Julie Taylor has been playing table tennis for some 60-odd years.

These days she’s a stalwart member of Cleeve Table Tennis Club and she’s enjoying the sport as much as she ever did.

“I started playing on the dining room table when I was nine or 10,” recalled the 72-year-old. “Then I played for a club called Bengeworth in the Evesham League when I was 13 or 14.”

Julie was born in Evesham and these days the mum of twin boys lives in Gotherington with her husband Philip.

She’s been playing for Cleeve for about 15 years – Philip plays with her in the club’s B team – after playing for Smiths for many years.

She worked at Smiths Industries as an electronics engineer after graduating from Aston University and she said: “We used to play in the canteen, that used to involve quite a bit of work getting everything set up to play table tennis.”

Julie first played in the Cheltenham League in 1976 – “I’ve played in the league ever since,” she said – and she’d kept her eye in when she was living in Birmingham.

“I used to play against a few of the Chinese students when I was at Aston,” she said. “They were very good, that was a great experience.”

As was her time at Smiths Industries. 

“We eventually moved from the canteen to the clubhouse at Newlands,” she continued.

“It wasn’t a big room but it was okay unless you went back to defend.”

Fortunately, that wasn’t an issue for Julie who added: “I like to attack!”

And she’s still playing table tennis on the front foot today with Cleeve, who run four teams in the Cheltenham League.

They play their home matches at St Michael’s Centre in the heart of the village and she said: “Teams are three-a-side. We’ve got 17 players who want to play in the league and quite a few other members as well.”

Julie, who is secretary of the Cheltenham Table Tennis Association, is still more than holding her own when she plays, so what makes a good player?

“Patience,” she said. “I think I’ve got a lot of patience but a lot of the youngsters play a different game; it’s serve, return, hit!

“A good player has to be an all-rounder, you have to be able to attack and defend.”

Julie used to play for Gloucestershire seniors and veterans and she continued: “I think I’m an all-rounder but I don’t go back from the table.

“I’ve got a good serve but my backhand is probably one of the strongest parts of my game.

“I’ve had to develop my forehand because when I played on the dining room table it was all backhand.”

Julie says a good table tennis player needs to have a good mindset – “You’ve got to back yourself,” she said – and have good footwork.”

And Julie is still looking to improve.

“I’m trying to develop my top spin loop,” she said.

The amount of time Julie devotes to the sport has increased since she took on the role of secretary at the Cheltenham Table Tennis Association a couple of years ago.

“I was told it would just involve sending a few emails,” she said with a laugh. “It’s a bit more than that, it takes up quite a bit of time.

“But I thought it was about time I gave a little bit back.”

Julie has been giving plenty to the sport for many decades, of course.

A former ladies’ tennis player with De la Bere, she wants to continue playing table tennis for as long as she can.

“There are tournaments for over-80s,” she said. “You can even play in your 90s like Liverpool League player Allan Biggs who won the over-90s national championship at the age of 93. Table tennis is so good for you.”

Her husband is a recent convert to the sport, so who is the better player?

“I am, thank goodness,” she laughed.