Table tennis
BARNARD Castle has become the home of a thriving table tennis club that now hosts two teams in the Darlington League.
With a membership of about 30, a club night is held at Teesdale Leisure Centre every Wednesday which is well attended, with the strongest players representing Barney competitively.
The club was formed just a year before Covid, when founder John Heaviside and the now club captain Anthony Carter decided to go for a game after not playing for 30 years.
Mr Heaviside said: “We had a game and we loved it.
“We decided to form a club and it just gained momentum from there.
“We then joined the Darlington league where we now have two sides that play every week.”
“It’s very good for a club our size to have such a good representation.”
After just half an hour at Wednesday evening’s club night, it’s clear there’s a relaxed feel but as with any sport, the competitive edge was obviously there.
Mr Heaviside said “When we started out, we made a conscious decision about what type of club we’d like to be.
“We wanted to be somewhere in the middle of the road. We come out to win and really want to do well, but at the same time there’s a relaxed feel.
“We always have the music on during our matches for example.”
He added: “Everyone plays competitively though, then obviously the league matches are where the level is upped.”
The club is always looking for new players with club nights being played on a Wednesday night between 6pm and 7.30pm.
