This week there are three images from the same conference but date, place and what conference it was are unknown.
Several faces are familiar but many are not identified. Amongst them are some of the greatest administrators, officers and officials of English table tennis. Can you help fill any of the gaps?
Click here to scroll to last week’s pictures
Any information to me, Diane Webb, at [email protected] Don’t forget that all previous weeks’ pictures and information are on the ‘Our Sport’ section of the website.
Photo 1
Front: Tony Chatwin
Middle: Tony Pacitto, Pat Archdale, Laurie Landry
Back: Michael Close
Photo 2
Front: Conrad Jaschke, Tom Blunn
Middle: George Yates, Charles Wyles
Back: Albert Shipley, George White, Bill Vint
Photo 3
Front: Les Smith
Middle: –
Back: Geoff Harrower, Phil Reid
We have had some wonderful responses to last week’s pictures, many thanks to everyone who has contacted me or been in touch through VETTS Facebook. All information is very much appreciated and it’s always interesting when someone in one of the photographs contacts me directly.
Special thanks go to John Arnold MBE, ESTTA President, who has provided much additional information on the various schools competitions.
Photo 1
Event: Lancashire Junior Open.
Venue: Unknown.
Date: Unknown.
People: Back: Phil Huggon, x, x, Bradley Billington, David Rook, x, Michael O’Driscoll.
Front: Clare Potts, Andrea Holt, x, Jill Hammersley (Parker), Peter Hancock?, x, Joanne Shaw.
Pen Picture
Michael O’Driscoll: An England International at Cadet, Junior and Senior level. Michael won his first England senior cap aged 14 years. He won gold at the Commonwealth Championships in 1991 in Nairobi, a tournament which was refereed by our own Doug Young. A further gold was added to Mike’s collection in the Men’s Doubles partnered by Chris Oldfield. Mike also reached the Mixed Doubles semi-finals with Nicola Deaton in that year.
At the Quadrangular tournament in 1987 Mike was a member of the team which won the competition.
With Chris Oldfield in 1990 a semi-final place was achieved at the English Open. The National Championships saw further success with Chris as his partner, reaching the semi-finals in the Men’s Doubles in 1989, 1990 and 1991. Returning to the game after a considerable break, Mike still plays in the higher echelons – he was Veteran Men’s Singles champion in 2014 at the National Championships, two Veteran Men’s Doubles titles were gained, in 2013 with Paul Beck and 2014 with Lorestas Trumpauskas. In the Mixed Doubles of the main event in 2014, Mike reached the quarter-finals with Yolanda King.
At a younger age Mike was a member of the Cadet team which won gold at the European Youth Championships in 1987 and runner-up in the Junior Boys Team in 1989.
Photo 2
Occasion: Hymers College, Hull, winners of the Norman Cook Memorial Trophy in the ETTA National Schools Competition (Boys U19s).
Venue: Unknown.
Date: 1968.
People: L to R: Chris Boothby, Andrew Petrie, Tony Clayton, Alan Fletcher. Trophy presented by Tom Blunn.
Pen Pictures
Alan Fletcher: A Yorkshireman and England international who played in the Edinburgh Commonwealth Championships in 1979, winning a team silver medal. Alan also reached the quarter-finals in the Men’s Doubles with Graham Sandley. In the 1975/76 English Open Alan was again a quarter-finalist in the Men’s Doubles, this time with Pat Glyn.
Alan was a regular at the National Championships from 1970-1985. In the Men’s Singles in 1977 he reached the quarter-finals, was a runner-up in the Men’s Doubles with Nigel Eckersley in 1978 and quarter-finalist with Steve Mills in 1983 and again with Nigel Eckersley in 1984. In the Mixed Doubles a semi-final position with Mandy Smith in 1981 was the highest position achieved.
Tony Clayton: Originally a Yorkshireman who now lives in Dorset. An England international who made his England debut in February 1971 in the team event at the English Open. Tony made 34 appearances for England at senior level, excluding friendlies. A Swaythling Cup player at the World Championships in 1971, Tony helped his team to a 10th-place finish; he also reached the last 32 with Karenza Mathews in the Mixed Doubles.
Tony played in the first Commonwealth Championships in 1971, winning team gold; he was runner-up in the Mixed Doubles with Karenza Mathews and quarter-finalist in the Men’s Doubles with Alan Ransome.
1971 was a very busy year with Tony undertaking two foreign tours, one in China which was the first time the country had been opened to foreigners for 10 years, during the ‘Ping Pong Diplomacy’ era. This was a massive international news event and the players played in front of crowds of 30,000 – with another 20,000 queueing outside.
In front of much smaller crowds at the National Championships Tony was Men’s Singles runner-up in 1971 and semi-finalist in 1973. In the Men’s Doubles his outstanding partnership with Laurie Landry, with over 100 titles, saw the duo become runners-up in the Men’s Doubles in 1973, the previous year a semi-final place had been obtained. A further runners-up placing was reached in 1973 with Susan Howard (after winning the Semi-final in expedite) in the Mixed Doubles.
Photo 3
Occasion: Malory School. Winners of the Norman Cook Memorial Trophy in the ETTA National Schools Competition (Boys U19s), the first year the competition was run, under the auspices of the ETTA. ESTTA was set up in May 1968 and schools competitions then came under their jurisdiction.
Venue: Unknown.
Date: 1967.
Players: Raymond Tilling, John Dabin, Colin Jones, Michael Fryer.
Pen Picture
John Dabin: An England international from Kent who played in the Commonwealth Championships in Edinburgh in 1979 where the team won a silver medal, with John winning six from his 10 singles. In the National Championships John reached the quarter-finals in 1978 in the Men’s Singles.
Diane Webb
December 5, 2014