This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
In our particular little group of four, we have, over the years established a routine. We take it in turns to meet at each others’ houses. I love the fact that we all know each other so well. There is none of that slightly frantic last minute rushing about tidying you do when guests are coming for dinner!
We have supper fairly promptly and then settle down with coffee and chocolates to play cards – and for us that means bridge. It’s an extraordinary game. Never the same twice, always something new to learn and uses the little grey cells.
Our bridge playing is extremely laid back. We play (sitting in happy, companionable silence), we chat – discuss life, problems, politics, and what to watch on TV and carry on playing cards.
At the end of the evening, our friendships have strengthened, life has been put into perspective and problems chatted through.
I can’t think of another, more perfect way to spend an evening with good girlfriends – and knowing that the next planned get together is in the diary.
To this end I have a go-to website which sells great gifts for bridge playing friends – Bridge in the Box. There are so many tasteful accessories – such as jewel coloured cards and trimmed velvet tablecloths. Furthermore there are some little suede bags designed for you to carry your cards. However even my non-bridge playing friends would love those.
However if you have a friend who would like to start playing Bridge then a gift voucher to a taster session at the famous Andrew Robson Bridge School would be ideal. I recently went with my three bridge-playing girlfriends to a weekend course for Intermediates Plus. We were worried that we had over-faced ourselves and, as one kindly friend put it, “Is there anything plus about your bridge playing?”. However it was exactly what we needed. Our bridge is definitely kitchen bridge with lots of chat. This was partly a revision of what we already knew (thus giving us more confidence), and it also taught us many new skills in a very relaxed atmosphere with a very calm and encouraging teacher, Richard.