We are delighted to show you our new range of Snooker and Pool Diners which are manufactured to the highest standards in the UK.These tables are available in a variety of different woods - Mahogany , Oak , Beech or Ash. We are also able to provide a variety of differing finishes in each of those woods so that we can provide a truly bespoke table to suit your individual requirements.

Have a look at our main website www.elstonandhopkin.co.uk and look under Snooker/Pool Tables to see the entire new range.

 One of the things that make life really worthwhile is when a customer makes the effort to provide an unsolicited testimonial on your behalf. We have just received another testimonial that gives us a great deal of satisfaction. Over to you Joe :-

“My father came up from Glasgow to see the table and we both concluded that the works during refurbishment that you carried out are excellent. To make sure we played for seven hours straight , no idea how many frames. Thank you for the excellent professional service from uplift of the table through storage to refurbishment and installation. I would have no hesitation to use your company again. Its been a pleasure to work with professionals and will recommend you to anyone I meet looking for a table.”

Joe - Thank you for your kind words it means a great deal to our small but dedicated workforce. 

 We write on a fairly regular basis about any manner of thing that is linked to the “broad church” that is the world of cuesports. On occasion we write about businesses that we have been customers of who have provided us with a magnificent service.  We feel strongly that highlighting companies or organisations that deserve praise is an increasingly important company trait as a small business in the UK. One of the area’s that we have failed to address is to give credit to deserving Snooker leagues and their committees who work hard to ensure that many local people have a hugely enjoyable time playing competitive Snooker. Therefore if you would like to feature in our modest Blog , please get in touch and give us some information. We want to actively support any league as without them we will find that less and less Snooker or members club outlets will exist. It does not matter if we do not have any direct ties to the league - all that matters is that we continue to promote the grass roots of Snooker and Billiards in the UK.

 I have recently been contacted by Ian Hopton who is webmaster of The Stalybridge Snooker League on the edge of Greater Manchester. This league like many has a long and proud history and will be 100 years old in the 2010/2011 season.  Stalybridge Snooker league would be delighted to recruit new teams to increase the size and competitive nature of their league. They have a host of information available on their excellent website

www.mymanchesteronline.co.uk/siteadmin.asp?UserSiteId=1142

The history of this league is formidable and as often was the case the league was first formed due to the efforts of those involved in their local church. The league came about due to the desire for friendly sporting competition during the winter months between various men’s societies linked to both local Churches and Chapel’s.

The league was initiated in 1910 at which time the league was set up to play billiards which at the time was the game of choice. The league did not play Snooker until the 1970’s when the growth in the game started to increase. The Stalybridge league evolved over the years and teams were accepted from Ashton , Dukinfield , Hyde and Mossley. In fact over the years over 40 different teams have competed in the league , there is an interesting story on their website about one of the venues St Peter’s CMS where a short cue was required for some shots and additionally at 10pm sharp play would be halted for five minutes of prayers. Interestingly  the format in the 1960’s was five games of billiards 100 up. The teams were handicapped and not the players so every point scored was vital even if you were an individual loser. The total points scored were added up and once the handicap was calculated the winning team would receive two points. I also understand that to this day in one of the venue’s the rule still exists that The local vicar has priority when booking a table (he never comes in)! 

This is just one example of the many wonderful leagues that exist throughout the UK. The leagues provide a stepping stone for those players with serious ambition in the game and a wonderfully relaxing night for those who like a social game of snooker or billiards. It is a very difficult time for Clubs and Pubs at the moment , the double whammy of the smoking ban and the increases in the cost of beer and other overheads have made the future of a number of outlets fairly doubtful. I urge you to get involved in your local league wherever you are as the number of teams  nationally appear to be in decline. Stalybridge like many other leagues has a wonderful history with many well known local characters. These leagues are precious lets all try to ensure they survive and thrive over the coming years.

The photo attached to this Blog is of the St Paul’s Institute team circa the 1940’s stalwarts of the Stalybridge league for many years.

  I would hate someone to miss out on this opportunity so here is a little taster of some of the table’s we currently have available.

1. 4 x Winner Supreme Coin Op mechanical in mint condition £650 + Vat.

These table’s are only three months old and we managed to acquire them for a very reasonable price. We have two in Black and two in Mahogany.  Now when new these tables are basically £1000 a piece. As you can see these are an excellent bargain and as such we have already sold two. One of these has gone to a very well known French Hotel chain and the other table is now earning a good return in a Sixth form college in the North East. Be quick !! You can see a picture of a Winner on our website.

