Play Your Cards Right at the Copeland Centre, Bretton

A lively morning at the Copeland Centre saw residents enjoying Play Your Cards Right, birthday celebrations and a fun quiz — all wrapped in the warm community spirit that makes these Monday gatherings so special.

Play Your Cards Right at the Copeland Centre, Bretton

It had been a little while since I last managed to drop in on the Monday Coffee Morning at the Copeland Centre in Bretton, and once again the visit brought a welcome surprise. The hall was full, with around forty people gathered, and group leader Ena Mckinsley opened the morning by welcoming everyone with her usual warmth. She announced that one of the ladies was celebrating her birthday, and the room erupted into clapping, cheers and good wishes from all corners, a lovely moment of shared joy.

The Copeland Centre is always full of surprises

The Copeland Centre always offers a wide mix of entertainment, and today’s highlight was “Play Your Cards Right”, centred around a large card display board made and kindly donated by local councillor John R. Bolton, who continues to be a strong supporter of the local community, helping them resolve problems and come together.

People enjoying a higher‑or‑lower card game at the Copeland Centre coffee morning.

Ena laid out two rows of cards on the board and began calling out numbers from the tickets she had handed out earlier. Each time a number was called, the person holding that ticket shouted out excitedly and stepped into the game. Their challenge was simple but tense: guess whether the next hidden card was higher or lower than the one showing. If they guessed wrong, the chance passed to the next person called, but if they kept guessing correctly all the way to the final card in the row, they won a prize.

A room full of happy people enjoying themselves

The room was alive with laughter, gasps, oohs and aahs as each card was revealed. It was a wonderfully engaging game, and the cheers for each winner showed just how much everyone enjoyed seeing their neighbours succeed.

And the fun didn’t stop there. After the card game, Ena handed out sheets for a nine‑question birthday quiz, each with three possible answers. I won’t reveal how well I did; let’s just say I’ll try again next time, but it added another layer of friendly competition and plenty of smiles.

All in all, it was another uplifting Monday at the Copeland Centre, full of camaraderie, shared enjoyment, and the kind of community spirit that makes these gatherings so special. I’ll certainly be back again soon to see what other surprises await.