By now most of the CBC membership will have learnt of the passing of Simon. He died on Tuesday 1st Oct. If anyone wishes to add their comments to this announcement, please send me an email.
I have worked with him since about 2000 when I was Tournament Secretary. He was always willing to help with competition planning particularly the Hurwich helping to set the handicaps. (His team frequently did well). In the years from 2014 when I became Chairman, he was on the committee and was still on the committee when I stepped down in 2023.
Ian Walkerdine
Simon loved to play games of any sort and, as a young boy, he first learned to play bridge with his mother. The love of the game stayed with him for well over fifty years, by which time he had attained the accolade of Grand Master, one of the few in Leicestershire. Simon was a trustee and committee member of our club and, until recently, was also prominent on our teaching committee. He was a long-standing figure within the LCBA and contributed enormously to promoting bridge teaching in Leicestershire. He will be sadly missed by those who knew him.
Judy Hill
Simon's whole life from a young boy right up until the day before he died was characterised by his love of bridge. Even his car registration spelt bridge (almost). He was a very thoughtful player and probably the slowest one in the game. On our travels around the country to congresses or competitions we were often penalised for slow play but that never put him off. He certainly lived up to his Clarendon moniker of sloth. He was well respected as a teacher and a host on bridge holidays and really gave his life not only to playing bridge but in many other supportive ways. He will be missed by so many not only in the bridge world but by all his family and friends.
Alison Nichols
I played a fair bit with and against Simon, particularly in our pub bridge games, and he was always a delight to be around. Simon was a good friend and a kind man - upon hearing I was turning 21 the day after a game in Coventry, he quickly organised a surprise party with many bridge friends then arranged to take me there himself.
Simon took great interest in bridge outside Leicestershire, to the extent that he used to offer his services as a vugraph operator at major events. He would often send supportive messages while I was away at tournaments too.
Simon was crazy about the game. After a hard day at work, it often seemed as though he wanted to stay at home and relax that evening, but he couldn't tear himself away from the green baize. Even when Simon wasn't playing, he would 'think bridge'. We exchanged many emails and texts about bidding problems, conventions and play scenarios.
Simon embraced modern bidding methods and an active opening style (particularly his Lucas Twos), but he clearly had a good grasp of cardplay technique as well. I'll finish, appropriately, with a bridge deal exemplifying this:
10 5
K 2
A Q 9 4 3
K J 10 5
A Q J 7
10 7 4 Q J 6 5 3
K J 6 5 2 10 7
4 2 Q 9 7 6 3
K 9 8 6 4 3 2
A 9 8
8
A 8
Simon was South, playing with his most recent regular partner, Ian Bruce. Simon got a bit carried away in the bidding this time, reaching the dizzy heights of 5S on an uncontested auction. West, Ric Wilde, doubled that, thinking he had three trump tricks sitting over Simon's king. Well, almost.
Simon received a heart lead and, inferring the trump position from the double, proceeded to play the hand with X-ray vision. He won in hand, crossed to the DA (the finesse wasn't needed) and ruffed a diamond. The HK, CK and a heart ruff provided entries for three further diamond ruffs, reducing to this position (the CA had been cashed en route):
10
-
-
J 10
A Q J -
- Q
- -
- Q 9
K 9 6
-
-
-
Simon exited with a low trump from hand, endplaying West to lead away from his AQ of trumps at trick twelve to make the doubled game.
Bravo Simon. You will be sorely missed.
Ben Norton
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