Monday 3rd March

Playing N/S with Gerry came middling with a Butler score of 7. However I suffered the indignity of two complete stupidities which lost us an unbelievable 49 points. In one I failed to ask partner for the Queen of trumps and bid 7 instead of a making 6, in another I inexplicably failed to take a trick I was given to let a game make. Not my night.

We had got off to a great start as well.

I opened North 1H and Charles overcalled 2C, Gerry bid 2S and Raymond passed. I now bid 4C, Gerry 4D, 4N gave me two with and I bid 7S.  I know partner has 5 spades so I can count 5 trumps, 6 hearts, AD and a club ruff, 13 tricks.  If hearts don't run there can be a second club ruff.
The first round of bidding must have been identical at every table but we were the only ones who bid the grand.

Not so lucky on this board. After 1D - P - 2D, Gerry came in 2H, I raised to 3H and Gerry bid 4H.
Only three pairs found what is a very good contract. However nothing lies right.  The lead, rather strangely was 3S which went to East's King, AD was cashed and a spade returned to Gerry's Q.  A diamond ruff, losing heart finesse and a third spade.  Unfortunately this still left a club finesse to be taken and that failed as well.

We crawled into 3N on this one, only three pairs played there and only Gerry and Kathleen made it.
Mary opened 1N, Gerry doubled and Moira redoubled (shows a 5 card suit). I bid 2C and Gerry bid 2D, Moira bid 2H and I passed.  Gerry bid 3D which makes my QD look a huge card, so I sprang to life and bid 3H and Gerry took 3N.
Moira led JH which ran to the Ace. Gerry took QD and passed JC followed by a club to Ace, no luck (double dummy A, K and JC makes the contract -- but Gerry's no dummy). Tried Ace of diamonds, no luck. However Gerry 'knows' Mary has a singleton heart honour as well as all the significant cards and pulls off the master stroke of exiting with 8H.  However Moira scuppers that somewhat by rising with KH. Moira exits with another heart to Dummy's 10 but this squeezes Mary who lets a spade go.  Gerry knows Mary has Qx in clubs and J9 diamonds and must have AK spades to open 1N and coolly plays a small spade from Dummy. Mary can cash AK of spades but must now commit hari kari with either a diamond or club.  Brilliantly done.