News
1. Happy New Year!
The Bristol Fencing Club would like to wish all its Members, Guests and Coaches a very happy, successful and prosperous year 2012!2. 2011 Notable Competition Results
The Wellington Open 2011 senior competition was held on 9 October 2011. Congratulations to BFC Fencer Ruth Semple who reached the semi-finals narrowly losing to Yvonne Chart 13-12. Junior competitions were also held on the same day: congratulations to Luke Webster-Khan who won the U13 boys.The Allstar Cup 2011 was held over the weekend of 29-30 October 2011. A number of BFC fencers were participating in this competition. Oscar Aarron achieve a strong 14th place in the Men’s foil and Georgia Hannay placed a fantastic 3rd after losing in the semi-finals.
The Leeds Open 2011 took place over the weekend of 5-6 November 2011. Well done to Jon Dawkins, the Club Captain, who achieved a great 15th place in a field of 74.
The Welsh Open 2011, traditionally a very strong competition, saw a number of Bristol Fencing Club members take part. Fantastic results for Oscar Aaron in the Men’s foil in finishing 5th and Ibi Bashir in the same competition in finishing 16th. Georgia Hannay came 7th in the Women’s foil.
The Hereford & Worcester Open took place on 3 and 4 December 2011. Congratulations to Ibi Bashir who came 3rd in the Men’s Foil and to Ruth Semple who came 9th in the Women’s Foil.
3. Bristol Open 2011
Dear Fencer,some of you were at the Bristol Open Fencing Tournament because you were an organiser or you were competing, spectating or assisting but for those who weren't - what a great weekend.
Saturday, the first day of the competition, coincided with Barbara's ninetieth birthday. Barbara came to see us in the afternoon and she looked fabulous. We wished her a Happy Birthday then and I know all those who weren't there will want to add their best wishes. We are very mindful that Colin and Barbara have contributed two lifetimes to fencing and it is due to them that we have such a great club and the prestigious Bristol Open.
Those who competed will know just how prestigious when they came up against many of the best fencers in the country. The Bristol Open went without hitch and many said how much they enjoyed it - not all competitons run as smoothly as this one. The best moment was watching Georgia fencing her socks off. Nail biting to see and inspiring fencing. Georgia was very happy to have achieved last eight as it was an improvement on her result last year but she went on to beat Lisa McKenzie - a very worthy opponent whom she had never beaten before. Georgia dug in and won her bout against Lisa, to come up against Hannah Bryars. Hannah is an excellent fencer who had already won the Bristol Open Womens Foil for two consecutive years and it looked at one point as though Georgia might just pull it off. Hannah worked hard and won 10 -15 but what a fight. Hannah went on to once more win the womens foil and Georgia finished 3=, justifiably pleased with her placing as it was her best yet at a senior open, and against very stiff opposition. Congratulations Georgia. We are all impressed with Georgia's result and very proud that she fences for Bristol Fencing Club.
Many club fencers entered mens foil - some with eyes open as they had competed last year - and found the opposition mighty, but took a golden opportunity to fence against the best in the country. They enjoyed the competition immensely and are fired up to compete again next year. Of Bristol FC members Oscar Arron finished 22nd - a very good result.
Many entrants commented on how smoothly the competition ran and this was due entirely to the indefatigable work by the Bristol Open committee, including Tom Payne, Jon Dawkins, Ann Rhodes and Rupert Russell. Their professionalism in organising the tournament and running it on the day, and the time they put into it in the months before, must be noted. The success on the day also depended on Colin Hillier who not only stores and maintains the pistes and equipment, but also gives of his valuable experience gained from running the Bristol Open for thirty years which he and Barbara developed into the important competition it is now. Barbara and Colins' son, Robert, journeys every year over from France, where he lives, to run the Open in conjunction with the committee. Knowledgeable and unflappable he deserves and gets a very big thank you.
The Bristol Open would also like to thank all those who volunteered and gave up their time to lay pistes on the Friday - big thanks to Georgio, one of our juniors, for his tireless work setting up the many boxes. Thanks to those who packed them up again at the end, sat all day on the rather chilly check in desk particularly Georgia's mother Ann (a proud day for her too) Pandora and Alexis, and the junior members Oliver and Sam who were invaluable as runners during the competition. We hope you enjoyed it and we would like you to know that your contribution was invaluable and I hope I have missed no one out as every bit of help is vital. So Congratulations to all for another succesful Bristol Open.
