This week’s photos are three group shots of young ladies. If you have any information to complete any gaps then please contact me on [email protected]
Click here to scroll to last week’s pictures
Very many thanks to all who have contributed over the last 12 weeks.
Photo 1
A young Alison Gordon holding the cup at the Girls’ Under 11s ESTTA Championships. Date and venue unknown, as are the other players.
Photo 2
Karen Witt is on the far left. Do you know the other players, date, venue and occasion?
Photo 3
Jackie Bellinger with a happy group of girls. Can you help with their names, the date, venue and occasion?
Copyright: P Mathews, Welwyn Garden City.
I have had several responses this week and in particular would like to thank Roger Morris who provided so much information on the Birmingham photo and Kevin Buddell and Paddy Shepherd on the Devon County picture.
Photo 1
Event: Finalists of the Western Trust Devon County Table Tennis Championships.
Venue: Devonport Guildhall.
Date: March 29, 1981.
People: L to R. Mike Shearman, Jim Brown (Branch Controller, Western Trust and Savings), Mavis Scott, Bill Northcott, Carol Butler (Giles), Mike Short, Frances Jarvis (President Devon County TTA), Gary Wilson, Gina Pritchard, Paul Whiting, Gary Lambert, Mark Ellett.
Photo 2
Occasion: Unknown.
Venue: Unknown.
Date: Unknown.
People: L to R. Ivor Eyles, x, Edward F Christopher, Ken Hyde, x, x, x, x, Victor Barna, x, x, x, x.
Pen Pictures
Ivor Eyles – ETTA Honorary Life Member 1960, ETTA Chairman, Deputy Chairman and National Executive Committee member. ETTA Committees: Selection & Coaching Chairman, County Championships Secretary and Chairman, Rules Committee member, Tournament Committee member, European Championships Committee Chairman for 1966 Championships.
Founder Secretary in 1946 of the Western Counties TTL and Competition Secretary when membership was over 1,000. Gloucestershire CTTA Founder, Secretary and first National Councillor. Bristol & DTTA Life Member 1958, Secretary, Vice-Chairman, Tournament Secretary. Tramways MM Club Secretary 1934-38. Bristol Omnibus Sports Club Secretary 1956-1976. As well as Ivor’s table tennis commitments he also played for Bristol Boys soccer team and was on the books as an amateur for Bristol City and Trowbridge Town.
Edward FJ Christopher – ETTA Vice-President 1938. Bristol & DTTL Chairman 1927-1929, President. Western Counties TTL President. The first President for Gloucestershire TTA.39 Club, Bristol, President. Edward was connected with table tennis in Bristol from 1919-1950. He started the first Bristol Ladies Team in 1930. Christopher was the author of ‘Table Tennis Simplified’ and also wrote various articles on table tennis.
Ken Hyde – England international from Lancashire. Ken played in six World Championships from 1934-1939, gaining a bronze medal in the Swaythling Cup in 1939 in Cairo – it took a mammoth three-day journey to get there. Along with Hymie Lurie, Ken reached the semi-finals of the Men’s Doubles that year too. In the Mixed Doubles Ken’s best result was in 1934 with Margaret Osborne (Mrs Knott) when they reached the quarter-finals.
English Open success saw Ken reach the Men’s Singles semi-finals in 1934 and quarter-finals in 1939. Men’s Doubles went one better with a runners-up place in 1934 with AG Millar and a semi-final match in 1936 with brother, Eric Hyde. Ken had a further semi-final match in the Mixed Doubles with Joyce Bartholomew in 1934.
A prominent member of the England squad throughout the 1930s, Ken played many matches for his country including the Irish Free State, France, Ireland as well as touring Czechoslovakia in 1938.
Victor Barna – Born in Budapest and subsequently became a naturalised British citizen in 1947, he represented both Hungary and England. World No 1 and winner of 22 World Championship titles, including seven Swaythling Cup gold medals and five Men’s Singles events, plus numerous runners-up and semi-final placings. Despite breaking his right arm in 1935 in a car accident, Victor learnt how to play left-handed and still went on to win World Championships medals.
English Open Men’s Singles champion in 1933, 1934, 1935, 1937 and 1938. Men’s Doubles winner in 1931 (Miklos Szabados), 1933 (Sandor Glancz), 1934 and 1935 (Tommy Sears), 1937, 1938, 1939 (all with Laszlo Bellak), 1949 (Richard Bergmann). Mixed Doubles winner with Dora Emdin in 1933 and 1934, Margaret Osborne (1935, 1936, 1938), Dora Beregi (1949), Helen Elliot of Scotland (November 1950) and Rosalind Rowe in 1953.
ITTF Hall of Fame 1993, ETTA Vice-President 1964, President and Creator of the Swaythling Club whose name is perpetuated in the Swaythling Club Fair Play Award.
One of the world’s best ever players who also was captain of England’s men’s and women’s teams after his playing days as well as captaining Middlesex teams. Victor was a good coach and teacher and travelled extensively to pass on his skills and knowledge in India, France, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Nigeria and Ghana. Victor had a considerable influence on Diane and Rosalind Rowe’s careers.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Victor was in America with his wife and they travelled back to England to help the cause, including playing in many exhibition matches to raise funds for the Red Cross.
