Permanent link All PostsA pleasure to finally encounter Maureen Garrett, the Englishwoman who has had so very much to do with the success of these matches. A team member in 1948 and captain in 1960, she is as formidable as the British lion. Today, she was seated alone in a dining room, waiting for her son, Ted Garrett, to bring around a motorized cart. She is 88 now and enjoyed reminiscing about what gave the special spirit to the Curtis Cup. First, she believes, is the assistance from the Curtis sisters to George Valentine, the fiancé of GB&I player Jessie Anderson, after he was made a prisoner of war in the Second World War. The Curtis’ help came in the form of weekly Red Cross packages, which kept him alive in prison. Anderson and Valentine married, and then sought out Margaret Curtis after the war to personally thank her for her kindness. Another incident was when Garrett prompted Enid Wilson of the GB&I 1932 team to speak to the players at the 50th Curtis Cup Anniversary Dinner. “You have to understand,” Garrett said, “that the Curtis Cup is all about friendship. It’s not about who wins or who hits the good shot. It’s friendship between our countries. That’s what matters, and always will.”