Great to see Georgia at fencing on Monday wearing her finalists t-shirt designed by Ruth Semple. The Open gets lots of admiration for these bespoke t-shirts which are desired by many. Some of our younger juniors will be competing in regional age group competitions during this season and we hope they are inspired by the results of our older juniors. Train hard,enjoy your fencing and you could be a finalist at the Bristol Open in the not too distant future.
Looking forward to another years fencing and seeing you all at the club.
best regards Astrid
4. Notice of 2011 BFC AGM
The Bristol Fencing Club AGM 2011 will take place on 23 July 2011.All Club Members will be sent an email by the Club Secretary shortly with details of the venue and agenda.
If you are a Club Member and you do not receive that email, please contact the Secretary as soon as possible by email at secretary@bristolfencingclub.co.uk.
5. BFC moves to City Academy from 16 May to 2 July during exams.
Dear BFC Members,During the exam season Cotham School closes its sports hall to exam desks.It is therefore necessary for us to find a different venue.
This year, that venue will be the City Academy, the same venue as the Bristol Open Fencing Tournament. http://www.cityacademy.bristol.sch.uk/Russell Town Avenue, Bristol, BS5 9JH.
We will be based at the Academy from Monday 16th May until Friday 1st July. Monday evening session times will be 19:00 - 22:00 and Friday evenings will be 19:30 - 21:30 as usual.
We look forward to seeing you there.
BFC Committee
6. GAFU 2011 Foil Results
The Gloucestershire Amateur Fencing Union Foil Competition was held at Wycliffe College on Sunday 13 March 2011. Several fencers from the Bristol Fencing Club took part in the event.In the novice competition, congratulations go to Chen Wu and Alex Chklar for finishing 6th and 8th respectively, but also to Rachel Boddy for winning the Women's Novice Foil. In the senior event, it is worth noting the performance of Ibi Bashir who came joint 3rd having been defated by Austen Rose in the semi-finals.
Well done to all BFC Fencers who took part. The BFC Committee.
7. BFC Fencer Featured on BBC Points West
During fencing on Monday 28 February 2011, some of you may have noticed that the Club received the visit of a reporter from BBC Bristol. That led to a feature on BBC Points West on Tuesday 1 March 2011 in the evening which focused on Ibi Bashir and his aims and ambitions ahead of the summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Both Ibi and Andy Martin, our coach, were interviewed and appeared on Points West. The TV feature was followed up by an article in the Bristol Evening Post. Well done to both of them.BFC Committee.
8. Club Foil Championship 2011 - Results
The Bristol Fencing Club Foil Championships were held on Saturday 22 January 2011 at the City Academy in Bristol; they were followed as usual by the Club dinner which this year took place at Casa Mexicana on Zetland Road. Thank you very much to all members who attended either or both events, and a special thanks to all those who helped setting up the hall at the City Academy and then helped to clear up at the end of the competition. Jon and Ann deserve a particular mention for their contributions in organising the event.In the senior event, there were 21 entries. Hugo Russell won the gold medal after defeating Jonny Allatt in the semi-final. Jon Dawkins and Tom Payne were joint third.
There were 12 entries in the junior event, which was won by Guy Van Onselen who defeated Zoe Webber in the final. Bronze medals went to Felicity Grazebrook and Mark Sampson.
Full results will appear on this website shortly, as well as a selection of photos taken by Chen Wu.
Thank you again to all those attended, fenced and refereed. We are already looking forward to next year's competition.
BFC Committee
9. Monday 20 December 2010 - Fencing is going ahead tonight.
As of 2.30pm on Monday 20 December 2010, fencing tonight (Monday 20 December 2010) is going ahead.The BFC Committee
10. Club dates for Christmas 2010
Please note that the last Club night this year will be Monday 20 December 2010. There will be no fencing on Friday 24 December 2010, Monday 27 December 2010 and Friday 31 December 2010.BFC Committee.
11. December 2010 Club newsletter from the Chairman
Dear Fencers,It has been a busy and exciting year with many changes in the club, perhaps the most significant and poignant was the stepping down of Colin and Barbara after many many years as organisers of the Bristol Open, and of Colin as chairman of Bristol Fencing Club. Both Colin and Barbara have worked tirelessly for the Open, for the Club and for fencing generally.
