The past three days I have been staying over in Coventry in  a B&B , close by I was working on two full sized Thurston Snooker tables .
The tables have had some rough recovering work done to them in the past with split cushion capping’s from the oversized pocket plate bolts being the main reason.

We used the best materials as always to do our recovering and re-rubber work , Northern Rubber is the best in the World and made just up the road from us in Retford Nottingham .

after taking off the old rubber and making a template for the new pocket openings , we set about glueing the cushion blocks and the new rubber ready to put on the cushions

We recover our tables in Strachan West of England 6811 Tournament cloth 30 oz weight , this cloth is the one most recommended by billiards firms , it wears good , plays well , much better than the Club cloth that was fitted by the previous fitter.

the tables had one disturbing fault that was the result of bad workmanship in the past , the pocket plate bolts where too long , and the fitter had wound them up tight and as they passed through the pocket plate lug , they protruded too far and split the polished wood work capping on the top surround , these will require replacing but we have added extra washers to make sure they do not protrude as a stop gap repair .
We have added  two photo’s of the bad workmanship from the previous firm below . note where one fitter has tried to nail it back down only to hit the brass lug of the pocket plate that is hidden under the wood ?


We noted that on one table the end slate was warped or dished as we like to say , this resulted in the ball rolling away from the cushion at the D end , this was also the same on the other side so we know it is in the slate and cannot be levelled out , if they had adjustable slate supports we could have started to get the dished slate level by raising the centre of the slate up on the adjustable muntins ( slate support).
I have aligned the 4 balls in the next photo to give you an idea of what to watch out for , if this happens from both sides where ball rolls into the table it is dished slate , if it rolls towards the cushion on the other side it could be levelled out by use of jack and shims .

We have recommended that they change the lighting to the modern Strip high frequency white light units. , this is one of the worst shades I have seen with bad nicotine staining , there is no reflection of light , it must be like playing snooker in a coal mine with just a light bulb above the table , playing under these lighting conditions.
The next photo the condition of the Shade !
for comparison we have added another photo of another Client’s table who did have the new lighting installed .


We offer the best advice and always offer value for money , sometimes Clients may take offence with some of the ways we describe faults with their tables , but we only have their best interests at heart , we like to guide our clients to a better way of keeping their table playing well and in better conditions of play , and keep costs down in the long run .
We never force our way onto our clients we just suggest a better way using proper materials that play well and last long  , and this speaking from over 38 years of personal service as a Billiards fitter.
we do not take our advice and reprint it from a book on our web pages like some firms do  , it is from personal experience that we offer our own learnings and pass this information onto the client.
we also know by feedback of our site  by showing some faults on job’s that we have come across , this will show other new clients what our values and goals are , to do a good job using the best materials and improve their table conditions for a better playing experience.
If you want you’re table maintenance carried out by a Professional  Time served Billiard table fitter who care’s , then phone Geoff Large on 07753466064 or email Carol Large on   ( c.large@btinternet.com )

As goodwill gesture I would like to recommend the B&B that I stayed in , Lodge Farm B&B and my host Heather who made my stay most welcome , I would recommend this B&B if staying around the Coventry area and post this link to it

http://www.smoothhound.co.uk/hotels/lodgefarmhouse.html
At just £35 per night for a single room and £55 for twin double  it offers really clean accommodation with a great full English breakfast . and good secure off road parking , with good choice of pubs and restaurants close by . tel 0247 646 6786 ask for Heather.
I have stayed in some rough B&B and hotels in my time travelling around the UK fitting tables at twice the cost of this establishment , and when you find a gem like this you keep it logged in a book for future use . 5 star accommodation at 3 star price.

We have just refurbished a 7×4 Supreme Winner pool table in Hucknall , this table had a loose top and gaps under the cushions , the back hinge side was making a rattle sound as a ball rebounded against the cushion , and the rubber was unresponsive , on strip down we found the hinge was loose , the slate cross supports where coming apart from the side of the table , the rubber was the old original red rubber which was dry and hard .

photo showing strips of cloth added for slate uplift .

