAYS, 7.30pm)
Putney Bridge Club meets at
Winchester House, 10 Lower Richmond Road, Putney SW15 1JN every Monday
(except Bank Holidays). Winchester House is a Queen Anne riverside mansion used
as a social club, just next to the Duke’s Head pub. The standard is good
intermediate but everyone is very friendly and the playing venue is delightful.
Again we will make your first experience of club bridge a positive one. We normally
do Simultaneous competitions when these occur on a Monday. We use Bridgemates.
Results are posted promptly to the internet.
Check out the Putney
Bridge Club website for full details including timetable and map.
- Bridge at Harrison’s
(TUESDAYS, 10.00am) - “Gentle Duplicate”
Harrisons is a
restaurant in Balham, SW12. It is close to Balham station which is superbly accessible
from anywhere on the tube system or by BR train to/from Clapham Junction. This
is a really good opportunity for less experienced players to find their feet at
duplicate in what is a small but very friendly game. We start at 10.00am, and
finish by 12.30pm. Check out the Bridge
at Harrison’s website for full details including timetable and map.
- Thursdays
at Our Lady Queen of Peace, Richmond (THURSDAYS, 1.15pm)
Thursdays
is bridge day at the Church Hall, Our Lady Queen of Peace, 222 Sheen Road, Richmond-upon-Thames,
TW10 5AN. In the morning (9.30-12.00noon) there is social bridge for improving
players with a short formal lesson segment at 10.00am. This is a long established
group that has grown strongly during 2009. A number of players wish to advance
to duplicate so we have recently launched a new Thursday afternoon tournament
session (Third Thursday of each month, 1.00pm-4.15pm). We play a duplicate, noramlly
24 boards. Bridgemate instant scoring; results posted promptly to website.
New players and singles welcome - partners are guaranteed for all sessions. Table
fee £6.00, no membership required. Tea/coffee and biscuits available throughout
on a help yourself basis.
- The
Ruff Club - Play Bridge in Camden (FRIDAYS, 7.15pm)
The Ruff Bridge
Club meets at St Pancras Community Centre in Camden Town each Friday for club
level duplicate bridge.
It’s a friendly standard for players of mixed
abilities and we currently get a congenial 7-8 tables each week. New players are
always welcome and partners are found for single players. We hope that if this
is your first experience of club duplicate bridge it will be a positive one and
I will do my best to ensure this is so. Experienced players will be made equally
welcome and from time to time the club participates in some of the many ‘simultaneous’
competitions that are available. Hand records are available on completion of play.
We use Bridgemates. Results are posted promptly to the internet.
Check out
the Ruff Club
website for full details including timetable and map.
- Newcomer Friendly Practice Games
- Aces-Hi!
Bridge Club Aces Hi! is a relaxed and sociable London-based group for
‘improvers’ which was formed in 2003. The group particularly (though
not exclusively) welcomes younger professional people and players with limited
experience of club bridge. Novices, refreshers, recent learners, etc all welcome
and will be able to play and improve with this group.
We meet on Wednesday
evenings at Reebok Sports Club London, located above the Canada Place shopping
mall in the heart of Docklands, E14.
This is a regular weekly supervised
play game at which help and advice are freely available. New players always
welcome! No partner required. Host is Ned Paul. Bridge fee £6.00. For
more details including travel directions visit the Aces-Hi!
website.
- The Ruff Club, Camden
also meets on Wednesday evenings for Supervised Practice. Suitable for novices,
recent graduates from lessons, refreshers and anyone who enjoys social bridge
with advice available as needed. New players always welcome! Come
any time from 7.15pm onwards; no partner required – you will play with and
against different players. Play continues until about 10.00pm but leave when you
wish to/have to. Bridge fee £6.00. The bridge host is Kit Jackson.
Venue: Princess
of Wales, 22 Chalcot Road, NW1 8LL. This is on the corner of Fitzroy
Road, a short walk from Chalk Farm underground station (Northern Line) and served
by many buses.
