“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.