TARRATT TABLES (UPDATED)

[JT]

Hi Everybody

No doubt some of you have read the post on the Sussex Bar Billiards Proboard regarding Tarratt Tables

Below is an Email that I have sent to Tarratt Tables requesting clarification

I will keep it updated as I receive information

Best Wishes

JT

START OF EMAIL

Hi Rod and Gerald

I hope that you and your families are both well and have been virus free

I have heard that you are notifying about a dozen venues that unless they also have a Pool table, or are willing to purchase the bar billiard table, you are withdrawing some tables as at the end of September,

Although this saddens me I can understand the reason, for quite a few years now bar billiards like a lot of pub games have been in decline, you only have to look at the number of teams in the various leagues to see that

With no income received since lockdown and many people still nervous about visiting pubs, it could well be that COVID 19 is the last nail in the Bar Billiard coffin

Could you please E-mail me a copy of the letter sent so that I have a copy when various players give me a ring

Also please could you tell me which of the following venues have received the above notification:

Roffey Sports and Social Club Will keep the table

Southwater SC Will keep the table

The White Hart Cranleigh Yes have received a letter


The Limeburners Yes have received a letter


The Windmill Littleworth Yes have received a letter


The Blue Ship The Haven Yes have received a letter


The Railway Billingshurst Will keep the table

The Lintot Will keep the table

Alfold SC Yes have received a letter

Springbok Club Yes have received a letter


The Plough Lower Beeding Privately Owned

Many Thanks

Best Wishes

John Tidy
Secretary BHBBL

[bobhall]

I can tell you roffey social club won’t have received the letter any venue that has a pool table won’t receive a letter I also know what the price is that they are looking to sell to the venues for

Jul 22, 2020 7:34:51 GMT JT said:

Hi Everybody

No doubt some of you have read the post on the Sussex Bar Billiards Proboard regarding Tarratt Tables

Below is an Email that I have sent to Tarratt Tables requesting clarification

I will keep it updated as I receive information

Best Wishes

John Tidy
Secretary BHBBL

I think the Plough Lower Beeding is privately owned (not a Tarratt), John.

But a great initiative nonetheless !

[JT]

Hi Everybody

I have received a reply from Tarratt Tables and have updated above

It is not good news, we currently have a league of four tables, Roffey SSC, Southwater SC, The Lintot and The Railway

So has anybody got a cunning plan, the cost of buying a table is I believe £900

We could double up playing two teams from the same venue, and there are privately owned tables at The Inn on the Green Ockley, Roffey Cricket Club, The Windmill Gossops Green and The Plough Lower Beeding

Is there another supplier that rents out tables, but in the current climate we may be jumping from the frying pan into a fire

Best Wishes

JT

That is an absolute shock, JT ...

Firstly let me say that I'm sure the Windmill G/G will be willing to help in any way we can, either by acting as a competition venue, or by hosting up to 2 teams next season that find themselves homeless.

Let's hope that the venues who 'received a letter' will agree to purchase their table: A table in regular use can pay for itself in less than two years.

I would imagine the Alfold Sports Council may be willing to have their arms twisted to buy their own club's: it would be a shame to lose such a fine venue from the League, one which has hosted so many memorable Finals Nights.

Also, your former venue the Stout House now has a table back in but it's one of those horrible modern Supreme tables (unsuitable for League play). New landlord Oscar is however very keen for the game to take off there and I reckon with a suitable approach could be persuaded to buy a table offered by Rod.

[iang]

Thanks for the update John.
Not good news it's worth remembering that the price will be plus VAT so if some teams got together to buy a table it would make a difference.
Horsham could be in similar trouble not only on the Tables but also if the teams aren't willing to play.

Does your offer Clive of the Windmill Crawley for Billingshurst confirm that you won't have a team for Mid SX.  

[bobhall]

Jul 24, 2020 14:02:58 GMT iang said:

Thanks for the update John.
Not good news it's worth remembering that the price will be plus VAT so if some teams got together to buy a table it would make a difference.
Horsham could be in similar trouble not only on the Tables but also if the teams aren't willing to play.

Does your offer Clive of the Windmill Crawley for Billingshurst confirm that you won't have a team for Mid SX.  

£995 plus vat is the price of the tables

Jul 24, 2020 14:02:58 GMT iang said:

Does your offer Clive of the Windmill Crawley for Billingshurst confirm that you won't have a team for Mid SX.  

No it does nothing of the sort Ian ! Don't forget that I own a second table ....

There are ways and means of making things happen. I would say there's more than one way to skin a cat, but that's cruel !

Having said that, I can't at this stage guarantee a team for next season either: too much has to be sorted out between now and then.

[Chris_Sav]

Having been through this with my own league and bar Billiards Ltd's demise, I cannot recommend too strongly forming a consortium if you can get over the initial problems of finance, storage and maintenance. our sponsors were paid back in just over two years.

My own league now owns 11 Jelks tables, loads of spares and has several £k in the bank. We do profit share with the landlords, no rental, yet have not charged entry fees for several years and heavily subsidise our presentation dinner and dance (tickets £5.00!).

All our tables are league owned, they were all rented at the start. You would need to come up with some charging formula to compensate for the privately owned tables (could cause issues)

 

Yes the similar scheme worked in the Redhill League 100% successfully (bonds of varying amounts which were paid back with interest).

But I deliberately hadn't mentioned that as with Sussex the situation is slightly different.

Tarratts are still functioning and hopefully will still be doing table hire for finals night;

He is only looking to liquidise assets on 12 tables.

There are 10 leagues in Sussex, all run in their own way, and none the size of Redhill.

None as far as I can make out have more than five venues that might be affected.

The Sussex County Bar Billiards Association might be the only organisation willing to adopt such a scheme for assured perpetuation of County weekends (including their Open) but with many top players owning tables - plus the AEBBA hire option - I can't see it happening.