'It's not just a bridge club, it's a social club'

"Having the ability to bend the rules a bit" is the mark of an excellent bridge player, says Peter Seager.

And he should know, since Mr Seager has been at the helm of a Shropshire bridge club for more than four decades.

Now aged 83 though, he has decided to put down his deck for the last time, and the search is on for a new teacher for the club, which now meets in Lawley, Telford.

Over the 42 years of the club's existence, Mr Seager has taught at least 200 people to play, but after a bout of recent ill health he feels unable to continue.

Meeting at Lawley Community Centre several nights a week, Mr Seager is at the heart of the warm, friendly group, which members say is also a great social club.

Ever since he learnt the game in 1979, Mr Seager has been hooked and set up the club in 1982.

"I like the logic of it," Mr Seager said, "I used to teach maths, so as long as I can count up to thirteen I'm alright."

Mr Seager reckons he has taught bridge to "at least 200" people over the past 42 years.

"It's a long time," he observed.

Mr Seager has been assisted along the way by Bright Gurupira, managing director of the Telford branch of Right At Home, a company that provides care for people in their own homes.

He helps Peter by driving him to the club every week, and also helping him hold a hand of cards.

"Through his teaching individuals to play the game, many people have become regular members of the club," Mr Gurupira said.

He added the club brings "a sense of joy" to its members.

"For Peter in particular, we recognised from the onset that bridge has been a part of his life for a very long time - it's a lifeline."

Whilst some of Mr Seager's students have taken up bridge recently, Keith Davies recalled playing it late into the night as a young man.

"We'd probably start at seven [in the evening], and it'd go on until two or three in the morning," he remembers.

Mr Davies said he always brings "a good gag or a pun" to the bridge table.

And, while his wife doesn't play, she has been baking a cake for the group every single week.

For Malcolm Read and his wife, bridge has led to forging global friendships, for which they credit Mr Seager for enabling.

"It's changed our lives, it gave us things to do together," he said.

Mr Read's son lives in Texas and, he and his wife like to travel by boat to visit the US, whiling away the days playing bridge with people from all over the world.

"They always say 'whenever you're in our part of the world, come and see us," he recalled.

"We've been on two six-week holidays with people we've met - absolutely extraordinary."

For Mr Seager, it's more than just a card game - and he hopes the club's next teacher will continue that tradition.

"We're not so much a bridge club, we're a social club who socialise by playing bridge," he said.

"That's the key to it, I think."

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