Mark Boxer
Sir: Many people have written about the terrific dignity with which Mark Boxer coped with his dreadful illness. About five weeks before he died I played bridge with him and saw a true games player still playing without concession to his illness. It was almost unbearably moving.
The players were Mark Amory, John Graham, Mark and I. Mark had been feeling pretty low all day. He hadn't been able to draw (his own 'illness indicator'), so he got up feeling rather apathetic. We began the bridge. I played with Mark Amory — as always the perfect partner, no sign of irritation when I made yet another simple but disastrous mistake. John played with Mark Boxer. John made no conces- sion whatsoever to his illness, insisting on much vigorous analysis of each hand. I thought, this simply will not do, Mark can't possibly cope with all this, and prepared to shut John up. But I was wrong. I looked again at Mark and saw that he was loving it, responding with equal force. So we carried on. I hadn't seen Mark so happy for weeks. At about 8.30 we stopped for dinner. Conversation became general and Mark got quieter and quieter. He then began to get irritated. He was desperate to get back to the bridge. We played on and on — and on. At about 11 p.m. he said that he was tired and Anna took him up to bed exhausted but happy. It was his last game.
Caroline Waldegrave
66 Palace Gardens Terrace, London W8
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