A WEDDING venue left without any bookings has become a temporary home for one of the district's biggest sports clubs.

Kings Table Tennis is now using The Barn in Avington, which is currently out of action due to the pandemic.

The club has five teams in the Winchester and District league who were forced to stop playing in March when lockdown was announced.

But one member came up with an idea – the farmer who runs Avington Park Golf Course had all his wedding bookings.

The venue is a large, airy, empty space – ideal for four well-distanced table tennis tables.

Robert Stent, who runs Avington Park Farm, says: “With all our weddings postponed until at least next year we have been looking for ways to use the Barn and when Jill Wilson, who’s secretary of the Winchester Table Tennis League, suggested the idea it seemed an obvious solution.”

Kings had been using the sports hall at Princes Mead School in Kings Worthy for many years and hopes to return when possible.

Players can no longer just turn up and pay cash on the night – places have to be booked in advance to ensure numbers are managed and strict Covid secure guidelines followed.

Jill Wilson said: “We hope it won’t be too long before we can get the League up and running again but in the meantime our players are just happy to be able to keep playing.”