To Be Frank

To Be Frank

By Mary Marshall

Sometimes when I’m dummy and partner has gone into the tank, I scan the boards on the walls of the small playing room and think about all those people that I never knew. (Incidentally, I sometimes find myself doing this when I’m declarer, so that accounts for a few of the strange results I get.) Does anyone remember Colonel Crotty who won the teams of four in 1959? In fifty years time, people will look at those boards and wonder who on earth was Ken Bottom or Ernest Burston. However, one name they will find on all the major boards is that of a certain F.E. Berry and since we’re all supposed to be famous for fifteen minutes, here is Pym’s quarter of an hour.

Pym learned to play bridge when he was about eleven by watching his parents play with their friends at home. When he was studying at Birmingham School of Architecture, he would have a game of sorts on the train journey with three other regular passengers. Pym’s first job was at Ind Coopes Brewery, and he was soon drawn into a bridge group that played in the lunch hour. Pym’s first regular partner was an ex-stoker from the Navy and together they played Culbertson very successfully if a bit outrageously! The group were getting quite keen, so someone had the idea of challenging no less an august body than the DCBA to a team of eight match. They had no idea about organising movements so they stashed all the boards on a table in the middle of the room and set to. Pym recalls that several noted players represented the DCBA, Eric White, Cess Guildford, Ken Bottom, Jimmy Milton and Derek George. Needless to say, Ind Coope were slaughtered, but Pym’s main memory of the match was being allowed to play in 4C while the opponents could have made a vulnerable game. As a result, Ken and Jimmy had a right old ding-dong at the table.

The following week, Pym, Pat and their three little daughters were moving house to Littleover and Pym happened to mention this to Ken. You can guess what happened. On moving day, Ken called round at 7:30 p.m., whisked Pym off to the pub, leaving Pat with aforesaid daughters and unpacked boxes. However, the good news was that on Monday, Pym and Pat played at Littleover, on Tuesday they played at Derby, on Wednesday they played in the teams of eight and on Friday they played at Derby again. They must have had some understanding babysitters and I bet those boxes are still unpacked. Like Pym says, ‘Everything is Ken Bottom’s fault!’

Well we all know what Ken was like. Three months after joining Derby Bridge club, Ken has got Pym providing building materials and personally organising the alterations and extensions to Derby Bridge Club. Another three months later, Pym is on Derby Bridge Club Committee, which he subsequently chaired for many years. In 1990, he became President of Derby Bridge Club and was honoured with Life Membership.

Over the years, Pym has done more than his share of the work for the DCBA. He became Vice-Chair of the DCBA in 1985, and Chair in 1987, serving in this capacity until 1994. He was a member of the county Rules and Ethics Committee, and Chair of that committee from 1998-2000. He has represented the county on numerous occasions, and was non-playing captain of the county team in both the qualifying round and the final of the Tollemache Cup.

Over the years, Pym has formed successful partnerships with many players. He was taught to play sensible bridge by a lovely widow called Esme Wylie with whom he played for a couple of years. He went on to partner Mick Haytack, Sheena Haytack, Simon Whitehouse, Gareth Roberts, Andy Wells and Ted Martin, achieving successes with all of them. Pym won the EBU Buxton Congress Teams Championship but his best result was coming second in the National Swiss Teams at Leeds, playing with Gareth and Mel and Megan Starkings. Their penultimate match was against Forester and Robson whom they beat easily as Robson failed to bid holding an 8-card minor. Pym made 4HX while Megan and Mel made a diamond slam. Going into the last round, Forester had to win his match by 4 more match points than Pym won his and unfortunately, the internationals did exactly that.

Then there was Ted Martin, a good friend who sadly passed away a few months ago. In a major competition, Pym bid and made 4SX. Some months later, in the DCBA Handbook, the Secretary of the DCBA (Ted) wrote an article entitled ‘How Partner Misplayed 4SX.’ It goes to show, you can’t please everyone.

