We where contacted by our client to move at short notice a full size snooker table from the main house to a Shipping container for storage on site , this was being done as the whole house is soon to be demolished to make way for a large new build property with basement games room being incorporated into the build .
Our client is very organised and has two shipping containers to store most of the house contents while the work is being completed, which I have been told should take 1 year to complete.
the only spare day I had was today Saturday, so another 6 day week , when will I ever get a Full weekend off ?
Yesterday I was installing a Stevens table into an attic near Barnsley , today moving another , and on Monday another ! , Today’s table is also a R Stevens table , we date the table to around circa 1900 to 1910 with it’s Art nouveau or arts and crafts looks to the legs and two pin concealed pocket plates . by 1917 R. Stevens had left the charing cross premises and they where then trading as W Stevens and Sons .
Richard Nelson Stevens and Arthur Robert Stevens where established in 1830 and by 1860 where located at Great Scotland Yard and Villiers Street .
by 1870 the great Scotland yard premises where given up by the firm and they traded only from the Charring cross premises in Villiers Street.
By 1889 the partnership was dissolved , but Richard carried on trading under the R Stevens Billiard table maker’s trade name .
At around 1917 William Nelson Stevens makes an appearance and the firm changes to W Stevens . at around 1925 the firm becomes LTD and this is added to the name after this date.
the company was taken over by Bennett’s in 1967.
The above information sourced from Peter Hainsworth ( Billiards Historian)
As can be seen from the last 3 photo’s the table was stored in a shipping container , some people think you require a large room to store a full size snooker table , the last photo shows all the frame work cushions and bolts pockets and rails , all in a small area of shelving , the slates we stored in two sections to one side , one with three slates the other with two , these are stood upright like doors to avoid any chipping of slate joint edge to the facing edge , a problem that some so called fitters have when they do not know how to handle slates and store them correctly , all slates should be stored like this UNLESS the shipping container is being moved, then they are put on a pallet flat and secured down flat with straps, this shipping container is not being moved .
