Dear NMTTC members,

I am a member of the Picture House Cinema group, the one I go to being the very pleasant “Harbour Lights” Picture House located in Ocean Village, Southampton, SO14 3TL. (0871 902 5733). I get regular bulletins of upcoming films and noticed the following in my recent bulletin:

PING PONG (12A) Director: Hugh Hartford (UK 2012 76mins)

Table Tennis Table on-site!

Pensioners from across the planet compete in the World Over 80s Table Tennis Championship in Inner Mongolia. Eight players with 703 years between them guide us through the extraordinary world of life at the table, sometimes ruthless, sometimes emotional, always entertaining.  With intimate and candid portraits of the players’ lives, Ping Pong explores the hope, regret and intimacy of growing old.

I don’t know how entertaining the movie is going to be but it sounds as though it may be fun and the fact that they are having a table on-site made me wonder if it had been tied in with the “PING” project – I asked my friendly receptionist at the Harbour Lights but she thought it was just part of the film’s marketing. I have also called the ETTA and am awaiting a call back from the relevant person; at the very least it might be an opportunity to place leaflets in the cinemas across the country, near the tables (with the permission of the Picture House Group) to advise people that if they enjoyed the experience and would like to try / come back to playing TT, then there is a friendly club network who would be very welcoming.

As a club, we could always use the evening as another impromptu social evening, perhaps combining the movie with a visit to a local restaurant thereafter – what do you think? For those who don’t know, the Harbour Lights has a nice bar and (weather permitting) a lovely outdoor terrace overlooking the Ocean Village marina. If you need further incentive, they serve Hoegaarden, Staropramen, Bombay Sapphire and great coffee / cakes…

Send me an e-mail if you’re up for it (book direct as I have already), whether that’s just for the film or if you’d like a post movie supper. We could meet up around 6pm in the bar and have a quick knock….loser buys the beer!!

Shaun