For many years, Pym has put a lot of energy into teaching bridge. This all began when Pym took over Bill Pratt’s class at Mickleover. At the time, Pym didn’t know much about teaching, but Dave Armstrong had done the EBU Teacher’s course. Not to be outdone, Pym and Sheena took the course at Manchester and both were awarded the EBU Teacher’s Diploma. The teaching programme was well organised, but the assessment was a bit bizarre. Pym was asked to write a typical 1NT hand on the board, which he did. Reubin Myers disagreed that the balanced 13 count which Pym had written was appropriate. The other examiner, Paul Hackett, thought Pym’s hand was perfect and the two experts took up all the interview time arguing amongst themselves! I wish my Ofsted experiences were so easy!

In 1985, Pym started the very successful Derby School of Bridge, which still runs today. Did you know, that even in those days, Pym (aided by David) taught using computer-generated hands? This was a very laborious task, using hands created randomly on a Spectrum. The boards would then have to be made up manually.

In 1989, Derbyshire was successful in winning the Midlands Counties Teams of Eight Championship, the Dawes Trophy. Pym had played in several of those matches and this success, together with his considerable contribution to teaching bridge in Derbyshire, resulted in his being awarded a county tie.

In 1996-97, Derby Bridge Club was given notice to vacate the Irongate premises, and it seemed as though both Derby Bridge Club and the DCBA would be without a permanent home. When the premises at Spondon came on the market, Pym stepped in and purchased them. Anyone who saw those buildings in their original state, with the walls streaming with damp and our breath forming little clouds on a freezing January night will understand the vision and commitment that Pym has in keeping bridge alive in Derbyshire. He has spent a lot of money and effort on converting the buildings, repairing them and maintaining them, but as a result we have facilities that are the envy of other counties. Now that health considerations require Pym to take things a bit easier, he has given the Derbyshire bridge community first option to buy the premises at a below-market price so that bridge may continue to flourish in Derbyshire.

Here is one of Pym’s favourite hands from a Crockford’s match, playing with Gareth.

ª J654

¨ AJ65

§ AQJ93

ª K10972

¨ Q984

§ 74

W E

ª 83

¨ 2

§ K108652

ª AQ

¨ K1073

§ -

The bidding was direct

S N

2H 3C

4H 6H

and the jack of hearts was led. If the hearts break there are no problems as you can play the ace and queen of spades, giving you two discards on the jack of spades and the ace of clubs. However, they don’t split, so how did Pym make his contract?

He played AKQ of hearts, West threw the 2S, and Pym discarded a spade and two small clubs from dummy. To make the contract, he needed either two diamond discards or to find the queen of diamonds. Pym decided to delay any decisions and played another heart, throwing a second spade from dummy. East won and returned a spade.Pym refused the finesse as it doesn’t give the contract anyway.

Now was decision time. Pym played 3D to the jack and it held! He cashed the ace of clubs throwing the queen of spades.He led the queen of clubs, not covered by East, and ruffed it. Pym then ran the hearts arriving at this position.

ª J

¨ A65

§ -

ª K

¨ Q98

§ -

W E

ª -

¨ -

§ K1086

ª -

¨ K107

§ -

The last heart squeezed West. However, unfortunately for Pym, the opposing declarer, also in 6H, received the favourable lead of the 10S. All that effort for a flat board!

I mentioned Ken Bottom and Eric Burston at the start of this article. Both of these characters were honoured by the EBU with the prestigious Dimmie Flemming Award. Pym is Derbyshire’s third recipient. Well done Pym!

As for the future, Pym is very enigmatic. He would still like to continue teaching bridge and obviously to play himself. Perhaps it is time for settling down in front of the telly every evening. But this is an ex-rowing international umpire here I am talking about. I don’t somehow think the remote control will be needed.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Don Smedley and Pam Deacon for doing some of the research for this article.