For Chloe Birch, taking the next step is all about a change of mindset. Having played alongside Jess Pugh at

Greg Mairs and Tom Wolfenden finally banished their second-place heartache by getting their hands on a men’s doubles title at the English National Badminton Championships.

Atherton badminton ace Gary Fox has set his stall out early for this season’s AJ Bell National Badminton League, wanting to retain the trophy he won last season.

Wilmslow’s Matthew Nottingham believes his and Harley Towler’s performances at the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships prove they have the talent to test the best men’s double’s pairings in the world.

Bolton-born Gary Fox revealed he is still putting off a second heart operation due to his love of badminton.

Jenny Wallwork might have slipped to defeat in Loughborough Sport’s opening game this season but the Bolton badminton star is convinced her new partnership with Andrew Smith will soon lead to success.

Sunday saw the culmination of the first-ever NBL season with four teams, including Macclesfield’s Matthew Nottingham’s Surrey Smashers, vying for the chance to lift the trophy.

Macclesfield’s Matt Nottingham will now prepare himself for June 7 and Finals Day, with the Surrey Smashers set to play fourth-placed Loughborough Sport for a spot in the showpiece later that day.

Macclesfield’s Matthew Nottingham is determined to turn top spot into silverware when he competes in the National Badminton League Finals Day with his Surrey Smashers.

Nottingham and men’s doubles partner Harley Towler fought valiantly but went down 21-11, 21-18 to Chinese duo Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan in round one of the main draw at the Barclaycard Arena on Wednesday.

Nottingham, a former pupil at Wilmslow High School, will continue his blossoming partnership with Harley Towler at Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena when the 2015 YONEX All England gets underway on March 3, the pair having teamed up last autumn.