I went on a walking holiday immediately after finishing my maths degree. I was the only one of the four who didn't play bridge. Carol (who is now my wife) told me this was antisocial. I became hooked on bridge, and gave up chess. Carol then told me I was antisocial because I played too much bridge.
I have a wonderful wife, two happy and successful grown-up sons, and four beautiful grandchildren. Nowadays my main physical activity is swimming. I no longer drive long distances or in the dark so most of my bridge is online. I cannot praise highly enough the contribution the Realbridge team have made to bridge.
I enjoyed my time as a maths teacher but I could always see myself at some stage using bridge to generate income. I programmed computers (the BBC Bridge Companion and the Saitek Pro Bridge Professor). My association with Pat Husband (who ran EBUTA - now EBTA) led to opportunities in writing. I have been privileged to write as co-author with such outstanding talents as Eric Crowhurst, the late Hugh Kelsey and Ron Klinger. I became an EBU director and worked hard at developing a suitably large stomach. The stomach has diminished after giving up tournament directing. What a coincidence!
I like organising things and particularly enjoy working with people, hence I spent almost as much time training club directors as actually directing for the EBU. I admire the large numbers of people who in the desire to help their club strive to cope with the seemingly obscure jargon of the law book: when it is explained that most of it corresponds to common sense and natural justice anyway they find it much easier. All aspiring players would benefit from knowing and understanding the laws also.
I have never let bridge dominate my life. For some time I worked with First for Bridge in running bridge holidays but it came to a halt with covid and afterwards I felt my age suggested it was time to call a halt. Since then I have travelled a lot, mainly in Europe.
I do have some fairly distinctive views about how people can improve their bridge. Huge numbers of players think they can improve their game by adding loads of conventions to their system. They rarely discuss the detail and potential hazards. I think most players would play better if they played NO conventions at all. By all means play lots of system if you enjoy it, but don't delude yourself it makes you better. Most people could improve their game hugely by improving their concentration, temperament and partnership psychology.
Ambition (totally unachievable): I would love to be able to sing without everybody present stopping and staring at me. I am naturally a classical musician but I have been taking my grandchildren to musicals and in my dreams I fancy myself as Jean Valjean or Javert.
Return as a: Ferret. Then I could properly deal with rabbits who so often sabotage me at the bridge table.
Job: Probably a barrister. I do a lot of tribunal work for the Citizens' Advice Bureau and find it very rewarding.
Holiday: I love places like the Lake District. However I find that inflation is a major problem. Every time I climb a mountain it is 500 feet higher than the previous time.
Admire: Nelson Mandela. Totally without bitterness after so many years of repression and injustice
Book: My last book was 'Yes Prime Minister' for the umpteenth time.
CD: Pointless really. Nothing in my car ever works! My favourite piece of music is Verdi's Requiem.
4 people: Brian Jones (Scientific Officer for British Intelligence Service), Dr David Kelly (Weapons adviser) , Greg Dyke (Ex director general of BBC), Robin Cook (ex foreign secretary). They could answer a lot of my questions on a certain topical war.
Ideal night out: A good concert
Few people know: I am really quite sane despite all appearances to the contrary.
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9 8 4 | ||||
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Q 10 | ||||
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A K Q 7 6 3 | ||||
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7 3 | ||||
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Q 10 2 | |
5 3 | ||
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K 9 3 2 | |
A J 7 | ||
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8 5 4 | |
J 10 9 2 | ||
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Q 5 2 | |
A J 6 4 | ||
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A K J 7 6 | ||||
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8 6 5 4 | ||||
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K 10 9 8 |
| South | West | North | East |
| 1 |
P | 2 |
P |
| 2 |
P | 4 |
P |
| P | P |
My disgusting spade game in a Nicko match had some life breathed into it when a club was led to A and a club was returned. I won K, ruffed a club, cashed the A K Q throwing three hearts and then I persevered with a fourth diamond, discarding my last heart. East tried to cash A but I ruffed, cashed A and led my last club. West could make his trump trick now or later.
Suppose instead of playing the fourth diamond I had returned to my hand with A and led a club. West ruffs with 10, enters East's hand with A and East's last diamond promotes a second trump trick for the defence. The diamond loser-on-loser play prevented the trump promotion.
Like many of my better plays (not to mention some that I failed to find at the table) this found its way into the Prize Play competition in English Bridge.
Last updated: April 2026
Tollemache Cup winner: 2007 and 2022