Planning Moves Around the Pandemic: Conducting Bridge Research During the Chaos of Covid-19

Abstract

First paragraph: The potentials of a sociological study into experiences of learning and playing bridge stemmed from my longing to understand forgotten public spaces. By researching this niche leisure activity, the project could capture insights into community involvement, civic engagement and intergenerationality. Problematically, I had never played bridge; let alone visited a club. Still, my unfamiliarity could be an advantage. After taking lessons, I felt that rapport could be fostered from a shared sense of failure, learning, perseverance and resilience. My ambition to explore bridge, watching the regulars return and play through the boards, in its accustomed setting, grew as I began to get a feel for the game. Unfortunately, with the Covid-19 outbreak almost all areas of public life experienced restrictions. This included the public space of bridge clubs, closing their doors to players and this researcher.