Updates on BB in Hampshire (non-Portsmouth)

[Q]

Fulflood Arms in Winchester, according to this

edspint.blogspot.com/2007/04/few-beers-in-winchester.html

The first pub we tried was a quiet back street community local with a glazed tile frontage called The Fulflood Arms. A comfortable pub, with bar billiards table

Pub wesite www.thefulfloodarms.co.uk/

[hon Vice President]

The pub website shows a picture of a table and The Fulflood is pretty central.

I work in Winchester one or two days a week, so will check it out the next time I have an excuse to go walkabout at lunchtime.

When I used to play we went to this bar to play bar billiards. Honestly, it was not only in another country.....I swear, it was another planet!!!

God bless the Wallingford league....happy times!!

[Roo "Convoy!!"]

Tommo.......Can you do some more research and find out what the nearest tables are to Whitchurch in Hampshire (RG28 7LX)? I only get to play about three times a year now and with Bournemouth coming up, I am sure Jel would prefer it if I were to get a bit more practice in!

Ok Roo, I've got 3 for you 2 are due south for you and 1 in a north-easterly direction.

It's ironic that you should have moved to an area that was once a hotbed of bar billiards, with Newbury to the north, Andover to the west and Winchester to the south:  All had thriving leagues 30 years ago, but sadly all have vanished.

These are your best bets:
County Arms, Winchester SO22 5DL
Fulfood Arms, Winchester SO22 5EF
Plough, Little London, Tadley RG26 5EP

I hope the tables are still there, the Internet seems to indicate that they are!
Good luck in your quest. 8-)

tommo

FAO Roo............

Found another one for you, 4 miles from Basingstoke:

www.hoddingtonarms.co.uk/about.html

tommo

Nice Club here with bar billiards among other sports facilities:

www.codyssc.org.uk/snooker-pool-billiards/

Address: Cody S & SC, The Fairway, Old Ively Rd, Farnborough, Hants GU14 0FE

Have found another one in the northern reaches of Hampshire:
WATERSHIP DOWN, PRIORY LANE, FREEFOLK PRIORS, WHITCHURCH, HANTS RG28 7NJ

....but judging from this, it may not be there for much longer as there are plans to concrete the countryside just as in Adams' novel. :(

pubhub.co.uk/watership-down-freefolk-priors

Time for an updated list of the non-Portsmouth Hampshire venues:

List of tables to be found here

barbilliards.proboards.com/thread/22228/list-tables-hampshire

[BigPhilMac]

Sept 24, 2012 12:21:26 GMT tommo III said:

Time for an updated list of the non-Portsmouth Hampshire venues:

Looking at this, the good people of southampton and/or basingstoke could set up a league if they wanted :) although people actually knowing what bar billiards is would be a barrier!

Dec 16, 2012 16:04:40 GMT BigPhilMac said:

Looking at this, the good people of southampton and/or basingstoke could set up a league if they wanted :) although people actually knowing what bar billiards is would be a barrier!

Herein lies a sad tale................
There used to be leagues in Southampton, Winchester and Andover, the latter in particular being strong.

So what happened ? Maybe the top players retired or moved away and interest dwindled amongst the rest.

The same thing happened in Canterbury, which once had six divisions. But whereas there are now only two tables left in Canterbury, there are loads left in the regions covered by the above. Strange !

[BigPhilMac]

Dec 16, 2012 18:33:55 GMT tommo III said:

Dec 16, 2012 16:04:40 GMT BigPhilMac said:

Looking at this, the good people of southampton and/or basingstoke could set up a league if they wanted :) although people actually knowing what bar billiards is would be a barrier!

Herein lies a sad tale................
There used to be leagues in Southampton, Winchester and Andover, the latter in particular being strong.

So what happened ? Maybe the top players retired or moved away and interest dwindled amongst the rest.

The same thing happened in Canterbury, which once had six divisions. But whereas there are now only two tables left in Canterbury, there are loads left in the regions covered by the above. Strange !

Ahh that wont be happening anytime soon then, people werent lying when they said the game truly has died down drastically.

For bar billiards to take off in a new area requires a luminary with limitless energy.

In this instance we are still awaiting Agent Roo to report back. ;)

[Chris]

Table in the Legion Hayling Island Clive

May 7, 2013 17:56:57 GMT chuffster said:

I have found a pub with a recently installed table. The Oak at Smannell. Just got here but will give it a whirly. Four miles north of Andover.

