This will take a full 10 days to clear up before I am safe to mix again so count from March 27th although I did come down with a fever on March 26th . this put me back on course to start back to work on the 5th ot 6th of April
First time I have tested positive for covid and the whole household has it ( three of us ) This will mean I will have to contact some of you to rearrange work . Some will not be affected it all depends how long I am feeling ill and the protocol of returning to work after covid . I have a couple of confirmed hotel booked jobs these are a few weeks away and will not be affected and because of the hotel booking will not be altered . There is one Job in Leicester that I am half way through table wise and still have two more days to complete that one , that will be no one first on the list to be rearranged but at the moment is on course for April 5th and this will mean other jobs bumped backwards to fit this one in if I have to cancel it .. If it is a pool table re-cloth on private owned tables , I have alternative firms that will take these on if you cannot wait but I like to think you will wait a bit longer for me . this could not have hit me at the wort time as I am due to go away in May for two weeks and booked out when I get back for the entire month of may , I now have the headache of trying to fit 6 weeks of work into 4 weeks , I know it cannot be done , but I will clear as much of the back log as I can .
NOT one to be missed , they do not often come up for sale often in this condition , and my clients are being very realistic in price for this table and the accessories . You would pay much more from a dealer , so buy direct from the PRIVATE SALE OWNER through GCL Billiards . GCL Billiards offer you this table at a direct to selling client price , believe me you are saving a lot of money buying this way for this table .
THE TABLE is located in Great Missenden Buckinghamshire on the Ground floor .
This Arts and Crafts style table was manufactured by the well Known Burroughs and Watts Billiards firm circa around 1920/30s , it can only be described as a top of the range table in its day , The oak stringers of the refectory table and carved legs and mouldings plus the ebonised inlays , makes this table a bit above the norm of a basic turned leg design . The Polish looks in good order as does the cloth , my client did say it went through a refurb some years ago and has not had much use since then , any buyer could have the original bed cloth re-stretched back on .
As you can see this table oozes class and craftsmanship and the table alone is priced at £5000 which in my opinion is priced to sell , the price is as it sits in the house any buyer will have to pay for dismantle and removal from the property . All the other accessories are going to be priced separately as these also are of top quality .
The Burroughs and watts Life pool scoreboard in matching oak is priced at £750 , but if bought with the table it is priced at £500 , it is complete with no parts missing and has Ivory or bone slide markers and buttons for the life counter slide out strips . In my opinion this should be kept with the table and not separated and at just £500 it is a very good price for one of these . the buyer of the Full size Billiard table gets to choose what he wishes to add to the table . A matching Rotating cue rack is also available at £750 , or if bought with the table at £500 A range of cues will also come with the cue rack . A very nice period reproduction light is also available as an extra again £750 or £500 if bought with the table . There will be a range of rests and balls that will of course come with the table price
So there you have , the complete table with the three main accessories is priced at £6500 . the price does not include the collection of the table but I can give an estimate of what the costs would be . To Dismantled this table and bubble wrap it , the cost is going to be £550 , plus 50p per mile round trip To deliver and set up on ground floor ( NO STAIRS ) with parking and no parking restrictions unloading , unwrapping and erect ready for play it would be £650 plus 50p per mile . Very long distance may add and extra days travelling fee plus any B&B and E/Meal charges for the fitters .
We could dismantle the table down into manageable parts and load it all onto this van for delivery . Geoff Large of GCL billiards has been fitting Billiard tables for 47 years . and has worked on tables of this design before . Any work on the dismantle loading wrapping and unloading and fitting is an EXTRA to the price of the table . PLEASE NOTE , The table is a private sale direct from the private seller who has listed it with GCL billiards to advertise on their behalf , any work on the dismantle and delivery and fitting of the table , that is required after you have purchased the table will be with GCL billiards who will invoice you for this work separately , and is not part of any table sale by the seller . The Burroughs and watts name plate . Corner pocket leather and billiard bag , as you can see not much use since its refurb . note also the ebonised trims of diamonds on the knee panels and also buttons on the slide out cushion friezes .
Buttons on the cushion slides also ebonised long rest and cue tackle is with the table price. The condition of the bed and cushion cloth as seen in the photo , you could if you wished have a new cloth fitted but this would be an extra , and would be priced up on selection of cloth grade required . ALL INQUIRIES for this table to Geoff & Carol at GCL billiards , we will pass on any interested parties to our selling clients .A typical loaded table on our van , total weight with tools and driver and fitter , 1.5 ton . our van is rated at 1.6 ton load carrying .
