Updates to venues in Surrey

[mike read]

Hi to all,
I was very saddened on my Christmas/New Year trip back to the U.K. to see that one of my favorite pub's, The Sandrock at Boundstone, just outside Farnham, had got rid of its bar billiard table after over thirty years. This pub was used by me as a teenager right up until I left for Australia.
Worse was to come I couldn't find a pub that had a bar billiard table, so is there one still in use in the Surrey/Hampshire/Berkshire borders area.
Glad to see that CAMRA are still working to ensure real ale is still available and the pub's that sell it are still going.
Why are so many older pub's being turned into Indian Restaurant's?

Regards Mike

[HRP]

Hi all, As a frequent visitor to Chobham (not Cobham!)and a member, team captain , and secretary of the WSBBL, It would be nice to have a game or several while visiting my old home area. (Used to have the odd game in the Brittania Pub Guildford in the 1970's with my fiance-now husband and Chairman of WSBBL) Are there any bar billiards tables in the Woking/Chobham area?? ???

Well I've been researching pubs with bar billiards in the outer reaches of Surrey and also Greater London, but so far haven't found any in Woking or Chobham.

You'd either have to go over the border to Ascot or High Wycombe, or you may find one or two around Godalming or Farnham.

Good luck in your search.

(transferred from thread on B-B Ltd Table sales, as more relevant to Surrey board)
A further acquaintance with Leisure happened when Micky Wright and myself made a trawl of twenty-odd pubs in a 10-mile radius of Crawley to see if we could persuade one to accept a BB-Ltd table so that we could remain in the Redhill League (the Black Dog venue having become intolerable with regular fights in the Pool room and police being called on our match nights !)

We found a place with a Leisure top already in (the Hedgehog at Burstow) but the landlord refused our tempting offer of a league team, saying the brewery would not allow him to change the table - which was a virtually unplayable Narrow Sams.

Meanwhile Kenny Wilkinson had found another possibility for us - the Black Horse at Hookwood, which had an ideal little room made for bar billiards. But instead of contacting BB Ltd the landlord had had his hands tied by the brewery again and - lo and behold - a Leisure table suddenly appeared. A Narrow SAMs again, difficult to score a thousand on. Within a week the timer had broken, and the table stayed like it with an 'out of order' sign on it for a month.

I rather timidly suggested to the landlord that this might be a good excuse to reject the Leisure table and get a 'proper' one. This went down like a lead balloon and on my next visit there was no table at all, and I was informed there was no further likelihood of there ever being one.

Which explains why Crawley people have to use Redhill or Reigate venues 11 miles out of town.  

Nov 15, 2007 0:16:45 GMT HRP said:

Are there any bar billiards tables in the Woking/Chobham area?? ???

The Squirrel at Hurtmoor, Goldalming is the only one in Western Surrey.
But you'll have to be quick, it will probably be gone at the end of the month (considering the reclamation exercise of Bar Billiards Ltd)

Apr 9, 2008 9:47:06 GMT tommo III said:

Margo and I will probably visit the Squirrel and the Bell this month to have a last go on them while the opportunity's still there.

Well, our match tonight was postponed, so margo and I took the opportunity to investigate one of the two non-league tables in Surrey - the Bell at Walton-on-the-Hill - out of curiosity, while it still has a table.

What a difficult place to find ! For the uninitiated, when travelling north on the A217 Reigate Hill-Sutton road, take a left at the big Tadworth roundabout, road marked B2032 to Walton-on-the-Hill.
About a mile down the road, soon after a crossroads, you hit the village and see a big pond on your right and a big white building over to the left. That's the Blue Ball Pub. At this point stop because you have reached Withybed corner: To your right, before the pond, there is a solitary pub sign with a Bell on it, and the start of what seems like a choice of two bridle paths. Choose the one forking right and drive very slowy as it's an un-madeup road, very humpy and bumpy and full of potholes. After about a half a mile of this (and no doubt of cursing tommo ;D) suddenly you come to the pub in the last place you would expect a pub to be.

It's a charming little place though, very welcoming with a log fire. Sure enough there is the bar billiards table in the right-hand bar. It's in a nice little area and the table ain't bad either. Set up to be downhill, but playable nonetheless.

We had a couple of games on it and then asked the landlady if they had a team. Her answer was that it's only played for fun, but very popular with youngsters. We hinted at the discontinuance of rental arrangement situation, and I got the impression that the landlord loved having the table and was more likely to want to buy it than to let it go.

Our parting shot was that our Redhill League could always do with a new team of keen youngsters, and should they ever wish to apply to join the League their application would almost certainly be viewed favourably.

