TTT30 Spring 2023

Non-Playing Captain of England Juniors from 1962-1969
By Laurie Landry
I began playing table tennis at the age of 12 on a friend’s dining room table. After a few friendly matches
against local teams in the Willesden League, I began playing for Tennyson Table Tennis Club following up an
advert in the local paper for ‘players wanted’. Eric Prowen, the Secretary of the Club, very kindly gave me a lift
to the matches as I didn’t have my own transport.
During the 1950’s and into the 1960’s, I was very active in table tennis and took part in Open Tournaments all
over the United Kingdom, I represented England as a junior (under 17) and later as a Senior.
I did feel that I could contribute something to the game, apart from playing. At the age of 16, I was asked if I
would be prepared to be a member of the Committee running the Willesden League. Later I agreed to work
on the Middlesex County Committee. Soon after I was asked to be a member of the ETTA National Junior
Selection Committee.
It was in May 1961 that I was ranked at No. 6 in the England Men’s list. I was at the top of my form when in
that same month tragedy struck. I was involved in a serious road traffic accident which left me unconscious
for ten days and fighting for my life. Thanks to the staff at Hillingdon Hospital in West London and a period at
Farnham Park Rehabilitation Centre, I was back on my feet some eight months later. In early 1962, at the age
of 23, I was asked by the ETTA to take over the captaincy of the English Junior Team from Brian Brumwell.
During my seven years as the Junior Captain, I was also to help the progress of a number of young players. I
urged the ETTA Committee, which had discontinued sending our players to the European Junior
Championships to resume sending our teams to this event. In fact, back in 1955, I had been in the Junior team
that had taken part in Stuttgart, Germany, in the first European Junior Championships.
I was fortunate enough to assist in the progress of such players as Denis Neale, Chester Barnes, Mike Johns,
Alan Hydes, Tony Clayton, Stuart Gibbs and Trevor Taylor all of whom became so successful at Senior level. Jill
Parker and Karenza Mathews, such well known Senior players in the Women’s game, played as Juniors under
my Captaincy.
July 1963. England’s Junior team setting off to the West German Junior Invitation Tournament
Back: David Stanley, Margaret Fry (npc), Tony Robinson, Laurie Landry (npc), Christine Holes, Jackie Canham
Front: Chester Barnes, Lesley Bell
Bell won the Girls Singles and England won the Girls Team event, the Boys reached the semi-final
TTT: Issue 30: Spring 2023
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