Figure 1.--Several of the country homes came with billard rooms and wonderful billiard tables. This is a popular recreation for the children. In additon to free time usage there are commonly competitions organized..
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Figure 1.--Several of the country homes came with billard rooms and wonderful billiard tables. This is a popular recreation for the children. In additon to free time usage there are commonly competitions organized.. |
We don't know how many prep schools actually bought billard tables. We did note some maginicent tables at the schools. But they seemed to be tables that came with the old mannor houses that served as the nucleus for many schools, especially the boarding schools set in rural areas. The tables were often set in rooms specifically designed for them. These of course provided a popular recreation for the boys. Billiards does not seem to have some of the adverse ethical connottions common in America and illustrated in one of Professor Hill's song from "Music Man". Billards and Snooker was more of a gentleman's game in Britain. The tables are used in a variety of ways. There is free time recreational usage as well as competations organized. Some schools made it a club activity which provided a degree of instruction. In America the term pool is normally used. In fact there were a variety of different games, includding billards, pool, and snooker as well as several others.
We don't know how many prep schools actually bought billard tables. We did note some maginicent tables at the schools. But they seemed to be tables that came with the old mannor houses that served as the nucleus for many schools, especially the boarding schools set in rural areas. The tables were often set in rooms specifically designed for them.
These of course provided a popular recreation for the boys. Billiards does not seem to have some of the adverse ethical connottions common in America and illustrated in one of Professor Hill's song from "Music Man". Billards and Snooker was more of a gentleman's game in Britain. The tables are used in a variety of ways. There is free time recreational usage as well as competations organized. Generally it is mostly boys interested. The competitions are both individual competitions and house competitions.
Some schools made it a club activity which provided a degree of instruction. In America the term pool is normally used. In fact there were a variety of different games, includding billards, pool, and snooker as well as several others. The club/hobby sessions provide an opportunity for the children to lear the various games.
Members of the Saturday morning snooker hobby during this year hasve been: Anscombe, Ashby, Bawtree, Budibent, S. Collins, J. Doust, Edwards, S. Fennel, Latham, de Mierre, Nesbitt, Sweatman, Type, and Webb. During the activity we have played various games (life pool, pool, billiards, snooker, shell-out, etc) and have had numerous competitions (snooker-plus ten, pot blue, kiss the colours, pot ten, etc).
JRW, Great Walstead Magazine 1987.
