The Cardsharpers go back about 30 years as an informal club in Benhall. It all started because the Tennis Club wanted something to do in the winter. Cartoon above by Jenny Toombs.
Typically the ‘open house’ Tennis Club played at 6 p.m. on Monday evenings at the court on the grounds of Limetree House. Though the court no longer exists, its location was in what is now the garden of no. 2 the Beeches.
Click to enlarge above image
Manette Baillie remembers:
There was one court at Limetree House and another at the Club, the one at the Club being a grass court. Bruce Baldry used to paint the white lines, he loved tennis.
Every Summer we would have a tournamount. Everyone’s name was put into a hat, the names drawn out and the competition would begin. Some of us also played in competitions at Saxmundham and Peasenhall. In the winter we played cards.
The Cardsharpers L to R: Barbara, Jill (Fuller), Manette, Alf (Fuller), Margaret (Swannenburg), Brian (Allen), Marian (Ede).
Manette recalls that the Cardsharpers played for money – sixpence! That when someone suggested that the stake be increased, one sharper, Janey Hawksley said, “In that case, I won’t come anymore”.
Card games such as Newmarket were favourites but they didn’t really play specific games. The original card players were:
Margaret & Enid, Jill and Alf (Fuller), Anne Newman, Tony Jaques, Angela Nicholls, Kate Groom, Di, Marian Ede, Margaret and Hugh Homersham.
Every year they would have a Christmas get together, typically a Chinese at the Queen’s Head Hotel in Saxmundham or a simple gathering at someone’s house.
1992 L to R: Marian Ede & Jill Fuller
1999 L to R: Manette, Barbara & Janey Hawksley
The Cardsharpers still meet in Benhall twice a week, though be warned the stake has been increased to 20p a game and at the end of the evening the last game it’s doubled to 40p! Two of the sharpers today in 2026 are from the original group.
