[3] She was educated at Hove County Grammar School for Girls, and then went on to study mathematics at St. Anne's College, Oxford, where she was the first woman to play in the Varsity Match (bridge) against Cambridge University.

She next took a postgraduate diploma in numerical analysis and automatic computing at New Hall, Cambridge, where she met the mathematician Peter Swinnerton-Dyer (an international bridge player in the 1950s).

When presenting her award, the Mayor of Brighton and Hove said: “Sandra Landy has shown great courage in her fight with dementia.

She is admired due to her immense knowledge as a pioneer of computers at Brighton University and her determination to keep active memory loss.

She had been working with the Trust for Developing Communities to design a dementia toolkit to improve the lives of those suffering from the condition, and gave regular talks to medical students and professionals on her experiences.

She joked: “I haven’t a clue what I’ve done to get this award but I clearly deserve it.”[6] Sandra Landy died on 4 January 2017, aged 78.

[13] According to her Telegraph obituarist: "A woman of great charm, Sandra Landy was a quiet ambassador for the game of bridge", who was "congenial and convivial".

[4] At international level, her accomplishments include:[14] In all, she represented England or Great Britain in 11 World and 16 European Championships, winning seven gold, eight silver and five bronze medals.