Updates to venues and BBs in Somerset and Avon

Apr 15, 2006 21:15:06 GMT @siv said:

excellent work there tommo....

BUT....

none of the pubs mentioned currently have tables

with excited fingers I clicked the link to the site... researched phone number ad had a succession of phone calls that all led to the same answer... no more table!!!

That's terrible news for me as well, Siv, I often "go west" for my hols and fully intended to pay a visit to those pubs.

I made a note too of those in Somerset, although I suppose that's too far afield for you :

1.The Bell, Bath
2.Queen Victoria, Priddy (between Cheddar and Wells)
3.The Pub at Wanstrow (between Frome and Shepton Mallet)

Hope someone can eventually come up with a decent venue in your area .....

Could explain the mysterious disappearance of the table from the pub in Frome:

cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280042459795&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:UK:1

Even needing a re-cloth it seems a bargain for someone at a "buy-it-now" of £250.  8-)

[milhouse]

tommo said:

Could explain the mysterious disappearance of the table from the pub in Frome:

cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280042459795&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:UK:1

Even needing a re-cloth it seems a bargain for someone at a "buy-it-now" of £250.  8-)

Bugger its already gone  :( :( :(

[doug]

I managed to find a table in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset but that was a dozen or so years ago.
(I couldn't play that one either)

Haven't forgotten Q and his quest.................

Here's a pub in Bristol area with a table (around ten years ago they had a very keen league centred around Portishead) :

www.avonpacket.com/events.cfm


...and this one near Bridgwater, Somerset:

www.thehoodarms.com/events.html

Weekly bar billiards tournament with "winner takes all".

[scooner]

On my way to Ashton Gate to see our play off hopes well and truly go down the pan when me and my mucker decided to pop into one of Dave Neilans haunts called the Avon Packet.
Couldn't beleive my eyes to see a bar billiard table in the corner!
" i bought it after i kicked the dart team out" the landlord proudly said.

The Avon Packet is on coronation rd in Bristol. Nice boozer, loads of proper cider!!!

Map of  tables in Somerset and Avon for ready reference (click on URL below):

maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=201756322675068450682.000485981969d13618db1&msa=0&ll=51.375209,-2.400513&spn=0.858935,2.469177

Another one in Bath:
www.devonshire-arms-bath.co.uk/pub-games.htm


Also one in the picturesque town of Bruton:
Old Red Lion, James Hill, North Brewham, Bruton, Somerset BA10 0JL

Agent Gibbs is visiting Somerset in a fortnight's time and will be reporting back on the Weston-super-Mare venues. ;)

Good picture in this link of Javars' venue:

www.somersetgoodpubguide.com/roseandcrowncannington.html

Interesting collection on the ceiling - comparing favourably with the farming appliances/instruments of torture on the ceiling of the Windmill, Littleworth ! ;D

Feb 25, 2012 20:35:49 GMT tommo III said:

Agent Gibbs is visiting Somerset in a fortnight's time and will be reporting back on the Weston-super-Mare venues. ;)

Reconnoitred with Special Agent Gibbs last night for a pre- mission briefing. ;D  

The Criterion was known to have had a table as recently as a year ago according to the Pubsgalore website.

The pub opposite - the Raglan Arms - also had a table, but unfortunately they had a fire on the premises in August 2011 and latest reports are that the pub is still closed.

Apparently no-one was hurt in the fire but Special Agent Gibbs will nonetheless conduct a thorough forensic investigation whilst there.

If time, the Night Jar will be included in the mission although it is at the 'wrong end of town'. Mention of bar billiards there as recently as Dec 2011, according to the Pub Utopia website.

As promised, a report has been received back from Special Agent Gibbs: ;D

Hi Clive

Can confirm the Raglan is still closed, but there are Bar Billiard tables in both of the other Pubs.

Nightjar:    Make unknown, with 4 Mushrooms in front of 200, 100 & both 50's, but spots in 6 positions so can play to the usual format. We didn't play this table as it was pushed against the wall.

Criterion:    A Sam's table, 50p for about 7 or 8 minutes, set up with 3 mushrooms in usual format, but table less wide than ours, Red spot further away, 200 pocket and 50 pockets much further away. We did play this one. Break impossible the usual way, nobody got the break during our games, but sussed out it went backwards when we knocked about afterwards, and due to being narrower angles to the top of the table off the cushion were a lot different - very interesting.

See you soon

Peter

Apr 23, 2013 20:15:59 GMT squirerichard said:

A friend of mine who lives down your way sent me through this info about Bar Billiards in Bristol and Bath:
"I was in the Commercial Rooms the other day and saw no sign of a table. That's not to say it isn't tucked away somewhere though, it's a big Wetherspoons place. I'll ask next time I'm there. The Avon Packet and The Highbury Vaults definitely have tables, the former isn't the best quality, the balls roll off line. The latter's table is lovely, as is the pub. Definitely go there first. I don't know anything about the Alma Tavern and The Ship. In Bath, currently the only table that I know of is the one at The Bell, but it's worse than the one at the Avon Packet, as DJs usually stick their equipment* on it at the weekend! The table at The Devonshire Arms, Bath is no longer there. *By equipment I mean mixing desks, records, obviously."
Hope it helps.

