A man spent ten hours playing table tennis at Quayside Leisure Centre for Comic Relief on Friday, March 24.
Howard Smith, 69, from Chillington was accepting challenges from member of the public on squash court two. Each match was the best of three games.
For every game he lost, he donated £1, and if his challenger lost, they donated £1 to Comic Relief.
Dressed head to toe in red, Howard raised more than £150, winning all of his matches, playing the best of three games. He only lost one game throughout the day, but perhaps that was to be expected from “Whiff Whaff Taff: Kingsbridge and district’s unofficial over 65s table tennis champion”!
Whiff whaff was one of the old names for table tennis, when it was a popular after-dinner parlour game in Victorian Britain.
Howard said: “The time flew by but suffice to say I felt a tad tired at the end. But I did not need the defibrillator that management supposedly had ready for me!”
As well as raising money for a great cause, Howard was also keen to raise awareness of the benefits of racquet sports, and the potential loss of the squash courts in Kingsbridge.
On squash court one, next door to Howard’s whiff whaff marathon, there was the opportunity to play squash and racquetball with Kingsbridge Squash Team, organised by John Stevenson.
Howard said: “As well as fundraising for Comic Relief, it was also a day for all Kingsbridge and district people to show solidarity with our two squash courts.
“We understand that Fusion and South Hams District Council have indicated the possibility of the two squash courts being destroyed to make way for “more profitable” activities.
“We, therefore, have to use the courts more frequently, not only for squash and racquetball but other activities like table tennis and karate that can make use of the space.
“In that way, we may change their minds.”
You can find out more about Red Nose Day on the official website www.rednoseday.com.
You can contact Quayside Leisure Centre on 01548 857100 or visit the website www.quaysideleisurecentre.com.