I'm sure most of you are aware that I am now acting as chairman and I hope to support the club in the same way Colin, and Barbara, have over the years so that it continues to thrive. The club also held elections for the post of captain and once more Jon Dawkins is captain of Bristol Fencing Club - some of you newer to the club may not know that he was a very able captain a few years ago - known to all as capt'n Jon.
I am very happy to have Jon working alongside me along with Ruth, Stefan, Rupert and Tom as indespensible members of the committee. Colin and Barbara are still active in all club matters giving us the benefit of their considerable experience and wisdom. The continuing success of the club is a testament to time, effort and thought freely given by all these people. It is a pretty good club. The venue is good, we have sufficient pistes, boxes and kit, excellent coaches and some very fine fencers. A particular strength of the club lies in how it accommodates all types of fencers from junior to senior, recreational to competitive. We have of course our champion fencer, Georgia, and it looks as though future champions are fast coming through. I personally find this all very exciting, as I hope we all do, and well worth the effort.
The start of the season has produced some notable results that should be marked. Several of our youngest and newest members, for some their very first competition, entered the GAFU Age Group held at Thorbury Leisure Centre. I believe they all had a great day's fencing and several brought home some very good results:
Under 12 Boys
6th Georgio Costa
Under 14 Boys
1st Guy Van Onselen
Under 16 Boys
1st Ibi Bashir
Under 16 Girls
1st Miriam Johnson
Bristol Open 2010
This year's Bristol open was run for the first time by a committeee from Bristol Fencing Club, Colin and Barbara's son Robert Hillier, and a great deal of help from volunteers including fencers and parents of fencers whose valuable contribution is vital to the success of the competition. Georgia Mannikum-Hannay had an excellent result in a very tough entry in Women's Foil finishing 9th. Isaac David finished 28th and Sean Jamshidi 32nd, showing their mettle in Mens' Foil.
Welsh Open 2010
Another major domestic competition and like the Bristol Open - a bit of a toughie. Several competing fencers from the club watched an exciting and nail biting DE bout between our own Georgia Hannay and Elizabeth Ng. The fight went to the full three periods of time with Georgia and Elizabeth drawn (the score may well have been 8-8, but don't quote me on that). Some of you might not be aware that when the bout ends in a draw a further minute of time is fenced. To ensure that there is a final result at the end of that minute priority is established by dropping a pencil on the floor (very hi-tech) whomever the point is towards gains priority. This means that their opponent has to get a hit to win. No hit and the fencer with priority wins. Georgia gave it her all and came very close to landing the winning hit on Elizabeth with at least two off targets but to no avail and with no hits Elizabeth won on the turn of a pencil and went on to gain 6th place. Georgia finished 25th which is a great result but teeth gnashingly frustrating for her when coming within a pencil point of winning. As Andy Martin, BFC Head Coach, says Georgia fenced excellently, this is but a step along the road and she can build on this strong foundation, a very positive sentiment we could all take note of.
Another result in Women's Foil that should be mentioned is that of Milly Blackmore. Milly has recently returned to fencing after a long break and, as well as making everyone look to their laurels on club nights, acheived an impressive 33rd at the Welsh.
In the Mens Foil, Sean Jamshidi, finished 12th - another excellent result from Sean. Well done everyone...
So, on behalf of Bristol Fencing Club I would like to extend our warmest congratulations to all who competed and a round of applause for great effort rewarded by great results, and we are very proud that you are members of our club.
Best regards Astrid Merrick Chairman Bristol Fencing Club
12. Notice of 2010 BFC AGM
The Bristol Fencing Club AGM 2010 will take place on 31 July 2010.All Club Members were sent an email by the Treasurer on Monday 12 July 2010 with details of the venue and agenda.
If you are a Club Member and you did not receive that email, please contact the Treasurer as soon as possible by email at treasurer@bristolfencingclub.co.uk.
13. Club Success at St Dunstan's Foil
A number of Club Members took part in the St Dunstan's Open Foil on Sunday 27 June 2010 held in Glastonbury.Congratulations are in order for Ibi Bashir on his fantastic first place. Well done Ibi! Honourable mention also goes to Willow, Jon and Ann for their performances.
14. SW Sabre and Team Foil 2010
Last weekend saw Bristol Fencing Club fielding two teams in the SW Regional Foil Competition at Millfield School and a lone sabreur, Jon Dawkins, in individual and team. Almost worth in itself the scenic drive through beautiful English countryside. Jon Dawkins finished in the last eight as usual giving his opponents a hard time in the individual sabre - hurrah.Very well done to the hardened fencers Stefan Ramel, Oscar Arron and Ibi Bashir forming a team who were all on a roll and narrowly missed winning the foil event, losing by three hits to the Millfield team.
