Grab a bat and get ready to give it your best shot because ping pong is coming to St Johns Centre!
Shoppers can join in the fun, and sharpen up their table tennis skills, when The Ping Pong Parlour arrives at the centre on March 10.
Tables will be located at 39 Dawson Way and will be available from 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday, and 11am to 5pm on Sundays.
St Johns is inviting everyone, from total ping pong novices to fast-smash experts, to pick up a bat from the side of the table and just play, free of charge.
The centre has teamed up with street ping pong festival Ping! and the Loop team at Table Tennis England to make the most of its space and encourage people who might not have considered the game to give it a go.
A spokesperson for Table Tennis England said: “Ping Pong Parlours are pop-up spaces filled with tables which provide a fun, accessible venue for passers-by to play for free.
“They form part of our vision to inspire people to get active and lead happier, healthier lifestyles by introducing table tennis into the places they already spend time in their everyday lives. Rather than having to make a booking to play, they just come across the tables while they’re out shopping, pick up a bat and really enjoy it.
“There are Ping Pong Parlours across the country and they have proved extremely popular. St Johns will be our 11th to open nationally so we’re expecting it to be really well-received.”
St John Centre manager Neil Ashcroft said they were looking forward to welcoming The Ping Pong Parlour and encouraging some friendly competition among shoppers.
“The Ping Pong Parlour is something totally new for us and we’re sure our customers are really going to enjoy having a game while they’re here,” he added. “It’ll be fun for everyone to have a go at, no matter how good they are, it’s free and because it’s undercover there’s no chance of getting rained off!
“St Johns is keen on offering something different to the community whenever we can and we hope all ages will take advantage of the Ping Pong Parlour once it’s open and have their own contests with family or friends.”
To locate the Ping Pong Parlour, please click here for the mall guide.