ANN IVERSON

Background and Speech Learning Therapy

Ann was a mature student in her thirties with 3 children when she decided to become a Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) student. She was inspired to apply as both her youngest son needed therapy and her mother, who was a very successful businesswoman, had a stroke and was unable to speak. She realised how vital being able to communicate was and she was fortunate that there was a SLT School in Cardiff and applied. After writing an essay, having a hearing test and a stiff interview she was accepted. Ann remembered that it was a tough 3 years, but she found that because she could only study once the youngest was in bed her essays were always on time and, of course, she knew all about normal childhood development.

On qualifying she treated both adults and children but eventually specialised in paediatrics and worked with swallowing problems in babies, stammering, autism and delayed language and articulation problems. She became a manager for the Vale of Glamorgan SLT’s and then did two clinical days and the rest managing the service, which could she acknowledged could be frustrating.

Coming to the TRNC

Ann and her husband Jeff who was a producer with the BBC were invited to stay in March 1991 for a free 1-week holiday at the Jasmine Court (then owned by the late Asil Nadir) on condition that Jeff wrote an article about the trip. This he duly did which was published in the Radio Times. In October 1991 Ann and her family were due to go on holiday together in France but it was cancelled at the last minute. Jasmine Court kindly agreed to stand in and following their trip they decided to buy an old Ottoman house in the Turkish quarters of Girne. Both Ann and Jeff were struck by the very unspoilt nature of the TRNC and at that time very little traffic. They mostly returned as swallows (April and October) but after Ann’s retirement in 2000 did spend periods of up to a year in the country. Ann was also a big contributor to expat life in the TRNC becoming Chairman of the Anglo Turkish Association (ATA) for two years.

Finally, due to family circumstances they decided to sell up in 2017 and be based in the UK.

Starting Bridge later in Life

In her 50’s Ann decided to attend a night class run by Patrick Jourdain, a bridge columnist for the Telegraph, in a Cardiff school. She found him to be a very good teacher, and persuaded her husband, Jeff, to join in. They both became hooked and after many lessons they plucked up courage and joined their village Bridge Club. Patrick taught Acol but, in those days, you opened with 13 -15 for one no trump. They played regularly at the club and so when they came to Kyrenia they wanted to continue playing. Michael Raine had started the club at Sele after her son asked him if he could help his parents to find a game somewhere. So, from October 2000 they played at various venues in Cyprus. Since returning to England Ann plays every week at Blewbury Village Club in Oxfordshire and also play regularly with friends but unfortunately Jeff is now totally blind and unable to play, Ann says that he really misses it.

A number of long-standing residents will remember the visit in the early 2000’s by The House of Lords Bridge Club who stayed at the Dome and invited the then Sele Club to play there one evening. Ann remembers Jeff and her hosting a drinks party with nibbles in the garden of their home. One of the more famous bridge playing guests was Lord Baker who had been prominent in the 90’s as Minister of Education.

Here is an update for everyone on the plans for our 4th Annual Swiss Teams Tournament to be held on Wednesday 13 May 2026 starting at 14:00 at the Korineum Golf and Beach Resort. The competition is our premier annual event designed to bring together the Monday, Wednesday and Friday/Saturday online bridge players. This year we are making a number of changes which we hope will widen the appeal of the tournament to all bridge players residing in or visiting the TRNC including those who play bridge socially or have just started learning. If you would like to express an interest please contact me on either islandsbcc@gmail.com or cgpbridge@gmail.com

On an early “ski bike” made in Nicosia in the Troodos Mountains.

As many of our readers will know bridge is played at many different levels – not all of them competitively and so this quarter we feature one of our longstanding casual bridge players who can lay claim to the fact that his family has had close connections with Cyprus for almost a century.

PIERS OAKEY

FAMILY AND THE LAW

Piers Oakey is a well-known figure in the TRNC and was the only son amongst many sisters of a legal family based in Leicestershire that goes back through eight generations of lawyers to 1702. A firm which originally thrived on ecclesiastical work left little doubt that the only son would be required to assume the responsibility of running the family firm. This didn’t prevent the young Piers from gaining a few distinctions along the way.  Before embarking on his legal career Piers did however had to contend with what he claimed was the most influential person in his life growing up and that was Nanny Rivett, his family nanny who always admonished him with. “We’re not at home to Mister Full Of Myself" – a lesson that Piers would fully acknowledge had never completely sunk home even in later life.

Sent at the age of five to boarding school Piers distinguished himself by earning the accolade of being disciplined more than any other boy at the school by the time he left. Pier’s reward was to be sent to an isolated public school in Lancashire for the remainder of his school career. After a year out in Florence studying art, he commenced his legal training in London and chose to specialise in the Law of Equity which is unique to UK Law. After being banned from doing his articles in anywhere within a 100-mile radius of the family firm Piers gravitated to Birmingham where he found himself representing a high proportion of the local prostitutes. As a junior legal clerk his role was to go out and search for his clients before the court hearings were due to take place and by some means ensure that they were modestly dressed for their hearing. In 1974 on the death of his father Piers assumed responsibility for the family firm and worked as senior partner until he chose to retire in 1998 and hand the firm over to a cousin. During this period Piers also acted as a Recorder on Immigration Tribunals.

LINKS to CYPRUS

Pier’s mother aged 19 was present at the opening of the Dome Hotel in Kyrenia in 1937 and he remembered many holiday trips in the 1950’s which continued into the 60’s and 70’s. Although the Oakey family along with the many cousins who travelled with them often toured around the whole island, they almost always gravitated back to Kyrenia. Many of us have experienced the wonder of visiting the recently opened Varosha complex next to Famagusta as a piece of 1970’s nostalgia. Not however Piers who visited the site in 1970 and described it as "the armpit of the world” with its high-rise hotels/apartments blocking out the view of the sea. His visits in the 80’s and 90’s were often characterised by month long stays where the opportunity to devour books trumped what little other entertainment existed at that time.

Piers bought his first property next to Destiny Deniz Restaurant Karakum in 1998 and since then has owned two restaurants/bars, more recently a farm holding with goats and sheep and now property development in Lapta.

BRIDGE

Both his mother and father were very keen Bridge players often playing 5 times a week both at home and at Crockfords where they played rubber bridge often for £5 a point which could lead to significant financial gains. In the 1940’s and 50’s rubber bridge was more popular than duplicate. Piers used to be roped in aged 5 to act as dummy when someone failed to turn up. By the age of 7 he was playing regularly although as he admitted it hasn’t led to an improvement in standard. During his time in the TRNC, he has played social bridge on regular occasions with many of those who prefer this to competitive duplicate bridge. Piers main claim to fame was winning the award for the lowest number of points obtained during one of the overseas trip organised by Michael Raine in the early part of this century. Piers has always been generous with his time and includes a substantial list of people who he has played bridge with over the years. He remembers in particular the actress Fabia Drake who featured in the film “A Room With A View” with Maggie Smith and Helena Bonham Carter, John Quayle who acted in Coronation Street and also Dorothy (Dotty) Jowett who was a very keen player but extremely kind to those who were not of her level of expertise.

Piers on the left with Iain Frasier and Elizabeth Von Breitenbuch at the 2023 Swiss Teams Tournament.