Getting Started!

As one gets older, getting started can become progressively more difficult! Indeed, getting started seems to be a recurring theme in these days of the corona virus pandemic. Whether it is getting started again at table tennis or many other sports following the easing of the corona virus restrictions, or something fairly straightforward like DIY; the big issue is actually getting started. Now many of you will probably enjoy DIY, and I'm given to understand that at the peak of the pandemic when there was little else to do, DIY took over in many households. It didn't in mine!!

That said, very recently I have actually undertaken a small DIY job! My wife says it is a miracle, as usually she has to get someone in to do even the smallest of DIY tasks! And to be fair, I seem to have done a reasonable job. All the same, I am not planning a new career in DIY!

At the end of July we were delighted when we could get started again with table tennis at Marine when the lockdown was eased. And it has been great to see how many of our members have now got started again in playing. It has been tough. We are having to be ultra cautious, and lots of additional measures have been essential to ensure that we remain covid secure. But the effort is worth it, when you see people playing.

We have also had new members getting started with the club. That's really great, especially when 2 of them are people returning to play after an absence. There is a picture below featuring these new members.

Another area where 'getting started' has been difficult is visiting friends and relatives in care situations. Our own Club President, Billy Clayton - who we featured recently on our Facebook pages - is one such person in this situation. He has settled down nicely in his new home at Nazareth House in Crosby, and would love to get started with new visitors. But as many will know, visiting to care homes is strictly very limited at the moment. He just can't get started! Maybe you could send him a note?

This week we have been able to get started with some limited competitive table tennis at Marine, with the new Marine Mini League. A short format mini league featuring 6 teams made up from our club members. Normally at this time of year we would be getting started in the Liverpool & District Table Tennis League, but that has been deferred until at least January. So, the MML provides some small opportunity for our lower level players to get match fit again. You can find full details of the MML under the 'League' tab of our website.

In whatever way 'getting started' might apply to you, don't put it off! Exercise great care in these days, but go for it! Life goes on, so get started and live life to the full!

Our first picture, features Club President Billy Clayton, getting started in his new home at Nazareth House.

And our second picture features 3 new members who are getting started at our Club, Peter Crichton, Steve Rees, & Sam Pierce. It's great to welcome them.