Lotte Oswald
This edition (June 2013) we would like to introduce Lotte Oswald. Lotte is a keen member of our club and is our third oldest regular playing member.
Lotte’s long life spans four continents - Europe, North America, Asia and finally Australia.
Lotte, christened Charlotte, was born in 1918 at Dumbarton, Scotland not far from the picturesque area of Loch Lomond. Lotte attended school in this small Scottish town and met her husband Tom Oswald at a local dancing class. After marrying at 23, Tom and Lotte had two children and in 1948 they travelled to Toronto to visit Tom’s sister. They were impressed by the opportunities available for young families in Canada compared with post war UK and decided to move there, planning to make North America their permanent home.
However, after four happy years in Canada, the Oswalds were attracted by a job offer in Singapore where Tom’s cousin lived, and so the family uprooted to Asia. In Singapore, Lotte and the family enjoyed many wonderful years whilst Tom was working for the Singapore Harbour Board. Expatriate life in Asia with servants to do the domestic chores meant Lotte was free to spend her days at the social clubs such as the Tanglin Club and Birkit Golf Club where the British wives played mah-jong and whist. Whilst on the social committee of the Tanglin, Lotte arranged for someone to give bridge lessons and so in 1959 her passion for the game was nurtured.
Working in Singapore also enabled the Oswald family to travel extensively as the company allocated their foreign employees 3 months leave for every 2 years of service. This generous arrangement allowed them to see much of the World. The Oswalds remained in Singapore for 19 years and during this time their son was married and living in Geraldton. Lotte and Tom visited him here in 1971, they liked Western Australia and decided on retirement soon after, to settle in Perth.
With the move to Western Australia, Lotte gave up playing bridge for 20 years until after the death of her husband Tom in 1991 when a neighbour took her to the West Coast Bridge Club and her love for the game was reignited.
Today Lotte is a member of WABC, West Coast and the Undercroft and plays 5 days a week and over the years has played in many congresses. Last year Lotte was made a National Master and the West Coast Bridge Club gave her a special party to honour this occasion. Another memorable event occurred in 2012 when Lotte returned to Singapore for the wedding of her grandson.
In her 95th year (her 95th birthday is coming up shortly) Lotte is very grateful she can still live a full and independent life and is thankful for the many willing chauffeurs such as Kitty George, Kay Johnson, Dominique Rallier, Pepe Schwegler and Chris Bagley who enable her to play bridge so regularly.
Published in June 2013 Edition of Trumps Plus
