We have just been over the border into Scotland to a large country house that is having a full makeover. Marchmont House is a very large Palladian house built for Hugh Hume-Campbell, 3rd Earl of Marchmont in 1750.
The house was sold in the early part of the twentieth century to Captain Sir John Helias Finnie McEwen. He inherited a considerable fortune from his uncles who had built the harbour at Rio de Janeiro. Much later the house was sold to Sue Ryder Care and was a nursing home during the 1980s.
It is now in the hands of a multi-website search provider (sorry I do not like to disclose my clients full details as privacy is part of my client’s privilege).
The house is having extensive restoration to put it back as one of the best maintained and refurbished country houses of Scotland. The house has an approach avenue looking east that is believed to be the longest approach avenue in Scotland for any country house.
A scene of the avenue in winter.
I was contacted by my client’s agents who enquired about moving a full size snooker table that was located at a nearby farm, transporting it over to Marchmont House and replacing what was necessary to put the table into good playing order. Here are few photos of that actual move:
The farm building that the table was housed in before the move.
Driving up to to Marchmont House. As you can see, plenty of builder’s vans on site.
The frame of the table installed into the room. We just unloaded all of the woodwork through the large sash ground floor window from our van parked just outside.
A rotating cue rack and Life Pool scoreboard also came with the table.
You can just make out the manufacturer’s name in the top of the leg …THURSTON & Co.
The slates were then wheeled on a piano trolley around the long corridor to the room and placed on the frame. We got as far as levelling the table, plastering the joints and stripping a couple of cushions ready for the next day’s work.
I think we did very well setting off from Nottingham at around 7am, getting up to Greenlaw at around 12.30pm, booking in at the B&B, then off to the farm to dismantle and load, then up to the main house to unload and get to this stage.
It was a little dusty as you can see from the camera flash after sanding the slate joint filler down flush, but here you can see we placed the old cloth onto the table to protect the cushions as we were recovering them.
The new cloth just about to go on. Note the brand used, we always recommend Strachan 6811 Tournament 30 oz cloth.
The finished table. We also waxed all the woodwork and buffed it up. The outbuilding that was used for the table in the farm before we moved the table had chickens in. Some had got in from the barn next door and covered the table with feathers and chicken poop. We finished off with new nets leathers and rails.
We set back off to Nottingham at approx. 1.45pm and arrived home at 5.30pm. The table did not require a re-rubber as the cushions had been re-blocked and new rubber fitted during some work in the recent past. The ball responding around 7 rebounds around the table and 4.5 runs on the length which is very good for standard cushions.
All that is required now is for the electricians to put the new lighting up. We have recommended that they look at our for sale section where a private seller is advertising a set of old gas lamp look-a-like electrical Victorian period reproduction lights. They repainted the old coffin shade seen to the right of the photo above, so they have a choice. But what do you think would look right in this period house? A light like this in the photo below or the coffin shade?
The actual lights for sale.
A library photo of what they look like fitted above a table.
I would like to thank our client’s agent, Hugh, for using GCL Billiards to carry out the work to move the table. We are extremely grateful and privileged to carry out the work at such a nice and interesting home.
GCL Billiards undertake all types of table removals and relocations around the UK, some in houses as grand as this and others in garden sheds. It makes no difference to us, we treat every client on the same level.
Next month we have a table to relocate from West Sussex to a garden summer house. The work will be the same dismantle, load, unload and assemble. You can be sure we will pay as much attention to detail as we have installing this table at Marcmont House to your pride and joy.
We are very busy at the moment but we can still find time to fit you in if you book us well in advance. If you know you have a table that requires work in the near future please do not leave it until the last minute to book us in, act now to avoid a long wait. We are very popular and we do not charge VAT.
