First Impressions

[Annie]

Just wondering how and when you started enjoying the game? Was it when you were a kid or later on in your life?

Basically when did it all really start for you?

[Highside]

well i was late, little later than most but started when i was 16 so missed early times, although love the sport even more nowadays with the introduction of 11 up.

[The Windmill]

Started when I was about 11, playing with my father on a table that he made. We played in the garage, not much room for going away from the table or lobbing for that matter. It was even worse if a shot was played wide. Had to watch out for scraping your bat along the wall. Bloody cold in the winter also......Happy days !!!

[DaveR]

Started when i was about 8 or 9 if i recall but sadly no table in the garage for us poor colliery folk up North !

We had to put up with a piece of old slate i found on the roof of a house whose chimmney i was cleaning at the time..............

[Annie]

Started when i was about 8 or 9 if i recall but sadly no table in the garage for us poor colliery folk up North !

We had to put up with a piece of old slate i found on the roof of a house whose chimmney i was cleaning at the time..............

Your story has really moved me!:cry1:

[Spongebob!]

Quote - 'Your story has really moved me!':cry1:

Pity it was a complete load of rubbish...it was me up the chimney....'Spongebob!' come down at once....there's a whole street to finish by 9pm tonight. If you're good you'll get a fish supper!!! You shall have a fishy on a little dishy..!!!'

Well...my story's even more moving....

...my Dad used to work for a local company called 'Plessey's' - after his footballing career was over (he used to play for Charlton Athletic). One day he came home with half a notice board - it was huge - it was green. We laid it across our dining room table (we were posh - not like Roppa!) and hey presto my first table tennis table at the age of 9!

Our net was a row of Ladybird books in the middle of the notice board - my bat (you guessed it) was also a ladybird book. We had loads of fun - it strange looking back now thinking how much fun my brothers and Dad had. I loved playing - so after a while when at a local Youth Club in Seaham (aged 10) I started playing table tennis with my friends - I loved that too.

Then when I started senior school at local TT coach came to the school and starting to offer evening coaching sessions. There was quite a few people playing for the school who still play to this day in our local leagues and county - me, Roppa, Fishy (Neil Herrington), Lynn Yarnell (now Herrington), Bob Reed.

Jim Woods (TT Coach) is sadly no longer with us - but think we all have a huge amount to thank him for. He was a great charactor with so much patience especially when we sometimes used to mess about (a little).

Then after that it was ongoing progression to playing for local teams, town, county etc with Centre of Excellence coaching with Bob Wiley.

So...the rest is history - a long time since playing with ladybird books.

Pity I didn't go on to play for England - now that would have made a great story...how did you start playing Spongebob!'

[Annie]

Bobby that was a great story and I have a huge smile on my face. :grin:

I'm glad I asked this question because sometimes it's nice to remember where we came from and it puts a lot of things into perspective.

Sadly I never made it into the Leagues because me and my elder brother had to share a pair of pumps. Yep it's true. :liar: He is ambidextrous and was 5 years older than me so played much better and was always given the pumps first. :resent:

After a few years he started work and lost interest, finding girls more entertaining. Finally I thought 'This is my time' then I realised that the pumps had been completely worn out. It was too late! :cry1:

Always too late.........story of my life! :girly:

[Spongebob!]

aaah bless....never mind maaaatey - nice story too! :cry1:

[DaveR]

Quote - 'Your story has really moved me!':cry1:

Pity it was a complete load of rubbish...it was me up the chimney....'Spongebob!' come down at once....there's a whole street to finish by 9pm tonight. If you're good you'll get a fish supper!!! You shall have a fishy on a little dishy..!!!'

Well...my story's even more moving....

...my Dad used to work for a local company called 'Plessey's' - after his footballing career was over (he used to play for Charlton Athletic). One day he came home with half a notice board - it was huge - it was green. We laid it across our dining room table (we were posh - not like Roppa!) and hey presto my first table tennis table at the age of 9!

