It was, with great sadness, that we learnt from Mayfield Bridge Club of the sudden death of Tim Cook on Thursday 21st February 2019. He and his wife, Ann, had recently returned from the cruise of a lifetime aboard the QE2 to Perth followed by an extended stay with family. Ann reported that Tim had experienced some recent heart problems, first diagnosed at the beginning of 2014, when he went down with pneumonia. He had also collapsed on Rye golf course in May 2017. A relatively recent change in medication appeared to alleviate the situation and offer encouragement. On Thursday afternoon, however, he suffered a cardiac arrest at home and although stabilised by the emergency service and rushed to St George’s, he suffered a further arrest on arrival. Sadly, despite the best efforts of the staff there, he passed away shortly afterwards. Adrian Patrick – Mayfield Bridge Club Chairman writes; Tim was very strong bridge player – one to be respected and feared! He was a loyal and valued member of the Mayfield for many years and served on the Committee since 2013. He was a Tower of Strength and he played a major role in reviewing Disciplinary Procedures and producing the new Club Constitution in 2015. Tim embraced the New Technology and was responsible for producing our Duplimated hands in recent years. He edited the Mayfield Newsletter including the last issue on returning from Australia with his own anecdotes from the trip – playing bridge with lesser mortals. Tim was the “go-to” person to discuss difficult hands; whether in the bidding or the play. Tim also served the Surrey County Bridge Association well over a number of years, becoming its President in 1998. Dave Norman, Club Captain, adds: Tim and I first played together in late 2014 and soon found that we shared both a good understanding of one another's styles as well as a dry sense of humour. After a handful of games we were playing to a decent standard, largely because Tim impressed on me the need to play solid pairs bridge before looking aggressively for "tops". He reintroduced me to national competitions when we played in the Brighton Swiss Pairs in 2015, staying in the top 30 throughout, and ending 20th out of nearly 300; if I hadn't butchered a hand in the last match, we'd have been 9th! His poor health unfortunately restricted further opportunities. In our four years playing at Mayfield we won the Liz Phillips Cup, the Teams Cup, the Open Swiss Pairs, and (for Mayfield) the Wanborough Cup. We always respected each other's view, and never fell out over any differences - only learning by them. It was a privilege to have played bridge with Tim and to have counted him as a friend. Roger Morton adds: I first met Tim when I re-joined Mayfield BC towards the end of the 1990’s. We soon formed a fairly regular Club partnership. We had some modest success, winning the Norman Cup (our Club Pairs Championship) in 2005 and 2008. To echo our Club Captain’s comments above, Tim was a strong partner e.g. he won our 2014/2015 Mayfield Cup for the best member performance over the whole year. Probably his most notable result, however, was winning the 1998 Surrey County Teams Championship (the Lady Rose Cup) with Mike Ellis, Bob McMurray & Ian Fraser. Tim had also featured in two winning ‘Wanborough Cup’ County Club Teams Championships representing Mayfield in 2011 and 2016. Tim and I had many things in common. When we were a lot younger, we had both started our Club bridge in the Midlands at the Stafford BC. We both played Golf and we entered the Surrey County Bridge/Golf tournament at Hindhead a couple of times. As a young man, Tim had joined my own club on Epsom Downs, but latterly, he had moved to Tyrrells Wood and then to Rye before ill health forced retirement from the game. Tim’s golf standard, hovering just above a single figure handicap, was a lot better than mine! Coincidentally, our families had crossed paths many years ago. Tim started his career with Coutts Bank having first been interviewed by my future father in law, Dick Robertson who was a senior Coutts executive at the time and later, President of Ashtead Cricket Club. Allegedly, they just discussed sports over a cup of coffee. Tim got the job! Tim joined me on the panel of Bridge Lecturers for Fred Olsen Cruises in 2003. This involved hosting the bridge activity on one or two cruises per year. I have fond memories of one assignment when we were together on the same ship with our wives Ann & Jean, this time sailing to the Canaries on ‘The Black Prince’. We were supposed to be helping Olsen to recruit more bridge players to their Cruise holidays! Ann recalls one notable afternoon on this cruise, the same day that England won the Rugby World Cup Final. “We were crossing the Bay of Biscay in a gale and Tim took the Bridge lesson. He was hanging on to the flip chart with one hand and a nearby railing in the other with his assistant (me) supplying regular updates of the score.” It’s a tale that he often used to tell. I will miss Tim both as a Bridge player and a friend. My thoughts are with Ann and the Family at this sad time

 

Mayfield Club reports the sad news that John Frosztega died on 18th Jan. 2019. Peter Lee Reports; “John played for the Sussex county team for years. I don't know his full list of bridge successes but a major one was winning the Gold Cup in 2003 in my team. My team started as a team of six (me with Bob Rowlands - a Mayfield member for many years, Sean O'Neill and Tony Lunn - also members, and Frances Hinden and Jeffrey Allerton - not members). Tony unfortunately died part way through, and John Frosztega was called in as a substitute to play with Sean. Sean and John did well, particularly in the final when Bob was not well and only played a limited number of boards. He was married, to Margaret, and worked as a government statistician though had long since retired. He played a number of times at the Mayfield, with Roger Morton and Sean O’Neill.” Gerry Stanford (on the Sussex County website) writes; “I first played with and against John at the Horsham Bridge Club in the early 80's. Over many years, John was able to play at the highest level. Among his earliest successes was reaching the final of the EBU Spring Fours as the undefeated team along with his preferred partner of many years, Ian Lancaster. Also, on several occasions, John and Ian reached the final weekend of the Gold Cup. John represented SCCBA for many years as part of our Tollemache team and latterly helped a Surrey team to win the Gold Cup. John moved to Harrogate last year to be nearer family and our thoughts are with Margaret and family at this sad time” Roger Morton adds; “John was a formidable player. He taught me a lot! He joined Mayfield BC some twenty years ago. He and I had built a fairly serious partnership. We played in various Club events and we won the 2003 Norman Cup (Club Pairs Championship). We later entered the EBU Camrose Senior Team Trials in 2012 at Solihull. (We did not do ourselves justice, however, as John and a team mate were both ill over the weekend!)”

 

Roger Morton of Mayfield Bridge Club writes ..... Mayfield Bridge Club is very sad to report the death of John Timberlake. He was taken into hospital in the early hours of Tuesday morning, 30th January 2018. He passed away the following Friday evening. Our thoughts are with Sylvia and their sons Peter, Mark and Michael John served the Mayfield Duplicate Bridge Club loyally as Chairman for 20 years, retiring in 2004. He steered the Club through its transition from ‘Proprietary’ to ‘Members Club’ status in 1984. John was a very accomplished player, winning many Mayfield BC Cup competitions over the years, usually in partnership with his wife Sylvia. He reached the lifetime rank of Premier Life Master. Nationally, John won the 1992 Senior Swiss Teams Championship playing with Sylvia, Geoff Cronin, and Mike Cashman. Reminiscing with John about ‘the old days’ a few years ago, he summarized his own bridge history in an email to me as follows; “I learnt bridge in 1939 when my parents (living in Garratts Lane Banstead) had a regular Sat night game in the blackout with me partnering a chap called Hal Smyth. It taught me the rudiments of bidding and card play. Other friends that my parents played with were Bert & Kath Coward, Dudley & Phil Freshwater, and Charles (who lived in Winkworth Road). Dicky Phillips played with Lundie Rees then and they were livid when pipped out of winning the County Pairs by my parents around 1948. When I got to Cambridge, after school and two years in the Army, I joined the University Bridge Club and was very fortunate to have two Camrose players in the same college (Trinity) - Peter Swinnerton-Dyer, a don, and Julian Beale (younger brother of Martin of Scicon fame). They taught me Vienna for disciplined bidding and later Acol, and I played against Oxford twice, being the President in my last year. After that it was work, marriage and 3 kids, and Iran until 1979. I'd taught Sylvia to play (and she was a natural) and she began duplicate in 1975 at the American Women's Club in Tehran with another wife and she won first time out. Returning after the Revolution, and back in Cheam, I joined the London Duplicate Club and met Alan Bailey and, also wanting a local club, I phoned Dicky who said ‘the Mayfield’. Other top names were Nicky Grenfell, John Rolls etc. In 1984, Kath gave up and I became Chairman of the new club - the rest is history.” John also excelled at Tennis and Croquet. Tennis; He won the Surrey Junior Boys' doubles title in 1948, and played for Cambridge University in the early 1950s. He was a Wimbledon Centre Court umpire for 30 years. Croquet; He Played for England against Switzerland in 2008 and 2009 and he won the prestigious Hurlingham Wine Coolers (with Mike Hann) in 2010.

 

Sadly George Gardiner died on Thursday evening 17th May in Kingston Hospital after surgery for a bowel tumour . He was a gentleman with a ready sense of humour, and he was a really good and committed bridge player. He was a Surrey committee member for over 5 years from 2011 to 2015. George was a helpful and friendly member of the committee always urging committee decisions to be made with the ordinary club member in mind.  George's funeral will be at Leatherhead Crematorium at 11.45 am on Thursday 7th June, and afterwards at the Foley Arms in Claygate to "share and celebrate George's life".  Charity donations rather than flowers are requested, and "folk are asked to dress mostly dark but with a splash of colour to mark Dad's combination of respecting 'what is right' and also his love of life".

It is with sadness that we have learned of the death of Mrs J.R.Morris who died peacefully on March 29th at The Princess Alice Hospice, Esher, after a courageous battle with leukaemia. Judith was Surrey President 1986-87 and before that Competitions Secretary for many years. She was a member of the Mayfield Club and later, until recently, Effingham Bridge Club. For over twenty years she was secretary to the Surrey Business Houses Bridge League, helping build it to over sixty teams at its peak, before it was disbanded in the early nineties.

 

Beryl Doughty passed away on 15th January.  Beryl was a formidable player and friend and inspired many players as well as being a major player until her early 90s at Camberley and Yateley.  Beryl's eulogy is within the Camberley BC Feb17 Newsletter.

Dr Robert  Russell Allan, known as Russell passed away peacefully on 11th December, aged 86. Russell was a Grand Master and played at Farnham and RAE in Surrey.  In 2000, Russell was part of the winning team in the Pachabo Cup.   SCBA Doc

Paul Shannon passed away Wednesday 11th May.  He had been suffering from cancer for the past few months, but had been in remission as I understand it.  He was at the County Pairs in April playing with his regular partner Nick Browne.  Paul had been a great teacher and director especially at Camberley and Farnham - he also, you may remember helped Mac to run the  University bridge at Guildford.  Ref: "English Bridge" Aug 2016   SCBA Doc

Beryl Absalom, who has died aged 85, was a highly talented player with great table presence. She won many county and national events and was a delight to partner.

She also won every prize – some more than once – at Selsdon Bridge Club.    She will be sadly missed, both there and at Coulsdon where she also played.   Ref: "English Bridge" Feb 2016   SCBA Doc

Roy Smith passed away Friday 12th February, aged 83. Roy played in Surrey and nationally for the last 49 years, winning many county titles and representing the county.