St Annes Bridge Club share the secret to success for the 'ultimate' card game

“It’s a game that has to be learnt, but once you do learn, it becomes addictive,” explains chairman of St Annes Bridge Club, John Duxbury.

“Bridge is the ultimate card game. Once you’ve played bridge, all other card games will seem trivial.

“If you can add up to 13, then we can teach you to play bridge.”

And the challenge of the game doesn’t have to be the only temptation to give it a try.

John added: “It’s something that people might want to pick up for their retirement to keep the brain cells working.

“And the place is always kept warm, so if you don’t want to put your heating on then come down for a game of bridge!

“We are here as a community facility. We’ve got over 200 members, and we play eight sessions a week."

So what’s at the heart – or diamond, club or spade for that matter – of the card game’s longevity?

The development of St Annes Bridge Club is all the proof you need that the pastime is going from strength to strength.

The club, which has a history dating back more than 40 years and was previously known as Clifton Bridge Club, opened in its own, bespoke premises on Allenby Road in April this year.

Dilys Currie, club committee member, said: “We continue to offer a high standard of bridge sessions played in a warm and friendly environment and, importantly, with easy access and no stairs.

“St Annes Bridge Club has grown from strength to strength due to the support from its members for a dedicated committee and training team. The club has welcomed both those new to the game of bridge, and those who attended ‘welcome back’ sessions, building confidence post-Covid.

"We have one of the most comprehensive bridge training programmes in the UK. We run Beginners' Classes where absolutely no previous experience of playing the game is required and you don't need a partner. We also regularly hold Improvers' Classes for the more experienced players.”

The eight bridge sessions played each week include one morning and three evening sessions. Two of the weekly sessions are also ‘hosted’, enabling players without a partner to enjoy a game of bridge.

Afternoon sessions start at 1.30pm and evening sessions at 7pm. Players are asked to be at their table and ready to start 15 minutes before the start of the session.

The club, which is currently trialling membership of the English Bridge Union, welcomes new members, prospective members and visitors to the area. An Open Day is to be held at the club on Sunday, January 15, 2023, from 2pm until 4pm for anyone interested in seeing the developments made to the premises.

A new course for those wishing to learn bridge is beginning on Wednesday evenings at 7pm from January 18, 2023.

Contact Sue via [email protected] for more details.

You can also follow St Annes Bridge Club on its Facebook page, or on these websites: www.bridgewebs.com/sabc and www.stannesbridgeclub.co.uk