Hi all,

It is with great sadness that I heard to day, that our good friend for so many years, Lou Hopkins, passed away peacefully last Thursday 2nd June. Bill Wall found out yesterday and Bill said that Lou's Daughter, will let Bill know when the Funeral Service is and the details and Bill will advise me and I will email the Details out to you all. Our thoughts are with his Family and friends at this sad time.

Lou has been involved with local Table Tennis for the whole time that I have been involved, over 50 years. He played in our local leagues, Southend, Basildon, Chelmsford, Burnham and Brentwood. Always happy, always looking to help out wherever he could.

In Southend, Lou has done several roles for the Committee; running our Summer League for many years, our RoseBowl Competition, our Closed Championships and has always looked to help wherever he could.  In more recent years, Lou looked after our League's Finances and always produced immaculate Books.

In his early days, Lou played for 'Inflight Cleaning': who were based at Southend Airport, who he also worked for. Later the Club switched to Rawreth where he continued to play for many years, ending up with the RESSC Club.

Lou ran Junior Coaching classes at the Southend Leisure Centre for several years and coached at various schools.

In the 90s he, together with Stuart Gibbs, Roy Savill, Paul Reed and Bill Wall, set up Setts in the Basildon League area, which he ran for many years, right up to the more recent months, when ill health got the better of him.

Lou was always a mid Division player, always capable of good wins, never complaining if he lost and always congratulating his opponent if he lost.

Lou was liked wherever he went.

Lou will be much missed by us all.