As many of you will already know, Martyn has been planning on moving up to the Lake District for some time. Well it has finally happened and he is now living in Kendall. His email address is unchanged - martyn@orpheusmail.co.uk - but his tel no has obviously changed. If anybody would like to know it then please contact me and I will pass it on.
In addition to being a stalwart of Newcastle Chess Club, Martyn did an awful lot for chess in North Staffs in general. The Newcastle Mini Congress, the Rapidplay Jamboree, the NSDCA Doubles - none of these would have happened without the commitment, enthusiasm and hard work of Martyn. The annual slog of producing the League and Cup fixtures is a thankless task that he always performed admirably and he will be a hard act for his successor to follow. I'm sure that he will be sorely missed at both Newcastle and throughout the wider North Staffs chess community.
No doubt those of you who are regulars on the Congress circuit will continue to cross paths with him as I can't imagine that he will stop playing.
Anyway, as this is now beginning to sound like an obituary, I would just like to finish by thanking him, on behalf of everybody connected with the NSDCA, for all of his efforts over the years, and to wish him a very Happy Christmas in his new home and all the very best for the future.
