Loughborough University, 30

Around 90 young people together with 40-odd parents, grandparents and teachers, attended this year's Teach-In weekend at Loughborough University. The youngest participant was aged just 4, though he wasn't actually learning bridge, just supporting his elder brother, aged 6, who was! But there were young people, and the young at heart, of every age, all having in common their love of bridge and their enjoyment of the company of others of a like mind. The least experienced were the Raw Rookies, who tackled MiniBridge, whilst a new group was formed this year at the top end of the spectrum to cater for some of the young junior international-level players present, who were christened the Top Guns.

The weekend comprised several teaching sessions, with a break on Saturday afternoon for more physical activities such as swimming and the traditional annual rounders match.
taturday evening featured the Grand Bridge Tournament in which everyone participated - adults and Top Guns right down to the Fearless Fledglings who had just started to learn about bidding (the Rookies playing a separate MiniBridge tournament).

It was a daunting experience for some of the younger ones, but all coped remarkably well and there were prizes for the leaders in all the categories.

Proceedings concluded on Sunday afternoon with a teams quiz with a bridge twist, followed by the prize-giving ceremony.
Top Australian international Peter Gill, who came along to help out and see how differently we do things in this country, presented the prizes.

List of Prizewinners
Rounders Stars:
Chris Ferguson 15, (Hedworthfield Comprehensive School, Jarrow), Laura Perryman, 16 (Southend-on-Sea), Philip Morrison, 14 (Hutcheson's Gramar School, Glasgow), Tiffany Beard, 14 (Devon Port High School, Plymouth)

 

 

 

 

 

The traditional Rounders Match gets everyone involved!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Teaching Sessions ... seems that the youngsters are all eager to learn!
tut there is no doubt, when it comes to the crunch, that the "play's the thing!"
The players get to grips with the cards in the Grand Bridge Tournament