Spring in Stratford-upon-Avon

The first bank holiday weekend in May sees the British bridge community descend on Stratford-upon-Avon. Not the entire community, as the event is never full these days, but certainly the cream as they fight it out for the the EBU Shapiro Spring Foursomes.

It  is comfortably the toughest weekend tournament of the year, starting on Friday night and finishing on Tuesday evening, a double-elimination event based on 32-board matches.

This year there are 48 teams registered and feature a number of travelling Scots:

• (#13) Teltscher- Willie Coyle, John Matheson, Victor Silverstone, Bernard Teltscher, Kitty Teltscher & Tom Townsend
• (#20) Sanders - John Murdoch, Sam Punch, Tim Rees & Derek Sanders
• (#24) Ash - Mike Ash, Alex Gipson, Paul Gipson & Alan Goodman
• Cooper - Jenny Cooper, Moira McGregor, Robert McPaul & Laura Porro
• Kane - Danny Kane, Helen Kane, Stephen Male & Mike McGinley
• Morrison - Frazer Morgan, Phil Morrison, Phil Stephens & Alex Wilkinson
• Smith - Roy Bennett, Jim Hay, Adrian Orlowski & Harry Smith
• St Clair - Anthony Bates, Robert Clow, Dee Harley & Anna St Clair

Only the top thirty-two teams are seeded, based on EBU Gold Points, and that process generates a pretty random order with last year's winners seeded seventh. Throw into that mix all the foreign players means that the seeding doesn't matter, all that counts is who you play and how well you perform.

The semifinal and final wil be shown on BBO on Tuesday.

Good luck to all of us.