# Table Tennis - Ping! England



## Copepod (Aug 15, 2016)

I played table tennis for the first time since I was a teenager at youth clubs, over 3 decades ago. Having been hopeless at all ball games (hockey, netball, rounders and tennis) at school, I thought that was it. Actually, a term of volleyball was OK, and played a few games when working overseas in early 1990s, but I have long thought that only outdoor activities such as canoeing, sailing, climbing, fell walking, running, orienteering, cycling etc were my things. However, an hour in a park this morning has changed all that. I arrived at 1000, the advertised time, by bike, and waited until 10:10, then was leaving as no-one had turned up. I had already left the park and crossed the road when I looked back to the car park and saw a man in an orange T shirt with white writing on back unloading a large bag from his car. So, I crossed back and asked if he was the table tennis person - and he was! No-one else turned up, so we played for an hour - he left late to make up for arriving late, and with one to one instruction, the improvement in my playing was dramatic. We called out to several people passing by, either just humans or human(s) with dog(s), but no-one else joined in - their loss! I'll definitely play more table tennis! 
Anyone else (in England) who would like to try, the website to find a table is http://www.pingengland.co.uk/#findatable


----------



## Matt Cycle (Aug 15, 2016)

Played a fair bit of TT in my younger days.  At school in break we used to take 6 desks (no, not the ancient ones with inkwells) these were modern 1970's style ones - you have to remember this was the 1980's so they were still modern then.  Anyway we had 3 desks on each side with 3 chairs wedged across the middle (again the plastic backed 1970's style ones) for the net.  This made it a bit longer than a standard TT table but it worked well enough for us.  Quite resourceful I suppose and good fun.  I also joined a TT club for a while.  

I hadn't played for years but we had a TT competition at work about 4 years ago in the sports and social club.  My 'skills' were a little bit rusty - it's good for fitness though as it's surprisingly energetic.


----------



## Copepod (Aug 15, 2016)

Apparently, workplaces etc can buy heavily subsidised table tennis kits - I think about £180 for a fold up table, 10 bats and 10 balls. If I had a single workplace, I would ask to consider the idea. There are also roll up nets so that any table or combination of desks, like at Matt's school, can be used.
I mentioned to the instructor about seeing outdoor table tennis tables in London during 2012 Olympics. Apprently the idea started when a piano was placed on a patch of open paved ground outside the renovated Kings Cross railway station, so that people could play music. Then a table tennis pyer passed by and thought why not place table tennis kit there? So that's what happened, and since then the idea has spread to many other cities.
Agree about it being energetic - an hour of table tennis, with 2 miles cycling before and 2 miles pushing bike with flat tyre (turned out to be a failed valve, not puncture, so need a new inner tube) was a decent bit of exercise for today, but most of all, it was FUN!


----------



## HOBIE (Aug 15, 2016)

I represented North of England boys club at TT years ago. We used to play in the TT league & I loved it. Really keeps you fit  ( don't call me Forest G)


----------

