P.J.: A lifelong lover of bridge
IT is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Peter Willcocks, who was a lifelong lover of the game of Bridge and was a major player on the local scene in the `1960s and ‘70s. Peter passed away on July 11, one week after his 81st birthday. He has been fighting the dreaded “C” for many months but remained upbeat throughout.Bridge was his true love and in 1964 he represented Bermuda in the World Bridge Olympiad held in New York, partnering Tony Saunders. During the ‘60s and ‘70s he was a regular competitor on the local scene and he won several championship events, namely the Club Open Pairs in 1969, the Club Team of Four in 1971 and 1973 all with Tony, and in 1969, his most prized win, the Men’s Pairs at the Bermuda Regional in partnership with Dr. Milander.
He was the first Bermudian to win a major event at the Regional, which in those days used to attract some 600 visitors, including many of the top players from the USA and Canada. Unfortunately for Bermuda bridge, he gave up on the game, citing cigarette smoke as the bane of his life.
He continued to maintain a strong interest in the game and would frequently phone me to take issue with some of my articles. There was a time when I would also receive regular letters from Peter — he would type them neatly and would usually stroll to my office in his trademark white floppy hat and drop them off at reception.
They usually contained comments on plays at the club or at friends’ houses, some when he was at the table and others when he wasn’t!
Peter was an excellent analyst and was rarely wrong in his analysis of play or defence — although I always found his bidding a bit suspect! He also continued to play rubber bridge with his closest friends Tony Saunders, Jean Johnson, Lyn O’Neill and Jean Bath right up until earlier this year and would never forget, or forgive, mistakes from his partners!
P.J., as he was affectionately known by his bridge friends, had many hobbies and passions and was known to spend hours on the telephone with his friends discussing baseball (the Red Sox was his team), cricket and football (an ardent Tottenham Hotspur fan).
P.J. will also be rememebred for his many letters to the local media correcting and criticising the grammar and the lack of knowledge of the King’s, or should I say the Queen’s, English as used by many of the correspondents.
P.J. started life in Bermuda in the early 1940s having been posted here while serving with the RAF as a meteorologist. After the Second World War he was demobbed and stayed in Bermuda working in the local Weather Station until 1959 when the station was closed down. He then started a career with the Bank of Butterfield where he was employed in their trust division until his retirement in 1984 as an accountant preparing trust accounts for clients.
His funeral service was held at St. Mark’s Church, Smith’s last Friday and, as the cortege was leaving the church, P.J.’s favourite jazz music featuring Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong was played.
I know that this hand from one of my columns was a favourite of his:
Dealer North — E/W Vulnerable
[spade]A Q 9
[heart]A 8 6 5 4
[diamond]A 6
[club]8 7 2
South
[spade]K J 10 7 6 2
[heart]K 3 2
[diamond]4
[club]K 5 3
1[heart] 1[spade]
2[spade] 4[spade]
PassWest leads the diamond king — plan the play.
Ready? Clearly the only problem is clubs — the heart suit can be established but in order to do so declarer may have to let East in and that could result in a potentially fatal club switch. Any further thoughts?
Duck the first diamond! Now win any return, draw two rounds of trumps, discard a heart on the diamond ace if you haven’t done so, play ace and king of hearts, ruff a heart high and cross to dummy to cash the last two hearts — an overtrick!
The full hand:
[spade]A Q 9
[heart]A 8 6 5 4
[diamond]A 6
[club]8 7 2
West East
[spade]8 5 [spade]4 3
[heart]9 7 [heart]Q J 10
[diamond]K Q J 8 5 [diamond]10 9 7 3 2
[club]A Q 9 4 [club]J 10 6
South
[spade]K J 10 7 6 2
[heart]K 3 2
[diamond]4
[club]K 5 3I’m sure Peter would have got this right!
Monday afternoon, July 11, N/S: 1. Wendy Gray-Richard Gray, 2. Aida Bostelmann-Dorothy Moir. E/W:<$> 1. Peggy Sinclair-Peggy Thompson, 2. Roman Smolski-Vera Petty.
Monday evening, N/S:<$> 1. John Burville-David Cordon, 2. David Sykes-Sally Sykes, 3. John Glynn-Stephanie Kyme. E/W: 1. Jane Smith-Gertrude Barker, 2. Lynanne Bolton-Linda Pollett, 3. Kevin Comeau-Stephan Juliusburger.
Wednesday afternoon, N/S: <$>1. Magda Farag-Mona Marie Gambrill, 2. Jacqueline Swan-Julie Wall, 3. Wendy Gray-Richard Gray. E/W: 1. Judy King-Stephen Cosham, 2. Stephen Ball-Elizabeth McKee, 3. Harry Kast-Michael Bickley.
Wednesday evening, N/S: <$>1. Mark Richardson-Trish Moody, 2. William Butterworth-Ernest Paynter, 3. Jon Turner-Debra Randall. E/W: 1. Alice Palmer-Judy King, 2. Jim Leitch-Peggy Thompson, 3. Louise Payne-Sally Ashford.
Friday, N/S:<$> 1. David Pereira-Anthony Saunders, 2. Magda Farag-Barbara Huntington, 3. Freya Giffen-Greta Marshall. E/W: 1. Vera Petty-Roman Smolski, 2. Mark Richardson-Jane Smith, 3. David Cordon-Joseph Wakefield.
