Closure of 'lifeline' ping pong centre mourned

Valerie Lawrence said finding the Ping Pong Parlour had helped her make new friends

A popular, free table tennis venue has closed its doors, leaving some users bereft of what has been "a lifeline" for them.

The Grafton Ping Pong Parlour in Cambridge was run by the city council and Table Tennis England, but closed on Sunday to make way for the redevelopment of the shopping centre.

Valerie Lawrence, 82, moved to Cambridge four years ago, with few friends, and said "it changed my life".

Labour-run Cambridge City Council said the club needed to be relocated, and "we and Table Tennis England are working to keep it open".

The complex, once home to Mothercare, Debenhams and a cinema, was about to be partially demolished to make way for laboratory space, offices, a new hotel and a reduced shopping experience.

The table tennis venue, which opened in 2018, is one of those set to be replaced, but it will be missed by many.

Valerie Lawrence, 82, said: "I moved to Cambridge four years ago and I didn't know anyone really.

"I found the Ping Pong Parlour... and I came here and it changed my life because you meet friends and you can bring friends here and we all love table tennis.

"As an older person, it keeps me fit, it makes me excited, and I just love coming."

Talking about its closure, she added: "We're all feeling devastated."

Table tennis fans can use the facility for free

Jay Choi, 39, agreed, saying his children were "getting better and better [at the game] and really like it — we will miss this place a lot".

Barney McCullagh, 69, said he had been enjoying the sessions and improving since starting to use the facility about 18 months ago.

"I have Parkinson's disease, but I walk out of here almost normally, having shuffled in, so the actual exercise helps me medically," he said.

After retiring, he wanted "something to occupy my mornings" and began inviting others along.

He and his playing partner are there for about two hours almost every day.

"Of course, we're exhausted for the rest of the day, but that hardly matters."

He said he hoped new premises could be found, adding: "We don't want this community to be broken up, we want to stay in touch with each other."

Barney McCullagh said the exercise helped his medical condition

Tim Bick, leader of Cambridge City Council's Liberal Democrat group and representative for Market Ward, has called for a new venue to be found.

Speaking about the redevelopment of the Grafton Centre, he said: "I'm putting my oar in here strongly to say, how about using some of that space for a permanent facility here?

"What a brilliant way of embedding the centre for the future by providing an amenity like this on a permanent basis."

The BBC has asked Cambridge City Council to comment on concerns about the loss of the venue.