Mike Bell moved back to London after learning his trade in Manchester. He retired from being a very successful Poker professional and now earns his living playing bridge. In his spare time he designs bidding systems and is considered to be one of the country’s leading experts on bidding theory, especially by himself.
Mike plays with David Gold on the Allfrey team and won the Premier League and Spring Fours in 2016 and 2017. He has also won the Lederer twice both times in partnership with Michael Byrne and was on the London team that won the Tollemache in 2017 playing with his wife Sarah.
When not playing bridge, he may be found watching it instead – he has captained the England U25s, and coached the U16s in the World Championships in Italy last year. See Mike’s EBU profile page.
Sarah Bell (formerly O’ Connor) first represented England on the junior squad in the European Teams in Romania, 2009, and made many subsequent appearances for the u25 girls’ and u25 open sides. She qualified for the Lady Milne in 2015 (with Anne Rosen) and was on the London team that won the 2017 Tollemache (with husband Mike).
In addition to practising regularly and working on her own game Sarah enjoys teaching new players and working with the juniors. She has acted as a mentor for number of developing girls’ players and has done good work with the U16 squad. See Sarah’s EBU profile.
Sally Brock Sally Brock has been playing on the English women’s team (on and off but more on than off) for the last 35 years or so, first as Sally Sowter, then Sally Horton and finally as Sally Brock, having married Raymond Brock (d2008) in 1993. In 2008, after a period of semi-retirement, she formed a last-minute partnership with Nicola Smith. They were part of the English team that won the 2008 World Mind Sports Championship. Together they won two European and two World Championships. More recently Sally has formed a partnership with Fiona Brown and they won silver in the 2017 Venice Cup. She lives just outside London. Sally has three children, Toby, Briony and Ben, and a grandson Hayden. These days her partner in life is Barry Myers. See Sally’s EBU profile.
John Holland is a Manchester-based bridge professional. He played for the England Open team in 2006 and 2008 with John Armstrong. He had an extremely successful partnership with his late wife, world champion Michelle Brunner, playing together in four Camrose teams, and winning the Hubert Phillips (mixed teams) six times. John has also won the Sunday Telegraph Salver, for the most master points in a calendar year, five times. He has two Senior World Championships, in 2009 and 2010. He arrives fresh from victory in the NEC Cup in Japan. See John’s EBU profile.
Alan Mould was taught to play bridge by his elder brothers, who long since have had the sense to give the game up. Alan continued to play at and through University and beyond. His greatest successes came in the 1990s in partnership with Gary Hyett, when he won the Gold Cup twice and played in the last ever Great Britain team in the European Championships (Malta 1999). He has given up the game completely several times due to work or domestic commitments, but having retired he has become more active again. Alan won the Pachabo and the Garden Cities in 2015. This year, he has been able to play in his first senior trials, both the Teltscher trials and the senior European trials, with singular lack of success in either! His most regular partner is John Holland, with whom he is playing this weekend.
Barry Myers has won the Hubert Phillips in 2014, the Tollemache in 2013 and 2014, and was a runner-up in the Gold Cup in 2015 – all when playing with Sally Brock (who is also his partner away from the table). He has made two Camrose appearances: with Robert Sheehan in 1986 and again in 2015 playing with Sally. He believes this is the record for the longest gap between first and second caps.
Barry gave up the game for a number of years when he read for the Bar. He is still a practicing criminal barrister and between that and playing bridge he has little time for other hobbies. See Barry’s EBU profile.
Lederer Trophy 