Bridge deals up marriage for 95-year-old
A lifetime of playing bridge has brought romance and marriage to 95-year-old bridge player Ken Leslie.
Leslie’s current bridge partner is wife Jill, who he met through the Timaru Bridge Club in 2008. They became romantically involved two years later and married 15 months ago.
Leslie said he could settle anywhere in the world just by joining a bridge club.
Leslie began playing soon after World War II in 1946. He was in Hong Kong with the Royal Engineers when he joined a bridge club to make friends.
‘‘You get to know people when you play in a strange country.’’
As well as being a member of clubs around the United Kingdom and New Zealand, Leslie co- founded a club while Nairobi in Kenya.
Bridge is a card game where two partnerships compete, unable to communicate except with their cards. Both teams attempt to win the contract that declares how many tricks they think their combined hands can win, then the winning side tries to make the contract while the other tries to stop them.
Leslie has been in dozens of living in partnerships over his 72 years playing, but nothing breaks those unions except his drive to connect with somebody new.
One memorable partner was a Dutch woman he met while travelling by boat to NZ in 1964. The vessel was hosting a bridge tournament and although the woman had never played before, she was keen to learn.
Leslie became friends with her as he taught her to play and they partnered up for the tournament.
While Leslie’s performance at that tournament or any other had not been memorable, no loss could deter him from his dedication and love for the game.
‘‘I enjoy the company and the game itself, that’s all.’’
Timaruvians interested in learning bridge will get the chance starting on April 9 at the Timaru Bridge Club on Wilson St. Lessons are only offered once a year.