In the late 1980s a group of dedicated founding members secured the lease of suitable land from the then-Hastings Council and conducted a broad range of fundraising activities to commence and complete construction of a clubhouse.

The resulting facility at Hamilton Green opened in 1989 and has been called home by many hundreds of Bridge players ever since.

While Bridge Clubs across the nation aspire to operate from their own premises, relatively few manage to do so given the logistical and financial hurdles involved.

Accordingly, this anniversary favourably emphasises the stability, management and operation of Port Macquarie-Hastings Bridge Club for the last 30 years.

A mainstay of the Club's activities since 1989 has been the lesson programs for new players run by founding member and grand master, Yvonne Cains.

These programs serve a dual purpose: on the one hand, like clubs of all persuasions, the Bridge Club needs to constantly attract new members in order to keep growing while, on the other hand, new players need a thorough grounding in order to be successful in playing the game.

Yvonne's lessons program involves a weekly session each Friday morning from 9am until noon over four months and covers all aspects of the game including hand evaluation, bidding, responding, defending, card play techniques, advanced conventions and game etiquette.

There is a lot of practice play built into each session so that learners can apply the techniques of each week's lesson.

The objective is to graduate new players who have a sound basic understanding of the game but, more importantly, have confidence in their ability and enjoy participating and socialising with their fellow bridge players.

An open day on April 5 from 11.30am will be held at the clubhouse and is ideal for those looking for a general introduction into both the Bridge Club and the game itself.

The lessons program starts on Friday April 12 from 9am at the Hamilton Green clubhouse at 176 Hastings River Drive and those interested should enrol today by calling Linda Richards, lessons registrar, on 0432 221 660.

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