
On 26th October 2012 Danny Ward, the Match Secretary of Edinburgh International Table-Tennis Club, emailed club members with the ominous news that Allan Black, who had been playing in the Edinburgh and Lothians Table-Tennis League for some five decades, had that day been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. At the time it was thought that Allan would stop playing immediately, but in fact he recovered enough to play several games in Division 2 in the second half of last season, including registering two singles wins on 18th February 2013 against my own (then North Merchiston V) team and helping to secure a draw.
At Club and League Committee meetings on Sunday 4th August and Wednesday 7th August it was reported that his illness did seem to be in its final stages and those who wanted to see him, including me, should visit him very soon. Alas, I was not quick enough – two days later, on Friday 9th August, Allan Black joined his forebears. He was three days short of his 73rd birthday.
Those of us who were lucky enough to know Allan will miss his slim, elegant presence and his dry wit very much. Not to mention his considerable table-tennis skills, purveyed for YMCA, Polwarth, Leith, Murrayfield and Edinburgh International Table-Tennis Clubs, where his standard was easily among the higher reaches of Division One for a long time. He agreed to play in Division 2 in the 2012-2013 season partly to act as a mentor to some less experienced players. However, very importantly (although he was too modest to mention it), in his younger days he was also a very skilled lawn tennis player, on at least one occasion becoming theScottish Champion and also qualifying for Wimbledon! Not many of us reach such such a standard in any sport. He was also a very keen snooker player and played in the local league-Allan was also a member of Blackhall Bowling Club.
Without necessarily being the life and soul of the party, Allan was in his quiet way very sociable, and after matches would join like-minded souls for a wee drink, at which he would often slip outside to enjoy one of his cigars, which like he were slim and elegant. Again unlike some, he generally made an effort to attend meals out organised by Edinburgh International Table-Tennis Club. I
Allan was one of two players in our club who did not have email (the other, Brian Bridson, has recently seen the light!). I did try several times, most recently about a year ago, to convince him that having a home computer and access to the internet would mean easier communication with the club, enable him to check various events, book travel etc, but he was having none of it!
But it is as a table-tennis player that most of us knew him, and two particular two matches come to mind. On 3rd March 2010 he played up for EI III to help Jim Grahame and me visit Murrayfield to take on the might of their team V (Roger Thomas, Derek Croll and Colin Clark). Nobody was more surprised than the visitors to find themselves 6-0 up after six matches (with Allan having overcome Colin and Roger), on the way to a 7-3 away win! We all definitely went for a drink in the Roseburn pub after that! Allan was on my side that day, but a fortnight earlier I had (re-)discovered how it felt to be ensnared by his silky table-tennis skills – captaining EI IV against my EI III, you will see from the embarrassing scorecard attached whom he beat (with his team up only 5-4 and thus the overall match outcome still being in doubt), with steadier nerve and resolve as things got very tense, to win 12-10 in the fifth end to secure a 6-4 win!
Edinburgh is a small city, and one often bumps into “well-kent” faces. Allan lived in Gorgie Road, and I live in Haymarket Terrace. Often I go to various shops in Gorgie Road, and for the last two or so years I seemed to meet Allan on the bus or in the streets around Haymarket Junction / Gorgie Road quite frequently, in fact about once every six weeks.
It grieves me that I won’t be bumping into him on the bus or in the local streets any more.
Ken Benjamin
At Club and League Committee meetings on Sunday 4th August and Wednesday 7th August it was reported that his illness did seem to be in its final stages and those who wanted to see him, including me, should visit him very soon. Alas, I was not quick enough – two days later, on Friday 9th August, Allan Black joined his forebears. He was three days short of his 73rd birthday.
Those of us who were lucky enough to know Allan will miss his slim, elegant presence and his dry wit very much. Not to mention his considerable table-tennis skills, purveyed for YMCA, Polwarth, Leith, Murrayfield and Edinburgh International Table-Tennis Clubs, where his standard was easily among the higher reaches of Division One for a long time. He agreed to play in Division 2 in the 2012-2013 season partly to act as a mentor to some less experienced players. However, very importantly (although he was too modest to mention it), in his younger days he was also a very skilled lawn tennis player, on at least one occasion becoming theScottish Champion and also qualifying for Wimbledon! Not many of us reach such such a standard in any sport. He was also a very keen snooker player and played in the local league-Allan was also a member of Blackhall Bowling Club.
Without necessarily being the life and soul of the party, Allan was in his quiet way very sociable, and after matches would join like-minded souls for a wee drink, at which he would often slip outside to enjoy one of his cigars, which like he were slim and elegant. Again unlike some, he generally made an effort to attend meals out organised by Edinburgh International Table-Tennis Club. I
Allan was one of two players in our club who did not have email (the other, Brian Bridson, has recently seen the light!). I did try several times, most recently about a year ago, to convince him that having a home computer and access to the internet would mean easier communication with the club, enable him to check various events, book travel etc, but he was having none of it!
But it is as a table-tennis player that most of us knew him, and two particular two matches come to mind. On 3rd March 2010 he played up for EI III to help Jim Grahame and me visit Murrayfield to take on the might of their team V (Roger Thomas, Derek Croll and Colin Clark). Nobody was more surprised than the visitors to find themselves 6-0 up after six matches (with Allan having overcome Colin and Roger), on the way to a 7-3 away win! We all definitely went for a drink in the Roseburn pub after that! Allan was on my side that day, but a fortnight earlier I had (re-)discovered how it felt to be ensnared by his silky table-tennis skills – captaining EI IV against my EI III, you will see from the embarrassing scorecard attached whom he beat (with his team up only 5-4 and thus the overall match outcome still being in doubt), with steadier nerve and resolve as things got very tense, to win 12-10 in the fifth end to secure a 6-4 win!
Edinburgh is a small city, and one often bumps into “well-kent” faces. Allan lived in Gorgie Road, and I live in Haymarket Terrace. Often I go to various shops in Gorgie Road, and for the last two or so years I seemed to meet Allan on the bus or in the streets around Haymarket Junction / Gorgie Road quite frequently, in fact about once every six weeks.
It grieves me that I won’t be bumping into him on the bus or in the local streets any more.
Ken Benjamin