Rob and Rosemany Nurse
For those who have never been introduced to the great game of bridge, Rob and Rosemary Nurse must be the best of advertisers. They love the game with a passion, and find a club to play at wherever they are in the world even briefly. Bridge has proved to be a real passport to making friends and settling into new places.
Just on 40 years ago Rob finished his chemical engineering degree in Melbourne and took up his first job in Perth. He met and married Rosemary and they moved back to Sale in Victoria. Then Rosemary decided to take bridge lessons from Olive Owen, a very competent and enthusiastic local teacher. Rob read her notes and was hooked.
Rob‘s work didn‘t allow him a lot of midweek time but he and Rosemary joined the strong Sale Bridge Club, playing on evenings and weekends. Rob remembers with embarrassment that he was so nervous that he reneged with the very first card he played in a competitive game! But with the dedication they still show to bridge, they learned fast. Sale had top players who were generous with their time and coaching. Two sons came along but that didn‘t stop their bridge adventures. They were able to leave the boys with willing grandparents in Melbourne to travel to congresses around Victoria.
There are many stories of partnership breakdowns especially between husbands and wives, but Rosemary and Rob quickly learned to use the “asterisk system”. There are no arguments at the table no matter what tensions arise. ‘Put an asterisk against that board please’ leaves discussion until later when the angst has simmered down. It has always worked well for them. Going home, kids in the back seat teased about the time their parents spent on long post mortems.
In the mid 1980s Rob‘s work took them to Texas. En route they stopped briefly in San Francisco, and as they did, checked out bridge clubs in the phone book. They settled for the Kings and Queens Club and were warmly welcomed. The standard wasn‘t high but they enjoyed their game and a week or so later in Houston were gratified to receive news of master points they had won. Rosemary remembers she was the only woman in the Club that night – or perhaps most nights.
Over the years the couple played in clubs around the States, in Britain, in Malaysia and in New Zealand making many friends and meeting some of the world‘s top players along the way. Rob remembers playing in a congress in Melbourne when the opponents opened 1NT and Rosemary hesitated before passing. The next player bid and as Rob also hesitated he was told ‘If you bid, I‘ll call the Director’. He went ahead and bid anyway (typical Rob, according to Rosemary) and the Director duly ruled his bid unethical. Their opponents were an international pair who commented ‘We knew you were either very good or very bad bridge players‘. Just another learning experience along the way!
So eventually Rob and Rosemary‘s paths led back to Perth. This time they have lived here for six years playing bridge first at South Perth then at WABC when we moved to Swanbourne. They have greatly enjoyed their Saturday game but Rob is now transferring back to Melbourne. They are sad to leave all the friends they‘ve made at WABC but there are compensations. They have a two-year-old granddaughter Samantha there and will not have to travel across Australia every two months or so to spend time with her. They will also play again with the very friendly bridge group at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club which is close to their home. Perth will not be forgotten though. Rosemary‘s mother Margaret (Peg) Browne lives here and plays at WABC so we hope to see them come back from time to time and share a game. We wish them bon voyage and much fun and competitive bridge.
Published in September 2011 Edition of Trumps Plus
