Bristol Bridge Club

A new course will be starting in October on Wednesday after noons or Monday evening. Brochure

Fast Track Bridge is a course for complete beginners who want to learn to play and get started quickly. It will also suit people who have learnt before but need to refresh their knowledge and anyone who cannot commit to a longer course of weekly lessons. The pace is more intensive than my longer beginners courses so it may suit faster learners.

Fast Track is a new course which is part of the National Learning Programme of English Bridge Education and Development CIO*. (which the *charitable organisation for bridge education)

For more details see http://www.bridgeclassbristol.co.uk/fast-track-bridge.html

In mid 1950's Graham Griffith, John Spielman, Stephen Thomas and W. Morley Burry used to play bridge in a house on 41 Oakfield Road, just off Whiteladies Road.  It was run by a lady as a business. She was charging them too much for the use of the premises.  So they moved, with many others, to Aces Bridge Club.

Graham Griffith was  the  driving  force  behind  the  BBC  being  formed.  He, John Spielman, Stephen Thomas and  others  loaned or donated  money  to  the  new  club and subsequently bought the lease for the new premises on The Promenade in Clifton (close to the Mayor's residence) and registered it as Bristol Bridge Club. Graham was the first chairman of the club 1958-1960.

In the early 80's, they  were  approached by  the  landlords to  see if  they  would  sell  the  lease as  they  had  a buyer  for  the  whole  building.  The  lease  still  had  7  years  to  run so  they  were  in  a  strong  position  to  get  a  good  deal.   After  finding  new  premises it  was  put  to  the  members  at an  EGM. Only  a  few  did  not  like  the  idea  mainly  because  it  was  "Hotwells " and  not  Clifton. They  raised  extra  money  by  way of loans/ gifts from  members  and  a bank  loan.

After many months searching for new premises and further negotiations, they bought the lease of the present building in March 1981. Many members gave  their  time to  get  the  building in  shape. It took around six month to get the place ready to be used as Bridge Club. So in November 1981 they moved from The Promenade to Grenville Hall, Oldfield Road, our present premises (this was done over one weekend).

 This building was previously used as a printing works, and store for printing materials.