At the Christmas break-up of the Stratford Bridge Club, long serving club member David Whittle was awarded life membership.
David came from a card playing family and was encouraged to join the Stratford Bridge Club in the early 1970s. He quickly mastered the game and rose through the ranks to become a Grandmaster by the time he was 50. There are only a small number of Grandmasters in Taranaki.
David has played at many Congress tournaments all over New Zealand. He has always maintained his loyalty to the Stratford club, coaching and mentoring new players and playing when he can. David is also a member of the New Plymouth and Hawera Bridge clubs.