Category Archives: News

We have a returning client who have now used GCL Billiards for the past 4 re-cover visits .
GCL billiards are proud to be associated with this club as we think it is one of the best run club’s that we work in.
Hunters Bar is one of those club;’s that you can walk in and feel relaxed and well looked after , very polite staff and the food and Drink is top notch.
The tables are re-covered on a regular basis so you can be assured of top quality playing tables that are kept clean and ironed .

Hunters bar have 4 American 9ft Sam K steel pool tables , and 7 Supreme 7ft winner pool tables , upstairs they have 6 full size snooker tables
If you are close to Grantham this is the Club to play Snooker / billiards / 8 ball pool / or even American 9 ball pool

We have a local club who now only use GCL billiards to do any work to their Pool table .
After another local company carried out a very bad cushions repair and re-cover and overcharged them .
We have now re-covered the table 4 times since that rogue firm and the customer is delighted with our work , so much that they would not have any other firm touch it.
We re-cover this table twice a year for Summer and winter pool league start .

The finished table , a Supreme Prince
We always vacuum and clean the interior of the pool table , We do not do half a job , cleaning the inside of the table is just as important as the re-cover as this stops sticking balls and damage from customers banging the table down to free them .

After we have finished the re-cover and cleaned the inside of the table , we then check and adjust the level with a top quality Engineering level
If you have a pool table that you would like re-covering or maybe new cushions , and would like peace of mind that the work is carried out in the correct manner ,

then contact Geoff at GCL billiards

Email …. c.large@btinternet.com

or phone mobile 07753466064     9am to 7pm

or home office 0115 9725355          9am to 6pm  ( not always manned )

if we are busy working please leave a message  , it maybe that we are tied up for a few hours with a clients table install , remember we also do full size snooker tables and dismantling transporting and assembling these can take most of a Day , so please leave a message if we are unable to take your call .

Yesterday we visited Stapleford Cue Club ,this is a long running establishment of what I describe as a small comfortable club that has survived the downside of clubs up and down the country that are three times the size of this club and yet they closed , this shows that if you have a club with 6 full size snooker tables and 4 supreme winner pool tables you can survive as running costs are much lower .
Big is not always better as some will say

Over the years I have seen the club change hands 5 times since the 1980s , today we have Jed and Steve running the club , and I must say Jed keeps the tables playing in very good order , regular brushing and ironing and if there is a problem he only has to call GCL billiards in to sort it out .
Many skilled players play snooker and pool from Stapleford Cue club , but they never discourage the intermediate and entry level players from joining , in fact they encourage it , all they ask is that you respect the tables and the staff .
Above photo of table two was treated to a full re-cover in Strachan 6811 tournament gold 30 oz cloth , new extra extra broad bow leathers and a new set of high quality ring nets , this table has Steel block cushions , one of two tables out of the six full size tables at the club to have them . Steel cushions are professional tournament standard .
The Ambience of the club is just right for the modern player , OK there is TV and background music , but it is not too overpowering and I always enjoy working in this club , you get the bit of banter of which is sometimes pointed in my direction , but you have to have a sense of humor in most club’s .

the match table for pool is the very latest supreme winner , this table has one of the most accurate slates that I have worked on , some times these tables can sag down in the center , mainly due to people sitting on the tables and bending the body carcass  .
A good 90% of pool tables are slightly dished or sagging in the center , but this one is 100% perfect.
And with the same high quality Strachan 6811 gold tournament cloth fitted with good brushing and ironing , I would say it is one of the best pool tables in the area to play on .

all the latest Supreme winner tables have the new all metal chromed corner plates with raised lettering and also alloy cushion trim , some earlier models have black plastic trim and plastic chrome corners with sunken lettering , also the finish of the new tables is called black pearl , the old ones are black ash which is wood grained finish , as you can see this is the later Black pearl edition.

