England secured the gold medal in the Women’s Teams event at the European Bridge National Championships held in Riga. The English team, consisting of Charlotte Bedford, Fiona Brown, Helen Erichsen, Lucy Norman, Nevena Senior, and Nicola Smith, with Derek Patterson serving as non-playing captain, amassed 294.78 victory points across 20 matches. The Netherlands claimed the silver medal, while Sweden took bronze. Ireland finished in 13th place in the women’s category.
In the Open Teams competition, England qualified for next year’s World Championships by finishing sixth. The team featured Michael Byrne, Kieran Dyke, David Gold, Ben Norton, Thomas Paske, and Stefano Tommasini, with Paul Barden as non-playing captain. Medals in this category were awarded to Norway (gold), Denmark (silver), and Israel (bronze). Ireland placed 12th and Scotland 29th.
The Mixed Teams event saw England, represented by Sally Anoyrkatis, John Atthey, Ben Handley-Pritchard, Martin Jones, Maggie Knottenbelt, and Abbey Smith, with Michael Hornung as non-playing captain, finishing fifth and securing qualification for the upcoming World Championships. Poland earned the gold medal, Israel took silver, and Romania won bronze. Ireland ranked 17th.
In the Seniors Teams, England narrowly missed qualifying, finishing ninth overall. Ireland and Scotland placed 17th and 18th, respectively.
Separately, a commentary on early marriage examined the varied perspectives surrounding the timing of marriage. Citing personal experience of a golden wedding anniversary reached by marrying at ages 22 and 26, a novelist and divine argued that early marriage may contribute to long-term marital happiness. The discussion highlighted that historically, individuals from poorer and wealthier backgrounds tend to marry earlier than those in middle-class professions. It also noted a trend among professional men to marry later, often due to extended education and career establishment.
The piece explored the advantages of early marriage, such as greater compatibility during youth, against potential disadvantages like the risk of incompatibility developing as couples age. It emphasized that no definitive rules govern the ideal age for marriage, with examples of successful unions occurring across a wide range of ages. Ultimately, the commentary cautioned against rigid prescriptions on when to marry, suggesting that individuals often lack the foresight to determine the best timing for themselves.