Monthly Archives: January 2026

We often get offered free full size tables , if we have someone who is willing to pay for collection and to deliver and set up we do go down that route first …if we have no one we then go to plan 2 which is recycle and there is a cost to that .

So I am pleased to say we do have one client who is a Charity adventure site based just below Birmingham , and they would be most grateful for a Donated FREE to collect full size snooker table with all its accessories , to put to good use .
They are willing to pay GCL Billiards for dismantle loading , delivery and unload and set up .
If you are in a situation where a loved one has passed and left a house with a full size table in , or about to move or sell a house and the table has to be out quick .
Then this is your chance to make that happen at no cost to yourself .

ALL WE ASK IS THE TABLE BE ON GROUND FLOOR , FOR COLLECTION AND IN GOOD CONDITION .
NO MULTI STEPS OR STAIRS PLEASE , one maybe two steps would be ok .

we have had them in the past , but no free tables at the moment to pass on to a good cause

https://gclbilliards.com/another-free-full-size-table-near-grantham-lincolnshire/

https://gclbilliards.com/offers-for-sale-square-leg-riley-square-leg-modern-cushions-and-pockets-wakefield-location/

https://gclbilliards.com/free-full-size-riley-snooker-table-in-leicester-upstairs-location-though-but-nice-table/

https://gclbilliards.com/urgent-free-full-size-snooker-table-in-derby-nottingham-border-close-to-m1-junction-25-must-go-by-end-of-june-or-middle-of-july-at-latest/

https://gclbilliards.com/free-full-size-riley-regis-snooker-table-house-sale-forces-a-give-away-and-there-is-more-givaways-too/

Above just a few that have been given away free
If you have anything like the above , please contact us , it is very hard to give tables away due to the cost of having one relocated , so to get someone ready to have one is a bonus .
and very rare to find someone to pay the removal and set up costs .

Contact Geoff Large on

c.large@btinternet.com

with photos and confirmation it is on Ground floor .

Trip over from Long Eaton to my Home raised and schooled Town of Beeston Nottingham .
To re-cloth in Strachan 6811 Tournament Cloth …Not as popular a club for Snooker these days .
More of an Entertainment club for weekend shows now .
But they do still wish to provide the facilities of Snooker & Pool and even Bar Billiards in this Social club
Re-clothed 5 years ago , now well due , we start to transform them over the coming year one at a time.
First up Table 1 , an old Billiard top plate table circa pre 1895 .
We will be visiting again around April / May time for the far table to be done .
And then at the end of the year for the middle table .
We may also be changing table one cushions to a more modern cushion and pockets .
As I do have a nice set of cushions taken from another table which will be a nice upgrade for them and cost effective once plugged and drilled to fit this table .

In Beeston we have seen closures of a few Clubs and places with Full Size snooker Tables since Mid 1970s , for instance these are the places that do not have Tables anymore or reduced them within the Beeston borough boundary , due to cost cutting or closed down and demolished

Beeston Billiard hall villa Street 10 full size tables gone . = Demolished for Flats
Plessey Club 4 Full size tables gone , Demolished for Houses
Fire Station one full size gone .. now a very large high rise STUDENT FLATS for Nottingham Uni . Nick named Little china due to how many Chinese students are at Nottingham and living in Beeston .
Beeston Fields Golf Club 2 full size gone , more of a Golf and Wedding Venue now
I think British legion has gone down to one table so one full size gone from there , still going JUST .
Ambulance station closed 10ft gone from here
Lenton Abbey Essoldo Beeston demolished 16 full size Tables gone
Conservative club three full size , down to two so one gone
Manchester unity club one full size gone .
Chilwell high road not in Beeston but just outside , but village hall has one full size gone too .

I may have missed some out as we had Beeston Boilers and other large firms in the area that may have had tables .

That’s 38 Full size snooker tables gone from Beeston in my time as a Billiards fitter .
( Not Counting all the private houses that had a full size snooker table like Beeston Fields Drive )

on the plus side , one of the Plessey Tables survived to Chilwell Golf Club
the 3rd table that came from Conservative club to a Private House in Beeston .

so I am happy that a club like the Victory Club in Beeston is doing something to maintain Snooker as a viable
sport in Beeston , even if on a budget …as they say Use it or Lose it .

A few photos of a table we set up for a client ( Gary ) and the work that we carried out on it .
We dismantled and collected this table for our client which he stored at his old house shed /Garage lock up , while his new build snooker room at his new house was being built .
We returned and Gary had polished up the table which was already in good condition having been restored by Burroughs and watts in 1959 .
We estimate that the table is circa 1920s , give or take 10 years each way .
We set the table back up , leveled the frame , and place the slates on and filled the joints , we then re-rubbered the steel cushions in best yellow dot Northern rubber .
We cut the pockets opening using the old B&SCC templates as a guide .
We then re-clothed the cushions in Hainsworth thicker smart cloth , thicker because they would wear out quick if we put match cloth on the cushions . Cushions take a lot of hammer for the balls so for longer life we and other billiard fitting firms always use the thicker alternative cloth on the cushions .
We put Hainsworth match cloth on the slate bed for speed .
and replaced the nets and leathers with Peradon UK quality nets and leathers , we put the nylon plastic rails on because metal rails rings wear out nets very quick , the plastic ring rails the nets last three times as long .
Have a look at the photos , for stage by stage install and fitting .

We left an end badge GCL Billiards for our client to fit if he wishes to the end cushion that does not have the Burroughs and watts plate on it . We would never fit a badge on without permission .

The Burroughs and watts plate fitted in 1959 we think , which is not the original steel vacuum plate badge .
as you can see was larger and has been filled in with a bit of oak insert .
The steel cushions had B59 stencilled on them which I have been informed was the last time it was re-rubbered and new blocks fitted .
Also the old rubber we took off was manufactured in 1958 as that had a date code of 58 FSM
Which means 1958 Full size moulded rubber .

Not sure what the 1123 stands for , but to the left is B&W = Burroughs & Watts
I – 58 we think January 1958 when the rubber was manufactured … FSM = full size Moulded .
And on the back of the steels was B59 = last refurbed 1959 in B&Watts workshops .

The table before Gary purchased it , in its own billiards Garden Room in a very large country house
installed here in 1959 . note old Burroughs and Watts Lighting .