By Emily-Rose Toohey
Warwick Bridge Club founder Neil Bonnell has written a book on how to play bridge for new and currently learning players.
Neil has about 40 years of experience with the game, and first became involved after working at a school in England.
“The school had a long lunch hour where they played bridge, so I sort of sat in,” he said.
“My wife and I then played social bridge for years.”
After moving to Warwick in 1985, Neil and his wife Beverly established the Warwick Bridge Club with the assistance of Mary and Paul Johnston among others.
“During my job, I asked if there was a bridge club in Warwick, and I hinted I wouldn’t come to Warwick if there wasn’t,” Neil said.
As of 2022, there are 45 current members, but Neil said numbers are down due to Covid-19.
“We meet on Monday and Friday afternoons, and Wednesday morning for beginners,” he said.
“Bridge requires a lot of coaching and it probably takes six to 12 months to be fully confident.”
The motivation for Neil writing the book was because the best introductory guide he knew went out of print.
“We had to replace it,” he said.
“I tried to make it simpler so people could get a starting kit.
“This is about the basics, hence the name ‘The Nuts and The Bolts’.”
Newly appointed Warwick Bridge Club president Claire Duggan said the book is wonderful.
“It’s so much simpler than other books,” Claire said.
However, this is not Neil’s first foray in book writing, having written a second book about the club’s history in 2010.
“The idea was for members to look back and see how it started, what adventures we had,” he said.
Neil’s new book is only available at the club and is $8 for a black and white copy.
If anyone is interested in joining, contact Neil on 4661 8221 or the clubhouse on 0423 276 790, at Victoria Park off Wallace Street.
