Melbourne Cup Day

On Monday 2nd October we celebrated Melbourne Cup Day, in conjunction with our monthly afternoon tea.

This year, in addition to the traditional sweepstake (thanks to Steve Ricketts), we ran a "Best Hat" competition with prizes for best lady and gentleman. 

The competition was judged by Alice Henke, as the senior member present.  

The winners were:

• Gentlemen - Chris Simons
• Ladies - Marg Gott

Thank you to all those who entered into the spirit of the occasion!

Junior Pairs Tournament

We hosted a very successful Junior Pairs event on Sunday 1st November to complete our 2026 tournament schedule.

26 pairs took part, from as far afield as Picton and Palmerston North as well as clubs across the Wellington region.

The winners were:

The winning pairs

1st - Baubre Murray and Kath Jones (Kairangi)
2nd - CJ Marland and Darien Fenaughty (Victoria)
3rd - Jo Anson and Steph Cheeseman (Waikanae)

Session prizes went to:

Morning - David Smith and Andrew Booker (Paraparaumu)
Afternoon - Lori Diane Fernando and Peter Roscoe (Kapi Mana)

Many congratulations to them all.

I would like to thank:

• Charlie Goodyer, Property Brokers - the tournament sponsor
• Anne Ricketts for directing in her characteristically relaxed manner
• Murray Lobb for both organising the event and acting as Scorer (not to mention sorting out a number of technical issues during the day)
• Di Andrews and Alison Hall for stepping in as a replacement pair at very short notice when one visiting pair didn't arrive
• Roz King and helpers (Alison Hall, Vicky Young, and Pip Waldegrave) in the kitchen
• Steve Ricketts and Marg Gott for running the bar

and all the other helpers (set-up, dealing, etc) along with those Waikanae members who brought a plate for morning tea.

A very enjoyable and well-supported day.

Congress

 

Community Facilities Network Approach

Kapiti Coast District Council (KCDC) is developing a Community Facilities Network Approach (CFNA) to support future planning for community buildings and indoor spaces across the district.

Rather than considering individual facilities in isolation, CFNA looks at the wider network of community spaces available to residents, including Council facilities, community-owned facilities, clubs, churches, schools and other providers. The goal is to ensure communities have access to the right spaces, in the right places, in a way that is sustainable and provides value for money.

KCDC recognises that many of the district's most important community facilities are owned and operated by community organisations. This project is not about Council looking to takeover community facilities. Instead, KCDC is seeking to better understand the full network of facilities, how they are used, what role they play in supporting community outcomes, and how different providers collectively contribute to the district.

Community surveys will open on 27 October and run through to 29 November. 

KCDC will also be undertaking a separate survey specifically for community facility providers. This will give organisations like us an opportunity to share information about the Club, how it operates, the services it provides, and any opportunities or challenges we see for the future.

Further information is available on the KCDC website here.

Haere Ra - Jeanne Wardill

Jeanne Wardill is leaving the club and moving to Tauranga to be nearer to her family.

A very well-attended farewell gathering for Jeanne was held on Thursday 29th October. In keeping with Jeanne's wishes, it was a "low key" event, featuring a glass of bubbles and a Marg Gott cake. On behalf of the Club I presented Jeanne with a pair of wine glasses engraved with the club logo, accompanied by a card, and Vicky Young presented a bouquet of flowers prepared by Ann Verboeket. Graham Cheater and I both spoke briefly.

Jeanne - you leave as not only one of our very best and most successful players, but with the love and best wishes of all of us who have had the privilege of knowing you.  You will be much missed. 

“From the Chair”

The latest newsletter from Peter Newell (Chair, NZBridge) is available here.

Recent Results

Wellington Labour Day MP Swiss Pairs 26th October

Congratulations to Graeme Norman and John Donbavand who (with their non-Waikanae partners) finished 4th and 5th respectively in this event.

Otaki Open Swiss Pairs 18th October

John Donbavand and his partner placed 8th and Pryor Rowland and Graham Cheater were 11th.

KHAP Round 8

In the latest round of the Kapiti/Horowhenua Area Pairs, Sue Legat and Ady Dale were 2nd, Murray Lobb and Rae Lutman 3rd, Naciye Bagci and Anthea Black 4th, and Ernie Davis and Marg Gott 5th.

Palmerston North Open Swiss Pairs 11th October

Well done to John Donbavand and Graham Cheater, who placed 5th.

Paraparaumu Multigrade Pairs 11th October

Session Results

In the morning session Ryan Crowley and his partner were 1st N/S, and Nicky Bradley and Suzanne Duncan were 4th N/S.  In the afternoon session Anthea Black and Naciye Bagci were 1st N/S, Stella Jury and Ann Verboeket were 5th N/S, John Donbavand and his partner were 1st E/W, Vicki Boffa and Rachel Patrick were 3rd E/W and Ady Dale and her partner were 4th E/W.

Overall:

Open/Open - 

John Donbavand and partner 4th

Anthea Black and Naciye Bagci 5th

Open/Intermediate - 

Ady Dale and partner 1st

Stella Jury and Ann Verboeket 3rd

Rae Lutman and partner 4th

Intermediate/Intermediate - 

Nicky Bradley and Suzanne Duncan 3rd

Vicki Boffa and Rachel Patrick 5th

Congratulations to all, but especially Ady on achieving 1st place in the Open/Intermediate category.

Kapi-Mana Multigrade Pairs 4th October

(Photo: Kapi-Mana Bridge Club)

Congratulations to Graeme Norman and Murray Lobb who finished 3rd with a score of 56.76%.  

Well done also to both John Donbavand and his partner and Karen Eriksen and Jude Lucas who recorded top 10 finishes in a field of 38 pairs.