Edited by author 28-03-2009 11:21 AM
Hi Jim the green flat cap could well be my dad's. Could i arrange to show it to him if you havent already had a claim for it. Also to add a really great weekend, my first visit to corn exchange for many years, really weird feeling when i first walked in and saw the tables in the hall talk about flash back!!!

I would also like to thank all those involved with organising the weekend, it was my first time at the corn exchange and I must say the finals night really did end the weekend well.
On a slightly more negative note, we played our handicap semi final last night and the handicaps were (in our opinion) very unfair. In the previous round we played BT and one of their guys is on about 50% div 2 and he had a D rating and yet in this round we play a guy who is 60% div 2 and he is a H rating.
I see that the pickwicks ratings didnt change from the previous round, so therefore the handicaps are saying that myself and Jon are as good as Colin Bennett, who was an A rating in the previous rating. Now im sure people who have played me, Jon and Colin will not agree with that.
I'm probably just being bitter because we lost, but maybe next year there could be some more consistency when the ratings are selected
Thanks
Tommy Malster

   I would like to thank Jimmy and all the people who put on the table tennis at the Corn Exchange. It brought back a lot of good memories from years gone by and I too thought that all the finals were great to watch and all played with great sportsmanship. Well done Ryan for winning one of the best finals that I have seen. I would also like to thank Richard Hutchinson for making it possible. As for trying to improve on this year, I really do not think that you need to as I believe that all who came had a great time. I thought having Grant and Andrew coaching down stairs was a really great idea. I am still suffering from doing the multiball with mad Andrew but you try and stop me doing it again next time. Hope you all have a great end to the season and I am looking forward to next year allready!!!!

I would just like to add my thanks to Jimmy for all his hard work in sorting out this fantastic event. also thanks to everyone who helped make it run so smoothly over the weekend. not forgetting the support from Richard Hutchinson for this and future years.
The finals were breath taking.Ryan is quickly becoming the new John Kitchener. and deserves all he gets for his hard work.But i also cannot praise Andy Warner enough for his fantastic performances that made the finals so good. I thought every player who played in the finals should be proud of there performance and there superb sportsmanship that has surely put Ipswich back on the table tennis map. well done to you all.

Well done Jim, Keith, Richard etc. Great weekend of TT, the last time I played at the Corn Exchange I was about 14 - it seemed much bigger back then - but it was definitely less daunting this time around! The finals were superb with a good view and entertaing banter from the balcony. It'll be brilliant if you can keep it at the Corn Exchange next year, well done again.

Jim,I know exactly where Andy gets his energy from...curry sauce and chips twice weekly at my chip shop. Ryan and Jake 3-4 times weekly who says chips are bad for you!!!!

I agree, I would say it was the best final I have every watched, in fact the best match I have ever watched! Charlie's and Andy's match wasn't far behind either, brilliant contrast of styles, and Charlie playing with a spare bat! One of the greatest IDTTL players of all time.

Ryan & Jake are a credit to our league, and its players of their ability we need, to encourage youngsters to start playing. Andy was awesomes, where he got his energy from I just don't know.

I couldn't have hoped for better finals with four of the eight matches going to five set. I must also mention the ladies final, Claire & Aimee another nailbiting match, a real showcase of the great standard of ladies TT in Ipswich. Again I hope it will inspire more girls to take up the sport.

Edited by author 23-03-2009 03:04 PM
Well done Jimmy great weekend thanks, proud of Ryan and Jakey, well done Mr Warner, best final i have watched could have gone either way.

I hope everyone had a great weekend, we plan to book the Corn Exchange for next year, so if you have any suggestions or ideas on how we could improve things then please let me know. I apologise to all those players that were looking forward to the Hanbury Doubles, with a number of players scratching it got very complicated, and we knew the timings would be tight to fit it in, but we tried to give all players as much playing time as possible. Perhaps we over streched ourselves on that one, but a lesson learned. Hope this has encouraged you to practice harder in readiness for next year, enjoy the rest of the season, and see you at the AGM.

Jimmy OUSSA !!!

SOUVENIR PROGRAMMES

I have a few sounvenir programmes to give away, including all the results. If anyone would like one, please send me a SAE, to 20 Charlottes, Washbrook, Ipswich, IP8 3HZ.

LOST PROPERTY FROM CORN EXCHANGE

1. Girls pink coat age 11-12

2. Blue Towel

3. Butterfly Bat spray, wipe, two sweat bands, small light blue towel

4. Green Flat Cap (but no whippet)

5. Beach Towel

6. Jacques Bat Case green and a Primorac Blade, Mark V rubbers

7. Pair Umbro trainers

Thanks Gary, I glad you enjoyed it.

A huge well done to jimmy and to all who helped make this the best closed event i have entered ,hours and hours of there own time for free have gone into making it so good,its the first time i have played at the corn exchange and really enjoyed it ,finals night was good with some very close finals well done to all those who made that far ,it was good to watch ,the highlight for me was the mens final ,ryan and andy produced some impressive rallies and a close result.

I really hope so, we have the two Ex-England Players Andrew Eden (England No. 5) and Grant Solder who will be performing demo's and coaching in the Robert Cross Hall both days, together with "History of TT" Exhibition by Gerald Gurney.

There is a prize draw with top prize of a free place on the Grant Solder Summer Coaching Course, with coaches Desmond Douglas, Darius Knight and Carl Prean worth £279. There is a "spot the ball" comp with two tickets to an ITFC match as prizes.

Bribar will have a full trade stand on Sunday, and for the Finals we have Ipswich Mayor and ETTA Chairman Alex Murdoch attending.

There will be a souveign gift for all those taking part and you can purchase for a £1 a souveign programme for the Finals Night.

Hi Jimmy,
I'm sure I speak for a lot of players - really looking forward to the weekend, should be a great couple of days.

Mark.

Good Luck to everyone at the Championships this weekend, its not to late to volunteer to assist over the weekend.

We are at the Corn Exchange to set up tomorrow from 4pm if you are around to help it would be most appreciated.