Three pictures this week – can you help to fill in the gaps?
Click here to scroll to last week’s pictures
Photos 1 and 2 (Copyright: Newington Studios)
The first two are marked as being from the National League and include Colin Wilson, Graham Sandley, Mark Mitchell, David Tan and John Kitchener. Can you name the other people, what year and where the event took place?
Photo 3
Suzanne Hunt (Airey) is on the left. Can you name any of the other players, the occasion, date and venue.
All responses to me at [email protected]
All previous week’s pictures and information can be found on TTE website under ‘Our Sport’.
Not too many responses this week but those that were received have added considerably to the records, with special thanks to Colin Clemett, Jose and Alan Ransome and Doreen Stannard.
Last week’s photos were taken at the Press and Publicity Conference, Halifax Hall, University of Sheffield, 19-21 September 1969.
Click here to read the report from the conference taken from ‘Table Tennis News’ November 1969
Photo 1
Back: Alan Morpeth, x, Derek Tyler, x, x, Tony Ross
Middle: x, Tony Pacitto, x, x, Ron Smith, Pat Archdale, x, Laurie Landry, x, Stan Buchan, Geoff Daniels
Front: Tony Chatwin, Jean Clay, x, Harold Tyler, Keith Ponting, x, Lou Hoffman
Pen pictures
Alan Morpeth: From Northumberland and awarded the ETTA Leslie Forrest Memorial Trophy in 1981.
Derek Tyler: Derek became an ETTA Vice-President in 1976; he was an ETTA Appeals Committee member. His county was Sussex, of which he was a President and Vice-President, he was also Vice-President, Chairman and General Secretary of the Hastings TTA.
However, Derek was best known as an umpire becoming a National Umpire in 1958 and an International Umpire in 1974. Derek umpired at the 1957 and 1977 World Championships and was an Assessor at the 1991 and 1997 Worlds. An ITTF International Umpires Assessor 1981-2000, Derek carried out over 700 assessments for 54 Federations; he was also a Tournament Referee.
Tony Ross: From Yorkshire, who represented that county at National Council, Tony received the ETTA Ivor Montagu Award in 1979 and 1983.
Pat Archdale: The first lady umpire to control a men’s international, the first ‘visiting’ umpire to score a World Final and leader of the first squad of English Umpires invited abroad – for the 1957 World Championships in Stockholm. Pat gained her County Umpires badge in 1951, National Umpire 1957 (Number 11), International Umpire 1973, she was also a Tournament Referee 1971 and National Referee 1986. Pat received many honours and awards: ETTA Vice-President 2002, Bath & District TTA Life Member and Vice-President, Weston-super-Mare Vice-President, Cornwall CTTA Life Member. An active committee member, Pat was National Councillor for Cornwall for a number of years, she also served on NURC, was Avon and Cornwall’s County Umpires Secretary, Gloucestershire Minutes Secretary and Bristol TTA General Secretary, Referee and Umpires Secretary. Pat recently donated her considerable archives which included bats, nets, books, programmes, postcards, photographs and other ephemera.
Laurie Landry: A true gentleman of English table tennis whose honours include becoming an ETTA Vice-President in 1977 and ETTA Honorary Life Member in 1978. A member of many committees at national, county and league level and holding several positions: National Councillor for Cornwall, Secretary and Magazine Secretary of the Willesden TTL, Middlesex County TTA Publicity and Youth Liaison Officer and member, ETTA Management Committee member, member of ETTA Development Commission, ETTA Selection Committee, England Junior Team Captain, Secretary of the International TT Club in England.
Laurie was also an excellent table tennis player, gaining caps at both junior and senior level. His achievements would have been considerably more if he had not been hit by a car whilst saving the life of his nephew in 1961. The near fatal accident meant 10 days unconscious and 23 weeks’ hospitalisation and rehabilitation. He was 22 years of age and at the time and had won 72 from 115 open titles, Laurie had also in 1956 been described as ‘England’s Best Junior’. Despite the accident, three months later Laurie was back playing despite being told he would not be able to play ever again.
On the playing front Laurie played in three World Championships in 1954, 1959 and 1963, reaching the last 32 in the Men’s Doubles with Jeff Ingber in 1959. Laurie’s senior England debut was on 3rd March 1956 against East Germany in Sheffield.
Laurie achieved success at a number of English Opens. At junior level he won the Junior Mixed Doubles with Ann Haydon (now Ann Jones of tennis fame) in 1956, he was Boys’ Singles runner-up in 1956 and a quarter-finalist in 1955. In the Junior Boys’ Doubles, Laurie was twice a runner-up, in 1955 with Terry Densham and 1956 with KA Tarling, and quarter-finalist with Eddie Hodson in 1953. At a senior level Laurie was quarter-finalist in the Men’s Singles in 1959 and Men’s Doubles runner-up in 1960 and quarter-finalist in 1961 on both occasions with Alan Rhodes.
At the National Championships, a quarter-final place was gained in January 1960 at the first Championships, in the Men’s Singles, a Men’s Doubles runner-up with Tony Clayton in 1973 and semi-finalist also with Tony in 1972. In the Mixed Doubles Laurie was a semi-finalist in January 1960 with Betty Bird (Isaacs) and a quarter-finalist in September 1960 with Jean Harrower and in 1966 with Pauline Hemmings.
Remarkable achievements from a delightful man who is still as passionate about the sport as he was in the 1950s.
Geoff Daniels: From Kent. Geoff became an ETTA Vice-President in 1977, he also received the ETTA Ivor Montagu Award in 1975. Geoff was an English Championships Committee member and Assistant Director of the 1977 World Championships which were held in Birmingham.
