Over 100 youngsters and 45 young-at-heart descended on Loughborough University over the weekend of September 2 nd to 4 th for the annual Junior Teach In. The youngest was just five.

The young people are divided into six groups depending on their bridge playing abilities, so we start with the Raw Rookies - those who have never played any sort of bridge before. There were between 12 and 16 who learned MiniBridge over the weekend and were able to play in their own tournament on Saturday evening. The Fearless Fledglings come next - those who have played MiniBridge and are ready for the real thing; the Eager Beavers with some bridge experience, the Flying Foxes who know quite a bit; the Ace Experts who think they know a lot and the Top Guns who.. Well I'll leave it to you to complete.

Some of the children have been coming for many years - one said to me that this was her eighth JTI and she could come to another five. Although there is a kind of upper age limit of 21, several of the English Juniors over 21 come along to help or put in an appearance for some of the time. I was really pleased to see Susan Stockdale although she couldn't stay as she was competing in the Ladies Trials the next day.

It's a very full weekend with six instruction sessions each lasting about an hour and a half, play sessions on Friday evening (22 tables), Saturday evening (28 tables + 4 tables of MiniBridge) and a late night Saturday Speedball (16 tables). Add in a choice of either swimming or the rounders competition on Saturday afternoon and you can see why everybody goes home exhausted on Sunday afternoon.

Adults mostly take an active role - certainly playing in the competitions, but also in the instruction groups. I spotted many parents and grandparents sitting in the lessons, with quite a few saying things like 'Oh! I never knew that' or 'That's how you play transfers properly'.

I want to send a big thank you to all the tutors who gave up their time free of charge to prepare the lessons and run the groups and I was especially pleased to welcome back Chris Duckworth in her well known role of 'Mother Hen'. There's something really special about the JTI weekend, you see adults in a completely different light, whether it's panel Tournament Directors with a brood of five children under ten in tow or members of the England Ladies national team sitting in the MiniBridge class or players you see week-in week-out on the tournament scene making a complete fool of themselves in the rounders match. I'm thinking of suggesting to Max Bavin that all panel Tournament Directors should have to attend a JTI in order to be promoted to the next TD rank! If this weekend doesn't broaden your bridge horizon then nothing will.

If you missed it this year you missed a real treat and I ask you to make a note of next year's event in your diary - September 1 st to 3 rd . Everyone must know someone with a child of impressionable age who would love to learn the best game ever. The future of the game depends on events such as this. Many of the children will find other interests in the next few years but may come back to it in later life - a few will carry on and become the stars of tomorrow.

The next national event for juniors is the Young Bridge Challenge on Saturday March 18 th at Loughborough Grammar School . This features the Schools Cup, Schools Plate and Harry Scully Swiss Teams - and there's a MiniBridge tournament as well.