Category Archives: For sale

Very rare to find one as good condition as this in OAK , most are Mahogany
I would say only 10% where made in Oak .
With a very good well known billiards firm of Thurston’s manufacture .
one of the best and still surviving Billiards firms that was founded in 1799 .
This one is one of the original 4 piece 1 inch thick slate bed type which dates this table to around the 1880s period .
maybe the back end of 1870s ?

BUT the royal warrant of Queen Victoria was first used as on the ivory cushion badge of this table in 1837
So it could have been made as early as that date . but I think back then it would have been three section slate beds and not four like this one so my dating is from the 1870 / 1880 period .

circa period of 1870s where Horse and carts back then to transport tables so slate was not as thick as todays tables which came about later on in the 1890s as motorised transport came along , but they did put extra muntin slate supports in the thinner slate beds to stop any distortion or slate sagging this tbale has 6 slate support muntin’s , modern tables only have three . , this table is ideal if you have not got a solid floor , as you can have problems with heavy slate bed tables on wood floors .

Also good for getting upstairs , as much thicker slate bed tables will press down on upper timber floors and you get levelling problems on beamed floors that are upstairs with thicker slate beds .

The table belonged to a family member who has passed on and was put into Storage in Nottingham when the estate was sold on , the family would now like to see the table put into some use , it was never going to be sold as they had plans to re-use it at a later date , and now because they moved to live in Australia , it has to be sold on as the cost for shipping over there is a no go .

We are looking for offers for this table .
, REMEMBER RARE OAK ONE , NOT ONE OF THE HUNDREDS OF MAHOGANY ONES BEING SOLD .
To make a table like this today in solid oak you would be ,looking in excess of £12000 upwards .

We will entertain all offers and put this to the family .
But please note you do not come across table in this condition that has been professionally dismantled and stored in nice dry conditions no damp garage as many are stored in , the removal’s firm that stored it have a very good reputation for looking after Antiques and Billiard / Snooker tables and even Grand pianos , and together with TWO professional time served billiards fitters this was carefully dismantled and blanket wrapped and transported with care into storage .

Sorry we have no full photos of the table set up , only in dismantled and stored form of which I pulled a leg out for reference and one end cushion .
I will ask around my fellow billiard fitters to see if they have one of the same design as a library photo to use all though they may show that in mahogany rather than oak like my selling clients table for sale here .

** There is also a fibre glass lighting shade with the table .
And some long rest tackle .

** THERE IS NO SCOREBOARD WITH THE TABLE

Please study the following photos , taken today in the storage locker , which is in Nottingham .
We can arrange at extra cost for the table to be delivered and dropped off in kit form to a ground floor , quote based on distance and if possible .
We can also arrange at extra cost to have the table set back up , with refitted bed cloth or complete re-cloth .
Again costing based on distance . but we do have a list of fitters based around the country too if GCL Billiards cannot do the work .

*** PLEASE NOTE …The price is for the table only as described collected , any other mention of delivery and set up and re-clothing if requires is based on extra costings .
You do not have to use GCL Billiards …you are free to choose and use any billiard fitting and delivery firm in the country .

All the history of Thurston’s can be read from this excellent archive compiled by billiard Historian Peter Ainsworth and the E A Clare Billiard’s of Liverpool who now own Thurston’s .

https://snookerheritage.co.uk/articles/thurston-co/

above is an original advert during Queen Victoria’s reign
the table I would say is this design . photo kindly supplied by John Bennet Billiards ltd

Above is a mahogany one that is due renovation , photo by John Bennet Billiards ltd .
This is the same design but the oak one is in very good condition polish wise .

A mahogany Thurston no5 design flute turned leg in mahogany , John Bennett Billiards ltd supplied photo as an example of the same in oak .

Private sale direct from owner
* We advise any buyer to try the table out before buying .

We have a selling client who wishes to sell direct to buyer , a nice modern 8 turned leg model
10ft size snooker Table , as you can see from the photos , it is in very good condition .
Buyer to arrange pick up ,…JUST REDUCED £750 for the table with accessories .
please study the photo’s , and you are buying direct from the owner , as is on site .

10ft tables are the next best solution to a full size , if you are struggling for room , not as many 10fts for sale as 12fts , and not many for sale with 8 legs as most are 6 leg .
Being a modern made 10ft with modern pocket plates , you will not have the problems of older billiard pocket design , and balls should be more easier to pocket .

