As has happened on the first Sunday in March for some years now, the huge, high-ceilinged hall upstairs in the Balmain Town Hall last Sunday reverberated (I kid you not !) with the shuffling of the tiles, the repetition of the scores and the inevitable post mortems in voices both high and low, the unquenchable enthusiasm and racket of, on this occasion, ninety-four - yes, 94 ! - avid Scrabble players. Probably the biggest number of players yet hosted by the Balmaniacs - as I said, we were legion ! Our visitors were a conglomerate lot. We rather missed our youngest BUGS member, Chris May, who, though very likely with us in spirit, was unable to join us due to Higher School commitments - while, at the other end of the scale, we were delighted to have in our midst the ever-young Lan Knox - and never you mind that three-letter O-- word - none of your business ! They hailed from as far away as the Philippines, one Gerardo Onate, Robbie to his friends; and from Canberra, John Spaan, as well as from North Coast clubs and South Coast clubs, from Baulkham Hills, and all over Sydney.
There were three novices, Maree Heynen, Audrey Crompton and Steve Bird.We hope to see more of all three of them! The last-named, because of his Internet Scrabble experience, was placed in Intermediate, where he promptly won seven out of the eight games, and came first in his division : expect to hear more of this name in the near future !
We thought of absent Scrabble-playing friends in Victoria - Roger Blom, and in New South Wales - Marie Knight, Ros Gibbons and Val Ryan, all unable to be with us; and Jean McGiffen, who was "minding" Marie, all sorely missed.
With her usual verve and efficiency, and astoundingly fast "turn-overs", our tournament director, Wilma Vialle, ensured that the day's play went without a hitch, depite the fact that the appalling acoustics in the hall meant that hardly anybody heard a word she shouted ....... them's the breaks. Pat Rae coped womanfully with the challenge slips in the patient and thoroughgoing manner to which we have become accustomed, and we are exceeding grateful.
Nonie English, aided and abetted especially by June Stephenson, but also by all the members of the Balmain Scrabble Club, took care of the provision of between-games snacks, and the compliments were loud and vociferous: some people hoped to be provided with lunch as well - they must not have read the original flyer - or else they were just expressing their appreciation of the quality and the amount of food provided, in accordance with the old adage "No hide, no Christmas pudding"!
No doubt about it, you can't write him off just yet, he's still alive and kicking: Bob Jackman bounced back to the top by winning six games and achieving a margin of 602 to come first in Masters; John Holgate and Paul Cleary also won six games each, and were separated by a mere seven points, followed closely by Robbie Onate, also with six games, but a somewhat smaller margin. John Holgate made the highest score of the day: 586, while the high word of the day was played by Edith Lowbeer in Intermediate:she scored 131 for SEATINGS.
In Advanced, Audrey Newman came first with seven games and a margin of 360; Alison Pollard came second - also seven games - Margaret Berliner came third with six games, and Sam Greenberg won five games to come fourth.
Intermediate was won by the aforementioned Mr Bird with seven games, followed closely with six games each by Judy McGuiness and Alan Gauci, and Janet Chambers came fourth with five games. All four-place getters in Recreation won six games each: Sandra Elliott, Sue Tucker, Pearl Gillott and Margaret Ackman, in that order.
Well, that's another BUGS Tournament over and done with for another twelve months - but it feels as if the previous one took place only twelve weeks ago - at this rate, we'll be organising the next one before you can say "And the winner is ......." Hope to see you there.
