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Please note that our annual Presentation Evening will be held on Friday
14th June 2013 at the New Wheatsheaf, Altofts Lane, Whitwood, Castleford
WF10 5PZ. 7.30 pm for 8.00pm.
Tickets, menu and further information from Brenda Hudson, 19 Overland
Road, Cottingham, East Yorks HU16 4PY, telephone 01482 841981 or email
brenda@hulltabletennis.co.uk
Halifax Veterans Tournament Entry Form Posted - Summer
Veterans.
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Veterans Premier Division Latest - Veterans
Draycott
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TRIBUTES PAID TO LES D’ARCY
Veteran sportsman Les D'Arcy has died at the age of 91. Mr D’Arcy,
of Fairway View, Lupset, was most famous for playing table tennis and
even competed in a world tournament last year. The pensioner’s passion
for sport also inspired a film called Ping Pong, which followed eight
people from across the globe as they competed in the over 80s category
of the World Table Tennis Championships in Inner Mongolia. Mr D’
Arcy only took up athletics at the age of 84 and went on to compete at
world level. He also competed in triathlons and weight lifting. The former
Ossett and Normanton teacher died on Saturday after suffering recent problems
with his heart. He leaves behind six children, 17.
Les crammed so much into his sporting life that there is not enough time
to list all his achievements but here is a brief glimps of what turned
out to be his last year with us
Stockholm
One of the VETTS’ most prolific - and at 90+ years of age, one of
our most senior members, Les D’Arcy has been making headlines in
his own right during the summer. As well as his
skills on the table tennis table, and in a range of other sports, including
triathlon, weight lifting, several track and field events (and rumour
has it he is considering taking up pole vaulting), Les is an accomplished
poet, and this summer has added Olympic torch bearer and film star to
his repertoire.
However, the summer did not start well for Les, when his trip to Stockholm
to compete in the World Veteran’s Championship was disrupted in
the most traumatic way when he was rushed to hospital for emergency heart
surgery. Fortunately his recovery was speedy and we were delighted to
see his return to good health. Les paid tribute to the doctors and nurses
who helped him at South Stockholm General Hospital Medical
Olympic torch
In 2012, Les was sufficiently recovered to take his prestigious place
as a torch bearer. Olympic flame passed through Market Harborough. His
nominator wrote to explain why Les should be honored with this role: “Les
is a true sportsman and has inspired many people of many generations and
continues to do so. Les is the mens world record holder in Table Tennis
in his age group and a previous champion in Weight lifting he currently
holds the British Record in all the Athletic throwing events in his age
group. In July he is competing in the World Masters Athletic Championships
in the over 90 age group in the USA. A retired School teacher he is heavily
involved in community work in the local area and received several awards
for service to Yorkshire Sport and Recreation and table tennis in particular.
He was a member of 2nd Tactical R.A.F. and involved in the invasion of
France in 1944 and the conquest of Germany in 1944-45“.
Les then crowned off the summer of 2012 when he starred, with fellow VETTS’
member, Terry Donlon, in a recently released film ‘Ping Pong’,
which follows the adventures, hopes and aspirations of eight players with
a combined age of 703 as they competed in the Over 80s World Veterans
Championship in Inner Mongolia.
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JOHN HARDCASTLE – REST IN PEACE
The English Table Tennis Association are sad to hear of the passing of
regular and favourite umpire John Hardcastle.
John, born on April 24th 1938, umpired mainly in England but also officiated
in the Isle of Man, Wales and the Czech Republic. John also spent a long
time as the County Umpires Secretary for Yorkshire since 2001.
He achieved his County Umpires qualification on the 18th November 1980
and his National Umpires qualification on the 8th March 2009.
His funeral is to be held on the 27th December at 13:00 from his home,
13:15 for the funeral at St Mary’s Church and 14:30 at Ardlsey Crematorium
where he will be dressed in his Olympics uniform trainers, blazer and
hat. A wake venue has yet to be decided although there is a Facebook page
set up in his honour where details may be updated.