The second BFC team included Ann Rhodes, Willow and Astrid Merrick, while not sweeping the glittering prize - fencing socks I believe - had a good day's fencing and added to their experience by digging in and battling against excellent fencers. Willow, who has not a great deal of experience in competition, found his feet and fenced better and better as the day went on. Well done Willow. It was not an easy competition, and the standard of fencing was high but a good atmosphere and great fun. So thank you to all who flew the BFC flag.
Astrid, Club Captain
26/05/10
15. British Youth Championships 2010
The British Youth Championships were held in Sheffield on 1, 2 and 3 May 2010. Bristol Fencing Club was represented by a number of foil fencers across a number of age categories.Very well done to Georgia who won the Girls U18s foil from a field of 29 fencers. Congratulations are also in order for Hugo Russell and Sean Jamshidi who finished 3rd and 9th in the Boys U18s foil from a field of 46.
Ibi Bashir also deserves warm congratulations from all of us at the Club on his fantastic 2nd place in the Boys U14s foil, which he achieved from a field of 65 other foilists!
Finally, it is also worth including a "thank you" to Andy Martin for all of his hard work coaching those juniors. Well done Any.
16. Club Championships - The Results
The Annual Bristol Fencing Club competition was once more a resounding success. We had a very good entry of 18 fencers and it turned out to be a tough and very exciting competition. It was good to see a few of our more novice fencers taking part and several of the juniors, though we would have liked to have seen some of our newer members there to give breadth of scope to the competition, and they would have thoroughly enjoyed it. Unfortunately Byrne Kennedy was lost to injury after the first poule. Bryne very gamely fenced all his fights in his poule before retiring which was very helpful to the other fencers and for the consequent seeding. Also, very unfortunately, Ruth Semple, the winner of Best Woman Foilist 2009 succumbed to flu this morning and was unable to defend her title. We hope both will be recovered very soon.All competitors fenced well today and should be proud of themselves. Well done to Alvery Grazebrook who won Best Novice - I have your trophy and I'll bring it to the club for you. Sue Bowers and Paul Kitson, also in the running for novice, showed their mettle and put up good resistance against often much more experienced fencers. Well done to Miriam Johnson who showed impressive levels of determination and pluck in all her fights. Ibi Ibrahim retained his Best Junior status from last year and also finished 6th closely losing to Tom Payne despite putting his lightning counter atttacks and stop hits to good use. Very well done to Manyue Mo who finished 5th after a closely fought battle against fellow left hander Hugo Russell going to time at 12-10.
Astrid Merrick had to work very hard to narrowly defeat Will Patterson-Fox 15-13finishing 8th and winning the Best Woman Fencer trophy.
The semi finals were tense against very watchable fencers. Stefan Ramel went out in a closely fought match to Hugo Russell 15 -14, and Tom Payne lost to Johnny Allat 15 - 6.
Congratulations to the overall winner, Johnny Allatt, who displayed great timing and a cool head using his experience to defeat the seemingly unstoppable Hugo Russell. The score stood at 14-13 to Johnny with three seconds to go and the tension was palpable amongst the spectators who wondered if this bout would go to extra time. Johnny came straight off the command to fence to score the final hit, securing the trophy and medal for Bristol Fencing Club Top Foilist 2010. By doing so he also got the last slice of walnut and coffee cake supplied by Ann for the refreshment table.
Which brings me to say a big thank you to Ann and Ruth for supplying such lovely cakes and biscuits, the sale of which ensures that the costs of staging the competion are reduced. Great Easter biscuits Ruth...
Thank you to Jon Dawkins for seeding the fencers and results. Today was an exploration by Jon into using the en garde software that we intend to use later this year for the first time at the Bristol Open Fencing Tournament. Judging by the smooth running of today's competition it was a success. The tableau and results will be put on the club website for you to see. Many people put their time and skills into making Bristol Fencing Club a great club and an unsung hero is our treasurer Stefan Ramel who handles the club funds so efficiently and keeps us in the black so I would like to acknowledge his time and work and thank him on behalf of the club and committee.
