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I was born and bred in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire and in 1958 I married my lovely wife. We relocated to Stockport in Cheshire where my wife ran a ladies hairdressing salon and I had employment with a local builder. In 1961/62 I set up in business in the building trade specialising in flat conversions, joinery and general building maintenance. After playing billiards and snooker from an early age in the local billiards hall in Scunthorpe, and again in the local leagues in Manchester, it was my ambition one day to own my own table. Approximately 12 years on, a very good friend of mine who worked for the local electricity board, and being a member of their Sport & Social Club, he informed me that they were closing the club down due to the pending demolition of two large concrete water coolers that stood above the club that was in the basement below. Subsequently, the two tables were to be sold. ‘my ambition was about to begin’. I made an offer and my bid was successful ‘whoopee’! Now whilst I owned a large pair of Victorian three storey semi detached properties with sixteen rooms and basements in each, there wasn’t a room large enough to accommodate a full size table. After a lot of deliberation, I decided to advertise the tables for sale. They sold very quickly and the person I sold them to had a small workshop in the heart of Cheshire, where in his spare time he was buying small tables where he had them restored, but did a lot of donkey work himself, and then advertised them for sale with a view to make sufficient money to open a snooker centre, and a couple or so years on he did just that! However, not before he invited me to join him, which I did as the magic of the green baize got back to me. I had all sorts of ideas, and having played in the Lincolnshire league prior to going to Cheshire, I knew where there were a lot of tables and placed wanted adverts here, there and everywhere. Soon we collected tables from all over, at nights and weekends and any spare time we had, as we were both in full time employment. However, after a period of time, and through a disagreement, the loose sort of partnership ended, but I decided to carry on buying and renovating tables of all sizes and closed the building side down and Cheshire Billiards Company was born. My eldest son, Peter, joined me full time in 1982 after serving his apprenticeship as a fitter and turner with Reynolds Chain Co. and being made redundant on completion of same. The prime reason to go full time into snooker was that we purchased a beautiful full size oak table by Burroughs and Watts from a stately home in North Lincolnshire and after total renovation we sold it to a Mr. Mike Watterson who used it for the World Championships at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, for which he was wholly responsible for setting up as there had not been a world championship played for two years. As snooker had now started to take off, it became harder to find tables, so we started to manufacture our own tables, built on the designs of the old Victorian, Edwardian tables and in all sizes from 6’ X 3' to full size 12’ X 6', including combination snooker/billiard dining tables in the same sizes. The combination snooker dining tables we make are copies of the models that E.J. Riley of Accrington made as far back as 1900 and in my opinion have never been improved on. In 1989 I decided to get out of the rat race and purchase a small holding, but with little success as property at the time in Cheshire was extortionate. When visiting my mother-in-law in Scunthorpe I stumbled upon the perfect property, it had everything I wanted, house, workshop, land and even a cottage for my son, so in July 1990 we relocated back to Lincolnshire. I must admit it took a few trips back and forth transporting the vast amount of tables and machinery we had purchased throughout the years. The full range of tables we sell, bespoke or standard are totally handmade in our workshop from imported hardwood i.e. oak, Brazilian mahogany, West African mahogany, walnut etc. and the finest hand finished floated Italian slates and covered with the finest hand finished West of England cloth by Strachans of Gloucester. We carry a large stock of antique tables, accessories and spares, and specialising in the total refurbishment of tables and carry out all delivery and installations personally. We have shipped tables to the United Emirates, Africa, Helsinki and delivered and installed tables in Germany, Luxembourg and Portugal and all over the U.K. In conclusion, over forty years down the line, we’ve satisfied customers from all walks of life, from working class to titled gentlemen, and many have become personal friends for which we will be forever grateful! |
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Telephone: (01724) 852 359
Fax: (01724) 852 359
Email: info@cheshirebilliards.co.uk
Fax: (01724) 852 359
Email: info@cheshirebilliards.co.uk