This email has been sent to you as a club or county official. Below is your monthly update from the EBU. Please note there are a number of important topics covered. This email is also available on the EBU website, along with all past EBU Updates, here.
Online seminar 16 November: Sharing experiences of clubs teaching
Does your club teach bridge or would like to? Don’t miss our free online seminar, including how smaller clubs got together to teach bridge, how a club worked with the community to attract new players, how to make teaching engaging and keep the fun in bridge, and an interview with recent bridge students, now novices, on what worked for them. The seminar is on 16 November at 10.00 – 11.00am followed by open discussion. Book with sam@ebu.co.uk to secure your place.
Clubs Celebrating Anniversaries this month
We would like to congratulate the following clubs who celebrate anniversaries this month:
- Lymington Bridge Club – who celebrate their 150th anniversary on 25th November
- Chelmsford Bridge Club – who celebrate their 70th anniversary on 11th November
- Nailsea Bridge Club - who celebrate their 50th anniversary on 26th November
If your club is celebrating an anniversary, let us know, email sam@ebu.co.uk.
Update from the Competitions Working Group
The structure of the qualifying rounds for the National Pairs will be different next year, with the first stage happening in clubs in the two weeks starting 6th February 2023. Players will be required to achieve at least 55% in some club session in that period to qualify for the next stage. No special action is required by clubs. Arrangements for the Regional Finals will be announced soon, via the EBU website.
New options are being developed for the annual (National and county) Master Points leader boards, allowing these to be ordered by total or by any of the colours of points – Green, Blue and Local. The developing 2022 lists, and sorting by colour, should appear in the next few weeks and Counties are encouraged to publicise their rankings lists as we edge towards the end of the calendar year, enabling those close to the top to put on a final surge to come at the top for their county.
Host a heat of the Masters Pairs
If your club would be interested in hosting a heat of the Masters Pairs, to be held on Sunday 26th February 2023, please contact comps@ebu.co.uk and we will send you more detailed information.
Request for Counties
If your county holds charity status, please let us know via email to karend@ebu.co.uk.
AGM
As a reminder to all Shareholders, the EBU AGM will be held on 30th November at the Royal National Hotel, London. The meeting starts at 1pm.
Used Second-hand Bridge Equipment - Free to a Good Home!
The EBU are sorting out our office equipment and have a number of items available to be rehomed until the 1st December 2022:
- Tables - 30 Wooden tables, sturdy, scuffed and the tops are damaged (picture)
- Bidding boxes - Green used Jannersten Bidding Boxes with cards, will need to be cleaned (picture)
If you would like any of the items, you can pick them up from our office in Aylesbury or we can post them to you (you will need to pay postage for the items, if not being collected. Postage costs will vary depending on what is being sent). Contact Karen Durrell via email karend@ebu.co.uk or call 01296 317201.
Bridge Warehouse Last Posting Dates for Christmas
The last posting dates for Christmas will be:
- 2nd Class – midday Monday 19th December
- 1st Class and Courier – midday Wednesday 21st December
It you haven't seen them, check our our new items in The Bridge Warehouse for Christmas 2022!
* Silk Ties – Card design
* Novelty playing card socks
* Caspari playing cards & scorecards
* Jigsaws
We also sell Crossword Books, Diaries, Bridge Games, Notepad and Pens and Learn Bridge DVDs. The Bridge Warehouse now has an updated price list. Full product info can be found on the Bridge Warehouse website.
Orders will be sent out Monday to Thursday between 9am and 2pm.
Train to become a bridge teacher
Several new dates for 2023 have been announced for EBED’s popular Club Teaching Training Course. See our teacher training calendar for details. The course runs over 2 days giving the aspiring bridge teacher the skills to teach bridge effectively. Delegates get to practice teaching a bridge lesson, learn how to develop teaching methods and styles, and find out how to use minibridge to get beginners hooked on playing during their first sessions. We’ll also show you how to utilise the huge range of resources available, through the English Bridge Teachers Association, to help plan lessons. Subsidised places, courtesy of the EBU are available. If you are interested, please contact Mark on 01296 317218 (mark@ebedcio.org.uk).
Club Director Training
EBED has announced new 2023 dates for the Club Director Training course. See our director training calendar for details. Also, we will soon be announcing dates for some new director training offers to be delivered online via zoom. These include “How to run a club Duplicate” our introductory course for those wishing to get in to directing at their club. Also we have two courses aimed at those currently directing online bridge: “Judgement rulings for online bridge”, and “how to direct on BBO”. There will also be a course for users of EBUScore. If you are interested, please contact Mark on 01296 317218 (mark@ebedcio.org.uk).
Seniors Congress
The next EBU event, the Seniors Congress, takes place next month. If eligible, please encourage your members to join us on RealBridge Tuesday 6th - Thursday 8th December. The Swiss Pairs will take place on Wednesday 7th from 11am.
EBU Year End Congress
There a little less than two months until the start of the Year End Congress, taking place at the ILEC in London. If you have not already done so, please consider adding the EBU advert for the congress to your website, which should be linked to https://www.ebu.co.uk/competitions/year-end. If you need help with this, please call 01296 317215 or email sam@ebu.co.uk. We would like to match the success of the EBU Summer Meeting held in Eastbourne, which was aided by clubs and counties promoting this event to their members.
Social Media and Blogs
Please let us know if you would like to suggest a blog article that can then be shared across social media. There is no cost for this, and we welcome your ideas.
If you would like to write a blog, please email sam@ebu.co.uk.
Join us on social media:
EBU Facebook; 
EBU Twitter; 
EBU LinkedIn; 
EBU Instagram
Youth
Youth Bridge Facebook; Youth Bridge Instagram
Kind Regards,
EBU Board and Staff