So any Scrabble players who want a week or two away from the hustle and bustle of the big smoke, but not be completely cut off from Scrabble, perhaps you could consider this destination. And there is a beachside holiday house there ready to go - I can supply details to anyone interested.
Back to the Kempsey Challenge. Going into the weekend there were news reports about the highway being cut at Tweed Heads, and the bridge between Kalang Valley and Bellingen being damaged. The highway being cut did not deter the Richards who found a way around via Toowoomba and Tenterfield, and converted a six hour trip into an eleven hour car trip. But last years Cup champion Paul Waldstein from Kalang was not not so resourceful and had to be an unfortunate victim of the prevailing conditions.
Unfortunately Marie Knight could not defend her title this year due to illness, but she was able to send along her sister Audree Clifton from Melbourne to take part. Audree covered herself with honour by coming up with VOLANTES for 149 to take high word in A Division.
After last years poor roll up from New South Wales, an extra two carloads swelled our numbers whereas only six Queenslanders played. Ann Drew and Olga Visser were two of these, still returning from the International Masters. They managed to quinella the A grade Cup section, and with Paul Richards running in third, it was all Queensland. Even the presence of John Barker could not stop the rot, and it was left to Jeff Chelton to offer the meek resistance.
In the B grade Shield section, things were just as grim with young Alistair Richards scooping the pool with a clean sweep of seven wins. The locals were speechless, as one by one he accounted for their so-called local champions. Deirdre Buttsworth, the convenor of the group at Nambucca, put on a good performance to come second in her first tournament with local hero Bill Bates running in third and collecting the Kempsey Cup for the best performing local player.
There was TV coverage that evening on the coast and next evening in Tamworth, so I was told, plus a full page spread in the local Macleay Argus on Friday. This excellent publicity was largely due to one Jacky Booth who is the Kempsey Club's publicity person.
Plans are afoot to make next years Kempsey Challenge bigger and better. With so much local enthusiasm it is great when seasoned players turn up to support the Scrabble cause. So in order to try and drag a few more of you away from your big city comfort, next years Kempsey Challenge will in all likelihood be a two day affair lasting from after lunch Saturday to after lunch Sunday, 12 games.
Results after game 7
FEBRUARY 4, 2001 -- CUP
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Anne Drew 7 953
2 Olga Visser 6 540
3 Paul Richards 5 110
4 Jeff Chelton 4 174
5 Karen Richards 4 50
6 Audree Clifton 4 -3
7 Jean Noonan 4 -16
8 Richard Birch 4 -187
9 Fay Grose 3 69
10 Daphne Bezuidenhout 3 49
11 Liz Jackman 3 41
12 Raya Wilkinson 3 32
13 Rene Chelton 3 -21
14 John Barker 3 -45
15 Anne Fiddler 3 -223
16 Betty Coleman 2 -34
17 Gloria Everson 2 -382
18 Molly Pearson 0 -1107
HIGH GAME: Karen Richards 547
HIGH WORD: Audree Clifton 149
"VOLANTES"
Results after game 7
FEBRUARY 4, 2001 -- SHIELD