- Bridge
Lessons/Classes - Beginners
- Learn Bridge in a Weekend This
is exactly what it says. It runs on Saturday and Sunday, 10.30am-5.30pm both days
in Earls Court, SW5. This is a great way to get started and get all the basics
out of the way immediately. It is highly suitable for busy professional people
who are used to doing training days at work. After this course you will be ready
- indeed eager! - to join one of our playing groups. Lots of references available.
Cost is £85.00 per person for the two days. I am running this course on
the following dates:
- 10th/11th April 2010, Earls Court, SW5.
Please email
for full details and registration forms. - Weekly
Classes: Monday morning bridge takes place in conjunction with Harrison’s
Brasserie, 15-19 Bedford Hill, Balham, London SW12 9EX. Beginners are
welcome to join at any time. Come and enjoy a cup of coffee with your bridge lessons.After
a few sessions you will be able to join our improvers playing group at the same
venue - see below.Please email
for full details.
- Bridge Lessons/Classes - Improvers
- Mondays: Gentle social bridge. Harrison’s
Brasserie, 15-19 Bedford Hill, Balham, London SW12 9EX. Mondays 10.30am-12.30pm.
Harrison’s is just minutes from Balham underground and BR stations or click
the link for details of parking, buses, etc.
- Wednesdays:
Gentle bridge for new or returning players. This is in association with The
Plough Inn, 297 Northfield Avenue, W5 4XB. Pub car park or street parking
possible (we meet outside local CPZ controlled hours). Local buses. Nearest tube
station Northfields (Piccadilly line). Wednesdays, 11.00am-1.pm. If you know the
basics e.g. have ever played in the past, or not followed up from previous lessons,
then joining this group would be ideal. No partner required, no booking necessary.
Email for details.
- Thursdays:
Friendly next step bridge for improving players. Church Hall, Our Lady Queen
of Peace, 222 Sheen Road, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 5AN. Pleasant, airy hall
with large free car park, or buses from Richmond. Thursdays from 9.30am-12.00noon.
Half hour formal lesson at 10.00, otherwise friendly social play with advice available.
If you have played at home or with friends or just done a course, it is this level
of bridge that will be right for you. No partner required, no booking necessary.
Email for details.
- Sunday
seminars and practice days for improvers and refreshers: Newcomer friendly
duplicate bridge for ‘developing’ players, held jointly with Young Chelsea
BC in Earls Court SW5. All welcome, partners found. Email
for 2009 dates.
-
Private Lessons
Enquiries are welcome regarding private or group tuition at any level. If you
have a group already I can teach you. If not, one of my specialities is putting
together small groups of players for single table supervised bridge at home. I
am in contact with a large number of players who enjoy learning bridge in a more
private atmosphere and if you do not know four players I can generally find other
players as well as providing all necessary equipment such as card table, cards,
bidding boxes, stationery, etc.
A typical session includes a set of prepared
hands with a subsequent handout and some additional freely dealt hands. I encourage
all players to become familiar with scoring and tactics as well as bidding and
play. Telephone me on 07944 768643 if this appeals. - Bridge
Parties
I can organise bridge parties for you - four, eight, twelve,
sixteen, or if you invite them, even twenty players. I can supply all the necessary
equipment including tables, cards, stationery, etc. By agreement the bridge can
be themed using vintage or contemporary themes. You can choose duplicate, chicago
or rubber bridge or even play historic versions of the game. - Bridge
Partner
I am available by arrangement to play as your partner in
Club or County or National tournaments. An experienced and sympathetic partner
may be the key to a good tournament result or an investment in longer term improvement.
Sessions include post-event analysis of the hands played. Occasionally
I organise hotel-based weekends or other outings for bridge players. Check the
Aces-Hi! and Ruff Club
sites for details. You can email me at ned@nedpaul.com
or telephone or text me on 07944 768643. [Please note this page is currently
under construction; future development is intended, including displaying on the
web my considerable collection of bridge ephemera.] |
