GOLD COAST CONGRESS 2007

Contributed by Bernie Atkins

I have been a regular player at the Gold Coast Congress for the past seven years.  At my first attendance as a very new player, there was no restricted and therefore everyone played in the open so we played in both pairs and teams.  My partner and I spent our time on the “Wailing Wall” but what a great opportunity it was to learn by playing approx 300 boards in five days of bridge.  It has now become an event I look forward to each year.   In these few years it has grown and  changed homes from being held at  the ANA, to both the ANA and Gold Coast International to the new Gold Coast Convention Centre. 

The facilities offered by the Convention Centre are wonderful, with good lighting, air-conditioning and very comfortable chairs and for 1600 people to play bridge in one room is quite a feat.  There were twenty five members of Newcastle Bridge club at Broadbeach this year and some were very pleased with their results whilst others were disappointed.  I think all would agree that the friendships that are developed from these events are something we will sustain for many years.

My partner Tony Wagstaff and myself made the decision to play in the restricted pairs as this would be the last year I was able.  We were sixth in the North South section  of the Restricted Pairs Qualifying. We went on to win the Restricted Pairs Final out of a field of 180.  We then played open Teams with my wife Judy and her partner Janet Hill and reached the dizzy heights of sixth after round four to drop to the nineties before recovering to sixty third position in a field of two hundred and forty eight teams.  We have enjoyed a very successful congress.

I urge all bridge players especially the newer players to put the Gold Coast congress on your calendar as the experience and fun are really worthwhile

Bernie Atkins 05/03/2007