A Private sale direct from the seller , They do not make them like this anymore in this size table .
We have a client who wishes to sell on their very sturdy and built proper 3 section slate 7ft bed Snooker table , you do not come across these often as they are built to the same spec of a full size table .
inferior 7fts are thin one piece slate bed on a sub frame that have wood screw n cushions , this table has a very thick sectional slate bed , and the cushions bolt into the slate directly , giving a much better bounce .
Priced to sell at just £1500 OVNO , buyer arranges collection .
Comes with a range of accessories as shown in photos below .

Accessories included as seen in photo above .

As you can see from this underside photo the slate is in three sections and is very thick
and has the cushion insert threaded nuts inside the slate for cushions to bolt to .
spider and X rest and hooks also included .
Built just like a full size table would be .

As you can see the bolt head is substantial size bolt , this clamps the cushion up tight to the edge of the slate giving a far superior bounce than inferior thin slate wood screw on cushions .
3 bolts in each cushion .
Location of table is Southport , just above Liverpool .
Price is for the table and accessories only , and buyer arranges delivery through any billiard firm they wish to choose from in the UK .
We could quote to dismantle load deliver and erect ….. contact Geoff at GCL billiards for more information at c,large@btinternet.com .

SOLD SOLD SOLD

We have a selling client who wishes to sell their very nice 7ft supreme free play winner pool .
These are around £1750 new , A Green badge model and my selling client says just 2 to 3 years old .
so this table will have the upgraded solid cast chrome corners and not chrome plastic , it will have alloy cushion beading too and not plastic cushion beading . as can be seen in the photos .
Never had rough commercial use , always played at home from new and not much use as the cloth looks ok in the photos , just in need of a good brush and iron .
comes with cues and balls
For sale at just £800 buyer arranges collection , I will find out where it is located a adjust the advert later on .
You are buying direct from the seller , not from GCL billiards .
I may be able to quote for a pick up and delivery if this is in my area and is ground floor to ground floor , if not I could recommend other firms that do this .
Please note that delivery and set up is not in with the sale price .

TABLE NOW SOLD SOLD SOLD ,

the table with accessories has been sold

LIGHT NOW SOLD TOO

We have a client who wished to sell there very nice BCE Westbury steel match play cushioned Snooker Table , the table is one of the pair that was used in the 1982 Finals .
*** I am not sure if the actual table as used in the final or the one taken down to make way for the final table , as I find the engraved plaque a bit confusing to read what it exactly is .
But I have studied the 1982 final on you tube and some of the wood grain does match

Wood Grain match to compare as can be seen in this link .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1PuqKno_Ok

The table also comes complete with ornate lights , and scoreboard .

The 1982 World Snooker Championship (officially the 1982 Embassy World Snooker Championship) was a professional snooker tournament that took place between 30 April and 16 May 1982 at the Crucible Theatre, in Sheffield, England. It was the only event of the 1981–82 snooker season which carried world ranking points. Embassy, a British cigarette company, sponsored the tournament, and the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) governed the organisation of the event. It had a prize fund of £110,000, with the winner receiving £25,000.

The defending champion Steve Davis had defeated Doug Mountjoy with a score of 18–12 in the previous year‘s final. In 1982, Davis lost 1–10 to Tony Knowles in the first round. Alex Higgins won his second world title by defeating Ray Reardon 18–15 in the final. Ten century breaks were made during the tournament, the highest of which was a 143 scored by Willie Thorne.

This table is sold as seen in the photos with all certification and accessories .
and I will put you in touch with the owner or his son to arrange the purchase of the table , you will be buying direct from the seller and not from a dealer , who I think would ask for much more than the selling price .
Message from the owner ………Ideally this table we would like sold and moved before Christmas 2025 .

*** PLEASE NOTE *** The table does not include any dismantle , blanket wrapping or bubble wrapping , loading or delivery costs ,and does not include delivery and set back up costs , the buyer will have to sort this out either through GCL billiards or their own firm , at a price quoted ,once I know the post code and confirmation it is on ground floor no stairs involved .
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE GCL BILLIARDS . but we are a time served billiards fitter firm with nearly 50 years personal fitting experience .

