Born in 1960, I progressed through the usual run of school and university without attracting any major criticism to speak of. The nineteen-eighties found me at a bit of a loose end, and I took up bridge with some friends, one of whom I still play with when time permits. The area where I lived at the time was a bit of a hothouse of bridge talent, with many nationally-known names taking their first steps in and around Beckenham, Bromley and Farnborough. I then spent some time working in bridge clubs (St. John’s Wood, the London School of Bridge) both teaching and playing, but by the time the 90s rolled around I drifted into the real world, and worked for an IT company for about a decade. Then the new millennium brought a new direction, and I joined a barrister’s chambers, where I have enjoyed many titles despite basically doing the same job. I am currently Chief Operations Officer, but by the time you read this I could well be called something else altogether. I enjoy the job – every day is different. Not always in a good way, but that’s life.

It’s also over the last few years that I’ve got involved in bridge administration. As chairman of the Young Chelsea club in Earl’s Court I oversaw the transfer of the club from being privately-owned to being a members club, and then, with key associates, negotiated the extension of the lease so that the club had at least a short-term future. If I’ve achieved nothing else, when I stepped down the club was in a better situation in every way than it was when I took over, and I’m glad that decent people have continued to run it on a voluntary basis (not to downplay the efforts of the club manager, Gordon Rainsford, then as now crucial to the club’s success). I joined the London Committee a few years ago, and immediately made my mark as the most useless treasurer they’d had in recent history – at that stage I just hadn’t the time to make the necessary commitment to the job. I was tactfully moved sideways, and replaced by someone who actually got on with it. I’m now the chairman of London, primarily to try and see the county through a difficult couple of years and help to secure a future. Like most counties, the London committee is looking for volunteers. If you’re a London member and reading this, perhaps...?

I was asked to join the EBU Board earlier this year and was delighted to accept. My first responsibility was to be in the area of education, but Sally Bugden has taken that portfolio, very dear to her, under her wing, and I have joined the Tournament Committee, which I rather imagine will be interesting. Tournaments are what a great many bridge players live for, so the duty of the Tournament Committee to do the right thing by the members is  crucial. Apart from Mike Hill and the Dhondys I didn’t know anybody on the board before I sat down at the meeting table with them, but in a short time I’ve been impressed by the commitment all the board members bring to bear on a wide variety of matters. As we all know, we are living in interesting times economically – bringing bridge to the members in a manner that they enjoy and in a way that they can afford is a major challenge for the next few years.

Outside bridge I have several interests, none of which involve much by way of moving around (membership of the gym, though long-standing and expensive, does not equate to actual attendance). Crosswords, “Golden Age” crime fiction, old movies, going to pub quizzes (or indeed going to the pub full stop) account for my time when I’m not doing anything else. I live in Fulham with my partner, Anne (we got engaged in 2011) and our cat. The cat tolerates me with an admirable stoicism, although sometimes I rather fancy she wonders why.