We set about repairing the cross members by re-glueing and screwing the block supports back to the side of the table, this we did by using a ratchet strap to pull the sides of the table together , while the glue was drying we set about the recover in 6811 Strachan cloth , as we stripped the cushions down we found that the old red rubber was going hard , this was the reason there was no bounce in the cushion , we replaced the cushions with a new set of Supreme cushions with Black rubber , these will now give a good rebound to the cushions and play just like a brand new table .

photo below of new Supreme black rubber  cushions with one of the old cushions showing the old red rubber

we then attached strips of cloth to the under slate supports to raise the slate that 1/16th so that the gap between the cushion and the slate was gone .this will also make the table play much better . the hinges where screwed back up tight and the top surround is now much better .
This table went from a Wreck to one that can now be used in league Pool , the team are highly delighted with the table now it is playing well .

With the best quality 6811 Strachan cloth , the new Supreme cushions , and level , NO gaps between slate and cushions , and tight hinges ,  the finished table below.

Today I have been to a local private house to complete a re-cover in 6811 pool cloth , the pool table was an Excel  make in a nice beech colour.
the table was 6 years old but after the re-cover it looked like it was as new.
the table is situated in a very large south facing conservatory and the cloth had bleached to a very faded  sea foam green colour . in this photo I have laid a section over the new cloth for comparison as the owner removes lost chalk from the inside of the table.

We have been inundated with enquiries now the Winter is approaching it is going to be very busy period on the approach to Christmas , one phone call today was for me to go over to Nottingham City Centre  to have a look at a full size snooker table that had some water damage from a bathroom pipe leaking above the room , this table also was due a re-rubber  the quote has gone in for a re-rubber / re-cover plus new nets and leathers and level of table .

We have confirmed work for two re-rubber / recovers next week in the Coventry area , one 9ft billiard table move from near Retford in Notts, to just outside Great Yarmouth.
also in as confirmed work is another  re-rubber / recover on table 1 and stretch bed cloth on 2nd table  in Derby , and in burton on trent  an unusual Carom table moveand possible re-cover  , that’s a table with no pockets , they call them Continental billiard tables and play a game called three cushion billiards on them ,  We have many pool table’s to re-cover  now that the winter league has started , our pool table rental business is also taking off again with two tables going in this month and one next month , we also have service work booked out and some work in Lincolnshire and Leicestershire  should be coming in soon . we have 5 full size snooker tables to put back into order for a large snooker club locally having suffered from a break in that resulted in many thousands of pounds worth of damage , they took the brass pockets off 10 full size snooker tables along with every brass hook for scrap value , but it was the way they did it , by taking a sledge hammer to the cushions they smashed all the woodwork up  . plus took all the copper pipe from the ceiling resulting in water coming down onto the table’s.
All that damage to the snooker tables in what must have made them around £30 in brass scrap value for ten sets of pocket plates and some hooks .
the new cushion estimate is around £6,000 to £8,000 for the 10 tables and with decent second hand cushions around £1500 , we think we can get him second hand cushions at a decent price.

We are aiming for our core business to be in the East Midlands area , but we will venture outside this area , having recently completed work in the counties of Yorkshire , Northamptonshire, Staffordshire , Shropshire , and Worcestershire .
we like to get about

We have just completed another dismantle and set up of a full sized snooker table.  This one was from one room to the room next door so an easy job for us.  The table was manufactured by the late Mick Robb of Belvoir Billiards.

Mick Robb used to subcontract to my uncle’s firm many years ago in the late 1970s.  It was at this time that I had took an interest  in the art of becoming a Billiards fitter.  Mick took me under his guidance for nearly 6 years and he then advised me to join a well established Billiards firm to perfect my skills even more.

