I was fascinated by chess and card games as a schoolboy and, though I knew no-one who played bridge, decided that was 'the' card game. I bought a copy of Bridge For Beginners (Nico Gardener & Victor Mollo) from a sweetshop, initially refusing to believe dummy took no part in the play.
Later an enlightened teacher added bridge to sixth-form games and, with three teammates from school, I competed in a local league. University saw more teams bridge, though principally for social reasons and, after leaving, that was my motivation for joining the local bridge club. With varying levels of intensity, I've played ever since.
I have written the bridge column for the East Anglian Daily Times since 1988, mainly reporting interesting deals from local and other events. Since 2010 I've taught at my local club, convinced it is the responsibility of bridge clubs themselves to bring new players to the game. I administer some bridge-related websites to keep my technical hand in but away from the game I enjoy motorcycle touring, read widely and am interested in cinema and natural history.
I've had a few places in English national events but only managed to reach the winners' circle in Scotland, for the 2017 Winter Fours.