About the club...
We are an informal club. Players of all abilities play in the club. Both social and more competitive players come to the club each week to enjoy a game of Scrabble. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner, play for fun or are a more serious player - everyone is welcome.
Meeting Place And Time
We meet every Thursday throughout the year. You are most welcome to join us.
We are based in the Peaseland Lounge of the Anchorage Residential Home, Westcliffe Road, Shipley (it's near the Asda) except on the 3rd Thursday in each month. On the 3rd Thursday we meet at the Kirkgate Centre, opposite Shipley Town Hall. Shipley is about 3½ miles north of Bradford, West Yorkshire.
We start at 7:15pm and generally finish at about 9:30pm.
If you live in the Bradford or Keighley area and you are interested in coming to the club, please contact us by sending an email to Cyndy . We look forward to meeting you.
Subscriptions
Membership is £1.00 per week, but your first visit is free.
Events
We regularly have special events, e.g. there's a Garden Party during the summer and a Christmas party. There are also themed evenings each spring and autumn. Excess funds built up during the year are spent on an activity chosen by the membership, usually a dinner evening.
Format and Prizes
Each week, we play two games of Scrabble. The first game is a random draw between all the players. In the second round the players are paired using the king-of-the-hill system.
Monthly results are compiled by our statistician. Trophies are awarded for 1st and 2nd places and also the best and 2nd best improvers for the month. The trophies are kept for a month. Also, we give prizes for words which scored 100 points or more. If a player plays the word of the week, they also win a prize. The monthly winner can only win one trophy in a six-month period, ie January-June and July-December; this gives other players a chance at being a monthly winner.
At the end of the year the annual results are compiled. Trophies are awarded for 1st and 2nd places and also the best improver of the year. These trophies are kept by the winners.
Each October we have a handicap knockout competition. Players are given a number of points to start each game. Typically, the handicaps are based upon the players' results for the year up to the end of September. Stronger players will naturally have fewer points to start with. A shield is given to the winner. The shield is kept for a year and has the winner's name engraved on it. There's also a smaller shield for the runner-up which is also kept for a year.
Rating system
We have a rating system for players which helps us determine handicaps for our annual handicap tournament and also allows players to see how well they are doing in relation to other players. The ratings are updated monthly, more information can be found on the Rating System page.
External Competitions
The club enters the National Scrabble Team Competition each year. We usually enter two teams. In the year 2003, the club won the plate competition for our region. Our region tends to cover a very wide area between East and West Coasts from Bradford northwards up to Newcastle.
The club organises two local charity competitions each year, in July and November. The July event is a small contest (about 50 players) held in Shipley. The field is usually split into two or three groups, with stronger players in Group A. The cost of entry is about £4.00.
The November competition is held in Shipley and typically has about 70 players. Optional lunch is provided, which is included in the entry fee. The field is usually split into three groups. At each competition we play four games of scrabble. Gift token prizes are given to 1st and 2nd in each group as well as a prize for the highest word scored. A shield is given to each group winner. The entry fee is typically about £4.00.
We now also host the National Scrabble Competition North Regional Qualification. This is held in May/June of each year. For details of this qualification contest, please send an email to Philip Nelkon, who runs the National Scrabble Competition.
Our members regularly go to other competitions throughout our region during the year.
