Monday 30 April

Playing aggregate, N/S with Adrianne came joint 3rd, however only 80 points between 1st and 4th, no doubt everyone could have done better on a hand, but I lost us at least 300 on the penultimate board.

 Only about a third of the field found 3NT on this board. Playing strong North will open 1N and South has no problem raising to 3N.
Against Willie and Alan I open 1H and Adrianne raised to 2H which is where we played.  I made 9 tricks.
This being a problem for the weak NT I think you should stretch to 2D with the South hand, especially as you have heart support.   So after 1H - 2D you can't really go wrong.  If partner is weak(ish) they'll bid 2H or 3D which you can pass.  If they are strong(ish) and bid 2NT (or 3C) you can bid game in 3NT or 4H.
3NT doesn't look certain but even if East finds a club lead and West returns a club, double dummy you knock out AH and when clubs are cleared, East has none left when in with diamonds.

Earlier against Steve and Marilyn I opened 1H , we play 2NT with the South hand, but Adrianne forgot and bid 2C, over my 2NT she bid 3H, I bid 3NT, Adrianne bid 5H, this is perplexing but should ask for 6 if I have 2 of the top 3 heart honours, so I bid 6H.
Now just about everyone is in this slam and all but 2 are making. I nearly made that 3 failures..  Steve led AS and switched to a club. I cashed 3 rounds of hearts and all my black suit winners. Everyone's hand seems to be fairly flat, the only real information I had was that Steve had 2 hearts and so one more space for a diamond, but they could still be 3-3 if he had the 4th spade.  Anyway as all I had was the chance Steve had 4 diamonds, I decided to lead JD from dummy, if it is not covered I'll take the King then finesse 10D on the way back.  Lucky for me Marilyn covered JD and I was home.

We got a good score here against Alec and Charles as only two pairs are in game. Maybe they didn't open the North hand but our bidding went(without interference):

1C - 1H - 2H - 2S - 4H

Perhaps I overbid but it is not winning aggregate to play this in 3H, I've got 6 losers.
Alec led a club and after Ace and another, now play on hearts any way you want.  If the King is ducked twice, cash AH and play on clubs. The sheet says you only make 9 tricks, but I don't see the defence. You have to make dummy ruff a diamond and lead spades twice while you still have KH?

 The last two boards were against Catherine and David and I blew it here. Adrianne opened 1D, David overcalled 2C and I passed.  Adrianne rebid 2NT, now if I pass this she will make 9 for 150, but stupidly I bid 3S, at least Adrianne sensibly passed this because singleton club lead from Catherine, singleton heart back and I lost the first 7 tricks for -150.
Doubling the 2 clubs would have been an excellent result (500 maybe even 800) or raising 2NT to 3NT for 400.  If I just pass we would have won.

Nothing we could do about the last board though only about a third of the field were in the game.
Catherine opened 1H, David bid 2D, 2H from Catherine and 5D from David.  I led a heart for an immediate club discard.  David played a spade to Jack and Queen.  I exited with a diamond, David ran lots of diamonds, went over to AC and led a spade to Adrianne's Ace and 11 tricks.  Unbeatable (though 3NT is easier).