Finally thank you to Colin and Barbara for their support today and to all who entered, to those who stayed to help after they had been knocked out and to those who watched the finals - all is greatly appreciated by the club and your fellow fencers.
Astrid Merrick (Club Captain)
17. Club Championships - Save the Date - 20 March 2010
The Bristol Fencing Club Championships will take place on Saturday 20 March 2010. Full details in relation to the Championships as well as an entry form will be circulated to Club Members shortly. In the meantime, please keep Saturday 20 March 2010 free.18. Plymouth Open 2010
The Plymouth Open 2010 foil competitions were held on Saturday 30 January 2010. A number of fencers from the Bristol Fencing Club were in action on that day.There were some notable results: Ruth Semple defended her excellent result from last year and finished 3rd in the women's foil and Astrid Merrick - your captain - finished 5th.
In the men's foil Jon Dawkins finished 12th.
A good day's fencing. Well done to all Bristol Fencing Club foilists who participated in this event.
19. Friday 8 January 2010 - Fencing Cancelled.
Cotham School has taken the decision to remain shut on Friday 8 January 2010; as a result there will be no fencing on Friday 8 January 2010.Whilst the difficult weather conditions prevail, the Club would invite all BFC members and guest fencers to regularly check the Cotham School website for updates as to whether the school is open or shut: http://www.cotham.bristol.sch.uk/
The BFC Committee will try to give as much advance warning as possible on the Club website of notified school closures.
The Committee.
20. Welsh Open 2009 Results
At the Welsh Open this season, Sean Jamshidi finished in an excellent 12th place in the mens foil, and, although still competing under the Clifton College banner, he is enough one of us that there is justification in congratulating Oscar Arron on finishing 8th in the same event. Well done to Georgia Hannay who finished 26th and Ruth Semple who narrowly missed the top 32 finishing 34th after completing an excellent poule in a very stiff competition.21. County Junior Foil Championships 2009
The Club would like to congratulate its juniors who fenced at the County Junior Foil Championships 2009 at the Thornbury Leisure Centre on 14 November 2009.Well done to Ibi Bashir who took 1st place in the boys under 14's, Antonia Hamilton-Shield who also finished 1st in the under 16 girls, and Felicity Grazebrook who won the girls under 12's.
22. Wellington Open 2009
The Club is happy to report that our own Mo won the Wellington Open Men's Foil 2009 in a very convincing manner - big cheers and hurrahs for Mo.Having finished 2nd in both rounds of poules and achieving a bye, Mo polished off a very able cadet in his first DE and for dessert, an experienced veteran fencer in the final. Mo was on form and both fights were exciting to watch - not always the case in fencing competitions.
There was speculation that Jon Dawkins and Mo might meet in the DE but this was avoided. Jon finished 5th and your captain a reasonable 3rd.
Mo got a trophy, your captain got a very nice medal with Wellington School on it and all participants got chocolate lollipops embossed with a chocolate fencer. It was an excellent day's fencing, and a friendly competition.
23. Notice of 2009 BFC AGM
The Bristol Fencing Club AGM 2009 will take place on 9 September 2009. All Club Members were sent an email by the Treasurer on Tuesday 25 August 2009 with details of the venue and agenda. If you are a Club Member and you did not receive that email, please contact the Treasurer as soon as possible by email at treasurer@bristolfencingclub.co.uk.24. Congratulations to Mo!
The Committee and Club Members of the Bristol Fencing Club would like to offer their warmest congratulations to Man Yue Mo on his marriage to Ruth Hutty. The wedding took place on Saturday 27 June 2009 at Alma Church. We wish them well for the future.Several Club Members were able to attend the ceremony. A photo of those Members posing with the newlyweds will follow.
25. Foil Championships 2009
A message from our captain:The Bristol Fencing Club Championship 2009 was a great success and a very good day was had by all who attended. Very grateful thanks go to those who put their time and effort in to make the competiton a success - Colin & Barbara without whom the club would not exist and whose unstinting support and energy ensures the continuity of the club. Colin and Barbara lent us the new Bristol Open pistes which were a delight to fence on and reduced the amount of work normally required in setting out and taking up pistes. Many thanks to Ruth Semple who maintains the club website and keeps us up to date on events and news and Stefan Ramel our exemplary treasurer. Ruth and Stefan have managed to make the club hoodie a reality after years of commitee discussion. The take up amongst members has been gratifying. Thanks too to Andy Martin, Martin Dale and Isaac David, the coaches who have encouraged and improved the fencing skills of so many of us.