Results after game 8
MARCH 4, 2001 -- MASTERS
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Bob Jackman 6 602
2 John Holgate 6 567
3 Paul Cleary 6 560
4 Gerardo Onate 6 105
5 Rod Talbot 5 313
6 Joanne Craig 5 235
6 Trish Windhurst 5 235
8 Cristine Small 5 2
9 John Barker 5 -178
10 Esther Perrins 4 146
11 Joan Rosenthal 4 113
12 Kris Logan 4 -71
13 Hanne Marks 4 -97
14 Cheryl Michler 4 -107
15 John Spaan 4 -180
16 Sue Gergelifi 4 -248
17 Peter Shaw 3 134
18 Graeme Lock Lee 3 -137
19 Ivor Zetler 3 -147
20 Robyn Flynn 3 -221
21 Richard Farrington 3 -389
22 Jean Noonan 2 -120
23 Norma Tracey 2 -478
24 Judy Hay 0 -639
HIGH GAME: John Holgate 586
HIGH WORD: Paul Cleary 126
"FOXIEST"
Results after game 8
MARCH 4, 2001 -- ADVANCED
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Audrey Newman 7 360
2 Alison Pollard 7 230
3 Margaret Berliner 6 345
4 Sam Greenberg 5 366
5 Betty Coleman 5 195
6 Robert Tomkins 5 118
7 June Stephenson 5 53
8 Gordon Meggs 5 -201
9 Betty Foreman 4 207
10 Chlorise O'Sullivan 4 198
11 Nonie English 4 65
12 Pat Schuberg 4 56
13 Richard Birch 4 -49
14 Raya Wilkinson 4 -80
15 Gary Pollard 4 -110
16 Joan Buchanan 4 -175
17 Elizabeth Ho 3 -56
18 Angie Farrington 3 -127
19 Maureen Hilder 3 -170
20 Nanette Reynolds 3 -307
21 Margaret Andrews 2 -53
22 Daphne Bezuidenhout 2 -190
23 Jenny Templeton 2 -198
24 Liz Jackman 1 -477
HIGH GAME: Betty Foreman 508
HIGH WORD: June Stephenson 114
"REQUIRES"
Results after game 8
MARCH 4, 2001 -- INTERMEDIATE
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Steve Bird 7 516
2 Judy McGuinness 6 284
3 Alan Gauci 6 159
4 Janet Chambers 5 316
5 Ram Mohe 5 242
6 Fay Van Oyen 5 62
7 Victor Tung 5 -22
8 Colleen Howie 4.5 274
9 Edith Lowbeer 4.5 104
10 Bev Purkis 4 193
11 Peggy Womersley 4 128
12 Linda Dimond 4 27
13 Jean Balmer 4 -53
14 Donna Macdonald 4 -122
15 Stacey Lock Lee 4 -316
16 Ann Fiddler 3 -137
17 Greg Nicol 3 -187
18 Denise Smith 3 -209
19 Merle Young 2 -42
20 Esther Rolfe 2 -224
21 Sunny Wright 2 -417
22 Lan Knox 1 -576
HIGH GAME: Jean Balmer 474
HIGH WORD: Edith Lowbeer 131
"SEATINGS"
Results after game 8
MARCH 4, 2001 -- RECREATION
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Sandra Elliott 6 448
2 Sue Tuckett 6 326
3 Pearl Gillott 6 303
4 Margaret Ackman 6 115
5 Colleen Hood 5 314
6 Leonie McConnell 5 210
7 Claire Dove 5 189
8 Krystyna Batten 5 84
9 June Dillon 5 80
10 Prashan Karunaratne 4 170
11 Arie Holla 4 98
11 Pam Bennett 4 98
13 Diana Hilly 4 3
14 Yvonne Edwards 4 -169
15 Diana Field 4 -228
16 Teresa Traynor 4 -239
17 Maureen Wilkins 3 151
18 Chris Phillips 3 47
19 Jan Tomlin 3 -19
20 Anne Mortel 3 -52
21 Maria Kaye 3 -171
22 Audrey Crompton 3 -404
23 Kathleen Davidson 1 -653
24 Maree Heynen 0 -701
HIGH GAME: Krystyna Batten 462
HIGH WORD: Sandra Elliott 110
"ADVANCES"
Stats for Tournament : MARCH 4, 2001
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| state Name | National | State | Wins | Rating Points |
| | Old New | Old New | Exp Act | Old Change New|
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
+Section: *MASTERS + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW John Holgate | 7 6 | 3 2 | 5.4 6.0 | 1820 +12 1832 |
