Story by Marie Berg (BBO: dutcan)

This story begins around 1964. Shortly after we moved from Vancouver to a small town in the interior of British Columbia, we met a couple at a square dance event who played bridge. Since we were neighbors, both of us with small children, it seemed natural for us to learn how to play. My husband and I did not play bridge, but our friends said, “Oh, we will teach you.” So every Monday evening, taking turns at each other’s house while picking up the kids, we would learn and play bridge. For about the next 30 years, we played every Monday for about 10 months of the year, only taking a break during the summer months.

When we first started, it was women against the men, and the losers would pay a quarter. The idea was that we would save enough in a year to go out for dinner. Well, the year was up and we didn’t quite have enough to pay for dinner, so we said, “Oh well, let’s just keep it till next year.” We kept playing and eventually raised the cost to $1.00 per game for the losers. After a year or two, suddenly we had $100. Canada Savings Bonds were a good investment at that time, so we decided to buy a bond and save for a trip somewhere. These bonds doubled in value over about six or seven years. In the meantime, we were able to contribute a bit more, and eventually the losers paid $20 per game.

At the end of 25 years, we had enough money to pay for a cruise. We were still playing and went on another cruise about five years later. My husband passed away, and our friends do not play anymore, but I found duplicate bridge. I am still playing and having a wonderful time, meeting new people and enjoying the game.