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Buzzing with endorphins

A table tennis group for seniors is exercising their minds as well as their bodies, as Rowena Fry found out.

A few minutes' walk from the start of Alexandra Road (or accessed from the walkway at the very top of Mein Street) you reach the stadium which hosts Peak Players – a club for over 55s - every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. It was initiated in 2­­013 by Diana Winn, who had come from a thriving club of senior players in Whanganui and missed the fun, fitness, and especially the collegiality that had built up over her 15 years with the club. So, she put an ad in the paper to gauge interest and at the first meeting 30 people turned up.

At each session the group plays for an hour before stopping for a cuppa and having a go at solving the world’s problems. Someone jokes that they never discuss politics.

This is when I meet octogenarian, Dennis McQuade who lives at a local retirement village. It was in the village café, three years ago, where he connected with another resident who shared that he was a regular table tennis player at the club and would he like to join. Dennis was quick to sign up since, like many at the club, he had played a lot when he was younger.

Everyone at the club attests to the fact that table tennis is a brilliant game for both physical and mental fitness. Especially, those who have come from a higher impact sport such as tennis and now want to go gentle on their joints. “It exercises every part of you,” says Diana. “It’s a very good overall sport to keep up fitness, especially in older age. And it’s good for the brain.”

Agreeing with Diana’s views is Paul Gadd who has chosen to return to table tennis after a few decades’ break. He had heard a psychologist on the radio talk about how playing the game is excellent in preventing Alzheimer’s due to the game demanding quick decision-making all the while using both sides of the body. So, when a fellow pickle baller invited him to come try the tables at the stadium he went through his storage cupboard and dusted off his faithful bat.

Everyone there clearly loves this ageless sport and it’s not long before they have moved back to the tables and the tick-tock of balls on bats and timber recommences. Paul drains his cup, leaving me with a smile and saying, “The other thing about table tennis is that it encourages the flow of endorphins. This place is just buzzing with endorphins in the air!”

Peak Players Table Tennis.

New players are always welcome.$5 per session

Monday 9.15-11.30am, Wednesday 1-4pm, or Saturday 1-4pm (all ages)

 

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NEWS BRIEFS – May

Caretaker’s cottage to go

The caretaker’s cottage at Victoria Bowling Club will soon be removed.

A condition of the club’s lease with Council, approved in 2022 was that the club-owned building should be removed at the club’s cost.

The Wellington City Council said that once removed, the area will be reinstated as green open space within the club’s leased area on the Town Belt.

The Mt Victoria Residents’ Association had asked the council whether the building could be reused for public toilets.  

However, the council said after looking into it, that due to the building’s location, the cost to retrofit it, and safety considerations, it was not considered a suitable option.

No thump from the bumpless hump

Alterations were made to a pedestrian crossing outside Clyde Quay School after noise concerns were raised by nearby residents.

The raised crossing had been installed last year to encourage drivers to slow down, but in recent months further work was carried out to make the hump less pronounced, by lengthening the approach to the raised section on both sides.

A parent of a student at Clyde Quay School who did not want to be named said he thought the original design was better in terms of safety: "If it's not as steep cars will continue to go fast."

A spokesperson for Wellington City Council said the work was “in response to an enquiry from a local building corp concerned with some noise associated with the gradient of the ramp.”

“Footpath and road maintenance in the area coincided with this work to ensure efficient use of traffic management while limiting impact on corridor users.”

Walk this way

An example of a ‘hotspot’ where cyclists and walkers can collide. 

An example of a ‘hotspot’ where cyclists and walkers can collide.  

Three sections of track on Matairangi-Mt Victoria may be designated ‘walking only’ following a review of safety on the maunga.

The Wellington City Council set up a process to look at establishing walking only tracks in 2022 following concerns about clashes between walkers and cyclists, and safety issues with downhill mountain bikers cutting across tracks.

As a result of discussions and analysis council staff identified 15 ‘hotspots’ and made recommendations for each, ranging  from closing the track, to changing the designation or making other safety improvements such as better signage.

The 15 safety improvements put forward include three changes to make sections of tracks ‘walk only’, one to designate a section ‘uphill biking only’ and one to close an unnamed track.

Council staff have shared the recommendations with their working groups and are now aiming to deliver a Council Committee paper in June 2026, which will have an opportunity for oral submissions.

Collision on Austin Street

Wet weather led to a collision on Austin Street in April.

According to a police officer at the scene, a car heading up Queen Street hit a car on Austin St.  The car that was hit ended up swerving into a tree on Austin Street.  No one was hurt.

 
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