From the Beginning | Lorna Bridge Mentoring

During COVID in 2021, my son Tyler decided to move his family to New Brunswick, and I was invited to join them. As I was about to leave a province I had lived in my whole life, I had only two big requests:

I had to have my own granny apartment, and

It had to have a fabulous bridge club.

Fredericton fit the bill, and that is how I became a member of Fiddlehead Bridge Studio.

In my early days at Fiddlehead, I met so many wonderful players. But what I did notice was that the skill level of some of them wasn't as developed as I'd seen in other areas. As an active founding member of the Bridge Club of Niagara, a teacher, and a player, I brought many years of experience to share with my new club.

In the fall of 2022, the Fiddlehead board supported my eagerness to start my first mentoring program in New Brunswick — and that is where it all began. Students showed interest right away, and I was so very fortunate to have a talented, dedicated team to help me build it.

♦ four years on —What a pleasure it has been to watch our novices improve and come to love this amazing game.

the people who make it work —

Meet the team.

I could not have built this alone. These four bring patience, knowledge and a genuine love of the game to every session at the table.

Brian

Mentor · 499er Director

Brian Hannon

Brian Hannon joined me at the very beginning, and together we have grown the mentoring program to 30+ students weekly. Brian and I share the same passion for working with newer players, and for that reason we complement each other well. He has vast experience as a player and is recognized as one of the most talented at the club, yet he has a gentle way of communicating with our students, patiently working through their questions during the at-the-table portion of our program. Two years ago, Brian and I started a 299er game at the club — once again committed to supporting our newer players. It was upgraded to a 499er recently, and Brian as the director has grown that game to 15 tables! Four years on, we still love working with our students every week at our wonderful club. What a pleasure it has been to watch our novices improve and come to love this amazing game.

Garnet

Mentor · 15,000+ masterpoints

Garnet Demerchant

Garnet Demerchant is the most experienced player at our club, with well over 15,000 masterpoints, and he is always a gentleman at the table. A very accomplished player, Garnet was instrumental in the success of the mentoring program. He got behind it from the start and dedicated his time to working with the students at the table, sharing his wealth of knowledge with a kind, gentle manner. The students don't just adore and admire Garnet — they beam when he walks through the door to help out. If there were an award for Ambassador of our club, he would have won it many times over.

Andrew

Mentor · Ruby Life Master · Lorna's partner

Andrew Perry

Andrew Perry has such a passion for bridge that his dedication and enthusiasm are absolutely intoxicating. A Ruby Life Master, he works at his game almost daily, and one of his happy places is sitting at the table at a tournament. It is also my great privilege to be Andrew's bridge partner; we have been on many adventures at the bridge table together. Not only are Andrew and I bridge partners, but we are also partners in business in Bridge Mentoring with Lorna. Andrew continues to do his part to encourage our newer players and share his knowledge, happy to do his little bit to support players both at and away from the table so the game can continue on for generations to come.

Janine

Mentor · newest of the team

Janine Bibb

Janine Bibb is the newest member of my team and brings plenty of bridge knowledge from her competitive years in Ontario. A very talented player, Janine actually learned the game back in Ontario much as I did, where strong fundamentals were the backbone of becoming an accomplished player. She has a gentle, kind disposition with the students, and that's exactly what makes her such a good fit for our team.

♥ and so —You have shown me that my job is not done, and so I have added a new adventure.

So that brings us to today. I cannot thank the Fiddlehead board and members enough — along with my team, and most of all my students — for standing by me and supporting my vision these last four years. You have shown me that my job is not done, and so I have added a new adventure. With so many requests to learn more from me, especially when there isn't time for a club visit, the Bridge Mentoring with Lorna online platform has been developed.

Here, players will be able to learn right from the comfort of their own home, any time they choose. I look forward to working with my past students and friends on this platform — and to meeting many new players for the first time.

— Lorna

Lorna Johnson · Bridge Mentor

come learn with us —

Start from the
beginning, too.

The online platform brings Lorna's mentoring home — video lessons, hand reviews and a friendly community, at your own pace and on your own schedule.

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