Pool Tables As A Kid
Posted on Jun 23, 2008 under Articles | Comments are offThe real highlight of my year as a fairly lonely only child was a visit to a certain family friend at Christmas. This was back in the 50’s / 60’s and the woman of the house was my Mothers best friend. There was no TV and indeed no need for one. The children had would you believe a Pool Table. Only a cheap one admittedly and it could only be used by placing it and somehow securing it onto the Dining Table. Obviously teatime always seemed to drag because all I could think of was helping the parents clear away and then out with the Pool Table. The two hours or more that followed was to all intents and purposes the happiest of my year.
We only had two Cues so playing doubles was slightly annoying having to continually hand the Cues over between us but this was just a minor irritation. As I remember the playing surface was wooden and quite honestly had warped a bit over the years but it never curbed my enthusiasm for the game of Pool. We used the chalk on a regular basis although I am convinced that at the time I never really understood what the Chalk was for!
The Balls had also seen better days but who cared. The triangle was also minus one of its sides but again we managed. Halcyon days indeed.
Anyway we all grew up and it was many years later before I eventually found myself with a Cue in my hand again and playing a game with one of my three Sons at a Holiday Camp using a Coin-Operated Pool Table. This was ideal especially if the weather turned inclement. Luckily there were a number of other Pool Tables available also Snooker Tables but these were full sized and a little outside of our expertise. I thought then what a money earner this was for the owners of the Arcade. The tables were of aluminium frame and had stainless steel included to provide a longer lasting piece of equipment especially compared with those wooden ones of my youth.
I never forgot those days around the Tables on Holiday but it never crossed my mind that in a few years from then I would have my very own Table. But that’s how it turned out. We had moved to a fairly large house compared to a few years earlier and in the garden was a quite sizeable shed. The previous owner had obviously been a keen gardener quite the opposite to me I hasten to add. With the garage being used as a utility room for various large items that we seem to rely on today more and more I considered what could be done with the shed. The boys were now growing up fast but past the usual bikes and skateboard phases of their lives so what could we use the space for.
The answer came one day when one of us for some reason was looking back at snaps of the boys growing up and mention was made of the Holiday Camp and the Pool Table.
That was it. We could have a Pool Table in the Garden Shed. I looked on the Internet with some help from the children of course and found a Search Engine in which I entered the words ‘Pool Tables’. Lo and behold within seconds I was staring at all sorts and descriptions of more Pool Tables than I ever imagined. They all seemed to have delivery included in the price and came with Cues, Balls, Triangle (three sides I presumed!) and Chalk which by now I had found out the need for. Amongst the many different items was an outside Pool Table. Okay it would be in the shed but the shed might get damp inside it so investment in an outdoor table seemed a good idea.
These tables are made for use in all types of weather so for inside a shed seemed a brilliant idea. I ordered and one was delivered within a very short time.
My only problem now is trying to persuade the boys and their mates to let me play.