You could say that the Table Tennis Club started in the dining room of our house in Castle Bromwich Birmingham. We were Just 30 years old, and a friend came to play on our table tennis table every Wednesday night. That developed further, and we decided to form a Table Tennis club at Castle Bromwich Methodist Church. We had some 20 players and as our children were growing up we thought we would like to play without children; so we called it the ‘Over 30’s Club’. This club only closed this year, due to lack of members. The club’s name has caused much hilarity over the years when we planned other functions and told people that we were the over 30’s even when we were retirement age.
We moved to Malvern in 1988 and decided that Lansdowne Crescent was the church for us. We again thought that Table Tennis would be a good idea here. As Roy Holland had a group of club players playing in the downstairs room, we asked him if we could use their table. And so it started. Some original players were Beryl Holland, Enid Gadd, Mike and Joan White, Peggy & John Hodgson, Sue and Eddie (from the BB house at Perry Croft), Arthur Simmons, Dennis Molyneux, Margaret and Laurence, Julia Bull and Margaret and Paul English. I will say sorry to those I have missed out. In those days our Minister was the Rev. Ted Harrison and he played sometimes. We arranged challenge matches with Over 30’s going to Castle Bromwich and them coming to Malvern. Rev. Ted accompanied us on these trips. Tea was provided as well. Pauline and I gave up playing as I had a heart operation in 2009 and finished playing about then. Paul and Margaret carried it on and then Keith who will finish the story in his own words.
George Houghton
The story continues....
For a number of years Paul and Margaret English ran Lansdowne Table Tennis Club with help from myself as Club Secretary and Beryl Holland as Treasurer. We carried on like this for a number of years in the early 2000s until Paul and Margaret moved to Bideford. At that time Richard Rowan took over as Chairman and Beryl and I were the two church members helping to run the Club. During these years, with an increasing number of players from outside the Church, our membership has continued to increase. Endeavours to gain further members from within Lansdowne have proved to be increasingly difficult however but the present Club members are extremely grateful for the facilities on offer and show their appreciation by generously supporting the Church Project each year.
The Club always has an Annual Lunch at the Green Dragon at Guarlford which is a most enjoyable occasion at which the majority of members and their partners attend.
At the AGM this year, Beryl, who has not been able to play for the past couple of years, and Keith who has been finding playing increasingly difficult, decided to cease playing and to stand down as committee members, their places being taken by Roy Holland as Treasurer and Jean Endall as Secretary. Richard Rowan continues as Chairman.
Our membership is better than ever and long may it last. The Table Tennis Club members are such a friendly bunch, as they have been over the years. With the support we have from Alison Richards, our Minister, long may it continue.
Keith Salkeld