Find another like this beauty , in 2015 I moved this table from Dorsett to Stone / Woodford area in Gloucester , a stones throw from Michael wood services on the M5 .
here is the link to that move .
https://gclbilliards.com/last-fitting-of-full-size-snooker-before-christmas-gcl-billiards-is-now-closed-until-january-4th-2016/

This table is a superb looking one , the large thick chunky legs with the scrolls on top .
The table has been dismantled and brought downstairs and is now stored at another property close to the Cotswolds .

This was the table when it was sited in the Dorsett property , before my client bought it and then had it transported to his Gloucester Farm Home .
This table may be a Burroughs and watts , it may be a Smith & Nelson or renovated by them
here is the report when I took it down for storage for my first selling clients .
copy and paste to see that report .

https://gclbilliards.com/a-very-ornate-snooker-table-for-sale-in-dorset-may-be-a-burroughs-and-watts-table/

if you read my link you will see he made a special fork lift cradle with rollers to pass the slates through a window from a Tele Handler extending beam fork lift .

This is the same table set back up with a re-cloth and new nets and leathers in December 2015 .
I do not know the condition of the cloth now , but home tables tend to get little use after the first 6 months of use .
It may require a re-cloth it may not .

Smith & Nelson Badge ….but it may be Burroughs and watts table renovated by them ?
The table is not steel block it is standard , so ignore this on the badge , it states they make steel cushions that’s all .
Which makes me believe this table was just renovated by them .
I will ask a billiard Historian (Peter Ainsworth ) if he knows the make of the table .
He has a vast collection of sales catalogues of the table manufacturers over the years .
But it is a very well made OAK table with welsh slate , probably made around 1920/30s ?
the price of the table does not include any pick up and fitting , also if requires a re-cloth take this on board if making an offer .
If you require a quote to have this table delivered and set up please contact Geoff or Carol at GCL billiards
at email

c.large@btinternet.com
01159 725355 Home / Office
07753 466064 mobile for Geoff

NOW SOLD ….NOW SOLD ….NOW SOLD !

The table has sold .

NOT FO SALE ANYMORE .

Sold as viewed on site from photos or by viewing before purchase .

We have a client wishing to sell there very top end model that Burnley billiard works produced ,
I have moved one of these before and that one was used by Rex Williams .
this is an identical model with its oversized squared off balloon legs .
the table looks very well made and solid table and is in excellent order , The cloth is in not bad condition and could be refitted back on .
The polish also looks in good order and not your usual scratched and scuffed working men’s club table .
the Price of £1000 is very good for this well made table , this is an on site price for the table and accessories as found .
Dismantle transporting and unloading and setting back up can be priced up through Geoff at GCL billiards , We do not do stair installs anymore though but you are free to use which ever billiard company you wish to choose .

Contact Geoff with your full post code and confirmation your install is on Ground floor and involves no more than one step or threshold ., and I will then give you a price based on miles travelled and if one or two days are involved .
Relocating is not a parcel force or Courier job , it involves two fitters and a van , the equipment to move the slates and the knowledge and experience to dismantle and set a table up . it is not a man and a van job .

Geoff Large at GCL Billiards has been in the billiard fitting trade for 47 years , first working for his uncle , then in 1980 he joined Elston & Hopkin billiards of Nottingham , working for Elston’s until 2012 , since 2012 working Self Employed billiard fitter to present day .
We do things a bit different when selling tables , we like to put buyer in touch with seller , rather than have a large premises storing tables and the expense or rent and rates , we try and do Private direct sales and move the table direct from premises to premises rather than have the added costings that go with resale of tables from a show room .
this way the Buyer gets the table at a very reasonable price and then adds the fitting charges to the Price , this total can be from 1/3rd savings upwards of retail prices of buying from a dealer .
Often we save the buyer not only Hundreds but into the thousands on the purchase of a table .
We then do not have the expensive overheads of Workshop / Warehouse / and showroom , Thus passing on those savings to our buying Clients .
And the seller gets a quicker sale as most sales are due to house move or room required for other purpose .

Not ready for the table yet , no worries as long as you have a Garage on site we can also Bubble wrap at cost of bubble wrap and tape , We will then put the table for storage on your site or Home , it does not take a lot of room up when dismantled and can be stored down the internal side of a garage taking up about 16 strip inch of space from the inner side wall .
but it is best you have your room ready or at least the flooring and ceiling done so you can have the table installed on delivery .