So, in this case was expecting all doom and gloom - but it's not necessarily the case. 8-)

[HRP]

;DHey you guys, Was visiting family in Chobham ( NOT Cobham) I have come across a new table that has just been installed in the Sun Pub in the High Street (opposite the Church) Now I know this is not exactly close to the "Surrey" league, but they were very interested to hear of other bar billiards teams and were keen to join in, so if any of you are in that neck of the woods, do pop in and introduce yourselves, and even if its only to have a friendly match if it is too far to join the league I think they would be keen to participate, after all is in Surrey even if it is the wrong bit!!!!! ;D

Thanks HRP,

Redhill hold their AGM this Tuesday and I will read out your note in 'Any Other Business'.
You are right that our League is based in the eastern extremity of the county which could be a problem for them with perpetual long journeys away each fortnight were they to become league members.
In fact there are towns and villages in Surrey south of Guildford (Eg Alfold) with tables and teams who choose to play over the border in Sussex for geographical reasons.

However it is always good to know of any new tables going in, and I for one will be doing as you suggest and leaving a calling card in order to encourage the enthusiasm shown.

[HRP]

Thanks Tommo, to be honest I dont think they would care which league they were in, just seem to want to join in, - would like to encourage them then they will keep the table and I will have somewhere to play when visiting Mum!! ;D

Well, HRP, we read out your communication at the AGM and agreed that some means of encouragement should be found for them.

As far as joining a league is concerned, Chobham is relatively near to the Berkshire border and Wokingham might be their wisest choice - as for them it's half the distance than it would be to Redhill.

However, it was said that there was no reason why they couldn't be invited to send a side along to our annual Surrey One-Day Inter-League at the Frenches Club (usually at end of March) should they have maintained an interest up till then.

[HRP]

Cool, thanks Tommo how do we go about informing them? should I just give them this web site address?? (Will no doubt be popping up to mums over the weekend)

[Q]

I've just found a Surrey table that I didn't know existed...

www.youngs.co.uk/pub-detail.asp?PubID=286

Has anyone tried it yet?

Interesting find, Q.
Lingfield not too far away from Crawley - margo and I may take a trip out there one weekend.
We'll let you know how we get on.

Yet to check out the Greyhound, Lingfield, but while I had the opportunity yesterday (had to go to Milford for warranty work on the car) I thought I'd check out the Squirrel at Hurtmore.

What looked to have once been a thriving pub, in a good setting next to a golf course and just off the A3, was boarded up. >:(

Another casualty to the brewing trade, and one less venue where bar billiards could be played.

Well, even if I had gone there a year ago, it would have been a year too late.
Categorically, there is NO bar billiards table in the Greyhound, Lingfield.

Quite olde worlde inside, some comfortable leather furniture, but a pool table where the bar billiards once was (2 years ago, according to the landlord - sadly it never took off). >:(

Josie's report on the Red Barn also transferred:

Jan 19, 2010 23:25:55 GMT Josie said:

Hi Tommo

Re: the link you've just posted to the The Red Barn, Blindley Heath.

Quote:
My next investigative trip out will be to this one:
www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub4748.php

Just to let you know it's definitely worth a visit. They do have a table. I've been in e-mail contact with them and they were unaware that the AEBBA existed or indeed that Surrey had a league. I have sent him this forum link so he can look us all up - so hopefully he'll be in touch himself to tell us about it!!!!

Josie x

Jan 20, 2010 0:11:10 GMT tommo III said:

Hi Josie,

Well you've probably just saved me a trip out there. ;D

I had planned to give it the once over on behalf of a Kent team who are considering the possibility of joining the Redhill League, but from somewhere in the Tandridge District rather than from Kent.

This may well provide the opening for them.

[BFG]

Mar 15, 2010 9:56:50 GMT tommo III said:

At Richard's request I am making this thread a 'sticky' - instead of the one on Chobham/Hurtmoor/Lingfield - where no tables exist ! ::)

Not sure what the original thread was? The Chobham link makes me wonder if it was HRP asking about tables near Chobham

Always the problem that things change, at the time there was a table in West End (near Chobham) then shortly after there was also one in Chobham village....believe they have now both gone
:(

See the new thread for a more up to date list, this post was obsolete


barbilliards.proboards.com/thread/22146/list-tables-surrey

Map for ready reference, league venues included (click on url below):

maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=201756322675068450682.000485981969d13618db1&msa=0&ll=51.276951,-0.346756&spn=0.215196,0.617294

Mar 19, 2009 10:04:43 GMT tommo III said:

while I had the opportunity yesterday (had to go to Milford for warranty work on the car) I thought I'd check out the Squirrel at Hurtmore.

What looked to have once been a thriving pub, in a good setting next to a golf course and just off the A3, was boarded up.  >:(

Another casualty to the brewing trade, and one less venue where bar billiards could be played.

