EUROPEAN VETERANS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Graham Holt, Chairman Veterans Policy Group

The 2001/2 veterans season came to yet another successful conclusion with multiple success in the European Veterans Championship.

Dresden is not the easiest place in the world to reach and the ‘Trains ,Planes and Automobiles’ movie came to mind especially when the Manager of the team hotel revealed that several of the twin rooms were in fact doubles. It was all part of the bonding process! Although some felt that it was taking their partnerships just a little too far.

Of course we all partook of a few ‘war’ wise cracks when we first arrived but our German host soon quietened us down by showing us a ‘brochure’ containing scenes of the devastation in the war caused by the British. Nothing like getting in the first punch or is it bombshell!.

The hall that we played the tournament in was somewhat unusual having glass panels in the roof and no curtains behind the courts which were nine in number. To add to our initial misery we were playing with yellow shuttles. It all seemed quite bizarre at first especially seeing the Germans seemed to have spent all year training in conservatories with these shuttles. After the early rounds, portable courts were put down and all of a sudden the tournament seemed to get quite serious, in fact very serious. We had a bad second day when several of our top Over 40’s were eliminated, Daryll Roebuck and Ann Jenkins being the most prominent of our casualties. After black Thursday we made steady progress to the final stages of the competition.

The English team won 8 gold,8 silver and 14 bronze medals. Again we were the most successful nation beating the Germans and Danes in the medal table The Germans seemed to be very well prepared for the tournament.

However we won gold in the         O45 ladies singles (Chris Crossley),

                                                         O45 ladies doubles (Pam Dallow/Reggie Baker)

                                                         O45 mixed doubles (Peter Emptage/Pam Dallow)

                                                         O50 mens doubles (Graham Holt/John Cocker)

                                                         O50 ladies singles (Sue Whitaker)

                                                         O50 womens doubles (Marguerite Butt/Maureen Rimmer)

                                                         O55 mens doubles (Dave Eddy/Peter Wood)

                                                         O55 mixed doubles (Chris Richardson/Cyril Martin).

Our other medallists were as follows:

Over 40-mens singles /bronze Jack Webb, mens doubles/ bronze Peter Higman /Darryl Roebuck and Eric Plane/Tim Hudson Church

Over 45 –mens doubles/ silver Roger Taylor/Phil Howe, bronze /John Molyneux/Ian Purton, ladies doubles /silver Chris Crossley/Jenny Cox, Mixed doubles /bronze Chris Crossley/Ian Purton

Over 50-ladies singles/ silver Betty Bartlett, bronze/ Maureen Rimmer and Marguerite Butt, ladies doubles/ silver Betty Bartlett/Sue Whittaker. Mens singles/ bronze John Gardner, mens doubles/ bronze John Gardner/Peter Emptage, Mixed doubles/ silver Betty Bartlett/John Cocker

Over 55-mens singles/ silver D Eddy bronze /Peter Wood.  Ladies doubles/bronze Beryl Goodall/Ann Murray

Over 60= ladies singles/ bronze Ann Murray, mens doubles/ bronze Colin Abbott/William Houghton, Mixed doubles /silver Colin Abbott/Barbara Henley.

It was a wonderful effort but Jack’s performance was literally outstanding!

Of course we had the obligatory players dance and I am told that it was quite a good event. I left after the second raid by the red Indians. The tepee that we had our buffalo barbecue in was absolutely freezing. Maybe they made the evening a little too authentic- well maybe not. Unfortunately we missed the last stagecoach home and ended up walking miles out of our way. Well one prairie looks like another.

The last day of the championships was one of the most memorable of my life. The atmosphere in the hall was positively Koreanesque / Koreonic, well whatever the word is-any way it was noisy. There were lots of English and Scots competing in the finals and the medal haul was impressive  There was TV coverage and hundreds of spectators. Quite a shock having played in the All England mixed final with just the caretaker watching.

The final evening saw the vast majority of the team having a wonderful Saxon buffet at our hotel. The German hospitality had been second to none-contrary to common belief.

There were a few entertaining speeches and awards. John Gardner winning the ‘best kitted out male award including colour coordination’ in recognition of his years as a leading edge fashion icon and badminton clothing guru..

Oh and why was the day so memorable for me . Well I went home in a wheel chair(24 hours late thanks to BA) and straight into the arms of the NHS.Oh how I miss those German nurses!