Monday 8 October

Playing N/S came first with a Butler score of 59.

Not the most propitious start against Bob and Cathy four down in 1NT.  I opened 1N and even Bob couldn't find a protective bid so it was passed out.
Cathy led 5S to Q and K and I ducked. Bob returned 6S to 7, 8 and a heart discard.  Unfazed, Cathy returned a heart and my goose was cooked. Bob took the King, played his third spade to my Ace, I could have gone three off if I play a club now, but ever the optimist I ran QD to Bob's King.  A heart back and I lost 4 spades, 4 hearts, a diamond and a club.

 In the next set against Steve and Marilyn Adrianne was kicking herself for not making game. It is very easy to get into a certain mind set in a hand, I do it all the time, especially in defence.  You need to concentrate on how many tricks you need and what ways you can get them.
Anyway I opened 1D, Adrianne bid 1H and I bid 4C, Adrianne naturally bid 4H.  I seriously considered bidding 5C now but thought better of it and passed.
Marilyn led QD an obvious singleton and Adrianne concentrated on getting two club ruffs, which you can't do and she drifted one off.  Of course later she realises she just had to play 3 rounds of trumps, cash top diamonds, ruff a diamond, Ace and a club ruff, cash 5th diamond for 10 tricks
Definitely not a propitious start, but things started to look up.

Adrianne was the only declarer to make 4H on this hand against Maggie and Sally, in fact she made 11.  To be honest most E/W were in 3 or 4S, mostly undoubled.
Our bidding went two passses to me and I opened 1C.  Maggie, not playing weak jumps didn't even venture 1S so Adrianne bid 1H, I raised to 3H and Adrianne with a good double fit took 4H. Even if there had been a 2S overcall with the club fit Adrianne would have doubled to show the hearts and we would either be in 4H or defending 4Sx.
Sally led a sneaky 2D taken by King.  Adrianne cashed AS, finessed JH and ruffed a spade.  She now played QH to King and Ace, pinning the 10.  With no entry to her hand she had to play a club now and could go off (finesse 10C, diamond to Ace, AC, club ruff), but she wasn't tested as Sally went up with Ace.

 Not in the best contract here, but an unbeatable game.  Against Moira and Mary Our bidding went:
 P  - 1C - 2D - P
2N - P  - 3N  - passed out
The 2D is Intermediate, 2S by me would have been better.  Anyway, Mary led KC which I ducked.  She cannot continue but tries KS, not that ot mattered on the lie of the cards.  I took AS and played KD to Moira's Ace, club back and I took Ace, played a diamond and 9 tricks.  I ddin't bother finessing the 10 of spades for any overtricks, I was just thankful I got home in game.

Adrianne got home in 3N against Ian and Bobby on this board, nobody else was silly enough to bid game.  I opened 1S, Adrianne bid 1N, I bid 2N and Adrianne really thinking she should have bid 2S the last time, now bids 3S and I bid 3N.
Bobby led 7S to 8, 9 and K.  Adrianne played 9C to 10, J and K. Ian played Ace and another diamond and now all those black intermediates show their true value. She finessed 6S, cashed AS, ran 8C, finessed 7C and AC and QS gave 9 tricks.  Of course a heart at any time defeats the contract but Adrianne just concentrated on how to make 9 tricks.

Joe and Sheila Fell were unlucky to give us a good score on this board.  Sheila opened 1H, Adrianne doubled and Joe bid a perfectly reasonable 4H.  I doubled.  Sheila could have guessed the hearts and gone one off, but not unreasonably played Adrianne for doubleton QJ so we got 1 spade, 1 heart, 1 diamond and 2 clubs for 300 when there is nothing on our way.