Looks a nice place.
Website picture shows a nice original Jelkes table:
www.theoaksmannell.com/The_Oak_at_Smannell/Welcome.html

[chuffster]

You need to remove the Hoddington Arms from the list - this is now a GASTRO pub. Food good, but table has been removed.

Hi,

Could you amend the location map to remove pubs that do not have Bar Billiard tables.

THESE PUBS DO NOT HAVE TABLES

The Gun Inn
Non league
Saltgrass Lane
Milford On Sea,
Hampshire
SO41 0TP
01590 642 391

The Green Dragon
Updated Jul 18, 2011
Non league
Roger Penny Way
Bramshaw,
Hampshire
SO43 7HE
023 8081 3359

Regards
Steve Griffin

Evidence here of regular bar billiards competitions now at this previously-mentioned pub near Andover:

www.facebook.com/theoakatsmannell

Photos of trophy, various winners, and the table which looks a good quality one (below).

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g503822-d3488423-i64370280-The_Oak-Andover_Hampshire_England.html

Table is now back in the Gun at Keyhaven (Milford-on-Sea) according to their blog:
milfordonsea.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/bar-billiards-back-at-gun.html

[luke]

I just went for a pint in the Fox Inn at Ellisfield and they no longer have a table. The locals said it went a few years ago.

A recent entry in WhatPub? claims a bar billiards table in the following pub:

ROYAL STAFF, 37A MOUNT PLEASANT ROAD, ALDERSHOT, HANTS GU12 4NW

New acquisition in the Farnborough area:

www.facebook.com/thekingsleyateversley/photos/pb.152096788295151.-2207520000.1482180077./634327120072113/?type=3

"Rescued from a junk shop near Biarritz"

THE KINGSLEY AT EVERSLEY, READING ROAD, EVERSLEY, HOOK, HANTS RG27 0NB

Nice picture here of it in use:

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g1096802-d2408771-i240886840-The_Kingsley_at_Eversley-Eversley_Hook_Hampshire_England.html

Pros on cons of it being an unadulterated French table:
Against: no 200 hole.
For: no Black peg.

One we seem to have missed........
The Titanic, Simnel Street, Southampton SO14 2BE

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g186299-d4177913-r226499943-The_Titanic-Southampton_Hampshire_England.html#photos;geo=186299&detail=4177913&ff=258260950&albumViewMode=hero&aggregationId=101&albumid=101&baseMediaId=258260950&thumbnailMinWidth=50&cnt=30&offset=-1&filter=7&autoplay=

Feb 2, 2019 16:58:53 GMT Zeds said:

Chrissie advises this new one:

(3-Pin, Non-league) Hyde Ex Servicemans & Social Members Club, Hern Lane, Hyde, Fordingbridge, Hampshire SP6 2QH

Blog on the Fox & Hounds, Bitterne, Soton (includes photo of table):

southamptonpubs.blogspot.com/2017/11/fox-and-hounds-bitterne.html

A new one in the north of the county:

WYKE DOWN COUNTRY PUB, WALWORTH ROAD, ANDOVER SP11 6LX
“There are dog-friendly areas in bar and garden and a games room with a pool table, bar billiards and darts board, perfect for the older children”

[tommo III]

One in the Winchester area:

SWAN, THE STREET, BARTON STACEY, HANTS SO21 3RL

Report of a TripAdvisor visit in 2019 gives a pic of the table which looks in pretty good nick:

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g4162192-d6370295-r667460873-The_Swan_Inn-Barton_Stacey_Hampshire_England.html

[tommo III]

Nov 9, 2022 14:01:08 GMT Q said:
I suggested a few Hampshire venues to my facebook enquiry:
Cricketers Arms in Tangley
Wyke Down Country Pub & Restaurant
The Swan in Barton Stacey.
and Watership Down in Whitchurch

She has contacted ALL of the above, unfortunately the Cricketers has closed down and the other 3 no longer have tables, I'm about to suggest the next nearest few.

Changed to archive on the main thread.

[philmac91]

How up to date is the venues list? Living in Basingstoke but playing up on Reading, it's a bit far for a knockabout!

[tommo III]

Plough at Little London (Tadley) seems to be the nearest one to you on the map, Phil.
However, we are not sure ourselves as to how up-to-date the non-league ones are, and are reliant on people in the more obscure regions to advise us.

The north Hampshire/ Berkshire region used to be rich in venues, and there were large leagues in Andover and Wokingham - but that was in the last century.

Now sadly even the Wallingford League is no more, which takes out the southern part of Oxfordshire.  So for competitive play for you it looks like Reading League or nothing ....