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Harry  INGRAM

 

 Henry St John Ingram, detto Harry nel mondo del bridge, nacque il 6 luglio del 1888 nel sobborgo londinese di Clapton e fu una delle figure più rappresentative del bridge britannico della prima metà dello scorso secolo.

 Dopo essere stato negli anni '20 una figura preminente nel Whist, fu il traghettatore dei più forti giocatori del tempo verso il Bridge e fu uno dei giocatori inglesi che sfidarono Ely Culbertson nella seconda famosa Schwab Cup che si svolse nel 1934 al Dorchester Hotel.

 Ingram che difese i colori britannici ai Campionati Europei del 1933, 1935 e 1936 vinse la Gold Cup del 1935/36 e partecipò a diversi programmi televisivi divulgativi. Poi, dopo la guerra abbandonò il bridge agonistico e si dedicò all'insegnamento, alla scrittura e alle crociere bridgistiche.

 Tra il 1950 ed il 1955 fu l'editore della celebre English Bridge Magazine.

Sposato con Eileen, giocava con la moglie in tutte le occasioni mondane ma si riaffacciò solo saltuariamente al bridge agonistico.

Scomparve il 21 febbraio del 1974 a Famborough, dove viveva con la moglie.

Henry (although known as Harry when he played bridge) was born 6 July 1888 in Clapton in London, the son of Harry St Clair & Mary Elizabeth (nee Ridgway) Ingram. In the 1911 census Henry was living in Wood Green with his parents & siblings & recorded as a commercial traveller.

In the 1920s he was a prominent figure in the world of whist drives & a noted expert at auction bridge. In 1934 Harry played with Stan Hughes in Richard Lederer's team in a well publicised match against an American team captained by Ely Culbertson at the Dorchester Hotel in London over six days for the Schwab Cup. The British team lost narrowly, although they were handicapped by doing a full days work before the bridge started. 

In this match one of the most celebrated incidents was when Harry overcalled 1NT with a long string of hearts, when doubled he removed it to 2 clubs & when that was doubled removed to 2 hearts after some thought. It went one off & was a good save. It   was a tactic he used on other occasions. 

In the early 1930s Harry formed a partnership with Stan Hughes & they played many matches to popularise contract bridge.  They were runners up in the Gold Cup in 1932/3 & 1934/5 but then they won it in 1935/6. They also played for Great Britain in the European Championships in 1933, 1935 & 1936. After the Gold Cup victory Stan retired from competitive bridge. 

In 1936 in the first year of television Harry appeared in several programmes at Alexander Palace run by Hubert Phillips.  

After the war Harry did not play national competitive bridge but was active as a writer, lecturer & cruise director. He was editor of English Bridge Magazine from 1950 to 1955. He was often to be seen in the Grand Hotel in Eastbourne with his wife when bridge events were being held. 

Harry played in many Kent competitions in the 1950s & 1960s. He was the captain of the winning Arnold Cup team in 1958 & 1960. He also won the Birkle Bowl, which at the time was the main Kent multiple teams event, in 1955, 1958, 1963 & 1964. In 1954 he won the Phillimore Cup with Baroness Olga Knoop. 

He died on 21 February 1974 at Farnborough Hospital, he was living in Farnborough at that time. He left a widow Eileen who he had married in 1950.

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