The table below was made by Mick in his two Army huts that he had installed on some land at the rear of his house in Aslockton, near Bingham in Nottinghamshire.  He used the finest mahogany and always made the cushions very sturdy and used BCE match play pocket plates on every one of his tables.  As soon as I set eyes on this table I informed the owner who had made the table.  That was without even seeing the name plate on the end cushion.  Our client was impressed that I knew who had made his table.

Mick lived very close to Belvoir castle, so named his firm Belvoir Billiards.  He affixed the name plate ‘The Belvoir’ on many of his tables.

The photo below shows the table in the new room that the owner asked us to put it in.  We think it was put  in this room to start with, then moved to a new large extension.  It has now been moved back by the current owners, who inherited the table with the property two years ago.  There is much better daylight in the extension whereas the centre room is rather dark, so they wanted to make the living room into the snooker room and vice versa.

We arrived at 10 am and were finished by 3 pm.  All set up, brushed, ironed, re-marked out, levelled and ready for play, apart from a new light which they are having fitted at a later date.

If you require your table moved, have it done by an expert and call GCL Billiards in to do the work for you.  Email c.large@btinternet.com or phone 07753 466064 for a quote.

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 .

We have just completed the install of the Stevens  Billiard table with Burroughs and watts steel block cushions fitted to it , into an attic in a new build house near Barnsley .
Our client supplied the labour of 5 people to reduce cost’s plus myself to lift the slates up two flights of stairs to the top attic room .
As you can see this was not an easy job , but with the 6 of us we made light work of it and all 5 slates where up onto the table within 40 minutes , one of the 6 was a female who I was informed could out lift most men , of which she proved most capable of doing.
the following photo’s give you some idea what is involved when putting a table in an attic or upstairs room . the Welsh slates weigh in the region of 4 cwt each . nearly a  fifth of a ton ! plus the weight of 6 of us , the stairs have to be very well made to carry that much .

Stairs no 1

Stairs 2

The room with the Stevens billiard table in position with the slates now placed on.

The cloth now on and this table had an upgrade we think around 1910 and Burroughs and watts steel cushions where then fitted in place of the original Stevens cushions .
The Stevens table is circa 188o/ 1890. and would have had top plate billiard cushions fitted , the Burroughs and watts steel cushions where first invented around 1895 , and they offered the steels for upgrade to any table , this is why the cushion bolt holes are slotted to fit most manufacturers slate bolt holes.

We have just completed a third re-cover for our most loyal client.  The table is a very nice Riley Aristocrat in light oak with the standard cushions but with match play 3.5 inch pocket openings.

Many snooker tournament finals have been played on this table over the last 3 years, the cloth of choice being the Strachan 6811 Tournament.  The trophy cabinet is full, but there are more out there in the hands of the winners.  There is even a NBSA Video link broadcasting some of the big Nottinghamshire finals that have been played on this table.

The room is at the bottom of our client’s garden and it is one of the best snooker rooms that I have worked in.  It has plenty of cue room and further space at one end for seating and storage.

Our client has been very busy in the local snooker leagues, having run many tournaments and manning the website.  He even found time to help set up my website and blog  that you are reading this report on now.

The table looks very nice in oak.  There are not many around in this finish, most are mahogany.  It is a very good table to work on as it is in mint condition.  We do have a small problem of slate sag although it is only a minor problem and we are working on slowly adjusting the middle slate supports upwards by a 1/4 turn of the bolts each month.  Over time this will slowly cure the slate sag.  Rather than try and do it all in one day, this must be done over time.  If you go too far the slate will rock and will not be seated on the outside of the frame.  Experience has proven it is best to adjust a little each month.

The first photo…just look at the cloth coming off.  Apart from a couple of cue stabs here and there the cloth is mint.  If anyone requires this cloth fitted to their table please contact me as it is up for grabs with a brand new set of cushion cloths.  It is nearly as good as a brand new cloth and you can save yourself some money off the price of a new recover.

The following photos show the table in stages of the re-cover, including check for level and skim slate joints, the cloth brand stamp, the finished table and the trophy cabinet.