DATELINE

24 December 2001

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Continuing our occasional series of team features, we turn to Division 6. This time we feature Hatfield Peverel Table Tennis Club and their E team (HP E). And we are still looking for other teams to feature as well - your turn will come.

Few would, we suspect, think of Hatfield Peverel as the multi cultural, multi racial centre of rural Essex. But a quick look at the present line up of their E Team might just suggest something different. For they include a French Viking; a German and a Spanish Maharaja - or something like that! And that is just half of the seven person squad! 

Strengthened by the signing this season of Richard Quieros - a purchasing agent for an international company - HP E are no longer the push over that some might have seen them as in previous recent seasons. Vet Petra Oehler has also been working hard at her game, and if asked she will tell you of the improvement since becoming a regular in the HP side - but don't ask her about her recent exam experiences! In Kevin Gilbank the team have found a good number 1 and if they could get Julie Hawley back to playing - which they hope to do in the New Year - facing HP in the second half of the season might be a whole new ball game. And what's more there are few sides that can boast 4 women all in one team! With this number of women players around it is perhaps surprising that so few seem to have entered the Chelmsford Tournament and still the ladies do not seem to come forward to play a Ladies KO Cup - even though this year players could combine from any club to form a team. Come on ladies - what is going on?  

And back to HP E. The team are well looked after by League Competitions Secretary Margaret Spurgeon - who, like David Beckham, seems to be spending more of her time on the bench these days. And the whisper is that they are poised to unveil another new signing in the New Year which they are hoping will further strengthen their line up.  In the meantime this team are a joy to play against and with - the smiles in the photo perhaps say it all, they are enjoying their table tennis. We wish them well for the future.