Any calories we burned off fencing we more than replaced with scrumptious cakes made by Ann Rhodes who, while fencing in the competion, also managed the refreshment stall that substantially added to club funds. Ann also made us lazy lubbers cups of tea in between watching the final bouts which was very much appreciated.
Jon Dawkins organised the structure of play, seeding the entrants into poules and all the other technical minutiae that underpin competitive events. Jon's calm capability ensured the the day went without any hitches. The club is very grateful to Jon for taking this on.
The competition attracted a broad swathe of age and experience from our club membership. The Under 13's event had unfortunately to be cancelled but two of our newer and more junior members, Felicity Grazebrook and James Heald, fenced in the main competition against the seniors and showed great determination pitting themselves against fencers twice their size and greatly more experienced. The club is very proud of these young fencers and we hope they enjoyed the day and gained some valuable experience - they can look forward to giving us all a hard time in next years club competition. A special mention too for Spike Rees who wanted to fence in the competition but was ultimately unable to as there were no other entrants of a similar age and experience for him to fence against. We look forward to seeing you fence next year.
Amongst our other juniors, Antonia fenced well and joined an elite group of particularly successful fencers that day. Will Paterson Fox, Byrne Kennedy and Ibi Bashir gave the seniors a run for their money. Congratulations to Ibi, placed 7th overall, he won the medal for the highest placed junior.
Darren Harris and Jason Gaines, both new to the club and to the sport, had their first experience of competitive fencing. Drawn to fight each other in the DE round, Jason initially pulled ahead into a clear lead but Darren never gave up and pressed hard to close the gap. Time was against him and he missed by one hit the Best Novice medal which went to Jason Gaines. Congratulations to Jason.
Very well done to Ruth Semple who, for the second year running, won the Womens trophy and congratulations to Sean Jamshidi and Jon Dawkins who finished 3=. The exciting final between Jonny Allat and Stefan Ramel was nail biting to watch but we enjoyed seeing two good fencers battle it out. Right up to the last period they were hit for hit until Jonny gained ascendancy and won, 15 - 10, the Bristol Fencing Club Championship 2009.
A group of us went on in the evening to Muset for the BFC annual dinner and had a very good time. It's a pleasant restaurant with good service and food and we were disappointed, not wanting the evening to end, when the restaurant eventually had to close but 24 hour society has not quite hit Bristol and we were forced to say goodnight and go home to bed - probably in hindsight a very good idea but I am looking forward to doing it all over again next year as I hope are all my fellow club members.
A very big Thank you to everyone who entered and helped to make it happen!
| Full list of results | |
| 1 | Jonny Allatt |
| 2 | Stefan Ramel |
| 3 | Sean Jamshidi |
| 3 | Jon Dawkins |
| 5 | Ruth Semple |
| 6 | Astrid Merrick |
| 6 | Ibi Bashir |
| 6 | Steve Rashley |
| 9 | William Patterson-Fox |
| 9 | Martin Neville |
| 11 | Ann Rhodes |
| 11 | Laura Robinson |
| 11 | Antonia Hamilton-Shield |
| 11 | Byrne Kennedy |
| 15 | James Heald |
| 15 | Darren Harris |
| 17 | Jason Gaines |
| 18 | Felicity Grazebrook |
26. No Fencing on Friday 6 February 2009
Due to the prevailing adverse weather conditions, Cotham School is closed on Friday 6 February 2009. The Club has been informed that this means that the sports hall is and will remain closed for the whole of Friday 6 February 2009.There will be no fencing on Friday 6 February 2009.
27. Plymouth Open 2009
The Club had a very good showing at the Plymouth Open this year.Very well done to Isaac David and Jon Dawkins finishing in the last eight and earning medals in the Men's Open Foil.
Congratulations also to Ruth Semple on finishing a magnificent third, only just knocked out in the semi-final after a very close fight against the outright winner of the Womens' Open Foil. Well done to Ruth and I'm sure we're going to see further great results from her at future competitions.
(This news article is based on an email sent by the Club Captain to Club Members on Monday 26 January 2009. If you are a Club Member and didn't receive this email, please contact the Club Webmaster who will add you to the distribution list)
28. Fencing the Navy - Saturday 17 January 2009
The fencing competition at the HMS Flying Fox on Saturday was a great success. The Club fielded three foil teams - Bristol Womens, Bristol Juniors and Bristol Mens who, all agreed, had a very enjoyable day.Many thanks to my team mates Ruth Semple and Ann Rhodes. It was an added pleasure to see Ann, a former Bristol Fencing Club member, pick up her foil again and fight her socks off! Ruth wriggled, struck and dismayed her opponents. We made a great team and I hope we get the chance to reprise our success.