Our net was a row of Ladybird books in the middle of the notice board - my bat (you guessed it) was also a ladybird book. We had loads of fun - it strange looking back now thinking how much fun my brothers and Dad had. I loved playing - so after a while when at a local Youth Club in Seaham (aged 10) I started playing table tennis with my friends - I loved that too.

Then when I started senior school at local TT coach came to the school and starting to offer evening coaching sessions. There was quite a few people playing for the school who still play to this day in our local leagues and county - me, Roppa, Fishy (Neil Herrington), Lynn Yarnell (now Herrington), Bob Reed.

Jim Woods (TT Coach) is sadly no longer with us - but think we all have a huge amount to thank him for. He was a great charactor with so much patience especially when we sometimes used to mess about (a little).

Then after that it was ongoing progression to playing for local teams, town, county etc with Centre of Excellence coaching with Bob Wiley.

So...the rest is history - a long time since playing with ladybird books.

Pity I didn't go on to play for England - now that would have made a great story...how did you start playing Spongebob!'

First things first.............top story and exactly what the sites about, moving on from that i stupidly left out a great guy named by Spongebob.........Jim Woods a guy i have the utmost respect for as many do in the Sunderland Table Tennis fraternity, always the friend and always the coach. The people like Jim sadly are becoming less and less in the busy life of most parents, which isnt a jibe at the many who put lots of time and effort in, just sadly we all have much more work and less time to give for free.

[HarryBelafonte]

have you learnt to read those books yet............................................... ...........

[The Windmill]

Actually I think if spongebob started to use one of those Ladybird books as a bat again he might see a marked improvement in his game.

[DaveR]

The books are not as good as he thinks, I have tried to use the smaller version but sdaly the grip is not as one would like for looping, having said that we could try spin max on the front cover this maybe create some extra friction .............other than that I'm not so sure.............maybe the famous five collection could be a better alternative!

[FantasyCheeseBasin]

started playing when i was 14,we had no bats or tables,so we just had to imagine playing,we had to work 28 hours a day down the pit,then came home to a piece of bread and jam,if we were lucky,at age 15 got my first bat which was a piece of twig attached to a bean tin lid ,for a ball we used the leftover suet pudding bits from mams cooking pot and rolled it together and left it for 8 weeks to go hard then we could play.our table was made from banana boxes dad brought us back of the boat after his 17 year working week at the docks,when i left school (actually thrown out) began playing for washington, from then on i supplied all my own equipment by working hard at borrowing (stealing) from other people in the club,a habit which sadly lingers to this day,dont think ive bought a ball since 1979, always assumed they were provided free by the fairies.anyway its a great sport hope im still playing when im old and grey (reality check,i am old and grey)well oldish.:popcorn:

[Annie]

Thanks Cheesey! :thumbsup: And of course we all believe you.............not :liar:

[Spongebob!]

have you learnt to read those books yet............................................... ...........

Quality Godba - I'm up to 'Foxy Loxy, Goosy Lucy, Turkey Lurkey' and I've also just started to do joined up writing too!!! :happy:

[Spongebob!]

started playing when i was 14,we had no bats or tables,so we just had to imagine playing,we had to work 28 hours a day down the pit,then came home to a piece of bread and jam,if we were lucky,at age 15 got my first bat which was a piece of twig attached to a bean tin lid ,for a ball we used the leftover suet pudding bits from mams cooking pot and rolled it together and left it for 8 weeks to go hard then we could play.our table was made from banana boxes dad brought us back of the boat after his 17 year working week at the docks,when i left school (actually thrown out) began playing for washington, from then on i supplied all my own equipment by working hard at borrowing (stealing) from other people in the club,a habit which sadly lingers to this day,dont think ive bought a ball since 1979, always assumed they were provided free by the fairies.anyway its a great sport hope im still playing when im old and grey (reality check,i am old and grey)well oldish.:popcorn:

Thorpey you're absolutely maaaaaaaad!!! '...I used to dream of owning a bat - kids today eh...don't know they're born - Spongey...pass the next ladybird book 2008 version - 'Little Red Riding Hoody!!!' :dance3: