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Ilona Buttinger

6 tours from £365pp

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!

6 Holidays available from £365pp

Premier Bridge
New Tour

Enjoy a wonderful location just a few minutes from the beach and seafront of Bournemouth on this delightful bridge break.

  • 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
  • Complimentary car parking
  • Half
    Board

Availability:

  • 2025 6th October
Travel
  • Join Direct
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

On this yuletide bridge holiday in Oxfordshire, welcome in the festive season with visits to Blenheim Palace and Windsor Castle.

  • 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
  • Excursions and visits with coach travel as described in the itinerary
  • Excursions
    Included
  • Half
    Board

Availability:

  • 2025 30th November
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
Play Bridge & Explore
New Tour

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
Play Bridge & Explore

Experience ultimate relaxation at the popular and charming Château des Comtes de Challes, set within truly beautiful surroundings.

  • Services of our friendly hosts
  • Relaxed bridge sessions and interactive seminars
  • Masterpoints and prizes awarded
  • 7 nights half-board accommodation
  • Fine wine with dinner
  • Excursions and visits as described in the itinerary
  • Coach travel for excursions
  • All local taxes and porterage
  • Excursions
    Included
  • Drinks
    Package
  • Half
    Board

Availability:

  • 2026 7th June
Travel
  • By Air
  • 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Gary Conrad

Gary Conrad

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

Michael Green

Originally from Hertfordshire, Michael began his bridge journey at just 15-years-old while attending Welwyn Garden City Grammar School – and he’s never looked back! Now, with over 60 years of experience at the table, he brings a wealth of knowledge and a true passion for the game to every event.
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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