I was born in 1953 in Wiltshire. I started playing bridge with my parents when I was 14. It was only social rubber bridge but they were quite keen, and I guess I played a couple of times a week with them when I was in the sixth form. Then I went to Nottingham University, joined the bridge club there and subsequently married Tony Sowter. The bridge flourished and I played in my first Lady Milne, with Sally Eggett, in 1976, heavily pregnant with my son Ben.

I played in my first European Championship in 1979 with Sandra Landy, which we won. And we won again in 1981 and also the Venice Cup that year.

Round about then my marriage broke up and in December 1981 I married Mark Horton. The British women won the world championship again in 1985. The Landy/Horton bridge partnership broke up in 1987 and I started playing with Steve Lodge. We got very close to making the open team but not quite close enough. In 1991 my marriage again finished and in 1993 I married Raymond Brock. At that time I gave up any interest in international bridge to have two children, but started playing again in 2000 - in the mixed teams in Maastricht with Jason Hackett. I formed a partnership with Margaret Courtney and we won the European Championship in 2001 in Tenerife .

It would be good to win another European Championship and I have never won an Olympiad a silver medal in Seattle in 1984 was the best we've done.

Favourite pastimes at the moment are going on holiday with the children - when I can give them my undivided attention. They are quite well travelled, having been to South Africa and New York , as well as France , Amsterdam , Tenerife and Malta . Of course, they hate it when I'm away but Raymond copes very well - though they do get a lot of fish & chips.

I am never very good at thinking of hands, but one of my most famous was in the Venice Cup in 1981.

NS Game; Dealer North
					Q 8 4
					K 10 5
					A K Q 9 7 2
					4
	2						A J 5
	8 7 6						A J 9 3
	J 8						10 6 4 3
	A Q 9 7 6 5 2						10 3
					K 10 9 7 6 3
					Q 4 2
					5
					K J 8

West	North	East	South
	1	Pass	1
Pass	3	Pass	3
4	4	All Pass

West led the seven of hearts which ran to the queen. At trick two I started cashing diamond and discarded hearts. West ruffed the third round with the two of spades and continued with a second heart. I ruffed and exited with the king of clubs (because I couldn't afford East to get in and play trumps). West won and played another heart which I ruffed. I now ruffed a club and ruffed a diamond with the ten of spades (important play) to leave this position:

					Q 8
					-
					9 7
					-
	-						A J 5
	-						3
	-						-
	Q 7 6 5						-
					K 9 7
					-
					-
					J

I ruffed my last club with the queen of spades and East could make no more than one trick. In practice she overruffed and returned a trump but I could win in dummy with the eight and play a diamond through her at trick twelve. If she had discarded instead. I would simply have played the eight of trumps myself