Resultant actions:
1. Avon Packet and Highbury Vaults confirmed (now yellow-highlighted on list)
2. Bell, Bath confirmed (now yellow-highlighted)
3. Devonshire Arms, Bath crossed through on list.

Will request that the Devonshire Arms is removed from the AEBBA map.
tommo

Nice website for the Bell (pub endorsed by Robert Plant):

www.thebellinnbath.co.uk/

[oldblue]

I checked out the Bull In in Ilchester the other day - I can confirm it still has a table, housed in the skittle alley which is a separate building to the rear. I don't know how well it plays though as I wasn't able to stop there.

OB

Dec 6, 2013 12:43:07 GMT tommo III said:

Dec 5, 2013 19:27:06 GMT joiner88 said:

I have a growing collection of tables including one in The Blackbird Inn, West Buckland. www.blackbirdinn.net

BLACKBIRD INN, WEST BUCKLAND, NR WELLINGTON, SOMERSET TA21 9HX

A new member has advised us of a new venue as above.......there's now a Bull AND a Blackbird in Somerset !

Following Tony(Barbelman)'s diligence in publicizing Pete Farrelly's Bar Billiards Quarterlies, on his Witney website, much more is now known of the counties who in the 1990s made up the current number competing at national level up to 14 from the present 9.

.......Here is a more-or-less complete record of Somerset's activity in its heyday (source: BBQ's 1 to 16):

BBQ3 - Oct 1991
County Championships were played in 3 divisions: Leicestershire won Div.3 from South Yorks and Somerset………
Somerset: Ray Cook, P.Walters, B.Brine, B.Horsfall, B.Silvester, G.Thomas, D.Stone
BBQ4 - Jan 1992
NBBA Team Championships were played at Harwell:
Shapway Inn (Somerset) took part.
Shapway Inn Somerset team: Ray Cook, S.Caddie, L.Meads, R.Turner, Rod Cook, D.Payne
BBQ6 - July 1992
AE Indivs in June – Somerset were represented again.
County Secretaries were listed, including the following:
Somerset - L.Meads, The Shapway Inn, Everscreech, Somerset
BBQ7 - Oct 1992
Somerset won promotion to Div2 ahead of Wilts and S.Yorks
National Off-the-Spot at Harwell: "Always played previously in pubs and clubs, but now completely staged by the AEBBA, a playoff was organised involving the last 2 from each county.
Six groups of four, with the winner of each group going through to return and play in November, plus two more from a qualifying playoff on the day.
Somerset were again represented.
Ad-hoc news…….East Somerset League announced their winners: League Champions Shapway A, K/O Cup Heart and Compass.
BBQ8 - Jan 1993
All-England Team Champs in Harwell (Nov 1992): Hart & Compass represented Somerset .
AE Off-spot singles also held in Nov: no representative from Somerset .
BBQ10 - July 1993
All-England Indivs held at Harwell in June, Kevin Laver of Somerset finished 3rd in a group of 6.
BBQ11 - Oct 1993
Somerset avoided relegation from Div 2 of the County Championships.
BBQ12 - Jan 1994
The Heart and Compass, Castle Cary (Som) once again entered the National Team Championships
BBQ14 - July 1994
All-England Singles: no representative this time from Somerset
BBQ16 - Jan 1995
No 'minor counties' took part this time in the National Team Championships: and news from the AEBBA AGM: "The loss of Somerset and South Yorks this year was very much regretted."

Postscript: The Shapway Inn (Everscreech) is still open for business following a 2-year closure between 2007 and 2009 (but as far as we know has no bar billiards).
However no mention can be found on t'internet of the Heart and Compass (Castle Cary)- which appears to have vanished off the face of the earth !

The search however managed to unearth this one, hitherto unknown to us:
thecrowninn.2day.ws/

Then we have this:

Milko unearthed a vital archive here.



We now have it on good authority that it was the "East Somerset League": we didn't have that information before, and it differentiates from the more recent Bristol league based around Portishead in the west of the county.
It also seems that the Gatting/Botham connection was merely an ad hoc appearance.


I still have some research to do on the Avon league, which I am led to believe post-dates Somerset......I have a vague recollection of chatting to some guys on the boat over to Jersey who hailed from Portishead, and this would have been around the turn of the century.

Hoping that BBQs 17 to 64 will come up with the goods.

Apr 20, 2014 11:07:16 GMT tommo III said:

I still have some research to do on the Avon league, which I am led to believe post-dates Somerset......I have a vague recollection of chatting to some guys on the boat over to Jersey who hailed from Portishead, and this would have been around the turn of the century.
Hoping that BBQs 17 to 64 will come up with the goods.

