1920’s - BEGINNINGS

In Blenheim during the early 1920's, the sound of a sledgehammer, sawing and hammering in a private residence disturbed the peace of Charles Street. The outcome was that two bedrooms were made into one. But it was not an expansion of family that caused the late Mr George Perry to carry out these alterations. It was a burst of enthusiasm for the rapidly growing game of ping pong, as it was known then. Mr Perry provided the necessary equipment by importing a table from Wellington and the Arawa Club, the first in the Marlborough district, was launched on its way. In that little club room many of the players of the day had their first game ever. 

In this early period the well-known cricket personality, Jack Lamason of Wellington, helped considerably when on frequent visits from the Capital, as he spent many hours coaching and playing the local members. A club at the Fire Station was also becoming more active about this time. 

In 1926 the Marlborough Ping Pong Association as it was then known, was formed by Mr Perry, and in doing so, he had the backing of three other clubs formed a year earlier. They were Fire Brigade, Opawa and Regent with the Arawa Club some 45 members became affiliated.

1929 - TARRANT CUP

The Association was given a considerable boost in 1929 when Mr Arthur Tarrant of Wellington presented a 13-inch solid silver cup for the A grade competition. After holding the cup for the first year, the Arawa team (G. Perry, J.R. Nesbit, D. McFedries and J. Batty) lost the coveted trophy to the Opawa team (Alf Oben, J. Laird, G. Oben and J. McBeth). The other teams involved were St. Mary's (B. Reid, G. Gee, N. Neville, J. Kilmartin) and Fire Brigade (G. Chapman, R.V. (Tim) Bythell, C. Bythell and J. Bythell).

At this time the competition games were one set up to 31 with advantage and each player played from a handicap which was altered from time to time by the Association. Other players of note at this time were R. Coker, H. Mills, Chas. Whiteford, Cope Dix, and Misses C. Oben, C. Agar and Mrs G. Perry.

However, in 1931, the Association was forced to go into recess through insufficient funds and lack of enthusiasm although friendly games continued to be played in the Arawa and Fire Brigade rooms.

In 1933 a table tennis event of national importance took place in Wellington when F.J. Perry, one-time world champion, and F.H. Wilde, another English international, defeated a Wellington team of H.D. Kennedy, C.F. William, E. Cheal and H. Pyle by five matches to nil. Cheal and Pyle were narrowly beaten in the one doubles match. This contest, it appears, saw the first use in New Zealand of rubber-faced bats and the Wellington players were up against it from the start.

In a newspaper report of Monday October 30, 1933, repeated mention is made of the heavy spin imparted on the balls by the English players. Also mentioned was the severe spin service of Wilde which won him many points. This type of service (with finger spin) is now outlawed.

1938 - REFORMED

In 1938 the Marlborough Association was reformed under the title Marlborough Table Tennis Association, with Mr R.V. Bythell as President. A great event of that year, which was said to have put table tennis back on the map in Marlborough, was the visit of Hungarian champions Viktor Barna, then champion of England and holder of many World titles, and Laslo Bellak, champion of America. On Monday July 25, 1938, these two wizards of the game gave a great exhibition in the Blenheim Town Hall when they were opposed by R. Newton and G. Marsden. They were also guests of the Blenheim Rotary Club at their luncheon meeting that day and both spoke briefly.

While they displayed a sound knowledge of tactics in their matches, Barna's delightful style and superbly executed back-hand flick shot were the main features. Bellak will be remembered for 'hitting the ball back continuously with the thin edge of his bat as well as being able to kick a ball over his shoulder back onto the table. The players also showed how to keep three and sometimes four balls going at the one time.

Many players too will not forget the smooth and easy stroking of Edwin Stanton, of Dunedin, a former New Zealand doubles champion, who also at this time played many games in Blenheim while here on business. He also used a rubber-faced bat and it is from this date that the change over from wooden bats began with the Bing Brothers, Graham and Ian, Trev Perry and Mick Jellyman leading the way. In the championships that year there were 180 entries and four tables were in use in the Town Hall. Competition was becoming keen and rubber-faced bats had become the rule rather than the exception. The winners in the singles were Dave Dalziell of the Kiwi Club, who beat G. Marsden also of Kiwi, 21-13, 21-16. Mrs G. Perry of the Arawa Club beat Miss N. Tombs, from Marshlands, 21-13, 21-6.

The Association was again forced into semi-recess from 1941 to 1946 but just prior to this, teams from Woodbourne Air Force Station were beginning to make an impression and the few local players who were left were beginning to derive benefit from the new players. But only limited competition in the form of friendly matches was possible during the period of the war, with Woodbourne providing the main interest.

1946 - MANY NEW CLUBS

In 1946, the Association, under the Secretary-ship of Mr R.T. (Dick) Scott recommenced activities on a big scale with many new clubs being formed. Arthur (Mick) Jellyman won the Marlborough singles for the fourth consecutive time when he beat T. Perry in straight sets. His previous wins were in 1939, 1940 and 1941. The women's singles went to Miss Y. Thompson.

In 1947 the Association had one of its biggest representative seasons when it met in Blenheim three of the strongest Associations in New Zealand. Marlborough were beaten 18 matches to 10 by Hutt Valley, 20 matches to 8 by Wellington and 28 matches to 16 by Wairarapa. All these games were played in the Town Hall, the Association's new headquarters. Mr I. Bing, the secretary that year, was the prime mover in obtaining this hall for play on five nights of the week. 

In 1949, the Perry Shield, a trophy for play between Marlborough, Nelson and West Coast, was donated by Mr G.E.O. Perry of Nelson, and the Nelson association easily resisted the first challenge from Marlborough, the score being 62 matches to 34. In this year, also, Viktor Barna was again seen in the Town Hall. He proved to be as delightful as ever. His partner this time was Richard Bergman, a world singles titleholder, and they left no doubt as to where they both stood in the world of table tennis.

