2000-2007

Once opened near the Arenal, the JSBSC club was very successful, as many as 20 tables per session being not uncommon, and was quickly able to build up a very strong financial position: all the loans, with the solo exception of the main mortgage with BoV, were paid off in around 5 years. With additional payments the main mortgage was also rapidly reduced and finally paid off by 2012. A cap of 22 tables per session even had to be introduced. And it apparently also became necessary to limit the size of the membership -but exception was made for students, the future lifeblood of the club!- and some people had to play in the JCB's new venue near to Arenal Park. One problem of the Club's success was that it was difficult to continue to run the bar on a purely voluntary basis: Mike & Jackie having done the lion's share of the work form Nov 2000 finally said 'No more' around June 2002 - so Mike was employed on a casual basis from November 2002, and then on a yearly contract from January 2008

In the days - pre November 2002 - before Mike did the bar, members used to take it in turns, but with some doing the lion's share!. Ann remembers for months doing a Tuesday for the Computer Club taking it in turns with Audrey and Liz Blanch. Molly Koiston was on the Committee at that time and worked tirelessly. Husband Ron once jokingly said 'she may as well bring her bed down to the Club'.

Social life, alongside teaching on Tuesdays and tournaments Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, continued

Members from this period considered themselves to be a very Social Group, nearly everyone joining in to help. Some members produced a Pantomime every Christmas - both at Pedro's and then at the Arenal, from 1997 until 2005 at least.

Maria Teresa organized an annual coach trip to Benidorm Palace, and a trip to Majorca, involving coach hire and flights from Alicante . Other trips were to the Opera, the New Year's concert at the Palau, Altea, and to the Circ du Soleil in Valencia

In 2002, Sue Griffiths - below - took over as President for 2 years. She then returned to England.

At some 'do's' members provided the food. When Sue Griffiths was President several members provided a chicken casserole, all to the same recipe in slow cookers, so that there could be no unfavourable comparisons!!

In 2004, Sue was followed as president by Ted Barnett who held the job until Feb 2009 when Ed Morley took over for the next 3 years. Although Ted did an awful lot for the club, at one stage this was not appreciated by some members who thought the club should have a higher standard of Bridge Play. An EGM was held, but Ted won the day. In these years teachers included David Ash, Ted, Liz Blanch, Peter Burke & Chris Grant, amongst others.

Peter Hindley produce a monthly newsheet to encourage a higher standard of Bridge, I read these avidly in the 3 winter months I was here in 2004 and 2005, but understood but little at the time!