Club members are advised that the red programme booklets for next year are available at the clubhouse. Directors ask that everyone takes the time to read the Playing Conditions in the front. One of ongoing GLBC playing conditions, they remind members to have their complete and up-to-date system cards (aka convention cards) visible at the table during play from 2026 onwards. (Not only a requirement, they're rarely helpful in the car or on the kitchen bench back home...)

With thanks to Nikki, GLBC's Saturday HiLo games have proved such a success that our once-tentative beginners are now confident enough to play with any partner they choose. Setting up a regular partnership of similar experience is an important step towards improving one's bridge game. Therefore, from Saturday 6 December 2026, games on the 1st and 3rd of the month will be run as normal events for established pairs who can register themselves in the usual way (using the Entry tab above). Or contact Nikk if you require a partner.

Congratulations go to one of our favourite couples, Jan and Bob Gribble for placing first in our recent Swiss Pairs event. Throughout the 2-week event, they played consistently and held firm with 5 wins and one loss. Well done!

Sadly, Great Lakes Bridge Club lost one of our leading lights last week when Dick Barry passed away. 

Congratulations to Shirley Craig and Toni Alexander (pictured), local winners of 2025's nation-wide restricted pairs competition held in October. Shirley and Toni were ranked 122nd nationally. 

Accolades also go to Maretta Callow and Carmel Pike who placed first in our club nationally (106th) following board-by-board adjustments across the entire field. Check out our club's full results here.

For further information on how this event is scored, see the clubhouse noticeboard.

It was the first Tuesday in November so it was races not rounds at bridge. Players were told to 'giddy-up with no hesitating' as we didn't want the stewards called.

Thanks go to John Van Doorn and Michael Rossell for organising the sweeps and being very discerning judges of our fashion in the bridge room. Despite the hard field, Gail and Warren won by a country mile!

This week we celebrated Pat Maunsell's 90th with a delicious cake and some speeches. We wish you many more Pat!

Following a recent trial, Bridge NSW is hosting free online supervised sessions for beginners at 4pm-5:30pm each Sunday from 2 November to 7 December 2025. These supervised sessions are designed to help beginners transition to club games, and are suitable for:

At a recent meeting, our committee decided that members should have online access to the Minutes of GLBC Committee monthly and other formal club meetings. As such, the relevant documents will be linked within an article like this each month and shown for approximately one week.

Earlier this week the 'newbies' of 2025 banded together to acknowledge and thank their teachers - Sylvia Goodwin and Shirley Craig - for providing an outstanding introduction to the wonderful world of bridge. These ladies' practical, nurturing approach and extensive 7-month series of beginner and extension lessons really enabled learners to continually develop the basic skills and confidence needed to take their places at the 'real' bridge tables.