From Harrow to South Kensington and Farringdon to Piccadilly, join us and Living History of London on a tour of the places that shaped the history of the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships.
In the company of guide Jack Chesher we visit the location of the Herga Lawn Tennis Club, where the first ball was hit during the first championships of 1926.
We stop at the site of the Memorial Hall, where the first final was held; at Imperial College, host of the 1935 tournament; and at two iconic London venues that are part of the storied history of the world’s largest table tennis tournament: the Royal Albert Hall and OVO Arena Wembley.
There was also time to visit Ivor Montagu’s childhood home, where the ITTF constitution was formally adopted in 1926 and where he was elected chairman, a position he held for forty years.
With less than two months to go before the centenary final of the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships comes full circle in the competition’s birthplace, this is a fascinating exploration of our sport’s humble beginnings.
Only seven men’s teams took part in those first championships, a far cry from the 64 men’s and 64 women’s teams – from 80 countries – who will compete this year at the Copper Box Arena and then at OVO Arena Wembley.
You too can be part of the ongoing history of the worlds – book your tickets for London 2026 now!
Jack Chesher set it up Living History of London in 2020 as a weekly blog post. He now organizes guided walks and private tours and has published two books about the city’s hidden gems.
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