Janette Thripland’s first appearance at the prestigious pickleball tournament came on Halloween, with the 65-year-old donning a costume to celebrate. Thripland, who manages pickleball at Queens Sports Club in Halifax, competed in the women’s doubles 60+ 3.0 category alongside Susan Garbutt. “I’ve got Irish decent and Halloween is massive in Ireland, but it is just a bit of a laugh. The 2025 Knotty’s English Nationals Pickleball Tournament in Bolton was the fifth edition of the tournament and broke records with over 1,300 players competing across 57 age and skill categories. “I was on the tennis sub-committee at my club and they asked me if I wanted to get involved in pickleball.

Source: The Times November 01, 2025 15:27 UTC