Susan Hampshire is one of Britain’s finest actors, especially famous for her television roles as Fleur Forsyte, Sarah Churchill, Becky Sharp, and more
Recently Molly in Monarch Of The Glen. In 1995, she received an OBE for her work for the dyslexia cause and has
written a memoir about her own struggle with the disorder.
How did you start playing bridge?
I was looking for a sedentary activity to share with my husband, who is not the active type, so five years ago I took a weekend beginners course supervised by
Simon Stocken at the Andrew Robson Bridge Club in London.
How often do you play?
Not as often as my husband, who is a Keen duplicate player and plays five times A week! I play as often as I can when I am
Not working, so it’s fairly spasmodic.
What does bridge mean to you?
I enjoy playing because it is relaxing, But the main benefit for me has been that bridge has improved my memory as well as the way my brain works.Acting entails
learning a lot of lines very quickly,which does not become any easier with age. Bridge has helped me enormously in this respect.
How could bridge be more enjoyable for you?
I would love to be able to have a regular partner.We might stand a better chance of understanding each other’s bidding than I do with playing with a different partner each time!
What are your hobbies outside bridge?
Gardening and music