Frances resisted taking up bridge for many years, having been brought up in a household where arguments about the game were the norm. However, when her children started school, she attended a beginners course at the Acol with a friend and , six weeks later, was hooked.
She started playing in weekend congresses in 2000 with Sue Grant and they were runners-up in their category at their first attempt.
Her first trophy was in 2005 in a Middx teams event. The next was the Two Stars Autumn Congress in 2008 with Dom Goodwin , also coming 3rd in the teams event that year, and in 2009 she won the London Year End Mixed Pairs with Philip Town. She plays on a regular basis in club duplicates with Philip and their results are usually in inverse proportion to the volume of alcohol consumed.
Frances' husband remains unconvinced that bridge is worth learning but her children, both in their mid 20's have learned to play. One has become an addict and has taken his first steps into Gentle Duplicate. They also play a mean game of Mah Jong , having learned at an early age to give no quarter either to their parents or their ultra-competitive Chinese aunties.
Frances started partnering Belinda Bridgen on a regular basis about 3 years ago and they were runners up in the 2011 Middx Ladies Pairs before qualifying for the Lady Milne which they entered "for a lark".
When Frances is not playing or teaching bridge, she sings 2nd Alto in the Barts Hospital Choir and enjoys making jams, chutneys, cordials and wine. Maj Jong has taken something of a back seat to bridge but she still enjoys a game when visiting her husband's family in Kuala Lumpur.
Updated: October 2013
Lady Milne Trophy Selections: 2012
Autumn Congress Two Stars Pairs Winner: 2008