Secondly we have 4 x Titan Voyager 9Ft American Pool Tables. They have been on rental in a very fashionable bar/club location in Surrey. Once again they are in absolutely super condition and ideal for domestic use. They are all in a Black/Grey Marble finish and you can have any colour cloth you wish. These table’s retail at approx £2,500 each. We have them advertised at £1,500. However if you can commit to a purchase I will sell the first two for £1,000 each. Yes I must be mad , but the truth is we desperately require the space. You can see a picture of a Voyager on our website.

Forget the Fuel and the Food prices - it may be unfashionable but we are bringing prices down !

“It would be quite scary if this was my last Crucible but I’ve got my hands on the trophy once. Who knows whether I will be back or not?”
Ken Doherty, 1997 champion, after his first-round Crucible defeat to Liang Wenbo

“I am sick and tired of packing my suitcase only to unpack it again soon after. It’s dragging me down.”
Stephen Lee might join Doherty after an equally demoralising loss to Joe Swail

“I think I broke a tile in the toilet. My hand just ’slipped’ and I heard a crack and didn’t look back.”
Stephen Maguire was a frustrated figure after stumbling on a 147 maximum chance

“If I’m that much of a problem, that bad an advert for the game and I’m that awful, then OK, but I don’t really see it like that.”
Ronnie O’Sullivan apologising for his Carry On-style humour at the China Open

“We have a gambling sponsor, why don’t we take the championship to a casino and have a real game of chance?”
Shaun Murphy showing his disdain for the table following his defeat to Ali Carter

“I don’t think the tournament director is doing his job correctly.”
John Higgins targets tournament chief Mike Ganley as the man responsible for ‘Tablegate’

“It’s like my living room, I put my pipe and slippers on and get my feet under the table.”
Seven-time winner Stephen Hendry on the World Championship

“I left my shoes in Cambridge and didn’t realise until half an hour beforehand. I had to buy some new ones and they weren’t very comfortable.

“Also, I was watching the Chelsea [v Manchester United] game and it was 1-1 with 15 minutes left. I went from being very calm to heading every ball. I completely lost my focus and was caught off guard.”
Hats off to Chelsea fan Neil Robertson, who lost 13-7 to Stephen Maguire in the second round, for one of the all-time great excuses

“I’ll be getting a Bentley convertible now - I’ve been dying to get one!”
Ronnie O’Sullivan writes out his one-item shopping list after winning £157,000 for a 147 maximum

“I’m going to buy a Ford Focus convertible, I’ve been dying to get one!”
Cheeky Ali Carter after securing a 147 the following day and halving O’Sullivan’s pay cheque

We have just returned from a very hectic two days doing a circuit of Scotland. Firstly we travelled to Edinburgh to assist a client remove his steel blocked Burroughs and Watts  Full size table from the second floor of a very large property in the city. The table was dismantled and removed very slowly (getting old) to the ground floor ready for its collection on Tuesday. We then passed over the Forth Road bridge into the Kingdom of Fife and made our way via Perth to Pitlochry and onwards to the village of Kirkmichael where we stayed in the Kirkmichael Hotel www.kirkmichaelhotel.co.uk where we had a really good welcome and excellent food and accomodation. Our total bill for two single en suite rooms , Food including starters and terrific steaks and drinks was less than £120. We will continue to support excellent quality small businesses wherever they are in the UK ! We urge you to do so too.

Now on the basis that we were heading for Lossiemouth it could be argued that we should have stayed on the A9 but that is full of “Speed Cameras” and impatient road users. Therefore we took the opportunity to take 45 minutes longer on the journey and pass through some of the finest scenery in Britain. On this route via Braemar you pass through the stunning Glenshee skiing area and the view from “The Cairnwell” mountain is outstanding.  It was a journey of 100 miles that eventually saw us arrive at Lossiemouth an old fishing village at the Mouth of the Moray Firth. We delivered a 6ft George Edwards Diner with a rare set of carved feet that allowed the table to be increased in height for playing. This is a rare table and was manufactured long before the rise and fall mechanism seen on Riley Diners. One happy customer later we drove the 54 miles to Inverurie to deliver and install a refurbished Hamilton and Tucker Oak diner which had been purchased by our client and delivered from Maidenhead before being restored. This left us with the 140 mile hop down to Edinburgh where we loaded the Full size Burroughs and Watts table for its journey for storage in Lincolnshire prior to being restored and installed in its new home in London. It was a late one as we arrived back at 1am having travelled a combined 885 miles in two days. Our Sat Nav told us that although Lossiemouth is only 40 miles west of Inverness it was a further 120 miles north to John O Groats. We may yet get there- who knows ! If you intend to travel this far north do not underestimate the distance and the time required. However Speyside is a wonderful area and would be great for a weeks holiday. If you are a Whisky fan then its a serious treat as you are on the doorstep of Glen Grant , Glenfiddich , Glenfarclas and Glenlivet distillery.The Moray Golf Links www.moraygolf.co.uk looked terrific and with good reason as they were designed by Tom Morris and Henry Cotton - in addition the Beaches were stunning and empty. A brief mention must go to the Chip shop in Haddington East Lothian for a splendid Haggis and Chips on our return journey.