Thanks also to the Bristol Mens' team - Hugo Russell who, despite playing a rugby match the following day, agreed to lend his support and contributed greatly to his team's success as did Jonny Allatt, something of a rarity at the club these days. The indefatigable and ever smiling Jon Dawkins completed the trio and with his team mates devastated the opposition.
Particular mention should be made of Bristol Juniors - Ibi Bashir, Byrne Kennedy and Willow Middlemore. They fenced extremely well as a team - unbeaten through the day - and impressively took responsibility for refereeing matches. They were incomparable as representatives of Bristol Fencing Club and so a very big thank you to them. I hope to see them fencing together at other team events.
(This news article is based on an email sent by the Club Captain to Club Members on Sunday 18 January 2009. If you are a Club Member and didn't receive this email, please contact the Club Webmaster who will add you to the distribution list)
29. Juniors' Christmas Battle 2008
Well done to all those Juniors who took part in this year's Christmas competition, with special mention to Will, Sol, Bryne and Willow who were awarded 1st, 2nd and joint 3rd places. The complete table of results can be accessed via the link below.Junior Christmas Competition Results
30. Club Competition 2009 - Save the Date
Please make a note in your diaries that the Club Competition 2009 will take place at Cotham School on Saturday 4 April 2009. Further details will be circulated by the Captain nearer the time.31. Happy New Year!
The Bristol Fencing Club would like to wish all of its Members, Guests and Coaches a very happy and successful 2009!32. Saturday 13 December 2008 - Save the Date!
To all Club members: the Bristol Fencing Club Christmas meal is very likely to take place on Saturday 13 December 2008. Please save the date! The time and venue of the Christmas meal will be circulated shortly.33. Wellington Open 2008
Several Club Members entered the Wellington Open 2008 held at Wellington School on Sunday 19 October 2008. All three Club Members who entered the Open foil fenced very well. Well done to Stefan (2nd overall), Jon (4th overall) and Ruth (5th overall) for their performances in the Open foil which was run as a mixed poule unique. James, who entered the Under 11/13s Mixed Foil, deserves a particular mention for his very good fencing through two rounds of poules and then a DE on the way to the final which he narrowly lost.34. British Cadet & Junior Championships 2008
The Club would like to congratulate Georgia Hannay (Junior, placed 24th; Cadet, placed 1st) and Sean Jamshidi (Cadet, placed 20th) on their excellent performances at the British Cadet & Junior Championships 2008 which were held in Sheffield on 4 October 2008. Very well done in particular to Georgia on winning the Women's Cadet Foil. Go Georgia!35. Bristol Open 2008
The 2008 edition of the Bristol Open was held on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st September 2008. True to recent history, this year's Open ran very smoothly and was a success. The Club would like to acknowledge and thank all those Club members who gave up their time to prepare and then clear the hall, and to all those Club members who made themselves available on both days to facilitate the running of this event; without all of their help, the event would not be the success that it is. A number of Club fencers entered this year's event. Well done to Hugo (51st) and Sean (62nd) for their performances in the Men's Foil and to Georgia (27th) and Astrid (32nd) for their performances in the Women's Foil.36. Club AGM 2008
The Bristol Fencing Club 2008 AGM was held on Monday 11 August 2008. Thank you to all those club members who were able to attend. Adrian, the Club Secretary, has already prepared a set of draft (they will be approved at the 2009 AGM) minutes recording the discussions, debates and resolutions which took place during the AGM. Adrian sent a copy of the draft minutes to Club Members on Tuesday 26 August 2008. If you are a Club Member and you did not receive a copy of the draft minutes and would like to see a copy, could you please email Stefan, the Club Treasurer (treasurer@bristolfencingclub.co.uk), and he will forward you a copy.37. Congratulations to the Golden Couple!
