History
Stowmarket Bridge Club was started in 1970 at the Rookery Bowls Club in Stowmarket.
Rubber bridge was played on Monday evenings and duplicate bridge on Friday evenings. The club could only meet from September to April of each year, because the Bowls club used the hall during the summer! This situation was tolerated until 1982.
In 1982, two of the original members (Arthur Winchester and Irene Edmondson) found suitable new premises at the Thorntree Centre in Milton Road South and the bridge club left the Rookery.
Since Mondays weren't available, the bridge club met only on Friday nights to play duplicate bridge. In the same year, the club became affiliated to the English Bridge Union.
In September 2005 it was agreed to play on a second night and duplicate is also now played on a Wednesday night.
In 2009, Stowmarket gave the club notice that the Thorntree centre was to be redeveloped sometime in 2010. Also, the hall was too small for the club's requirements. Many halls were looked at. Finally, it was decided that St. Mary's Hall in Windermere Road, Stowmarket met the requirements. The hall is owned by St. Peter's and St. Mary's Church, but is some distance from the Church. The club started playing at the new hall on 1st January 2010.
