'We turned an old bakery into a pickleball court'

A group of pickleball enthusiasts have turned a empty bakery warehouse near York into North Yorkshire's first pickleball-only facility.

The Pickleball Shed, near Sutton-on-the-Forest, features five courts with lighting and heating systems for year-round play.

The fast-growing sport, which is a combination of tennis, badminton and table tennis, is low-impact and therefore appeals to a diverse range of ages.

Gill Page, 58, who is one of the five founders of the courts, said: "We've had three generations come in, so grandparents, their children and then their grandchildren."

Mrs Page said she used to play a lot of tennis, but after suffering with arthritis in her knees she was unable to continue playing the sport.

That was when she took up pickleball with her family.

"I missed sports, I missed competition," she said.

"I missed hitting a good shot – or not hitting a good shot – and I missed laughing with friends in a rally."

It was through the sport she and her husband, Alan, met their fellow investors, Sally Bell-Syer, Malcolm Lightbody and Sue Jones, two years ago.

They wanted to create a hub designed for pickleball and they quickly found the perfect venue, a bakery warehouse that had not been in use for two years.

"It was like a little gift to us," Mrs Page said, adding: "Everything was up to modern standards and it had been refurbished."

The founders invested "tens of thousands of pounds" on the floor alone along with cushioned acrylic courts to a add a layer of shock absorption, reducing joint strain.

She said: "People tell us we should be proud of what we have delivered. I'm just happy to see people's enjoyment."

The new centre hosts open play sessions, coaching programmes, tournaments, leagues and social events.

Visiting from The Wirral, Jill Connor, 64, and her husband said they had had a "brilliant" time on the dedicated courts.

"The ball bounces better, and you can get a good view of everything," Mrs Connor said.

Nathan Hill, a coach at The Pickleball Shed, described the sport as highly "addictive".

The 53-year-old, who represented England in the European Championship in Rome earlier this year, was happy to see the new centre catering to the rising demand.

"If you rewind two years, there was barely anybody playing in York, apart from Tadcaster Leisure Centre and Easingwold.

"There's currently around 50,000 to 100,000 people playing in the UK, but I estimate there'll be about 1 million players within the next three to five years."

He added: "What other sport can you get where a 74-year-old could beat a 28-year-old?"

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