| NSW Paul Cleary | 3 2 | 1 1 | 5.9 6.0 | 1889 +4 1893 |
| NSW Bob Jackman | 17 11 | 7 4 | 4.8 6.0 | 1769 +26 1795 |
| OS Gerardo Onate | 40 18 | 2 2 | 3.2 6.0 | 1647 +111
1758 |
| NSW Rod Talbot | 6 7 | 2 3 | 5.4 5.0 | 1828 -5 1823 |
| NSW Joanne Craig | 34 30 | 11 10 | 4.1 5.0 | 1653 +19 1672 |
| NSW Trish Windhurst | 121 100 | 33 26 | 2.7 5.0 | 1463 +51 1514 |
| NSW Cristine Small | 60 54 | 17 16 | 3.6 5.0 | 1590 +27 1617 |
| NSW John Barker | 57 50 | 16 14 | 4.1 5.0 | 1602 +17 1619 |
| NSW Joan Rosenthal | 15 17 | 6 7 | 4.5 4.0 | 1773 -9 1764 |
| NSW Esther Perrins | 9 16 | 4 6 | 6.7 4.0 | 1812 -41 1771 |
| NSW John Spaan :act | 90 82 | 22 20 | 3.3 4.0 | 1530 +13 1543 |
| NSW Cheryl Michler | 101 101 | 27 27 | 3.4 4.0 | 1502 +11 1513 |
| NSW Hanne Marks | 133 117 | 40 34 | 3.1 4.0 | 1453 +18 1471 |
| NSW Kris Logan | 135 115 | 42 33 | 2.7 4.0 | 1451 +25 1476 |
| NSW Sue Gergelifi | 92 90 | 23 22 | 3.9 4.0 | 1526 +3 1529 |
| NSW Peter Shaw | 38 56 | 12 17 | 4.9 3.0 | 1648 -36 1612 |
| NSW Ivor Zetler | 106 111 | 30 31 | 3.5 3.0 | 1496 -9 1487 |
| NSW Graeme Lock Lee | 97 102 | 25 28 | 3.3 3.0 | 1518 -5 1513 |
| NSW Robyn Flynn | 87 98 | 21 24 | 4.0 3.0 | 1535 -19 1516 |
| NSW Richard Farrington | 114 114 | 32 32 | 3.4 3.0 | 1484 -7 1477 |
| NSW Jean Noonan | 138 154 | 43 45 | 3.5 2.0 | 1443 -31 1412 |
| NSW Norma Tracey | 105 121 | 29 35 | 3.7 2.0 | 1500 -33 1467 |
| NSW Judy Hay | 147 195 | 44 52 | 2.8 0.0 | 1422 -56 1366 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *ADVANCED + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Audrey Newman | 153 136 | 45 43 | 5.3 7.0 | 1416 +35 1451 |
| NSW Alison Pollard | 171 142 | 49 44 | 5.0 7.0 | 1395 +41 1436 |
| NSW Margaret Berliner | 291 242 | 78 62 | 2.8 6.0 | 1214 +81 1295 |
| NSW Sam Greenberg | 218 208 | 56 54 | 4.3 5.0 | 1330 +15 1345 |
| NSW Betty Coleman | 179 180 | 50 49 | 5.3 5.0 | 1391 -5 1386 |
| NSW Robert Tomkins | 168 179 | 48 48 | 5.7 5.0 | 1401 -12 1389 |
| NSW June Stephenson | 321 288 | 83 77 | 2.5 5.0 | 1160 +56 1216 |
| NSW Gordon Meggs | 238 232 | 60 59 | 4.4 5.0 | 1298 +12 1310 |
| NSW Betty Foreman | 206 218 | 55 56 | 4.9 4.0 | 1347 -17 1330 |
| NSW Chlorise O'Sullivan | 332 316 | 86 84 | 2.3 4.0 | 1141 +34 1175 |
| NSW Nonie English | 278 273 | 75 71 | 3.5 4.0 | 1232 +9 1241 |
| NSW Richard Birch | 273 265 | 71 68 | 3.4 4.0 | 1239 +13 1252 |
| NSW Joan Buchanan | 257 259 | 64 66 | 4.1 4.0 | 1262 +1 1263 |
| NSW Pat Schuberg | 248 247 | 62 63 | 4.0 4.0 | 1280 +3 1283 |
| NSW Raya Wilkinson | 268 267 | 69 69 | 3.9 4.0 | 1248 +2 1250 |
| NSW Gary Pollard | 198 215 | 53 55 | 5.2 4.0 | 1359 -24 1335 |
| NSW Angie Farrington | 276 281 | 73 74 | 3.4 3.0 | 1234 -8 1226 |
| NSW Elizabeth Ho | 232 251 | 58 64 | 4.7 3.0 | 1310 -33 1277 |
| NSW Maureen Hilder | 270 282 | 70 75 | 4.0 3.0 | 1244 -19 1225 |
| NSW Nanette Reynolds | 328 326 | 85 87 | 2.7 3.0 | 1147 +7 1154 |
| NSW Margaret Andrews | 283 296 | 77 79 | 3.0 2.0 | 1227 -21 1206 |
| NSW Jenny Templeton | 259 283 | 66 76 | 3.8 2.0 | 1260 -36 1224 |
| NSW Daphne Bezuidenhout | 282 298 | 76 80 | 3.3 2.0 | 1227 -27 1200 |
| NSW Liz Jackman | 263 311 | 67 83 | 4.5 1.0 | 1254 -70 1184 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *INTERMEDIATE + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
