Snooker/Billiards/Pool...

sadgit

sadgit

Well-known member
After reading the Ronnie thread, it made me think. I used to be VERY VERY good and table ball games. i.e. I'd go to the Linny at 14/15 drink a pint of coke and put in 20p, then with winner stays on, I would play all night for that 20p. I learned from playing billiards in the Emirus club on a Saturday morning from 10/11 how it worked, angles etc

Does anyone still play? I went to a place in Hartlepool last year and paid £6 to play on my own. It doesn't appear to be that popular now? Anywhere local that you can go and pot a few balls on you own? local as in Marton?
 
sadgit said:
After reading the Ronnie thread, it made me think. I used to be VERY VERY good and table ball games. i.e. I'd go to the Linny at 14/15 drink a pint of coke and put in 20p, then with winner stays on, I would play all night for that 20p. I learned from playing billiards in the Emirus club on a Saturday morning from 10/11 how it worked, angles etc

Does anyone still play? I went to a place in Hartlepool last year and paid £6 to play on my own. It doesn't appear to be that popular now? Anywhere local that you can go and pot a few balls on you own? local as in Marton?
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Social Clubs are the best place to play as they normally have a couple of tables. Not too sure which is the nearest one to Marton. Maybe the “Beechwood and Easterside” , “Parkway” or ”Hemlington Social”?
 
sambaDTR said:
Social Clubs are the best place to play as they normally have a couple of tables. Not too sure which is the nearest one to Marton. Maybe the “Beechwood and Easterside” or ”Hemlington Social”?
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And they're easier to find empty these days, you could probably stay on a table for as long as you want.
 
When I was in my late teens I used to play snooker and pool most Sundays with my mates at the legion or Labour club and sometimes play pool with my Grandad if I went out to the institute with him for a few pints. I was terrible at snooker and not much better at pool 😏.
For me it was more about having a laugh with my mates and a few pints.
I only drink now when I'm on holiday and not been in a pub/club for years apart from family parties.
 
sadgit said:
After reading the Ronnie thread, it made me think. I used to be VERY VERY good and table ball games. i.e. I'd go to the Linny at 14/15 drink a pint of coke and put in 20p, then with winner stays on, I would play all night for that 20p. I learned from playing billiards in the Emirus club on a Saturday morning from 10/11 how it worked, angles etc

Does anyone still play? I went to a place in Hartlepool last year and paid £6 to play on my own. It doesn't appear to be that popular now? Anywhere local that you can go and pot a few balls on you own? local as in Marton?
Click to expand...
In Stockton there is Room 21, next door to NE Volume bar. Never been in though. https://room21.co.uk/

I used to play in the Saturday morning Teesside Boys Billiards League mid to late 70's, then a bit later spent a fair bit of time in the Redcar Lit.
 
I think pubs worked out that pool tables aren't worth the hassle that comes with them.
Slowly dwindling away
 
I've started playing again, first time in 30+ years, we got a 6ft table recently which now takes up much of our front room, but I play every day and enjoy giving my son a thrashing :D We went to this place in London the other day.
 
I used to love going to Inn off the Park back in my college days to play a few frames. I was next to useless, but still really enjoyed it. Does Inn Off the Park still exist does anyone know?
 
I played billiards for years in the boys leagues. I think if you initially learn billiards, snooker comes much easier, and then pool is an absolute piece of p*ss (the size of those pockets!!)
 
Fat_Dragon said:
No closed down years ago
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Thanks, I suspected as much. I wonder if there is anywhere to go locally to play snooker then. The Rainbow Leisure Centre got rid of theirs years ago and there used to be one in the Marton Country Club but obviously that's been demolished. Sad times.

There's perhaps a gap in the market to set up a place for casual games of snooker/pool/darts/table tennis/table football available to hire. Chuck in a bar and let adults book sessions to play some games with like minded souls. Could even bolt on a soft play next door where the kids could be left 🤣.
 
I used to be decent at pool but absolutely useless at snooker. I just had no control over the cue ball. And the angles didn't work. And the balls wouldn't stop moving.
I may as well have been trying to play golf with a shuttlecock.

As for not being worth the hassle, my pool table brought in enough custom to definitely be worth it. Not to mention all the lovely 50p pieces. They soon added up 🙂
 
I used to play pool years ago. Started as a kid when I got a pool table in the garage. Weirdly, I’m right handed for everything but play left handed!

Between 17 to about 24 I played in the Monday Charity Pool league. Won quite a few trophies - team and doubles etc. I played for various teams in different pubs over those years. Eventually started playing in a couple of other leagues too.

When I was single with no responsibilities, I’d often go to Riley’s 3-4 nights a week to play. I became very good at one point, started playing some county pool at one stage but didn’t last long as hated the travelling for away games.

When I started settling down and got with the missus, I wasn’t able to maintain the amount of pool I was playing and which led to a lack of practise. Kept playing for a couple of years in the league but I couldn’t ever quite get to the levels I was previously used to. The league was getting chewier too, and in the end I left the pool league and started playing darts (Love it but hate it in equal measure when things aren’t clicking! 😆)

It’s a strang one now. When I play pool I’m still fairly decent and beat my mates etc. but make daft mistakes and it just annoys me. I tend not to bother playing much for that reason.
 
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