FORMER mayor of Darlington Gerald Lee showed he still has what it takes when he accepted a challenge from members of Hummersknott Badminton Club.

In one of his last engagements as mayor, Cllr Lee was invited along to the Dolphin Centre to take part in a badminton session with the club’s young players.

And the word from those present was that he was good enough to be invited to return again.

Last month the former mayor hosted a reception for a youth team from Cercola, Italy, after they were invited over to the UK by the club, which was set up by retired teacher Philip Boyle, MBE.

It is sending a team over to Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Czech Republic to play matches in July. Once the tour is completed the youngsters will have visited 22 countries to play badminton.

Cllr Lee was succeeded as mayor by Cllr Tom Nutt in a ceremony on Thursday (May 21).

James Boyd, current team captain and an A-level student at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form , said: “When we do travel it is always in the hope of being representatives for Darlington and the UK.

"For the mayor to come down to Darlington’s Dolphin Centre where our team players have used the courts since it opened 32 years ago highlights for us the ambassadorial role we carry out.”