Billiard Halls

Billiard halls can scarcely imagine any properly furnished hotel or modern public house without its billiard room’. At both the Grade II listed Boleyn Tavern, Barking Road (right), designed for the Cannon Brewery by WG Shoebridge and HW Rising, opened in 1900, and the Grade II* Salisbury Hotel, Green Lanes (below right), built by John Cathles Hill and opened in 1899, painted glass roof lights were designed to shed light onto billiard tables below. The effect was stunning. But London’s breweries positively alas what billiard players preferred threw themselves onto the billiards were dark rooms with lights slung bandwagon in the 1890s, creating low over the table. Added to which an architectural legacy that, long affordable overhead electric lighting after the game dropped out of became available in around 1913. fashion, shines on in Victorian and Some pubs appear to have done Edwardian gin palaces to this day. well from billiards. But the majority Determined to prove, to the found they could never recoup their public and to local magistrates that initial outlay with a game so few pubs could offer more than just people could play at any one time. beer and skittles, the breweries Pubs also lost out to the new invested heavily, in some instances generation of billiard halls which devoting up to 40 per cent of a offered longer opening hours. pub’s floor space to the game. As Which is why there are no The Licensed Victualler reported billiard tables in London pubs any in 1900, around the same time as more, or at best, as at the Boleyn, the Crown and Greyhound opened a pool table, somewhat dwarfed in Dulwich Village (above), ‘One by its magnificent surrounds. ‘Probably the most famous Mail ship, the Lucania, which snooker club in the world’ says a had been broken up in Swansea sign over the door of the Romford in 1909. After purchasing all the Snooker Club on Arcade Place. ship’s interior furnishings and For it was here, on table number fittings the directors made sure 13, that the owner of the club first to place at least one bit of the spotted a shy lad from Plumstead Lucania in each of its billiard halls. potting balls with unusual aplomb. By 1937 there were 27 of them The owner? Barry Hearn, an within Greater London alone, accountant who had grown up Romford included, more than on a Dagenham council estate any other single operator in the and had bought the club in 1974, capital. Another twelve followed having noted the popularity of post war, by which time the label the BBC’s Pot Black series. ‘temperance’ had been dropped. The teenager? Steve Davis. Unlike its main rival, of whom While Davis went on to become more overleaf, Lucania did not England’s greatest snooker talent build its own halls but rented since Joe Davis, Hearn, who space instead. At least two of became his manager in 1976, set its clubs were above Burton’s, at about promoting three of London’s Streatham and Lewisham, but most cherished indoor sports, the majority were located on the While some London pubs had starting with snooker, followed first floor of shopping parades. The Romford club has retained Probably the best preserved billiard rooms integrated within soon after by boxing and darts. As such Lucania bequeathed its hallowed place in the snooker Arts and Crafts billiard room in their main structure, at several, Hearn named his growing empire no actual architectural legacy, world all the same, and remains London is that of the Brentham including the Grade II* listed Black Matchroom Sports, literally after even if at least ten of those typical of its genre. A single door Club, on Meadvale Road in Ealing. Lion on Kilburn High Road (above) the match room he had set up at parades remain extant. in an otherwise anonymous parade Located within the Grade II – rebuilt in 1898 to designs by RA Romford in 1982, east London’s As for Hearn, he sold Lucania of shops leads up a flight of stairs, listed clubhouse, designed by GL Lewcock – distinct single storey answer to Thurston Hall. on to another chain, Rileys, in through a swing door and instantly Sutcliffe and opened for residents extensions were added. Here too The club itself had been 1982, before finally relinquishing into a magical, hushed world of of the surrounding garden estate the original painted glass skylights opened in 1933 by the Lucania Romford in 1989. Six years later glowing baize and furrowed brows. in 1911 (see page 121), the room survive, only now they lighten up Temperance Billiard Hall Company, he bought Leyton Orient Football As an old sign by the bar has has two tables overlooked by a the pub’s dining area (a common originally a Welsh company that Club and renamed its ground it, ‘The Lucania Lad – happy as series of alcoves, each with bench use for former billiard rooms). had taken its name from a Royal the Matchroom Stadium. the game is long!’ seats and panelled screens. 148 Played in London Played in London 149.

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