Wellington Region "Hui"

Judi Vernau and I attended the Wellington Region All Clubs meeting held at the Wellington Bridge Club at 1.00pm on Saturday 12th September.  John Donbavand also attended in his capacity as a Wellington Region Bridge Committee member.

The meeting was chaired by Alan Grant.  Peter Newell (Chair, NZ Bridge) attended.

The agenda for the meeting (which lasted for 3 hours) was as follows:

The Chair provided three reports - these are reproduced below.  The Financial Report was also tabled by the Treasurer - I have a copy if anyone's interested.

Chair Report Page 1

Chair Report Page 2

Club Championships report

Interclub Report

I'll publish the Minutes of the meeting when they become available.

Level Crossing Works

If you're involved in the Kapiti/Horowhenua Quadrangular tournament next weekend, you might like to allow some extra time for your journey to and from the Club!

Club Secretary - Email Address

The new email address for our esteemed Club Secretary, Rae Lutman, is secretary@waikanaebridge.nz.

Please use this address for all your communications with Rae - and update your contacts accordingly.

Wellington Sixes

The annual Wellington Sixes tournament took place on Sunday 6th September at the Wellington Club.

Results - Jim Gordon and Steph Cheeseman were 2nd in the Junior section. In the Intermediate section, Miriam Lewin and Suzanne Duncan placed 5th, with Murray Lobb and Viv Gray in 6th place.

Overall the Grand Gatsbys were 4th and the Hatters 6th - congratulations to both teams.

Well done also to the Grand Gatsbys, who won the "Best Dressed" prize (the second year running that the prize has been won by a Waikanae team).

(Best Dressed Winners:
Photos courtesy of Nan Wehipeihana)

(Also ran)

Reka Solomons

I'm very sorry to have to tell you that Reka Solomons died peacefully on Wednesday 26th August 2026, at Waikanae Lodge.  She was 95 years old. 

Reka was a former President of our Club (2004-2005), a keen and accomplished player and a very popular and much loved member.  She was involved in many other local activities and was always an enthusiastic supporter of music and the arts.

We send our sincere condolences to Reka's family and her many friends in the community.

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ יְיָ אֶחָד

Wellington Region Bridge Committee

Nominations for the Wellington Region Bridge Committee opened this week.  Up to four positions are available this year.

John Donbavand is currently serving on the Committee, with a little more than 2 years to run of his 3 year term.

Why stand for the committee?

The committee is where decisions get made about what bridge in the Wellington region looks like — tournaments, interclub, leagues, the website, and the regional newsletter. It works best when it reflects the full range of players across the region, from Juniors through to Open, and nominees don't need to be top-ranked players or have prior governance experience.

The role involves a monthly meeting in Wellington (remote online attendance is fine), a three-year term, and whatever area of committee work best suits the nominee's strengths & interests — tournaments, communications, club support, or strategic, directing, or scoring support.

Key dates and process:

Nominations close: 30 September 2026
A nomination must come through a club, signed by the President, Chairperson, or Secretary
Forms can be emailed to secretary@wellingtonregionbridge.nz, handed to any current committee member, or left at Wellington Bridge Club

The following documents are available on the Wellington Region Bridge website Resources page:

• Committee flyer
• Benefits of joining the committee
• Terms of Reference
• Nomination form

Anyone curious but unsure is welcome to have a no-pressure chat with John or any other current committee member.

Intermediate Pairs Tournament

 Calling all Intermediate (and Junior) players:

Please support this annual event, kindly sponsored by Parkwood Retirement Village.