Below is a message and poem written by his nephew Ben Rigby.
Thanks to everyone for their kind words. I am his nephew and cared for
him in what was unknown to be his final months and he stayed jolly and
true to the end a little tired but never changing a great caring man,
here is my ode to and memories of our last weeks.
My last days with my best friend.
Thanks for helping me Ar Ben
He’d tell me from his chair
As we squeezed his feet into his slippers
N then I’d trim his hair
What ya want for tea mister
I’d ask him from my seat
“what ya reckon I shud av Ar Ben”
Well what ya fancy ta eat :)
“A couple o bacon sarnies I think” he’d say
Do ya think that’d be ok
Course it will you sit tight it’ll soon be on its way
N here’s ya tablets for tonight
And ya others for int morning
As we finished watching our daily pointless
I’d catch the old lad yawning
Come on mister time for bed
N I’d took him nice n tight
Then tell him who my best mate was
And kiss that man goodnight
Not knowing that’d be our final days
I now treasure that memory dear
It seems hard to take and comprehend
The thought that your not here
I wished to make you look smarter
Wish a shave and fresh cut hair
While you slept tight Sat on your floor
You looked so peaceful there
So some last goodnights to my hero
I’ll miss you all the years through
N when am next at cup final
I’ll save a seat for you X
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LADIES LEAGUE THRIVING
The Halifax and District Table Tennis Association have become pioneers
this season
with the introduction of a 5 team ladies league who have been playing
regular weekly
matches since September and it is the brain child of founder and keen
player Helen
Smith.
After 27 years in Belgium working by day and playing squash and tennis
the rest of the time
Helen arrived back in Halifax in 2011, the place of her birth, to look
for new ventures.
One of her first outings was to the Halifax Table Tennis Club where she
was immediately
hooked and having played as a youngster with brothers and sisters mostly
for fun she soon
found her competitive edge and wanted to improve and win!
Helen was recruited to play in the third division and rose to the challenge
since she had played
league squash for many years and was one of the top ten lady players in
Belgium. But the
third division is mainly male dominated and she became a little disillusioned.
She was struggling to win any of my games and wondering whether turning
out on a winters
night and having no chance of winning was the best use of my time but
she was hooked on
the game!
After a conversation with Alan Dickinson regarding a ladies division and
with his support, she
got the bit between my teeth and started recruiting for a lady players.
Many of her tennis
partners were keen to give it a go and with notices in local supermarkets
we soon had enough
ladies to field five teams by September. A ladies league was formed!
The ladies league is through the first half season and it has been very
successful. There is a
certain amount of rivalry between the teams, Sapphires, Emeralds, Rubies,
Aquamarines and
Amethysts but on the whole they are all friendly and supportive to each
other.
One of the most amazing things is the improvement all the players have
all made. This is
partly through playing more regularly but it is also due to the commitment
Alan Dickinson has
made towards their training. The ladies have had several training sessions
to date...the last
being their Christmas training last Saturday when 14 ladies turned up
to be coached in a fun,
friendly but informative manner. They consider themselves so lucky to
have Alan as their
coach as he understands every one of their foibles and is able to keep
them focused on what
they need to do to improve.
Two of the lady players travel from Barnsley to play league games and
there are also a couple
of complete beginners.
The aim of the ladies league is to build on this impressive start and
possibly increase the
number of teams to seven or eight next season and Helen would like to
appeal to all would be
lady table tennis players to come on board. ( it has been proven that
Table Tennis keeps the
mind active and stems the onset of dementia!).
Helens other role is as a Social Convenor at Queens Sports Club, Halifax
she has now
initiated Table Tennis as a competitive sport at the club and currently
they have 20 plus
players on a singles ladder and at least 7 doubles partners on the doubles
ladder.
Table Tennis is alive and well and if anyone is interested in playing
or would like any further
information please contact Helen Smith on graysmithhc@gmail.com
Helen is seen in the photograph along with Halifax head coach Alan Dickinson
and the rest of the ladies league players at their Christmas coaching
session
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