| Asthma, Eczema & Bottled Guinness** |
DATELINE New Year 1956 / 57
It was an era when bridge was hardly known. And certainly never publicised for it's therapeutic powers. Why then would a 6 year old suffering from asthma and eczema be introduced to the game of bridge in his hospital bed. With his wrists tied to the bedposts. And how and why could bottled stout**possibly be on the menu in that NHS ward in Banbury.
Some things in life children can never forget
(Like the good bridge players who never forget when they are insulted at the table by Hieous Hog)
**I have just told the origins of the "Guinness is good for you" slogan on a bridge holiday in Nerja organised by the best club in Fuengirola. As one of my Swedish friends - and occasional Guinness drinker - Ninnie was disbelieving of my story, I had no choice but to put it in print here. So that disbelievers can check it out instead of suggesting that I have gone mad.
It can be found by clicking on "Trevor`s story" in the menu to the left
TMW 05h00 27/2/19
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| All SPORT is GOOD for your HEALTH |
Bridge is a Sport that has a very good chance of being on the agenda at the 2024 Paris Olympics
So which sporting legend said this:
"No matter where I go in the World, I always make friends at the bridge table"
Answer: Martina Navratilova
(She is not a bad tennis player either!)
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| GOLDEN OLDIES |
As fit as you feel
Bridge playing
CENTENARIANS
Although the ACES Academy is doing much to promote youth bridge on this site, let`s not forget that
great great grandparents
play the game competitively. They too will always be welcome at our intergenerational club.
Many people know of players in their nineties still participating in the local club tournament. Playing so well that you would never realize how old they are.
It was like that when I first did battle with Madeleine at the Les Myrtes club in St Raphael. (Var, France). The only clue to her age was that she was a little short sighted. Unsurprisingly she finished ahead of me that day. At the age of 99.
After reaching the century, she continued as a full member of the FFB and played almost every week with all the strongest players at the club. With extraordinary success given the milestone she had passed. She was so skilful in fact that I decided that the best way to win a tournament at that club was to partner this doyenne of bridge. By then, as she was proud to remind me, she was
102 years young
But this story doesn`t end there. Two years later, on 15 January 2013, I was invited to Paul`s 100th birthday celebration to make up a bridge four. He was born and bred in St Tropez just up the road. Yet still so sprightly and mentally alert that he had got up at 5.30 on his big big day. Not just to prepare his wife`s breakfast, but to start cooking the dinner with veg he had tended in his own garden! When I arrived to help finish the preparations - and given the fact he was still driving a prehistoric Mercedes - I jokingly suggested that he pop over to St Raphael to pick Madeleine up. His reply in French was to the effect that he was going to spare me the embarrassment of being the only Englishman to be beaten by....
a fearsome French pair with a combined age of 204 years.
Bravo Paul and Mado! A true story. Yet more unforgettable moments for me that illustrate
the magic of bridge
Whatever your age
Trevor 8/2/19
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| Bridge for the Handicapped and the Poorly |
Can you believe that totally BLIND people play bridge tournaments - and WIN
See article on the "Have your say" page of this site
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Can you work out why
a 7 year old CEREBRAL PALSY sufferer
(with walking, speaking and coordination problems)
LOVES
his daily fix of
BRIDGE and CHESS in the school lunch break
If you can't, you soon will
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On the previous page of this site, you can also see a video of two mute girls (unable to speak) having their
1st bridge lesson
in, of all places, a
hypermarket cafeteria
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