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Gary Conrad

2 tours from £365pp

Expert Overview

Based in a picturesque village in Hertfordshire, Gary enjoys the peaceful views of open fields from his garden when he's not travelling or hosting bridge events. For many years, he owned a company that manufactured children’s toys, which frequently took him to Hong Kong and China.

Gary first learned to play bridge at university when he was just 19 and has now been playing for over 40 years. He is a Senior EBU Panel Director, Chief Tournament Director for Hertfordshire, and a dedicated trainer for EBED, having helped more than 200 players gain the skills to direct bridge in their own clubs. He’s hosted many bridge holidays over the years and always looks forward to meeting new players and catching up with familiar faces.

When he’s not at the table, Gary enjoys walking, eating, and building Lego models. He’s travelled to over 100 countries (with the USA as a firm favourite), and while he’s a seasoned globetrotter, he still counts the Atlantis Palm in Dubai as his favourite hotel.

Top Bridge Tip from Gary: Learn to be good at defence! You spend more time defending in a game of bridge than anything else, so it really pays to be good at it. And don’t lose focus when you are not getting the cards – in duplicate bridge, every trick counts!

2 Holidays available from £365pp

Premier Bridge

Join us in the heart of Torquay and enjoy a fantastic location just five minutes away from the stunning seafront.

  • Services of an EBU-qualified director and friendly hosts
  • Varied bridge sessions with Masterpoints and prizes awarded
  • 1 seminar
  • 4 nights half-board accommodation
  • Devonshire cream tea
  • Welcome drink
  • Complimentary car parking
  • No Single
    Supplement
  • Half
    Board

Availability:

  • 2025 20th October
  • 2026 23rd March 4th May 19th October
Travel
  • Join Direct
Premier Bridge
Festive Bridge
New Tour

Join our Twixmas holiday on the edge of the stunning Cotswolds, surrounded by rolling countryside and a charming backdrop of the Cotswold Hills!

  • Services of an EBU-qualified director and friendly hosts
  • Varied bridge programme with Masterpoints and prizes awarded
  • 1 seminar
  • 3 nights half-board accommodation
  • Welcome drink
  • Half
    Board

Availability:

  • 2025 27th December
Travel
  • Join Direct

Meet the
Team

We’ve assembled a fantastic team of directors, hosts and teachers, all dedicated to providing an engaging and supportive bridge-playing environment.

Meet the Team
Christine and Stewart MacFarlane

Christine and Stewart MacFarlane

Christine and Stewart MacFarlane started their own Bridge School and Club in Bath. Together, they have taught and introduced many people to this wonderful game and started running weekends away for their students in 2009. This progressed to running bridge holidays and working on cruise ships as the bridge instructors.
James and Jane Tullett

James and Jane Tullett

Jane brings her organisational and interpersonal skills to the forefront to make an excellent hosting team with her husband James. James has been playing bridge for over 30 years and is regularly picked for his county. Jane and James have travelled extensively in recent years to explore exotic parts of the world, such as Peru, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
Anne Wright

Anne Wright

Anne is a host who works alongside our directors with the aim of ensuring that everyone enjoys their bridge holiday. She is friendly and approachable and enjoys her bridge, playing in several competitions near her home in Leicestershire. Anne is a qualified bridge director, and she looks forward to welcoming players of all standards.
Mark Hooper

Mark Hooper

Mark learned the basics of bridge in his early teens from his father, and later played informally at school. It wasn’t until university that he began playing regularly in clubs. Remarkably, Mark is entirely self-taught, having never taken formal lessons – instead learning through books and conversations with fellow enthusiasts. With over 50 years of experience at the bridge table, he has played continuously since university, including at EBU congress level and as part of his county team.
Maggie Pyner

Maggie Pyner

Maggie started learning bridge in 1980. She played with my future husband, John Pyner, at Congress level for several years and reached the level of Life Master – and will hopefully become a Premier Life Master.
Gary Conrad

Gary Conrad

Gary is a Senior EBU Panel Director, Chief Tournament Director for Hertfordshire, and a dedicated trainer for EBED.
Julia Brown

Julia Brown

Julia teaches bridge to beginners and runs a supervised play session once a week. It is important to her that people learn in a friendly, welcoming environment at the pace they feel happy with.
Ilona Buttinger

Ilona Buttinger

Ilona learnt to play bridge as a child round the kitchen table, but really started to adopt conventions during lockdown. She went on her first bridge holiday in March 2024, which was the Majorcan Congress.
Anna Blanchard

Anna Blanchard

Anna was born in the Netherlands but has lived in the UK since the early 70's. Like all other players, Anna has directed, as well as running committee functions at her local club. After all these years, she is still enjoying the game and forever learning.
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