Born: Colchester , June 1949

Educated: Sevenoaks School and Pembroke College , Cambridge .

I first encountered Bridge during one of our sixth form lunchtime card schools when a mate suggested we try it because he'd seen his parents play. When we asked what was needed to play it we got the answer "three people and a dummy".

I rapidly fell in love with the game and studied it fanatically but didn't play seriously until I met up with a bunch of players from Essex University, including one David Stevenson (of Laws and Ethics fame), whilst I was at Cambridge. Eventually I formed the first of my several serious partnerships with Christopher Duckworth and we played the Common Market and European Championships together in 1983.

Chris retired from Bridge around 1987 and I subsequently played for a while with David Burn, Peter Czerniewski, the late Lionel Wright and Tom Townsend enjoying regular major domestic success with each of them and playing Camrose with all bar Lionel. All of this took place whilst enjoying a successful career in the insurance industry from which I have now retired and for the past few years have mixed professional bridge play with consultancy work and, latterly, investment research. My latest partnership, with Colin Simpson, is proving to be perhaps the most successful of all given our result in the European Championships in Malmo . The Bermuda Bowl in Estoril will be the highlight of my bridge career.

I have a wonderful wife, Jenny, who is fully supportive of my bridge activities, three cats and a beautiful Golden Retriever puppy. When time permits I love to cook, play guitar and listen to music.