|*NSW Steve Bird | 0 227 | 0 58 | 7.0 7.0 | 1320 1320 |
| NSW Judy McGuinness | 376 351 | 94 89 | 4.6 6.0 | 1082 +30 1112 |
| NSW Alan Gauci | 515 437 | 124 104 | 2.7 6.0 | 922 +82 1004 |
| NSW Ram Mohe | 406 395 | 98 97 | 4.5 5.0 | 1045 +11 1056 |
| NSW Janet Chambers | 459 442 | 106 105 | 3.7 5.0 | 974 +26 1000 |
| NSW Fay Van Oyen | 424 413 | 102 99 | 4.2 5.0 | 1022 +17 1039 |
| NSW Victor Tung | 596 537 | 143 132 | 2.5 5.0 | 846 +58 904 |
| NSW Colleen Howie | 382 386 | 95 95 | 5.2 4.5 | 1078 -12 1066 |
| NSW Edith Lowbeer | 476 463 | 115 110 | 3.9 4.5 | 960 +14 974 |
| NSW Bev Purkis | 483 458 | 116 109 | 2.6 4.0 | 951 +29 980 |
| NSW Peggy Womersley | 563 531 | 138 129 | 2.8 4.0 | 885 +23 908 |
| NSW Linda Dimond | 463 467 | 108 112 | 4.0 4.0 | 969 +2 971 |
| NSW Jean Balmer | 336 361 | 87 91 | 5.9 4.0 | 1139 -35 1104 |
| NSW Donna MacDonald | 450 452 | 105 107 | 3.8 4.0 | 985 +4 989 |
| NSW Stacey Lock Lee | 578 559 | 139 139 | 2.9 4.0 | 867 +24 891 |
| NSW Denise Smith | 531 527 | 128 128 | 2.8 3.0 | 907 +3 910 |
| NSW Ann Fiddler | 355 394 | 89 96 | 5.6 3.0 | 1109 -52 1057 |
| NSW Greg Nicol | 507 511 | 121 123 | 3.0 3.0 | 929 -1 928 |
| NSW Merle Young | 519 549 | 126 135 | 3.2 2.0 | 919 -23 896 |
| NSW Esther Rolfe | 394 447 | 96 106 | 5.2 2.0 | 1058 -64 994 |
| NSW Sunny Wright | 395 453 | 97 108 | 5.4 2.0 | 1057 -69 988 |
| NSW Lan Knox | 562 593 | 137 142 | 2.5 1.0 | 885 -30 855 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *RECREATION + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Sandra Elliot | 652 630 | 167 160 | 4.9 6.0 | 794 +22 816 |
| NSW Pearl Gillott | 698 658 | 180 168 | 4.7 6.0 | 756 +28 784 |
| NSW Sue Tuckett | 600 587 | 146 141 | 5.0 6.0 | 840 +20 860 |
| NSW Margaret Ackman | 624 607 | 156 151 | 5.4 6.0 | 821 +14 835 |
| NSW Claire Dove | 626 633 | 158 161 | 5.5 5.0 | 821 -7 814 |
| NSW Leonie McConnell | 623 619 | 155 154 | 4.9 5.0 | 822 +4 826 |
| NSW Colleen Hood | 755 730 | 194 190 | 3.9 5.0 | 705 +23 728 |
| NSW June Dillon | 915 787 | 239 205 | 2.2 5.0 | 558 +113
671 |
| NSW Krystyna Batten | 716 706 | 186 183 | 4.6 5.0 | 740 +8 748 |
| NSW Prashan Karunaratne | 789 790 | 206 207 | 4.1 4.0 | 668 668 |
| NSW Diana Hilly | 656 666 | 168 171 | 4.6 4.0 | 790 -12 778 |
| NSW Yvonne Edwards | 955 936 | 252 249 | 3.2 4.0 | 520 +16 536 |
| NSW Pam Bennett | 753 752 | 193 194 | 3.8 4.0 | 709 +3 712 |
| NSW Teresa Traynor | 921 889 | 241 232 | 3.1 4.0 | 550 +28 578 |
| NSW Arie Holla | 892 857 | 231 223 | 2.8 4.0 | 574 +37 611 |
| NSW Diana Field | 1051 1032 | 279 277 | 2.5 4.0 | 428 +30 458 |
| NSW Maureen Wilkins | 619 684 | 153 177 | 5.8 3.0 | 824 -56 768 |
| NSW Chris Phillips | 725 767 | 188 199 | 4.9 3.0 | 732 -36 696 |
| NSW Jan Tomlin | 773 812 | 199 211 | 4.9 3.0 | 691 -39 652 |
| NSW Maria Kaye | 937 935 | 248 248 | 2.9 3.0 | 534 +3 537 |
| NSW Ann Mortel | 823 863 | 214 226 | 4.1 3.0 | 639 -34 605 |
|*NSW Audrey Crompton | 0 1009 | 0 268 | 3.1 3.0 | 500 -8 492 |
| NSW Kath Davidson | 1069 1076 | 287 290 | 2.0 1.0 | 391 -20 371 |
|*NSW Maree Heynen | 0 976 | 0 260 | 3.1 0.4 | 500 500 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+