Wakefield Bridge Club celebrates 70th anniversary

This year Wakefield Bridge Club is celebrating its 70th anniversary.

And the club is looking for new people to join its ranks.

Six or seven times a week members of Wakefield Bridge Club gather at their club rooms in Thornes Park to play.

The club was established in 1953 and its first first venue was the Jester Restaurant on Southgate in Wakefield city centre.

Shortly after it moved to Holmfield House in Thornes Park, then to Wakefield Town Hall, before spending 25 years at the West Yorkshire Sports and Social Club in Sandal.

That period was successful enough that the club needed more space, and time to play at its venue, which brought members back to

Thornes Park.

The club is currently based at the Penny Appeal campus with air-conditioned rooms, a kitchen, and enough space to accommodate 160 members.

Karen Lemm, Yorkshire League match secretary, said: “Bridge is a fascinating, challenging and enjoyable card game, a great way to get out and make new friends.

"It keeps you thinking and learning and provides a really social way of spending a few hours in like- minded company.

"It will improve your logic, your memory, and your lateral thinking - and it is scientifically proven to help your brain stay young and healthy.

"It's like a language and you are constantly learning new systems and conventions. It's very complicated.”

To mark the platinum jubilee the club will be host a champagne session for members, and then be joined by England International player, author and The Times bridge correspondent Andrew Robson, who will lead a whole-day teaching seminar for members.

Proceeds will go to the Penny Appeal Charity.

The club will also host a free taster session for new members to give bridge a try.

On October 5 there will be a session between 2pm and 5.30pm and another between 7pm and 10.30pm to mark the anniversary.

In the gap between the two, there will be bubbly and some cake.

Karen explained that some people have the same bridge partner for decades.

Members Brian Leggetter and Dennis Thompson have been playing together since they were colleagues in a Castleford factory in the 1960s, while Chris and Pat Maynard are a husband and wife team.

It’s a complicated setup, but at its simplest the English Bridge Union says: “Bridge is recognised as a mind sport, and is a partnership trick-taking card game of skill.

"It is played by four players who form two partnerships – the partners sit opposite each other at a table.

"There is an auction – often called bidding – and then the play, after which the hand is scored.

"The more tricks a partnership correctly predicts they will make the better their score - but if they do not make as many as they predict their opponents score points instead.

The taster sessions for newcomers will be held Wednesday, November 15 at 2pm and 7pm.

Visit https://www.bridgewebs.com/wakefield for more information.