It was Jed who asked GCL billiards to supply the Racking cloth stickers , such was his care and attention to educate the players to always use these to stop excessive wear on the racking end of the table .
so if you are local to Stapleford or the surrounding area’s and wish to play on tables that are looked after , give Stapleford cue club a phone come on down and try the tables out as a guest , you may like it and decide to join .
with Beeston snooker hall closing and three clubs in long Eaton closed plus the odd social club closing , Stapleford Cue club is the place to play .
I have also heard rumours of other local clubs either reducing tables or closing too . one thing you can be certain of is that Stapleford cue club is well attended and so it is a survivor in the cue sports industry that has a roller coaster of a ride over the years .

Stapleford Cue club is situated behind Pizza hut
148 Derby road Stapleford Nottingham NG9 7AY ,
small car park at side of club .
Tell 0115 9394504  open from 12am most days .

Today we traveled down to Bristol to bring down two flights of stairs one 10ft snooker table
We bubble wrapped all polished parts
and loaded onto van to deliver to a warehouse in Rugby ready for pick up by large van taking other goods out to Portugal in the next couple of weeks.

the snooker table is a 10ft Karnehm and Hillman with carved tulip legs in very good order.

we unloaded the table at our clients warehouse in Rugby where he has one of his Depot’s
We loaded most of the table onto one pallet then cling filmed it , we then got one of the warehouse men to plastic strap it all together for the journey to Portugal
The only other parts to go with the main pallet is the two long sides

a bit more bubble wrapping and then these parts are ready to go ,the two long sides of the frame.
the table is being delivered to the Algarve with other furniture , it was the most cost effective way to get the table over there , then fly out a fitter at a later date to fit it .

You can see from this photo the 5 sections of slate with all the bubble wrapped parts loaded neatly on top before strong cling filming to keep all together before the plastic strapping was fitted as a belt and braces guarantee that it would not come apart under transit .

all done and ready to go 18 parcels of double bubble wrapped parts plus the 5 slates .

the table now set up in our clients Algarve Villa Basement , and pool area , a superb Holiday home .

The Baulk Line snooker private members room will be opening on April the 1st , with options for day rate membership or intermediate membership , or become a Full member with unlimited playing time ( Subject to to Bookings )
set in peaceful country side at Sapperton Manor Farm , in the fantastic converted Barn with full heating on constant during the winter months , never play snooker in freezing conditions .
I have been over to the Baulk line yesterday to put the finishing touches to the tables , completing the task with a Brand new re-cloth on one of the table in Best quality Strachan 6811 tournament cloth , both tables have had new sets of nets and leathers fitted too , so sighting the pockets with new leathers is very good .

Have a look at the leaflet I have copied for more details , click on leaflet photo to enlarge

The Baulk Line Members room is approx 15 to 20 minutes from the Toyota Island on the M50 , plenty of free secure parking

and with day rate at just 50p plus table hire of a very resonable £5 per hour , two people paying just £2.50 per hour each , this has to be the way forward for serious Snooker or Billiard players.
rather than play in grubby club’s with badly maintained tables ( apart from my regular clients club’s )   and with music or noise and freezing conditions , play in luxury at the Baulk Line in conditions you crave for .

Contact  www.thebaulk-line.com  web site should be up and running soon to book table time on line .

or Contact Jon direct on 07970 443549

ONE HOUR FREE TABLE TIME ,  on production of the Leaflet ABOVE  , just copy it to your i.phone or mention it as seen on GCL billiards web site

The last two days have been spent over in Skegness at Butlins Green baize club
The 16 full size snooker tables have taken a battering since my last visit with 4 of them being out of action when I arrived.