Well apparently the Squirrel (don't attempt to say that if you're German !) has been tarted up and re-opened as a gastro pub according to this:

www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/2053285_squirrel_pub_returns_with_a_spring_in_its_tail

Wouldn't have thought there'd be any bar billiards, though. :-/

White Horse, Epsom.......
Stopped off here for a quick one on my way back from football. There is no bar billiards despite being featured above, and the landlady confirmed this was got rid of by the previous landlords, 2 - 3 years ago. What a great little pub, though: clean, tidy, bright, nicely furnished, with a pool room, large screen TV and an expansive beer garden. And the beer even tasted good. (Lodged this report on Beer In The Evening)

Future visits planned to Fox & Hounds (Carshalton); Angel (Thames Ditton); and Royal Oak (Leatherhead) .

tommo

This one's up near where Margo's sister lives, so we'll be paying it a visit soon:

hopecarshalton.co.uk/

www.pubs.com/main_site/pub_media.php?id=hope#hope

Margo and I spent our Bank Holiday day up in Sutton and Carshalton, and took the opportunity to sound out three alleged bar billiards venues.  Here are our findings.

1. The Nightingale, Sutton.
A great little pub, immaculately furnished. Very quiet though, just ourselves, a couple of regulars and a very nice looking and chatty barmaid. Beer prices were very reasonable.
Yes it had a b -b table, albeit a Supreme. Reasonably well looked after and set up to be quite straight, although I suspect it has an MDF base rather than a slate - which sometimes caused the ball to do funny things. Only stayed for the one game, but altogether a pleasurable experience.

2. The Fox & Hounds, Carshalton.
Very spacious inside, loads of alcoves, but definitely no bar billiards table here. The barmaid advised us it went about five years ago.

3. The Hope, Carshalton.
Looks a bit downmarket from the outside, but has a nice spacious carpark, and very welcoming inside.
A really great atmosphere, lots going on and the staff rushed off their feet serving meals - mostly through to the beer garden.
Bar billiards table with its own room in a back bar, the landlord gave us a handful of free tokens and removed the cover for us. Table very straight and playable despite being a narrow SAMS.

We stayed on for a pub lunch, Margo had ham, eggs and chips and I had sausages, onions and mash.
Very pleasant clientele, no chavs, no screaming kids, no hint of  a tattoo and not a mobile phone in sight. They did a nice drop of Stella too.  

[squirerichard]

Had a couple of games on the table at the Royal Oak in Guildford last week. Nice table and good pub. The chalkboard outside advertises that they have Free Bar Billiards on a Sunday!

I'll have to give the table at Godalming a go next time i'm down that way.

A few pics and match results at hamandeggerfiles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/games-in-guildford-visit-to-castle-and.html

Hi Richard,
Interesting blog and usual and great to know that the Guildford table exists. Not sure you will be so lucky in Godalming !

Intrigued to hear of yet another variant of the rules, but at least they had the mushrooms in the right place !

tommo

May 5, 2012 19:14:53 GMT oldblue said:

3. Since then I've been worried that the main outcome of my involvement with your site might be to establish that none of the tables listed for my area still exist/are playable. :( However, I noticed today when passing an old haunt of mine, which had then become a wine bar and gone out of business, that it had now reopened as a proper pub again, the Cricketers on Weston Green, Thames Ditton, KT7 0JX.  It has also acquired a new looking three pin BB table, on which we had a good game.  I am particularly delighted to get this pub back, with a BB table - it was where I originally learned to play the game about 24 years ago!   :)  Please add.

Thanks
OB

Always great to here of a new 'pukka' venue, Old Blue. Will try and look in on this one next time I'm on the way back from Kingsmeadow for the football. 8-)

This is not the first pub to revert back having had a change of function, image, or simply name. And I'm sure it won't be the last !

Have actioned your other changes, by the way (on the separate maps thread).

tommo

[squirerichard]

I've heard from my Guildford-area-based sporting rival Oliver 'The Machine' Florence that the Bar Billiards table at the Royal Oak Pub in Guildford is no more! Sad news indeed as it was a good table and a nice pub to play the game in. No idea (yet) as to why the table has been removed...

At least you got to play there, Squire Richard, a bit like my ventures to the Rose and Crown, East Grinstead.

With a bit of luck they've only thrown it out for the summer, like some venues do.

tommo

[oldblue]

Sorry to have to report that when we went to the Cricketers in Thames Ditton during the week, we found that the bar billiards table had been replaced with a white sofa, apparently in the midst of another doomed attempt to turn this once fine pub into a poncy bar. The female behind the bar said not enough people used it. It was tempting to point out that they would at least have had two customers there, which would have been two more than they actually had. :( >:(

[oldblue]

The Royal Oak in Leatherhead didn't have a bar billiards table when I dropped in earlier today. It did have a pool table. Please delete from the map

The Cricketers in Ockley did have a table when I was there this afternoon :)