In 1951 another visitor from overseas was the then world singles champion, Johnny Leach, who played exhibition games with Michel Haguanauer, again in the Town Hall. Leach is remembered for playing one match with a bat no more than 2-inches square.

It was now obvious that Marlborough players were improving their standard of play. This was proved when B. Neal won the Nelson open singles title from T. Walsh and he and Miss C. McNabb annexed the mixed doubles. Then a Marlborough representative side easily defeated a fairly strong Canterbury team led by Pat Spillane, 28 matches to 16 in Blenheim.

In 1952 Mr Ken Stanley, a professional English coach, ran classes in the Town Hall and many players availed themselves of his free services. It is worth recalling that Mr Stanley stated that sponge bats were the coming thing though he, personally, would not like to see them become universal. It was more than just sponge bats that were giving the Japanese players such success, he said.

1952 - THE ROWE TWINS

Considerable interest was aroused later in the year of 1952 when two of the leading women players in the world played matches in Blenheim. They were the attractive and sparkling Rowe twins, Diane and Roseland, former holders of the world doubles title and runners-up that year. They succeeded in making women's table tennis in Marlborough and in New Zealand generally more popular than it had been for many years. The top New Zealand women who played against them showed that they, too, were not so very far below world standard.

In 1954, in an endeavour to gain more outside experience for its players, the Association changed its annual championships from the four week nights to one full Saturday's play: The events in this year attracted several top-class players from the main centres, including C.P. Shewan and J. Sigley, both Wellington representatives K. Pointon, then Hutt Valley champion, and Miss P. Quinn Wellington champion and national runner-up. And, although the numbers competing.in this year were less than in previous tournaments, the desired effect of raising the standard of play had-been achieved. The championships have never looked back from this date and each year they regularly attract many high-class players from Wellington, Hutt, Canterbury, Nelson and Wanganui.

Visiting players have taken the major share of the Senior Titles since 1954 but D. Rutledge and B. Neal won the Doubles in 1957, and then in the following two years, Bob Sheridan won the singles, teamed with Ross Kawharu to win the doubles and with Pearl Pretty won the mixed. In all the history of the Marlborough Open Men's Singles, only Marlborough's Mick Jellyman has won three in succession but over the latter period, Canterbury's John Armstrong has won four at intervals and Wellington's Murray Borlase two. However in the Womens Singles, June Shadbolt has won four in a row (1963-1966) and Thelma May two (1967 & 1968). Other notable winners have been Pat Purdon (three times) Jennifer Sara (two) Audry Eden, Fay Inglis and Lois Rodgers to mention but a few.

Marlborough has also regularly sent teams to the Inter-Association teams tournament held prior to the N.Z. Champs and although they have only achieved moderate playing success, the womens side has created something of a record in winning or sharing the Barna Cup (awarded annually for team sportsmanship, table etiquette etc.) no less than five times - three wins being consecutive.

In 1957 Marlborough players and the public alike really saw how table tennis had progressed when the top players of world table tennis, the then present singles champion, Toshiaka Tanaka, and the runner-up Ichiro Ogimura, gave a spectacular display in the Town Hall. At times this building did not prove to be anywhere long enough or wide enough as these tiny players with a big punch and seemingly awkward pen-grip style, unleashed some terrific shots with their sponge bats. Without a doubt they gave the game in New Zealand and in Blenheim a terrific boost.

Today, the Association's leading players can hold their own with any in New Zealand and it is one of the strongest of the secondary associations, having over three hundred and fifty affiliated playing members. Interclub is of course the main-stay of the Local season and the Association controls an average of 40 teams each season, with all grades playing the three-player team.

1966 - LIFE MEMBERS

This office is a jealously preserved one in Marlborough table tennis, for over the years, the Association has seen fit to elect only two life members for their services to the game in Marlborough. One, Mr R.V. Bythell who was president for many years as well as being a fine player, died only recently. The other is Mrs Glad Perry, the wife of the virtual founder of the game here, who has done a tremendous amount of background work for the game over the years and has won many Open titles, including three singles. Mrs Perry still continues serving the game and although no longer an active player, can still hit a mean ball.

As mentioned earlier, all Association activities have generally been centered around the Town Hall, but when the Centennial Hall was built in 1966, the Association tried a season of inter-club there. The lighting, however, was found to be far from good and all activities went back once again to the Town Hall. However, the Town Hall was sold late in 1968 and demolished in August 1969. The last big fixture held there was the 1969 Marlborough Open. It was fitting that the singles events were won by two strong supporters of Marlborough Table Tennis, Neville Brightwell of Canterbury and Gillian Kemp of Hutt Valley formerly from Nelson.

The Hall had served table tennis well for over 32 years. It had seen the best players in the World, and somehow it had a "table tennis smell" about it that seemed to bring out the best in some players - particularly some regular visitors - while it also hosted the South Island Tournament games when they were last in Blenheim in 1959. It was a sad day when the walls came tumbling down.

This briefly, is a history of the Association running the 1970 South Island tournament as a fully detailed history would cover three or four times this space. As one of the oldest in N.Z., it has seen many changes in the trends of the game, but it has always tried to maintain a high standard of equipment and lighting etc., for its players. The fact that this eventually paid off by helping the players to have the good conditions in which they now play and practice was shown in 1966 when Jack Taylor became the first-ever Marlborough player to be selected for the South Island. Since then, Marlborough has had Christine Borck and Lynley Barker in the South Island side and these players have carried Marlborough's colours into the very highest realms of N.Z. Table Tennis. 

The Marlborough Association is proud to once again host the [1970] South Island Championships and we in Blenheim welcome and look forward to meeting you all.