Keith Ponting: Keith has been the only person to receive all five major honours and awards that can be bestowed by the ETTA. In 1972 he was the first recipient of the Ivor Montagu Award, in 1980 he became a Vice-President, in 1982 he received the Leslie Forrest Memorial Trophy, in 1983 Keith became an Honorary Life Member and in 2002 he was presented with the Malcolm Scott Award. This was crowned in July 2011 when Keith received the greatest honour of becoming President of the Association, which Keith was not able to appreciate to the full due to his death in his first term of office. Keith’s administrative career in table tennis, lasting over 60 years, was remarkable and he fully deserved all the honours that he received.
Keith served on numerous committees and gave a lifetime of service to table tennis. Amongst other positions Keith was National Councillor for Devonshire, Vice-Chairman of Competitions, Management Committee member, Keith helped form the National League (later the British League) and became its Chairman, British League Chairman and Secretary, National Team Competitions/ELCC Chairman, Secretary and Organiser, ETTA Calendar Working Party member, Tournaments Committee member, National Championships member, Devonshire CTTA President, General Secretary, Exeter & DTTA Secretary, West Wilts TTL Press Secretary.
Keith worked as a volunteer at several major events including the 1977 and 1997 World Championships, 1994 European Championships, 1998 World Veterans’ Championships and the Olympic Qualifying Event.
Keith was always courteous and very appreciative of all the work both volunteers and staff carried out within his department when he was Vice-Chairman. You always knew at the end of each season and at Christmas you would get a message from Keith expressing his thanks for the work all had done.
Photo 2
Back: Albert Shipley, George White, Bill Vint, Derek Tremayne
Middle: George Yates, x, Charles Wyles
Front: Conrad Jaschke, x, Tom Blunn, x, Frank Clay
Pen Pictures
Albert Shipley, George White & Bill Vint OBE: See Week 3.
Derek Tremayne: ETTA General Secretary who was made a Vice-President in 1980.
George Yates: In 1972 George had the honour of becoming an Honorary Life Member of the ETTA for his work at League and County level over many years but more specifically as the Editor of Table Tennis News (as a volunteer). George twice was presented with the ETTA Malcolm Scott Award – 1981 and 1985 and the Bolton Civic Medal 1994.
A Deputy Chairman of the ETTA and a Vice-Chairman without Portfolio. On the international scene, George was Secretary of the ITTF Press and Publicity Committee and ETTU Honorary Secretary. In addition, George was Lancashire County TTA President and Bolton TTL Secretary.
Charles Wyles: A Man of Kent who became ETTA Chairman and Deputy Chairman as well as an ITTF Advisory Council member. Honoured with an ETTA Honorary Life Member in 1971 and the Malcolm Scott Award in 1976. Charles was National Councillor for Kent, Kent County TTA Chairman and Secretary, Folkestone & DTTL Chairman. Charles also became a National Umpire in 1959.
Conrad Jaschke: Originally from Austria, Conrad escaped European persecution and came to England aged 14.
He was an ETTA Chairman and Deputy Chairman and made an Honorary Life Member in 1966. Conrad served on the ITTF Advisory Council 1969-71 and was also a National Umpire.
Tom Blunn: See week 3.
Frank Clay: Frank was born in Derbyshire and became an ETTA Vice-President in 1974.
Photo 3
Back: Geoff Harrower, Arnie Warents, Phil Reid, x, x
Middle: x, Eddie Mitchell, Ralph Gunnion, x, John Pike, x
Front: Mr Harmer (Beds), x, x, x, Les Smith, x
Pen Pictures
Geoff Harrower: An Honorary Life Member of the ETTA in 1970. Geoff was a founder member of Middlesex TTA in 1944, he was an ETTA representative and also Honorary Secretary. Geoff was also ETTA Representative of the North Middlesex TTL. Geoff held many ETTA appointments and was on many committees: International Selection Committee Secretary, Open Tournament Committee member, Grading Committee member, National Championships Committee Secretary. Member of County Boundaries, Disciplinary, Incorporation, Rules and Umpires Committees.
On the international front Geoff was the ITTF Equipment Committee Chairman.
As well as holding so many official positions Geoff also played at a high level. He played in three World Championships (1948, 1951, 1952). He reached the last 16 in the Men’s Doubles in 1948 with Ken Stanley and the round of 32 in the Men’s Singles that year. Geoff played in several English Opens too.
Phil Reid: A stalwart of Leicestershire TTA and TTL. Phil was Chairman and Secretary of the latter and a Committee Member of the former for over 20 years. A good player who played in 82 representative matches for Leicester, including County and Midland League matches.
Phil was rewarded in 1980 when he was awarded the ETTA Leslie Forrest Memorial Trophy and gained further honours in 1984 when an ETTA Vice-Presidency was bestowed.
Phil was the author of the superb biography of the legendary Victor Barna which was published in 1974.
Ralph Gunnion: A great character of table tennis who became the President of the Birmingham League. Ralph was also a member of the ETTA Trade Committee.
Ralph was an England International who played in World and European Championships in the 1960s. He was a member of the winning team in the 1966 Quadrangular Championships. Ralph played in several English Open Championships in the 1960s and the National Championships from 1963-1991. He had his greatest success in the Mixed Doubles in in 1964 and 1967, reaching the semi-finals with Leslie Bell (Radford). Ralph achieved several National titles in Veterans’ events: VMS winner in 1985 and 1986 and runner-up in 1984 and VMD Champion in 1991 with Derek Holman.
Les Smith: See Week 3.
Diane Webb
December 12, 2014