Most inquiries are because the table is holding up a house sale , or the other way around the previous owner left it and the new owner wants it removed to use the room for another purpose .
We are getting a lot of inquiries to remove full size snooker tables and just getting rid of them , TAKE THEM AWAY FREE people say , this is not a FREE SERVICE I’m afraid , two fitters wages van use Fuel insurances all have to be paid for . We offer a recycling service at a cost of removing , but we have to take the table all apart and remove all none recycling waste from it, cloth rubber metal tacks screws and bolts all have to be removed for our recycler to take the wood away , the slate is also recycled into fire places , but these have to be polished cut to size to make into a fireplace . the cost to remove a table and recycle is down to distance , BUT please note we do not now take tables up or down stairs , we only remove Ground floor tables with no more than a couple of steps involved which we can ramp . We used to do the stair work but as you get older this has become too much for us . We are both in our 60’s now .
Even this carved one is now being recycled because no body wants it .
Only a hand full of Cue sports table fitters around the UK have been approved by Hainsworth as being reliable and competent , to carry out your Cue sports fitting of cloth and table . They do not hand out these recommendations without fully screening the firm as trustworthy and of a certain level of experience . It does help though if you can be traced back from firm to firm over a 47 year period , and have feed back to prove that we do care about our clients tables .
Geoff Large at GCL billiards started working on Billiard tables in 1976 , and has worked with 3 Time served billiard table fitters and three different firms, gleaning a bit of experience from each fitter , add a bit of self learning and improving , and now with over 47 years of fitting experience . Geoff worked for Elston & Hopkin of Nottingham for 24 years 1980 to 2004 , where most of his experience was learnt and perfected .
Hainsworth Billiard cloth , available in grades to suit your play and table design , also an extensive colour choice for Smart and Elite pro cloths , an interiors decorators delight in matching a cloth colour to a rooms décor . And speed of cloth to suit all types of play , from Club hard wearing cloth , to thinner Professional standard . Hainsworth smart for instance has a fine nap for what we would call a club cloth , and therefore much faster than the other brands on the market which have a longer coarser nap .
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 .
We use a Billiards Stimp Meter ramp to test the speed of a table and also rebound value of rubber cushions .
We often have to prove that cushion is not responding well and in need of rubber replacements , most of the time this is obvious to the player when playing a shot off the cushion and ball not reacting to the pace it hit the rubber cushion at ,and also when a table is stripped down of cloth and you inspect the rubber . The Stimp meter ramp is also used to demonstrate cloth speed , a long napped cloth is much slower on ball run than a no napped speed cloth . this Stimp Billiard table meter was manufactured by the late Dave Gibson of Beeston Nottingham in the 1980s , he used it to test his own tables in his billiard hall at Beeston Nottingham . I purchased the Stimp Meter from his widow on Dave’s passing ,and use it often . The ramp also has a laser red dot light that projects a red dot to the back of the ball as it leaves the ramp to show roll off due to nap direction or unliveliness of the table . A ball clamp to give precise set release of the ball unassisted ball fall is required to get exact readings and measurements . this photo shows a rebound value of 338.5 centimetres or 133and 1/4 inch .
Buyer arranges collection We have a client who wishes to sell their 9ft table complete with all accessories as per photos . a good three welsh slate refurbished period table . I do not know the actual manufacturer but Herbert Holt has a plaque on stating he refurbished it at some point in its life . Polish looks in good condition . Tulip carved mahogany legs with scrolls .
Herbert Holt was a billiards player born 1909 who formed a billiard repair company , son of another billiards player Willie Holt .
please contact Geoff at GCL billiards for further details
I have had a client inquiry to look for a full size billiard table Victorian or early Edwardian to go into their period property in Kent . Nice legs design and no modern upgrades of embellishments . No damage to slates .
Something on the lines of these type of tables , but my clients room will not be ready until after January 2024 . also looking for ornate lighting reproduction type and maybe rotating cue rack and life pool scoreboard with the table too . but if you just have the Billiard / Snooker table that look like these period type then please get in touch .
My Old boss John Hopkin .who never liked to be called Mr Hopkin or The Boss …just John . Passed away peacefully this past week aged 98 , I worked for him and for the firm that took over Elston & Hopkin for 31 years from 1981 to 2012 , at Elston & Hopkin Billiards of Newark street and formally Goldsmith Street Nottingham , John retired in 2004 / 5 , a Christian Man who lived by the book he preached very humble , where the head or CEO of many firms would be driving Mercedes and Jaguars , John drove an average Vauxhall Cavalier , the fitters and other staff had better firms cars .
But that summed John up to me , He lived for God and Jesus christ and his family and friends …yet prayed for many others that would pass him by , and not give him time of day .
I never met another Man like him and think I never will .
It may require a re-cloth if you are picky , but cloth is good for a year or so in club use as it is . my advice is go with whats on it and decide after a year if you wish to have a new cloth fitted .
This one is not to be missed and priced to sell , They are priced at £13000 new , check Riley web site for Aristocrat with steel cushions , This one is £3000 as is on site . No score board or balls or lighting , are with the table but all rests are as seen in photo are . any dismantle loading travel unloading and set up is extra to the advertised price . if you require a quote for this work then please contact Geoff at GCL billiards with your post code . We only do Ground floor installs .
Study the Photos , you will see that the woodwork is of exceptional condition , the cloth is also good , also the rubber is very good too , maybe the start of track wear marks in the corner pocket openings on the bed cloth , which will move a bit and will stretch down the fall on a restretch a bit .
The rests you see and hooks are all included , also the triangle , The seller is keeping his own set of match play balls and the scoreboard . the last time I hade one of these up for sale on the web site with Steel cushions , it sold within a couple of days , also at the same price as this one . They do not hang around long and if you compare them with a TV Tournement Chinese star table the Aristocrat are a better table . This one has not been messed with and had the legs sprayed silver or gold , Proof it has good woodgrain legs of higher quality than those sprayed silver . as the best wood grained ones where kept for pollished wood .
If you are a high class player or even a keen person who requires one of the best made TOURNAMENT tables for modern game play , then this is the table to buy . It would be my own choice out of all the tbales that have been used on TV tournaments these where the best model . And the most asked for when people looking for a Tournament steel cushion table phones to ask do I know of any second hand ones available . It is priced to sell at just £3000 as is on site , I would say after a move relocation set up and a 30 oz Strachan 6811 tournament re-cloth you may get a little bit of change from £5000 maybe a bit more if you wnated a Hiansworth match cloth on it . Price for any move will require post codes and the more we have to travell and maybe stop over if extra long distance , then the more it will cost .
As you can see almost mint find one better for £3000
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.
