About Us
On this page you will find information about what we do, where we came from, where we play and who runs our club.
You will also find information about how to contact us.
What we do
As you may have already guessed, the West of England Bridge Club is a members' club located in Bristol
where the game of bridge is played. All standards of player, from novice to expert, are welcome at our
club. For more information on our weekly programme of events, please click
here.
We are affiliated to the
Avon Contract Bridge Association, which is affiliated to the
English Bridge Union.
Where we came from
The West of England Bridge Club was founded in 1984 in St. Paul's Road by Jane Preddy, with David Carlisle,
John Gallagher and Arnold Taylor as co-directors. It was felt that there was room for another club in Bristol
- not a bridge club but a club for bridge players, which should encompass other activities in addition to bridge.
The emphasis at the West of England Bridge Club has always been, and still is, not primarily on winning the game but on enjoying it.
Initially Joe Amesbury was appointed as the club's professional, but Andrew Thompson took on this role after a short time.
The club became a members' club when owner Jane Preddy retired in 1988 and the St. Paul's Road premises were sold. Initially it moved
to a temporary address in Colston Street, but soon moved to the comfortable hall attached to the Polish Catholic Church on Arley Hill.
Where we play
On 21st September 2009, the club moved to the
Golden Hill Sports Club in North Bristol.
The playing area is up a flight of stairs (no lift I am afraid) and can accommodate 16 and a half tables. There is a licenced bar, which provides
alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and light snacks. The bar is open during play.
There is also a free car park outside the club and on-street parking nearby if this is full up.
Our committee
The club is run by a committee, members of the club who volunteer their time and effort to ensure we are a success.
Without these kind people there would be no club. Each year a new committee is elected at our AGM in May. Our current
committee is:
| Committee Post |
Name |
| Chair |
Gareth Evans |
| Vice-Chair |
Bernice Horseman |
| Treasurer |
Chris Frew |
| Secretary |
Vivian Wilde |
| Tournament Secretary |
Mike Short |
| IT Officer |
Huw Oliver |
| Committee Member |
Alan Jones |
| Committee Member |
Ian Mundy |
| Committee Member |
Chris Selway |
Contact details
You can only get hold of the club directly by telephone when we are there (from 7.00pm - 10.45pm Mon, Thu & Fri).
The number is
(0117) 942 9893. The chairman (Gareth Evans) can be contacted
on 07921 788 605 outside these hours, and the club manager (Mike Elliott) can be contacted on 07528 134 095.
We can also be contacted by email, but please be aware that this will go to a committee member who will not receive
this until they log onto their email. Send any enquiries to
enquiries@woebc.co.uk.