I get flooded with texts and Facebook and what’s aap messages on my phone and these can get lost in the flow of how many I get each week , Buried in a sea of messages as each one knocks the last down the screen and off it . I know we are living in a tech world and for some this is the norm of contacting , but not for me I’m afraid Phone yes if no contact then email is the next best thing also leave a message , if you phoned I would probably say send a photo of the table by email anyway to see what you have and to answer any queries . .
My Wife works for me Monday / Wednesday / and Fridays so she may also answer the house office phone . If am working on someone’s table I will not stop to answer a phone , it would be rude to my client and also his time , I also may be on a time to get the table back in use for , so less time on office duties and on the table is required .
My email is c.large@btinternet.com
At my age the best contact method that is quickest to do is Email as I answer emails daily or within 48 hours , unless I am working away or on holiday . and with emails we have a paper trail of what was quoted and said . Since my last Holiday , I have been flooded with work coming in thick and fast . It is hard trying to fit them all in , some I have to turn down as too far or I am just too busy to work out my next free time
Add into this lost days for say snow and ice , Holidays and funerals I have to go to . Plus some specialist asked for cloth ( Strachan superfine ) is simply not available as the manufacturer rarely makes it and when they do , some one buys the lot to corner the market , and people get frustrated in waiting for it , if my supplier does not have it then I do not have it .
And I am away again for two weeks in May in Lanzarote Again from the 6th of May to 22nd I am off . Before you all cry out on Holiday again , I am 69 years old this month I am taking Holidays every three months as a right of working all these years . I am also away in July for a week too in Cornwall . and still intend to carry on working well into my mid 70s I like the job that much .
Also a close colleague I worked with passed away last week and his funeral is on the 20th March so I have had to cancel both the 20th and 21st to go to that . I did work with him for 24 years . For that I have had to split up a 4 day Job I had in Leicester for two tables re-rubber /;re-cover /new nets and leathers , into two 2 days one in March and one in April .
Remember GCL billiards is a one fitter operation , I have to work on tables , do the ordering , answer emails and phones , post out things , I do not get a lot of free time . it is not a 9am top 5pm … 5 day week firm , that turns off the light and closes the office door and finishes each day , and has the weekends off . I work most weekends too , unless I am told to take a break .
The unfortunate truth of owning and running a business.
Running a business is really hard.
What they don’t tell you is that it can cause severe stress and anxiety, and drains you mentally to the point of depression in even the most laid back people.
People will talk about you, compare you to others, use you, they will view you as a service and not a person anymore.
People expect you to be available 24/7 and at the drop of a hat because “you work for yourself so you can make time” unfortunately this is not the case most of the time.
Friends and family will expect discounts and people will value you and your hard work less than a big chain store.
You have to worry about if you forget to email/message someone back, are they going to think it was on purpose? Did you disappoint them? Will they hold that against you? When in reality you just can’t get to everyone’s messages and emails.
Starting up and running a successful business puts incredible strain on personal lives, friendships and relationships, many of which fail because there is just often no work life balance. You need to be the director, the worker, the admin, the marketing team, the accountant, the cleaner….. All whilst being a parent, a husband or a wife, family support, friend… it’s one of the hardest things you will try and balance
There’s a reason you don’t see many people succeed in small businesses after 5 years. If they are successful they are overwhelmed. It takes a toll. It’s freaking exhausting. Especially the past couple of years when so much has been out of our control.
Here’s a small reminder that we are just normal people with hectic lives. Be kind, be patient, support small businesses…….and hopefully more of us will stick around!
I copied this from another small business owner
Snooker & Pool Table Recovers
Geoff Large, expert table fitter with over 40 years of experience. All aspects of snooker, pool and 9 ball table recovers, repairs and maintenance.
My services include:
Recover of bed cloth and/or cushion cloth
Stretching of bed cloth
Re-rubbering of cushions
Fitting new pocket nets, leathers and rails
Refurbishment and re-polishing
Levelling of the table
Dismantling, moving, setting up, logistics and storage
Pool table hire
Service contracts
Hainsworth Toptable recommended table fitter.
West of England 100% pure new wool first grade cloth used, no seconds.
