James Vickers

I was taught bridge by my parents from about the age of seven. We used to play as a family in the evenings, particularly on holiday in the caravan, but I’m the only one of the brothers who still plays. In 1978 I started at Reading School where we had a bridge club, and played regularly at lunchtimes as well.

In 1985 I went to Manchester University to study pharmacology, and joined the Bridge Club in freshers’ week. I took to heart advice given to new students on how to build up an impressive CV by becoming president of a society or club by first volunteering for a stint in the least popular job on the committee. I was elected unopposed as tournament director, and thus my directing career began. All I knew at the time was how to matchpoint a traveller and run a Mitchell movement. An understanding of rules, regulations, ethics and more complex movements and scoring was acquired later. I only survived in the job because no one else knew any better.

I gained a lot of playing experience at Manchester – and later at Nottingham University – playing in the local teams leagues, and I took the Club Directors’ Training Course around this time. I then moved to Germany for a while, first of all to Erfurt in the former communist East where bridge was unknown, then spent two years in Darmstadt where I joined a vibrant bridge club that had a number of expert players who were happy to discuss hands over beer and pizza in the pub after the weekly game.

I returned to the UK in 2001 where I took up a post at Wolverhampton University as a lecturer teaching haematology on the Biomedical Science course. As I realised by now I was never going to be an expert bridge player, I looked into developing my skills as a director. I took the County Directors’ course, did well in the assessments and applied to join the TD panel in 2005.

I’ve been an active EBU TD ever since, working my way slowly and reluctantly through the ranks, directing a few regional and national tournaments every year, and training EBU club TDs. I still enjoy playing in the county and inter-county leagues, and the Tollemache, Corwen and other tournaments when I am fortunate enough to qualify or be picked for the team. I am a regular reader of – and occasional contributor to – online discussion forums such as Bridgewinners and the BBO and EBU forums.