People pour in to sign up for centre's activities

The Aldwick couple were in action with their table tennis bats about an hour after joining the Laburnum Centre.

They were hoping to pick up the indoor sport after a few years' break. Becoming part of the centre at its latest open day gave them the perfect chance to do so.

Mrs Connor, 66, said as they signed in: "We are quite keen on table tennis and it will be good to be playing that again.

"The healthy walks they do here also interest me. I expect we will be here a couple of days a week."

The couple, who moved from Essex last year, came across the centre on their initial walks around the town centre.

"We saw the list of activities outside and we were very impressed with them all," said Mrs Connor.

Mr Connor, 65, went along for a one-day digital photography course and they decided to become annual members. Carpet bowls is another attraction for them along with computing.

They had plenty of company. The first two-and-a-half hours of theopen day, on March 26, saw 46 newcomers sign up. This took the total membership of the Lyon Street centre run by Age Concern West Sussex to almost 1,000.

It is open to anyone aged over 50. Manager Ruth Booker and the existing members arranged a mass of activities to interest the host of visitors who poured through the doors.

They included dancing '“ tap, sequence and line '“ as well as woodwork, arts, crafts and computing displays.

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