Skegness Butlins is the only Butlins camp left where snooker is free , at Bognor and Minehead you have to pay for table time

This very early 1870s circa table
was only re-covered 6 months ago but it was badly vandalised so had to have a new bed cloth fitted .
we where booked up for March but because Butlins are one of our main clients we quickly arranged for work to be moved to alter 2 days and a Saturday of this month to free a couple of days for these emergency re-covers
I am really grateful for the persons who agreed to move their work back a few days

The type of torn cloth a result from a badly aimed shot followed by people pulling at it and making it worse.
you can see the point of impact on the slate of the chalk from the tip of the cue , someone showing off or just messing around to see how far back he can screw the cue ball back .

The other room that we visit at Butlins is Hotshots American pool and Bowling centre , American tables in artscape cloth with the Budweiser logo .
we re-covered these back in December 2014.

After the recent holiday break , my work load was tested to the limit
Monday travel out to near Sleaford to open up the corner pockets and service of bed cloth on a full size Burroughs and Watts Steel block cushioned table , the owner is delighted with the result of an easier table to pocket on , I am not surprised as his pocket openings where just 3.3/8th at the fall , I opened them up to 3.5/8th .

The next three days where going to be a tough one , three full size snooker tables to dismantle at Nottingham University Sports hall , these tables where upstairs and no access to a lift , I had  a choice , enlist 6 men to carry the slates downstairs , use a slate slide and use 3 men , or take the easy option and use the fire escape to a flat roof and get the local groundsmen to come up with their tractor fork lift and lift the slates down for us .
No Guessing for which option was chosen !
I divided this work into three comfortable days
1st day by myself part dismantle all cushions off the tables and bubble wrap , take bed cloths off and slate linings , take cushions into storage to sort out the best space for the three tables.
2nd day take slates off the tables and place on pallet on fork lift , three sets three lifts , then load one set onto van and take into storage unload and onto forklift , repeat another two times . then re-cover one pool table in Beeston in the afternoon plus visit another site to fit a coin mech
3rd day dismantle three frames and bubble wrap all parts , bring downstairs and load onto van all three frames , take up to storage center unload and stack neatly for two years . then over to Derby for pool table re-cover.
The old sports Center is being demolished and the tables will be in store for two years , we will then take them back out of storage and reassemble them in a Brand New sports center .

Above The old Nottingham University sports hall due to be closed by the 23rd of March ready for Demolition , the three tables have gone into storage.
New Sports hall due to open in the spring of 2017 .
after the work of dismantle and store plus bubble wrap of all polished parts .
We found time to squeeze in two pool table re-covers , one of my rental stock had come up for it’s annual re-cover , we offer two options on our pool table rental schemes , offer one is one re-cover per year at £15 per week or two recovers one every 6 month for winter and summer league starts at £18.50p per week , we also give a Brand new set of Aramith tournament Match balls each year for the pool team .

And to top off Thursday we had an email for an Urgent re-cover for one of our regular Snooker club Clients , this was a large club based in Derby .

The very well used Pool room of the Large Snooker club in Derby
Match night at least one team made an effort of wearing Red Polo shirts !

Tomorrow is clear Workshop out and get a few things ready for another busy two weeks ahead  , we have work scheduled for Stoke / Skegness / Long Eaton / Loughborough / Mansfield / Derby /Leicester /Worksop / Beeston / and Leicester again
If you have work that you would like being carried out on your cue Sports table , then please try and plan well ahead , we are very popular and noted for our excellent work standards as well as our reasonable price .
Book early for work in April . email Geoff at c.large@btinternet.com or phone 07753466064 or home 01159725355  please leave a message if no answer as I may be lifting slates upstairs or tackling a job where I need to press on and answer phone inquiries later in the day .

Try answering a telephone while doing this !

Sorry but March is fully booked out and we are now starting to fill in the month of April for work
please get in touch ASAP if you have work coming up for April or May , the sooner you get booked in the sooner you get your work completed.

We have Snooker table set ups to do

Pool table re-covers and replace old cushions

Snooker tables to re-cover

And Re-rubber using the best available materials such as Genuine UK made Northern rubber.

We have our regular customers requiring work

And we also transport and move tables around the country