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Alastair Richards 7 673
2 Deirdre Buttsworth 5 239
3 Bill Bates 5 208
4 Kate McDonnell 4 220
5 Steve Sieradzan 4 85
6 Diana Hilly 4 -29
7 Vicki Underhill 4 -52
8 Jacky Booth 4 -53
9 Carol Gonnesena 4 -85
10 Helen Blanks 4 -102
11 Jean Howlett 3 190
12 Margaret Ackman 3 -10
13 Joy Smith 3 -26
14 Jan Welland 3 -250
15 Maureen Channells 3 -375
16 Joy Morris 2 -14
17 Carol Dwyer 1 -479
18 A Bye 0 -140
HIGH GAME: Alastair Richards 446
HIGH WORD: Kate McDonnell 93
"DIOXIDE"
Stats for Tournament : FEBRUARY 4, 2001
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| state Name | National | State | Wins | Rating Points |
| | Old New | Old New | Exp Act | Old Change New|
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
+Section: *CUP + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| QLD Anne Drew | 26 22 | 2 2 | 5.7 7.0 | 1706 +26 1732 |
| QLD Olga Visser | 194 128 | 16 8 | 2.8 6.0 | 1373 +81 1454 |
| QLD Paul Richards | 187 154 | 14 12 | 3.6 5.0 | 1388 +29 1417 |
| NSW Jeff Chelton | 130 132 | 41 40 | 4.2 4.0 | 1453 -5 1448 |
| QLD Karen Richards | 63 74 | 4 5 | 4.9 4.0 | 1578 -18 1560 |
| VIC Audree Clifton | 97 96 | 50 50 | 3.9 4.0 | 1515 +1 1516 |
| NSW Jean Noonan | 112 135 | 33 41 | 5.7 4.0 | 1477 -35 1442 |
| NSW Richard Birch | 266 253 | 71 68 | 2.9 4.0 | 1246 +21 1267 |
| NSW John Barker | 55 72 | 16 20 | 4.8 3.0 | 1599 -35 1564 |
| QLD Fay Grose | 240 235 | 21 21 | 2.8 3.0 | 1292 +5 1297 |
| NSW Liz Jackman | 233 240 | 62 64 | 3.5 3.0 | 1301 -10 1291 |
| NSW Raya Wilkinson | 245 244 | 65 65 | 2.9 3.0 | 1282 +1 1283 |
| NSW Rene Chelton | 111 127 | 32 38 | 4.3 3.0 | 1480 -26 1454 |
| NSW Daphne Bezuidenhout | 313 319 | 84 84 | 3.5 3.0 | 1169 -10 1159 |
| NSW Ann Fiddler | 405 383 | 99 96 | 1.4 3.0 | 1036 +32 1068 |
| NSW Betty Coleman | 117 153 | 34 45 | 4.4 2.0 | 1463 -46 1417 |
| NSW Gloria Everson | 501 471 | 121 115 | 0.8 2.0 | 927 +35 962 |
| NSW Mollie Pearson | 517 545 | 129 135 | 0.6 0.0 | 915 -18 897 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *SHIELD + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| QLD Alastair Richards | 590 504 | 80 64 | 3.9 7.0 | 846 +80 926 |
|*NSW Deirdre Buttsworth | 0 496 | 0 122 | 5.0 5.0 | 931 931 |
|*NSW Bill Bates | 0 456 | 0 108 | 5.0 5.0 | 974 974 |
| NSW Steve Sieradzan | 609 623 | 152 157 | 4.3 4.0 | 830 -9 821 |
|*NSW Kate McDonnell | 0 640 | 0 164 | 4.0 4.0 | 805 805 |
| NSW Diana Hilly | 669 655 | 168 168 | 2.9 4.0 | 768 +22 790 |
|*NSW Vicki Underhill | 0 687 | 0 177 | 4.0 4.0 | 760 760 |
|*NSW Helen Blanks | 0 594 | 0 146 | 4.0 4.0 | 843 843 |
|*NSW Carol Gonnesena | 0 755 | 0 196 | 4.0 4.0 | 700 700 |
| NSW Jacky Booth | 923 863 | 240 227 | 2.2 4.0 | 530 +67 597 |
|*NSW Jean Howlett | 0 935 | 0 248 | 3.0 3.0 | 525 525 |
| NSW Joy Smith | 554 616 | 136 154 | 5.2 3.0 | 889 -64 825 |
| NSW Margaret Ackman | 600 634 | 149 162 | 4.5 3.0 | 835 -28 807 |
|*NSW Jan Welland | 0 909 | 0 240 | 3.0 3.0 | 552 552 |
| NSW Maureen Channells | 1048 1037 | 277 278 | 1.6 3.0 | 371 +46 417 |
| NSW Joy Morris | 974 982 | 253 261 | 2.0 2.0 | 495 495 |
| NSW Carole Dwyer | 1049 1064 | 278 288 | 1.6 1.0 | 369 -18 351 |
|*NSW A Bye | 0 1066 | 0 289 | 2.8 0.3 | 500 -155
345 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+