I am writing to let you know about the two products arising from my principal endeavours during the last couple of years in case they are of interest and you might feel able to support me in making a purchase of one or both of them.
SIM BRIDGE enables the playing of the card game Bridge (normal pack of cards; four players: two against two), without the large slice of luck normally arising from whether or not one is dealt good cards and without needing to go to a club so that any location large enough is suitable. (Room for four players around a table - home, cafe, pub, some trains etc.) That is after playing a pre-prescribed Bridge deal as normal a booklet provides a Duplicate score, either Match-Pointed Pairs or IMP Pairs Butler Style, and an expert commentary by Britiah and Irish International Brian Senior that is constructive for the average club player to improve their game. There are 5 boxes available containing 48 deals in each. Two packs cards of with specially designed backs provide 24 deals each through a fairly easily learned dealing method and then they are available to use as normal packs of cards.
Further Information is available on the website including a guide to explaining why a non-Bridge player would want to buy SIM BRIDGE for a Bridge-playing friend and a guide to Duplicate for Rubber Bridge Players, including an explanation of the amendments to the scoring scheme and the main beneficial alterations to strategy neither of which is that major. Boxes A-C have 24 IMP Pairs Deals for a Teams Effect where the margin of victory/defeat is important, otherwise the deals are normal Match-Pointed Pairs, where each deal is of equal value.
So far The Chess and Bridge Shop, Euston Road have stock SIM BRIDGE, the Mail on Sunday and London Evening Standard have given it a free plug in their Bridge Columns and the English Bridge Union and BridgePlus have reviewed it positively in the reviews in their magazines. But marketing is not my area of expertise and times are hard. I have taken a big risk because I believe totally in the product, I would not hesitate to buy and play it myself, and I have benefitted greatly in designing and producing SIM BRIDGE by email through a company in India. I believe there is real potential to broaden and deepen the appeal of Bridge, particularly if those playing at home could be reached. The game itself is uniquely beneficial to health particularly in old age and has wide appeal in that after overcoming the initial steep threshhold of understanding it can be played comfortably between players of different standards. I commend to you SIM BRIDGE - please ask if you have any queries.
'The Arsenal of Grace' arose out of the preparation I did for the party I held at Highbury last year to celebrate what I say was my first 10 years of being a Christian. Afterwards I felt affirmed and that it would be good to record a full and proper review upon reaching such a landmark, primarily for my own benefit in writing it, but also since it may be of interest to others and to look back on in the years to come. I enclose a list of contents with the number of A4 pages for each topic alongside. You will see that much is written from a Christian perspective critical of evangelicalism in practice and to a much lesser degree in theory, but I believe there is plenty to interest anyone, atheists, agnostics, those of other religions et al. I particularly recommend the books that I review by printing out what are in my opinion their most important passages. I do hope some may feel led to read 'The Road Less Travelled', 'What is so amazing about Grace?' and 'Total Forgiveness' in their entirety and so most importantly engage with what the authors are saying not just take in the points made and move on virtually regardless. The most affirming compliments I have received were those who saw that what I had written in my critique of All Souls several years previously and my general outlook showed much consistency with the extracts from the books listed above. Two further chunks are my dissection of Male-Female Interaction (N.B. not love, sex or relationship) which I am entirely convinced by and my open sharing of my experience of the mental illness 'hypomania', which comes under the general umbrella 'manic depression' - I do feel that I am broadly on top of this serious illness and there could be much learned from my case by sufferers, carers and society in general; my recollection of my time in hospital 15 years later and the transcript of my speaking for 90 minutes into a tape when I was first ill may be of particular interest. I re-iterate that I am available any time, if I can be found, and am always ready to listen.
It is always difficult to ask for money, but the full price for each product would be 19.95. May I leave it to your discretion what you might feel led to contribute aware also of postage costs (2) as applicable. Please, please if you are interested to receive a box of SIM BRIDGE or 'The Arsenal of Grace' then absolutely do not let the cost prevent you, I am very willing to supply either of both 'gratis' no questions asked. However if you happen not to be financially challenged then please could you consider making a large contribution; it is not just the financial outlay I have made for both products, but also that I have not put a value on my time and what I otherwise could have earned during the last two years. So you would be supporting the cause of Bridge, Balanced Biblical Belief, male-female interaction, coping with mental illness and Grace in general, most of all that even if you think all I have written is tripe you have demonstrated a divine affirmation of my willingness to make myself vulnerable and in my opinion invited blessings in so doing. My suggestion is 30 to buy one box of SIM BRIDGE and a copy of 'The Arsenal of Grace and try to usefully dispose of the copy of SIM BRIDGE if you know nobody who plays the game; please fill in the form and return it to me - any amount enclosed by cheque will be aceptable, I will keep no record and be sure not to discriminate. I promise to use any money received wisely according to the causes listed above. I am always willing to offer a full refund, no questions asked upon return of any product not wanted or no longer required. The 'Arsenal of Grace' may well be produced as a CD Book so please indicate if you would prefer a computerised version of the book. (I would have a mild preference for sending out a written copy) For Christians I do believe that any donation should count as Christian giving, which I believe God intended to have a broad inclusive scope.
I hope that you are able to be advantaged by my last two years work and wish you safety, protection and blessings always.