Photo 3
Event: Unknown.
Venue: Exeter.
Date: 1940s.
Players: Back: x, x, Ron Litten, Fred Hipkins, Cliff Pickett, Doug Shipton, Charlie Dawes.
Front: Joan Brock (Crosby), Dora Beregi (Devenney), Elizabeth (Betty Blackbourn), x, Nellie Mason.
Pen Pictures:
Ronald (Ron) Litten – A Devonshire man who played for England. In the 1948 World Championships Ron reached the last 16 with Violet Patterson and the last 32 in the Men’s Singles and the Men’s Doubles with Aubrey Simons.
Ron’s first international match was against Scotland in 1947, a fixture which England won 10-1.
Ron subsequently moved to South Africa where he played in their National Championships in 1951, winning the Men’s Doubles with R Edwards and the Mixed Doubles with Betty Blackbourn (formerly of Exeter).
Charlie Dawes – An England international from Gloucestershire who played in the match against Wales in 1936/37.
Joan Brock (Crosby) – England international from Exeter who was a member of the Corbillon Cup team which finished second at the World Championships in 1949. Joan was also a finalist in the Women’s Doubles with Pinkie Barnes and reached the last 32 in the Women’s Singles during those Championships.
In 1940 Joan reached the semi-finals of the English Open with Elizabeth Blackbourn in the Women’s Doubles.
Dora Beregi (Devenney) – Born in Budapest, Dora represented Hungary before playing for England and subsequently Australia where she emigrated in 1950.
Dora gained a World Championship Corbillon Cup (Women’s Team) winning medals – 1948 when playing for England as well as third place in 1950 and fourth in 1938. She reached the Women’s Singles quarter-finals in 1928 and was winner of the Women’s Doubles in 1950 with Helen Elliot of Scotland. A Mixed Doubles semi-final placing with Richard Bergmann was gained in 1948.
At the English Open, Dora was Women’s Singles champion in 1938 and 1946 and Women’s Doubles champion with Jean Nicoll in 1940 and Vera Dace (Thomas) in 1946. Mixed Doubles saw a further championship win with Eric Filby in 1946.
Dora was associated with the Exeter area after marrying a soldier, the Devonian Mr Devenney.
Elizabeth Blackbourn – An England International who was a member of the winning Corbillon Cup team in the 1947 World Championships who won all her seven matches 3-0. Elizabeth reached the Women’s Singles finals, Mixed Doubles quarter-finals with Eric Filby and last 16 of the Women’s Doubles with Vera Dace (Thomas).
At the English Open Elizabeth won the Junior Girls Singles title in 1940 after being the runner-up the previous year. She also reached a runners-up position in the Women’s Singles in 1946, semi-final 1940 and quarter-final 1947. With Vera Dace (Thomas) in the Women’s Doubles she again got a winning medal.
In 1939, with Joan Brock, Elizabeth won the JM Rose Bowl (National Women’s Team Championships) for the Exeter League.
In 1948 Elizabeth went to live in South Africa for several years and won their National Championships on many occasions.
Photo 4
Occasion: Birmingham & District Table Tennis Association Committee at the annual prize giving dance.
Venue: Tower Ballroom.
Date: Circa 1948.
People: Back: x, Hazel Eggerton, Geoff Alderton (English Open Boys Champion 1939), R M Stanton, Alf Hill (B & DTTA Treasurer), x, Charles Griffin (Chairman B & DTTA).
Front: Sam Hart (National Umpire), Maurice Goldstein, Vera Brain, x, Harold Pickard (National Umpire), Ken Thompson, Adrian Haydon.
Pen Pictures:
Maurice Goldstein – see Friday Photos No 9.
Adrian Haydon – England international. England No 1 and World No 4. ETTA Vice-President 1964. A member of the ETTA Selection Committee and also Birmingham City TTC Secretary in the 1930s.
One of the most prolific players at a high level ever. Adrian played his first World Championships in 1928 and last in 1953, 17 in total, taking into consideration the loss of the war years, was a phenomenal span. Success was considerable throughout the period. Two silver medallist placings in the Swaythling Cup team, 1931 and 1952 and three third positions in 1928, 1929 and 1933. In the Men’s Singles Adrian was semi-finalist in 1929 and 1933 and quarter-finalist in 1936. Men’s Doubles runner-up in 1935 with Alfred Liebster of Austria), 1948 with Soos of Hungary and semi-finalist with Victor Barna in 1947, 1952 and 1953. In 1935 Adrian was also a semi-finalist with Margaret Osborne (Knott) in the Mixed Doubles.
Adrian played in several English Open’s between 1928 and 1936, becoming runner-up in the men’s Singles in 1933 and semi-finalist in 1928. A men’s Doubles runner-up in 1933 with Liebster and semi-finalist in 1932 and 1933 with Miss Lamprill in the Mixed Doubles.
Perhaps Adrian’s finest hour, however, was captaining the Swaythling Cup team to their Championships win in 1953.
Diane Webb
November 21, 2014