Sandra Landy

1938 - 2017

Sandra Landy was born 19/06/38 at Croydon Surrey
One sister June who lives on Shoreham Beach in Sussex. We see each other quite often now, but I thought she was the most dreadful sister anybody could have when she was small, because she was mother's pet!
Husband Peter. Married in 1967 and met at the bridge club in Hove. Peter died in 2005 and I still miss him very much.
Two Children - Joanna born 09/11/68 married to Alistair Martindale. One child Alexander born 25/12/99
Richard born 25/10/70 partner Emily Two children Olivia born 24/4/01 and Pippa born 20/7/03
For more than 50 years I lived in Hove in Sussex, but in 1997 I moved to Watermead, a modern village just outside Aylesbury. However, I have recently moved back to Hove.
I went to Hove County Grammar School for Girls which used to have girls from all over Sussex, but its now called Hove Park School and only for locals.
I read Maths at Oxford University and was the first female to play for the University team.
I then went to Cambridge to take University Post Graduate Diploma in Numerical Analysis and Automatic Computing. Here I met Peter Swinnerton Dyer, who is the only bridge player I really listened to. I played in the Varsity match again, this time for Cambridge.
Took up teaching at what became Brighton University. Finished in charge of our Information Systems Division, having taught just about every computing topic along the way, including some I knew nothing about!
Took early retirement to move to the EBU and develop Bridge for All. Enjoyed meeting loads of teachers and providing them with worthwhile materials. Now I am retired I still do lots of teaching and writing. I give seminars all round the country and that lets me catch up with many old friends.
My parents played at County level, and I learned by watching them. We used to have some good players visit the house like Freddie North. He hated playing rubber with friends for 3d per 100 as he only wanted good cards when playing in the £1 game.

Took up playing age 17 when my mother died and father didn't have a partner. Liked bridge because I didn't have to run round in silly shorts in the freezing weather and I hated being the last one chosen for the team. I was naturally good at bridge and have never had a lesson in my life, except from irate partners.
There was a splendid hand from the last European I played ( Malta 1999) against Austria , where I knew the K was in dummy so I led the J from AQJxx. Dummy had K but declarer played low. We now beat an absolutely cold game.
I like reading fiction. Nothing too serious but I hate 'funny' books, they never make me laugh.
Now I have retired I have become a Parish Councillor in my village and I produce the village newsletter. In 2004, we won the NALC Council Newsletter of the Year award and I was presented with the trophy at their annual conference in Cardiff . It was just as exciting as winning the world championship and I was followed by more than 40 Welshmen singing Men of Harlech - Wow!

Sandra received the Diamond Award in January 2016 in recognition of her excellence and success over a sustained period for England's international teams.

Read Sandra's A Day in the Life of... - February 2011

Letter from WBF President Gianarrigo Rona, expressing his condolences
Daily Telegraph obituary

From Mike Amos

    "I was really sad to see Sandra’s picture on the front page of the EBU website this afternoon announcing her death. The first time I ever came across Sandra was in 1981 in the European Championships. I was a spectator in a match between Great Britain and Republic of Ireland. Sandra held a powerful hand with ten red cards, but her Hearts were Jxxx. Somehow she arranged her hand in such a way that the DQ was mixed with her hearts. Sandra showed her “5—5” red hand and on the next round doubled to show her extra strength. About this time she realized that the DQ was not in its rightful place and picked it up and moved it five spaces to the left. The other three players at the tables were completely confused that twenty or thirty kibitzers sitting behind Sandra collapsed in hopeless giggles. Somehow Sandra seemed to escape without too much damage in a very dubious fit.
    Sandra was always great fun. She was enormously generous of her time when it came to helping new players and especially Juniors. She was strongly supportive of attempts to develop a Junior Women’s Squad and I for one am very sad that she is no longer with us. Her contribution to the educational work of the EBU and the BBL cannot be overvalued."

Major International Appearances

Women's European Championships: 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975* 1977 1979* 1981* 1983 1985 1987 1989 1993 1995 1997* 1999*
Venice Cup: 1976 1981* 1985* 1995 1997 and 2000
Women's World Olympiad: 1976 1980 1984 1988 and 1992

* = 1st place

Camrose Trophy selections: 1977 and 1985

Lady Milne selections: 1971 1975 1977 1982 1985 1986 1988 1990 1991 1992 and 1995

Gold Cup winner: 1984

Crockfords winner:1976

Spring Foursomes winner: 1991

Brighton Four Stars Teams winner: 1983

Autumn Congress Two Stars Pairs Winner: 1990

The Hubert Phillips Bowl Winner: 1994