Congratulations to Colin and Barbara who will be celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary this week (8th Sept). Having met at Bristol Fencing Club in the 1950s, they have gone on to become it's chairpeople - always running the club with fun and enthusiasm. Best wishes and many thanks from all at the Club.38. 2008 Club Competition Results
Many thanks to Jon Dawkins for organising this year's club competition, and also a special mention to Ann Rhodes for the delicious cake stall. Below are links to the foil, epee and sabre results in pdf format.Foil results Sabre results Epee results
Well done to all those who took part on 9th February, at the end of the day the final positions for Master of Arms were as follows:
1st Stefan Ramel
2nd Jon Dawkins
3rd John Rhode
4th Astrid Merrick
39. Juniors' Christmas Battle 2007
Well done to all those Juniors who took part in this year's Christmas competition, with special mention to Will, Joseph, Kate and Bryne who were awarded 1st, 2nd and joint 3rd places. The complete table of results can be accessed via the link below.Junior Christmas Competition Results
40. Club Results for St. Dunstans
Bristol had an excellent turnout for St Dunstans and acquitted themselves well. It was an excellent day of fencing over a wide range of standards. Sean Jamshidi came first and we are very proud of him. He lost only one fight out of an entry of eighteen!Jon Dawkins finished fourth overall and was first Veteran. Astrid Merrick came eighth and was third Veteran. Steve Rashley finished 10th and Ann Rhodes ninth.
41. 2007 Club Competition results
Below are the results of last Saturday's Club competition (17th March). Thank you to everyone for taking part, and a special thank you to Astrid, Barbara and Colin for organising the day. It was a huge success.| Foil | Epee | Sabre | |||
| 1 | Isaac David | 1 | Stefan Ramel | 1 | Isaac David |
| 2 | Georgia Hannay | 2 | Isaac David | 2 | John Rohde |
| 3 | James Woodfisher | 3 | Sam Hall | 3 | Jon Dawkins |
| 3 | Stefan Ramel | 3 | John Rohde | 3 | Stefan Ramel |
| 5 | Ruth Semple | 5 | Adrian Day | 5 | Adrian Day |
| 6 | Jon Dawkins | 6 | Georgia Hannay | 6 | Astrid Merrick |
| 6 | Jesus Fuentes | 7 | Laura Robinson | 7 | Ruth Semple |
| 6 | Sam Hall | 7 | Jon Dawkins | 7 | Patrick Di Camillo |
| 9 | Steve Rashley | 8 | Astrid Merrick | ||
| 9 | Adrian Day | ||||
| 11 | Edis Loveless | ||||
| 11 | Rupert Russell | ||||
| 11 | Astrid Merrick | ||||
| 11 | Mo | ||||
| 15 | Alan Parsons | ||||
| 15 | Laura Robinson | ||||
| 17 | Martin Neville | ||||
| 18 | Simon Searle |
42. Competition Results (February 2007)
We have a number of club members committed to competing in the frequent regional fencing competitions, this is the first of what we hope to be regular updates on their results.Cambridge Winter Tournament 2007 (6th January)
Astrid Merrick - 5th
Aldershot Open 2007 (14th January)
Congratulations to all those members who took part. We finished with some outstanding results considering the stiff competition and good turnout to the event.
Isaac David (coach) - 13th
Jon Dawkins - 36th
Matt Tobutt - 42nd
James Woodfisher - 64th
Hugo Russell - 66th
Rupert Russell - 84th
Plymouth Open 2007 (27th January)
Isaac David (coach) - 12th
Jon Dawkins - 15th
Astrid Merrick - 7th
Laura Robinson - 15th
Laura fought an excellent direct elimination match against Laura Wiltshire who finished 3rd, at one time Laura was leading 8-3, and although eventually lost, had a very creditable fight.
43. Congratulations!
The County Foil Championships were held on 4 November 2006 at Bristol Grammar School. Several members of Bristol Fencing Club entered and participated in the championship. The outstanding performances of Sean Jamshidi (Under 14, Boys) and James Woodfisher (Under 16, Boys) both of whom won the tournaments for their respective age groups, are worthy of mention. We would also like to congratulate Sam Hall and Edis Loveless who came second and third in the Under 16 boys category. Well done to all of you!44. Reduced price membership to the Carlton House Fitness Centre!
Following a brilliantly successful Bristol Open, the City Academy has issued 10 cut-price fitness facility vouchers to the Bristol Fencing Club. One of these vouchers is available to any member of the club, and entitles the bearer to gym membership at only £15 a month and discounted training fees of £2.50 per session.As there are limited numbers, tickets are available on a first come, first served basis for either Barbara Hillier or Ruth Semple.