BBQ40 came up with the goods: and even gives their names !

Jul 11, 2014 19:09:59 GMT tommo III said:

BBQ40 – Jan 2001
British Isles Open (Jersey) is re-styled the World Championships and Bernie McCluskey is the first World Champion, beating Jersey’s Bob King in the Final. Richard Deadman is one of only two Sussex players to make the Quarter-finals, the other being Peter O’Brien. Nine players from Avon, four from Yorks and one from Somerset took part:
Avon: Dean Coles; Richard Grainger; Nick Pearce; Andy Pinder; Andy Allen; John Brain; John Mitchell; Matt Matthews; Rob Palmer,

Talking of Peter O'Brien, I've just had this little exchange by eMail with Barry Timson, who regularly visits Somerset:

The table is in the Kildare Lodge Hotel in Townsend rd Minehead. Its a friendly place and as well as accommodation its a pub and restaurant (very good food). Barry

What's Pete O'Brien's pub called ? I can put it on the map of venues listed by All-England, thus endorsing it and he might get a few extra visitors ! Rgds, Clive

Had a few games with Pete O'Brien on his local top during the week. One of the very few tables in Somerset. He can still play! Rgds, Barry

[joiner88]

I can confirm that The White Horse, Bradford-On-Tone, TA4 1HF no longer have a table. This was my table and was removed when the pub closed for a short time and was subsequently sold. Now sadly a bit more of a Bistro bar.

The table was relocated to The Blackbird and has now been replaced by my recently refurbished Jelkes, and is now much used on Saturday and Sunday evenings

Evidence of a table at the White Hart, Corfe village, Somerset TA3 7BU:
www.tripadvisor.es/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g1774990-d1774993-i91764268-White_Hart_Inn-Corfe_Somerset_England.html

Squire Richard talking about the Highbury Vaults in Bristol earlier on this thread:

The Avon Packet and The Highbury Vaults definitely have tables, the former isn't the best quality, the balls roll off line. The latter's table is lovely, as is the pub.

The following pic has been picked up via Twitter...............

This table, in a pub in a village 9 miles south-east of Bath, has its own games room:
www.facebook.com/388787317874128/photos/ms.c.eJw9j8ERxDAIAzu6wQYh039jyYGV57JIA36qcOIsK~;PAz5thw345igTfofyO2J4Msbe3FGP8Eldz8nKu7vctnr5UX~;77skp9ieHPs~;dRlzl5yHPyR3nOPdA9zPH6j~;P~;wgPOwzg~_.bps.a.389958391090354.97392.388787317874128/389958481090345/?type=1&theater

HUNGERFORD ARMS, FARLEY HUNGERFORD, BATH, SOMERSET BA2 7RX

Picture of the bar billiards table in the Seymour Arms, Frome:

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g504128-d6672368-i104673111-Seymour_Arms-Frome_Somerset_England.html

Dec 19, 2015 14:07:41 GMT tommo III said:

Thank you, Ben, yes we're always looking for the latest information.

I will add the Inn on the Green to our list of tables to be found in the Bristol/ Avon area, and request inclusion on our map of the UK.

Any news on the venues listed earlier on this thread ?

tommo

Inn On The Green (formerly the Royal George)

2 Filton Road

Horfield

Bristol

BS7 0PA

May 4, 2016 20:02:15 GMT Tom Raven said:

I'm 99% certain the Commercial Rooms doesn't have a table. Maybe it disappeared when it became a Wetherspoons?
Tom

Removed from our list.

Feb 28, 2012 9:32:59 GMT tommo III said:

The pub opposite - the Raglan Arms - also had a table, but unfortunately they had a fire on the premises in August 2011 and latest reports are that the pub is still closed.

The Raglan Arms is no more as of February this year - according to this snippet from Facebook:

Former pub in Weston-super-Mare converted to flats: Work has started to transform the former Raglan Arms pub in Weston-super-Mare to five new homes. The pub and the associated accommodation, will become four one-bedroom and one two-bedroom flats.

Quotes from Hijack Bristol website:

Bill Price:
True billiards used to be available at the Alma Tavern on Alma Road, Clifton. Do a decent burger in there as well.

The Lady Nonny Wrongford:
They have a table upstairs at The King Billy on King Street also

(NON-LEAGUE) KING WILLIAM ALE HOUSE, 20 KING STREET, BRISTOL BS1 4EF

Apr 20, 2014 10:44:15 GMT tommo III said:

However no mention can be found on t'internet of the Heart and Compass (Castle Cary)- which appears to have vanished off the face of the earth !

Further research reveals that it became the Two Swans for a while..........however, this sad fate has since befallen it:
www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4509449

WhatPub quotes a bar billiards table here:

BLAGDON VILLAGE CLUB, HIGH ST, BLAGDON, N.SOMERSET BS40 7TA