Chester Barnes RIP

Cardinal Sin

Such sad news that one of my first boyhood heroes has died. Chester Barnes revolutionised table tennis and brought a fresh wave of players from the 60's and 70's. I played with one of his rectangular bats for many years until it literally fell apart. He was a one-off and a real character (assistant trainer to Martin Pipe in later life). RIP Chester.

SE7toSG3

I vividly remember a mid 60s sportstars book on the shelf at my nans flat when I would visit her in the 1970s.

I was fascinated by an article on Chester Barnes who was tipped for the top, he had such a cool name and was pictured sat on a scooter, 'that's how your dad used to look, he was an 'erbert' as well' my nan would say. 

Amazingly I have just found the image on twitter so it's attached alongside one of my dad. 

It's a name that stayed with me, the only thing I could ever add if, on the rare occasion, the subject of table tennis came up. Often met with the response 'Chester who?' 

I was saddened to hear he had passed away, but warmed I was not alone in remembering his name. 

Let's hope your up there giving my dad a game in the Herbert's Olympics Chester, almost 60 years on, and well before my time, Mods will always be pretty cool.

You were the sporting icon that most reminded me of my dad and that's the best accolade I can give!

CharltonKerry

Never interested in table tennis, but like SE7 said above, a name that made him stand out, was somewhat a cult figure in the 60’s and 70’s, was a great table tennis player.

wightaddick

Saw that name and it was a real blast from the past! I played table tennis regularly in my mid teens to early twenties and Chester was certainly the name. RIP

Lincsaddick

As Boris Johnson might say 'a dab hand at the old wiff waff' .. also an assistant to a master of the horse .. led a full and interesting life .. R I P Chester

Chippycafc

Wow this is spooky, we were only talking about him yesterday morning at work. RIP.

killer kish

RIP Chester
Played a game against him some 30 years ago after winning a completion myself.Really nice bloke and not surprisingly he beat me 21-2 and 21-4 but I will add he played with a different variety of objects in both games and I remember he played with a plate,iron,frying pan,saucepan,tennis racket,his hand and a bat that was smaller than the ball!!! He presented me with one of his own bats afterwards and I still have to this day,bit tatty and signature worn off but still great memories.

Algarveaddick

RIP. 

stonemuse

RIP

Solidgone

Always quoted Chester Barnes when I played a great shot in ping pong. I think he’s the only name I associate with this sport. RIP Chester. 

paulbaconsarnie

I am sure I already knew that he passed away.
Hopefully it was mentioned in the Cheltenham thread or last weeks television coverage rather than me acquiring some sort of paranormal power.

RIP Chester.

Addick Addict

Probably not quite so well known about Chester was that following his table tennis career, he became assistant to horseracing's Martin Pipe when the latter was one of the top trainers of the period. Chester was also responsible for some of their memorable gambles too!

RIP

bobmunro

killer kish said:

RIP Chester
Played a game against him some 30 years ago after winning a completion myself.Really nice bloke and not surprisingly he beat me 21-2 and 21-4 but I will add he played with a different variety of objects in both games and I remember he played with a plate,iron,frying pan,saucepan,tennis racket,his hand and a bat that was smaller than the ball!!! He presented me with one of his own bats afterwards and I still have to this day,bit tatty and signature worn off but still great memories.

Great story and memories.

RIP Chester

Cardinal Sin

Chester was followed by Desmond Douglas, now 65 I note. Desmond ruled the roost for quite awhile after Chester dropped out of table tennis.

SoundAsa£

Well, I never......I hadn’t realised he was a mod.

RIP.....Chester.....RIP

ChicagoAddick

Chester Barnes was like Ray Reardon or John Lowe. They were their sports. Icon's without being world famous. I am sure and I could be wrong, but I'm sure we'd go on family holidays to Butlins and Warners and Chester would do exhibitions. 

RIP. 

KettsJohn

Yes used to have a Chester Barnes bag in around 75. It was my first table tennis bat. Anyone here use to play at all? I used to play at Goudhurst school from around 76 up until about 82. Used to play in the district league.

stonemuse

KettsJohn said:

Yes used to have a Chester Barnes bag in around 75. It was my first table tennis bat. Anyone here use to play at all? I used to play at Goudhurst school from around 76 up until about 82. Used to play in the district league.

When I worked in the City back in the 80’s/90’s I used to play there. A very competitive league with quite a few divisions. 

KettsJohn

Yeah I was 11 when I first played in division 7. Within s couple years progressed to division 3. It was very decent standard. A couple of the lads still play in national veterans today.

church-lane

Cardinal Sin said:

Chester was followed by Desmond Douglas, now 65 I note. Desmond ruled the roost for quite awhile after Chester dropped out of table tennis.

I was trying to remember who the other famous Brit player was. Desmond Douglas was also one of my ping pong heroes. I started with a Chester Barnes Slazenger ( think) then a Desmond Douglas Dunlop ( l think). No other Brit players of note that I can recall until Matthew Syed.
RIP Chester

dickad1

His son, Lester Barnes, is a golf Youtuber with Dan Hendriksen, who I often watch.  They both come across as really decent, modest, blokes and have been best mates since school.

There is a little tribute at the start of this one from Sunday to Chester (the rest of it is pretty geeky golf stuff btw, unless your'e into that sort of thing of course).. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gApoJsfrug

bristoladdick

RIP Chester.

BartramBlitz

Wow a real blast from the past! In 1978, I won a table tennis tournament at Pontins in Brixham and Chester Barnes presented me with a signed bat. That was the same year that Frank Worthington scored his goal at Ipswich. Both go in the same week and take precious memories of my childhood with them.

KettsJohn

church-lane said:

Cardinal Sin said:

Chester was followed by Desmond Douglas, now 65 I note. Desmond ruled the roost for quite awhile after Chester dropped out of table tennis.

I was trying to remember who the other famous Brit player was. Desmond Douglas was also one of my ping pong heroes. I started with a Chester Barnes Slazenger ( think) then a Desmond Douglas Dunlop ( l think). No other Brit players of note that I can recall until Matthew Syed.
RIP Chester

There was another player called John Hilton who I recall son a fairly major tournament using different rubbers that phased opponents. I will Google now as it has evoked lots of table tennis memories for me!

EastTerrace

We used to go on holiday in the early 80s to Riviera Lido Holiday Club near Bognor Regis.
He used to do appearances there for a number of years.
I took this photo in my mid teens.

RIP Chester