If you require a Snooker Table being delivered to even the furthest away places , we can and do help on a regular basis. If you require a purchased table being fully restored prior to its delivery , then we would be delighted to assist.

The pictures show the Glenshee skiing area and the wonderful Moray Golf links.

George Balabushka was born on December the 9th 1912. He was a Russian born legendary cue maker , arguably one of the most prominent in that profession. He is sometimes referred to as the “Stradivarius” of cuemakers.

George Balabushka was born in Russia in 1912 and emigrated to the USA in 1924. His family , parents Anton and Natalie and sister Mary settled in New York. His original name was Gregory but as was the case with many immigrants he was given a new name of George by officials when he was processed through Ellis Island. He was known throughout his life as a quiet reflective man who was diligent in all that he did.

His first job was that of a Toy designer and maker in New York. He soon graduated to building children’s furniture for the “Playtime Woodworking Company” located in Greenwich village. Unfortunately Balabushka lost his middle finger in an electrical saw accident on the job and made himself a replacement plastic finger from a wooden mould of such craftmanship that even his friends did not realise of his loss until long after the accident occurred.It was while working in the village that he met his wife Josephine , a neighbourhood resident. They were married in 1941 and bought a home in Brooklyn several years later. They had two sons Gregory and George both named after their father.

Balabushka although busy with both life and work was an avid Billiards player , his particular speciality being “Straight Pool” (this game was immortalised in the 1961 movie The Hustler) He played a lot of competitions and spent a lot of time with some excellent practitioners of the game. In 1959 he purchased a Pool hall with a partner Frank McGowan which was located at 50th Street and 5th Avenue. Whilst running the club he began repairing cues and it was not long before he formed the idea of building his own cues.

By the end of 1959 Balabushka had built a number of cues , most of which were given to friends as Christmas giffts. As time went on he began to receive orders for his cues. His first cues were conversions of the popular Brunswick cues manufactured as “Titliest”. At the time their were very few small cuemakers with the market being dominated by big manufacturers.Between 1959 and 1962 Balalbushka handcrafted between 20-30 cues per year on a part time basis. Because of the dearth of independent cue makers and the outstanding quality of his product , his name became well known with Professional players and by the end of 1962 he was receiving far more orders than he could fulfill. He therefore decided to sell his interest in The Pool Room and convert his garage into a workshop and by 1964 he was working full time honing his skills.

Unlike many of the manufacturers of the day Balabushka was keen to ensure his cues had a mix of fine craftmanship and excellent playing characteristics. This reflected the values he had always held during his days in the carpentry business. In addition he was an innovator in Cue finishes and designs. His cues were not elaborate as they are today , rather most are plain without great flourishes. However many of his trademark construction techniques have become standard in the industry today. The use of Irish linen as wrap and the block style ringwork above the wrap being known as “Bushka’s Rings”

George Balabushka died in 1975 at the age of 63 . He was posthumously honoured as the first inductee into the “American Cuemakers Association” in February 1993 . In 2004 he was inducted into “The Meritorious Service” category of The Billiard Congress of America Hall Of Fame.

It is estimated that Balabushka only produced between 1000-1200 cues during his lifetime . However by the mid 1960’s fake Balabushka cues started to circulate in the market , he was by this time recognised as the finest cuemaker of the era. Although his cues and reputation were well known by collectors interested in valuable cues , his reputation was further enhanced by Martin Scorcese’s 1986 film “The Color Of Money”. In the film Tom Cruise’s character (Vincent Lauria) is presented a cue by (Fast Eddie Felson) played by Paul Newman. Vincent takes his cue and breathlessly ask’s “Is that a Balabushka ?” The cue actually used in the film was in fact a “Joss” cue made to look like a Balabushka.

Today genuine Balabushka cues with documented provenance fetch tens of thousands of dollars at auction. However be careful because there are lots of fake cues in existence , (even the fakes can be quite valuable). To complicate matters further permission was given by Balabushka’s family to produce a line of replicas under licence to  the “Adam Custom Cue Company”.

George Balabushka and his cues remain an American legend !