WBU Masterpoints

Here are a few things we have been able to establish about the WBU masterpoints scheme. Many thanks to Noelle Bond who supplied most of these.

Early records

The earliest MP listing Noelle has is typed and dated 13th May 1962. The first 7 entries are:

		Master points	Local points
LIFE MASTER - 300 MASTER POINTS.
1.	Mr Paul Spurway - Cardiff	457	70
NATIONAL MASTERS - 150 MASTER POINTS
1.	Mr J Hockey - Cardiff	294	22
2.	Dr J Butler - Cardiff	248	50
3.	Mr G Needham - Cardiff	246	67
4.	Mr G Fox - Cardiff	239	82
5.	Mr S Reed - Cardiff	174	73
6.	Mrs P Spickett - Cardiff/Newport	156	34

The first time the masterpoint listing appeared in the annual competitions brochure was in 1968. The list, dated 31st May 1968, now includes 302 members and there are 12 Life Masters:

		Club	Master points	Local points
1.	Dr. J. Butler	Cardiff	436	30
2.	Mr. S. Reed	Cardiff	402	37
3.	Mr. J. Hockey	Swansea	384	51
4.	Mrs. B. Williams	Cardiff	383	35
5.	Mr. G. Needham	Cardiff	380	71
6.	Mr. G. Fox	Cardiff	360	48
7.	Mrs. M. Fletcher	Cardiff	338	66
8.	Mr. C. Samuels	Cardiff	323	25
9.	Mr. B. Clowes	Cardiff	318	84
10.	Mr. L. R. Griffin	Swansea	317	58
11.	Mrs. J. S. Spickett	Cardiff	312	94
12.	Mr. R. V. Bevan	Swansea	300	10

The 22 National Masters include David Hamilton, Jessie Newton, Patrick Jourdain, Max Powell and Colin Smith.

Grand Masters

Patrick Jourdain was the first to reach the rank of Grand Master, on 29/4/77. The first dozen to achieve this honour were these:

Patrick Jourdain	29/4/77
John Hockey	8/3/78
Stanley Reed	22/5/78
David Hamilton	8/2/79
Mike Hirst	27/4/80
Max Powell	30/10/81
Robert Upton & John Salisbury	16/5/84
Alan Pierce	28/4/85
Jessie Newton	9/4/86
Gerry Needham	26/5/86
Tony Casey	22/1/89

The 2006 list has 37 Grand Masters, headed by Patrick Jourdain with 5236 master points, and about 90 Life Masters!

Masterpoint Secretaries

There seem to have been only five holders of this arduous and much-appreciated post.

1954 Margery Kirk (later to be Margery Greenwood)
1962 Mr A P Bartlett
1965 June Lucas
1973 Barbara Cornish
1992 Noelle Bond