The Mayor of Bolton tried out the swiftly-growing sport of Pickleball at a sports club event – and loved it!

Markland Hill Racquets Club in Heaton held a Women’s Sports and Wellbeing Open Day to both showcase its facilities for women and girls and to encourage more to take part.

Visitors throughout the afternoon tried out Pilates, tennis, badminton, squash and Pickleball and the latter included the Bolton Mayor Cllr Andy Morgan and Mayoress Karen Holdsworth.

The couple have both played squash in the past and quickly took to the new sport with the Mayor calling it “a brilliant game!”

Coaches were on hand for all the sessions.

Pickleball has swept through America, counting celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney among its many fans.

There were also stalls from Bolton College promoting its wellbeing courses, Beaumont Hospital’s physiotherapy department, menopause expert Sally Bolton, women’s psychologist Jeanette McGuffie and permanent make-up expert Claire Saunders from Skin Secrets.

Bolton Hospice, the club’s Charity of the Year, also had a stall selling its Christmas cards and ran a raffle.

The Club chairman Dave Saunders said the event “was a real success.”

He added: “We are keen to see more women and girls coming here to play all the sports on offer and were glad of an opportunity to show just what there is.

“It was lovely to see lots of new faces on the open day and we have had plenty of interest in wanting to join the club as a result.”