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Plan ahead for an unbeatable bridge experience! View all 2026 Holidays

Ilona Buttinger

8 tours from £365pp

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Holidays

Expert Overview

Ilona lives in Harrow, north London but grew up in south London. She has eight siblings and her parents are Dutch.

She was a primary school teacher mostly working in west London. She 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.

Her favourite hotel is the French chateau in Annecy because, well, it’s a chateau! Her favourite destination so far is Crete. She enjoy's travelling, cooking and diy. Ilona says her most memorable experience was once flying a spitfire!

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8 Holidays available from £365pp

Bridge in Torquay, the TLH Toorak Hotel
Premier Bridge
Bridge in Torquay, the TLH Toorak Hotel

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:

  • 2026 23rd March 4th May 19th October
  • 2027 22nd March 3rd May 18th October
Travel
  • Join Direct

5 days from £365pp £730 for 2 people

Pay only £150pp deposit today

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Play Bridge & Explore the River Thames & Windsor Castle
Play & Explore
New Tour
Play Bridge & Explore the River Thames & Windsor Castle

On this springtime bridge holiday based in Oxfordshire, you'll cruise through the scenic 'Wind in the Willows' country and visit Windsor Castle.

  • Services of our friendly hosts
  • Relaxed bridge sessions with Masterpoints and prizes awarded
  • 1 seminar
  • 4 nights half-board accommodation
  • Welcome drink
  • Excursions, visits and coach travel as described in the itinerary
  • Excursions
    Included
  • Half
    Board

Availability:

  • 2026 5th April 19th April
Travel
  • Join Direct

5 days from £699pp £1,398 for 2 people

Pay only £150pp deposit today

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Bridge in Barnstaple at the Royal & Fortescue Hotel
Premier Bridge
New Tour
Bridge in Barnstaple at the Royal & Fortescue Hotel

Staying at the Royal & Fortescue Hotel in the historic town of Barnstaple, North Devon, you'll enjoy a wonderful, summer bridge holiday.

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

Availability:

  • 2026 15th June
Travel
  • Join Direct

5 days from £585pp £1,170 for 2 people

Pay only £150pp deposit today

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Bridge, Norfolk Broads & Sandringham
Premier Bridge
Bridge, Norfolk Broads & Sandringham

From the Sprowston Manor, Golf & Country Club, play bridge and visit Sandringham, ride the Bure Valley Railway and cruise the Norfolk Broads.

  • Services of an EBU-qualified director and friendly hosts
  • Varied bridge sessions with Masterpoints and prizes awarded
  • 1 morning seminar
  • 5 nights half-board accommodation
  • Welcome drink
  • Excursions, visits and coach travel as described in the itinerary
  • Complimentary car parking
  • Excursions
    Included
  • Half
    Board

Availability:

  • 2026 5th July
  • 2027 4th July
Travel
  • Join Direct

6 days from £855pp £1,710 for 2 people

Pay only £150pp deposit today

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Play Bridge & Improve with the Picturesque Cotswolds
Play & Improve
New Tour
Play Bridge & Improve with the Picturesque Cotswolds

On this Play & Improve holiday, alongside a learning programme of bridge, enjoy an included visit to Sudeley Castle and a railway ride.

  • Services of a friendly director and hosts
  • Interactive seminars and set learning hands
  • 4 nights half-board accommodation
  • Welcome drink
  • Excursion, visits and coach travel as described in the itinerary
  • Excursions
    Included
  • Half
    Board

Availability:

  • 2026 10th August
Travel
  • Join Direct

5 days from £525pp £1,050 for 2 people

Pay only £150pp deposit today

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Play Bridge & Explore the Lake District
Play & Explore
New Tour
Play Bridge & Explore the Lake District

Staying at the luxury 4-star Grange Hotel, combine relaxed bridge with the delight of exploring the beautiful Lake District National Park.

  • Services of our friendly hosts
  • Relaxed bridge sessions and a seminar
  • Masterpoints and prizes awarded
  • 4 nights half-board accommodation
  • Welcome drink
  • Excursions and visits with coach travel as described in the itinerary
  • Excursions
    Included
  • New
    Venue
  • Half
    Board

Availability:

  • 2026 14th September
Travel
  • Join Direct

5 days from £735pp £1,470 for 2 people

Pay only £150pp deposit today

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Bridge in Sicily at the Acacia Resort
Premier Bridge
Bridge in Sicily at the Acacia Resort

Staying at the lovely Acacia Marina resort, enjoy the beautiful gardens and a short level walk along the seafront promenade.

  • Services of an EBU-qualified director and friendly hosts
  • Varied bridge sessions with Masterpoints and prizes awarded
  • 7 nights half-board accommodation in your chosen hotel of either Acacia Marina or Acacia Palace
  • Excursions, visits and coach travel as described in the itinerary
  • Excursions
    Included
  • Half
    Board

Availability:

  • 2026 7th October
Travel
  • By Air
  • Join Direct

8 days from £1,315pp £2,630 for 2 people

Pay only £500pp deposit today

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Play Bridge & Improve in Malta & Gozo
Play & Improve
New Tour
Play Bridge & Improve in Malta & Gozo

Join us for a Play & Improve holiday on the island of Malta, with an included learning programme of bridge and a visit to stunning Gozo.

  • Services of a friendly director and hosts
  • Daily seminar and learning boards each evening
  • Return transfers between Malta Luqa Airport and the hotel
  • 10 nights all-inclusive accommodation
  • Welcome drink
  • Excursion and visits as described in the itinerary
  • Local tourist tax
  • All
    Inclusive
  • Excursions
    Included

Availability:

  • 2026 18th November
Travel
  • By Air
  • Join Direct

11 days from £995pp £1,990 for 2 people

Pay only £500pp deposit today

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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Gary Conrad

Gary Conrad

Gary is a Senior EBU Panel Director, Chief Tournament Director for Hertfordshire, and a dedicated trainer for EBED.
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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.
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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.
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Hilary and David Powell

Hilary and David Powell

Married for over 50 years, Hilary and David are bridge duo with a shared love for the game and a passion for creating memorable holidays. Welcoming, approachable, and always ready with a smile, the couple are dedicated to making your bridge holiday as enjoyable and memorable as possible.
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Gary and Lesley Conrad

Gary and Lesley Conrad

Gary is a Senior EBU Panel Director and Chief Tournament Director for Hertfordshire. He’s also a trainer for EBED, having helped over 200 players gain the skills to direct bridge in their own clubs. Lesley is the team’s social expert, always on hand to support solo travellers, keep the bridge room beautifully prepared, and handle all scoring and hand preparation.
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Chris and Linda Benneworth

Chris and Linda Benneworth

Chris learned bridge from his mother at the age of nine, first playing Nottingham Club before moving to Acol at university and has been directing at his club since the mid-1980s. Linda started playing bridge at college, after growing up with family card games, and went on to become a county-qualified tournament director and bridge host in the mid-1990s.
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