Newsletter 14 May 2026
In our newsletter this week...
- Vale - Bill Hunt (1934-2026)
- ANC is coming to Canberra!
- Fundamentals Course
- Upcoming Events
- Results
- Youth News
- Online Lesson with Will
- Lighter Moments
Vale - Bill Hunt (1934-2026)
Many of our newer members may not know the name Bill Hunt, but many of our older members will remember him as one of the outstanding bridge personalities of his era. Born in Holland, Bill learned bridge as a child before his family migrated to Australia to work on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme. The family later settled in Canberra, where Bill became deeply involved in the local bridge scene for nearly three decades before moving to Brisbane in the early 1980s.
Bill was widely regarded as a brilliant declarer player. David Lilley once remarked, “I’ve never seen a better declarer,” high praise indeed from one of Australia’s finest players. His representative record was remarkable. Bill represented both the ACT and Queensland a combined 31 times at the Australian National Championships and achieved the rare distinction of being part of the first Open Teams Championship-winning teams for both the ACT (1981) and Queensland (1988). He later became Queensland’s first Gold Grand Master. Known for his imaginative bidding, immaculate tempo and exceptional card play, Bill was admired and respected by all who played with and against him. He will be remembered by many long-standing members as a gifted player and colourful character who played an important role in Canberra bridge history and made a significant contribution to Australian bridge.
- Mary
ANC is coming to Canberra!
The Australian National Bridge Championship is scheduled to run from 4th of July to 16th July, don’t miss the chance to play in one of the biggest national events happening right here in our city!
The championships feature a wide range of events designed to be inclusive of all skill levels, from those just starting out to elite players.
- Diverse Categories: Competitive events are organized by masterpoint categories, including sections for Rookies, Novice (typically <100 points), Restricted (<300 points), and Open divisions.
- Prizes for All: While Open events are for everyone, they often include specific prizes for restricted players, rewarding strong performances within that skill bracket even in a high-level field.
- Flexible Scheduling: You can choose from one-day matches or multi-day tournaments depending on your availability.
- Local Support: Pick up a flier at the club or speak to Elizabeth for help selecting the right event for your ranking.
- Click here to Register - 4th to 16th July 2026
The early bird discount ends on 3 June, so players should get their entries in during May.
Volunteers for ANC
The organisers are looking for volunteers to help with tasks such as meeting & greeting, administration, setting up and dismantling the playing rooms, and preparing the room for the Presentation Dinner; if you can help, please contact Lyn Carter at
Fundamentals Course
If you know the basics of bridge but are not yet ready to play a social game of bridge, we recommend this course as your next step.
This is a set of 8 lessons that will consolidate what you learnt in your beginner classes.
In this course we will:
- introduce you to competitive bidding
- teach you some new commonly used systems
- discuss the etiquette of duplicate play and teach you how to use Bridge mates
- help you consolidate your bidding system
By the end of this course, you will be able to play a social game of bridge and be ready to try supervised play.
Next course starts on June 3rd on Wednesday mornings at 10:30 am and evenings at 7:30pm.
Upcoming Events
The next Tuesday night competition is the 3 weeks President's Teams on 26th May to 9th June
Results
- On Mother's Day two of our members, Annie Klören and Bricet Klören, played in North Shore Bridge Club's annual Mother's Day Online Swiss Pairs, and won the Mother and Child category in the Intermediate/Restricted/Novice section.
- This week we had some technical problems that prevented the scores from being uploaded affecting the Wednesday and Thursday duplicate sessions. This issue has now been solved and the results are available on our website for viewing.
Youth News
The SCONGRESS is on this weekend. There’s plenty of reasons to enter
- win RED points.
- free talk at 9:45am by Will Jenner O’Shea
- scones available all day, freshly baked by Alexis and Jade
It’s not too late to enter using this link https://www.myabf.com.au/events/congress/view/4068
If you can’t make it and would like to donate, click on this link https://gofund.me/ff378ff4a
There’s also a raffle with prizes donated by the Youthies and the top prize is winning a personal game with Will Jenner O’Shea OR free entry for you and your partner to one of his workshops.
Youth Shoutout
A strong Youth Bridge program can only occur with dedicated people supporting us. This week’s shoutout goes to Niek Van Vucht who does ANC Youth Team admin (paperwork can be a thankless task) and helped organise Youth Events.
Youthish Night is on this Friday.
Entry is FREE and there will be a Pizza dinner!
All experience levels are welcome, no partner required.
Come to either session or both!
- Session 1: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
- Dinner: 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM
- Session 2: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Contact CBC Youth Coordinator Suz Wilkinson
Youthish Nights will also be held on June 19 and July 17
Online Lesson with Will
Will is running regular Online Lessons that are suitable for Club players of all levels.
There is a LIVE ZOOM on Thursday Mornings at 9:30am, or you can sign up for the lessons and receive the Recording, Hands, Notes, and a way to Replay the hands later. The full list of lessons and topics can be found on our website.
Next lesson is on "Game Tries and Competing". Purchase through the link below.
Lighter Moments
- What was the spider doing on the computer?... He was making a web-site!
- What did the computer have during his break time?... He had a byte!
- What is the computer's favorite snack to eat?... Microchips!
- What shoes do computers love the most?... Re-boots!
- Why did the computer go to the dentist?... To get his Bluetooth checked.
- A truck carrying Microsoft software has just overturned on the main road… That's the Word on the street.
- How many programmers does it take to change a light bulb?... None, because it is a hardware problem.
Earlier this week something went wrong with our scoring software but thanks to Bill Tutty and Bruce Crossman (on speaker phone) this issue has now been solved. All the hands have been uploaded and can be viewed on our website. According to Bill, he had a vested interest in making sure the scores were counted as it seems he did rather well in this morning's Butler.
Scongress is happening this Sunday! It should be a fun day with lots of great bridge in support of our youth players. As always with these events, please remember that the director sets up the movement and deals the boards based on the number of entries so it is essential that we have all the registered players nice and early, ready to play on the day (but if you have an emergency contact Suz Wilkinson on 0474 946 029).
Good luck and enjoy the yummy scones!
Elizabeth
