CHAIRMAN'S REPORT - 2002-2003
| As I look back on this year, it somehow seems
rather unexceptional. Most things went according
to plan if not to budget, all of our events
were successful and several of our members
had the success in national and international
events that I guess we have even come to
expect. It almost seems routine and too easy
but this is of course far from the truth.
Swans may appear to glide effortlessly through
water but the reality is hidden beneath the
surface. And so it is with the LMBA. Much
of the success of the Association is due
to the dedication and hard work of its Committee
members and other volunteers behind the scenes.
It is important that we do not forget their
contributions as without them the Association
would simply not function. We have lost two well known members this year. I cannot say that I knew Boris Schapiro well but, like many bridge players the world over, I knew of his fascinating life story. His family’s escape from Russia after the downfall of the Tsar, his many successes in international events (even in the later stages of his life) and the famous accusation of cheating in the 1965 Bermuda Bowl known as the Buenos Aires affair. He was a colourful character and the bridge scene is duller for his passing. By contrast, and like many other members of the Association, I knew Ian Gardiner very well. He was a longstanding member of London who had served for a time on the Committee and was still very active in organising events in aid of cancer research charities with his wife Val. Ian was awarded an OBE in 2001. He was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour and died a year later. I always find it particularly sad when someone dies young. Ian was only 56 and leaves a daughter Pascale and a son Luke. London members did well in various national and international events. Brian Callaghan was a member of the England team that successfully retained the NEC Cup and, along with David Burn, was also a member of the team that won the Spring Foursomes. Phil King was a member of the team that won the Gold Cup. London won the Tollemache this year and the Committee even managed to recover the London Vs Surrey Committee Shield that we lost last year. Various other London members also had significant successes in national events. The Lederer Memorial Trophy was again successfully held at the Young Chelsea this year. I would like to thank both our President, Bernard Teltscher, and Warwick Pitch for their generous sponsorship without which the event could not take place on anything like its current scale. I would also like to recognise the sterling efforts of those Committee members who protected next year’s event by successfully fighting off in Council the EBU’s attempt to clash a trial with our chosen weekend. With the world championships being held nearby only a week later, I am looking forward to a spectacularly strong field next year. I would also like to thank Queen’s Club for hosting the finals of the Investec London Trophy and the Della-Porta Plate. We were fortunate in having Investec Private Bank as the sponsor for this year’s event and we were able to use some of the sponsorship money to rectify an omission. Whilst there really is a London Trophy that the winners keep for a year, there never has been an equivalent plate for the consolation event. We have now purchased a suitable plate and named it after the event’s founder, the late Freddie Della-Porta. I am also pleased to report that it was presented for the first time to the winning team by Freddie’s daughter, Pat Brotherston. Turning to financial matters, we were doubly fortunate to have a sponsor this year as our events made an modest operating loss. We only ever aim to break even but, to be quite frank, we always seem to be battling against a constant combination of increasing costs and increasing competition from one-day joint-venture green-pointed events. It is a credit to the efforts of our various competition organisers and helpers and a measure of the quality of our events that the numbers entering are still healthy despite these pressures. Finally, my prediction made last year that county bridge over the medium term is likely to have to operate within an increasingly onerous legislative framework has come true. We are now covered by the Data Protection Act, the Disability Discrimination Act and various guidelines in relation to the supervision and care of young persons. As I said last year, I have no doubt that we will rise to the various challenges that we face but if anyone would like to join the Committee and help us, they would be most welcome. David Martin Chairman |
Archive-Mike Hill's Report 2000/2001
Archive-David Martin'sReport 2001/2002