Winifred by Foxymoron

 Today was the funeral of our late former Chair, and member since 1987, Winifred Irene Godber. She was born in Finsbury, Islington, in 1937 and spent her early years in Stoke Newington. She married John and gave birth to three wonderful daughters, Lyn, Susan and Diane. By 2021 her extended family had grown with six grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

I knew her only through bridge, and she was a regular at the club for over 30 years serving on the committee, duplicating boards, and organising catering. She loved to play many card games with her large family such as spades, trumps, rummy and hearts.

One of her most astonishing hands was one on which she made 7H in the Garden Cities Team Tournament in 1991. And she shuffled and dealt the board at the table; no duplimate machines in those days. And she certainly shuffled well! As there was no really interesting hand in tonight's game at the Woodberry, I have no qualms in presenting this one again! Winnie was West, and often reminisced about this amazing board:

Winnie always liked to bid one more, and her 7H was a great success and as you can see cannot be defeated. Even better that 6S was making as those that doubled found to their cost.

She was very much a Londoner all her life, although moving to Essex after starting a family. Few know that the name Winifred comes from Saint Winifred, the Welsh virgin martyr of the 7th Century. So she has some links with my country, Wales, and there is the stained glass below of Saint Winifred in Castell Coch in Cardiff. The name is a form of Winefride, but all her life she was just Winnie to all who knew and loved her. May she rest in peace.