Snooker Highlights by Rotarian John Kent

SNOOKER in the early years of the club was an important part of the social and sporting scene. David Roome presented a cup in 1966 for the Doubles Snooker Knockout competition which we still have and it was played for each year certainly up to 1985 and probably to 1996.

For the 20 years there are 26 different names engraved on it indicating the widespread support the competition had from fellows. Geggus and Darvill are the only names of current members on it.

We were then playing on the full size table at the lovely house in South Ockendon of Harry Wilson. His tennis court was also enjoyed by club members. Harry was a delightful character, a great host and the drinks flowed freely being before the days of breathalysers.

I remember on one occasion shortly after I joined the club, I was drawn to play with my friend from Round Table days, Ian Parker. I had played a little in my youth and Ian turned up with his own cue in a suitably protective  container. One of our opponents was Dick "I can't work out whether to look over or through my glasses" Palmer and I thought we were in with a good chance of winning. We lost. I could only get balls in the pockets when they weren't supposed to go in.Sadly Harry became ill and eventually went into a nursing home in Fen Lane. We used to visit him frequently and he was still his cheerful self, but the snooker stopped. His wife Win, went into another home in Upminster.- funny that.

For some time we could find nowhere to play snooker. Ken King used his influence at Upminster Golf Club to enable us to play on Thursday afternoons, but three or four non members using the only table did not go down well so we had to abandon this. We are now of course much indebted to our President John for arranging with his friend, the owner of the Romford Snooker Hall, for us all to be honorary members there.This has worked out well and the cost of using a table for a couple of hours is remarkably little and it seems we often don't even buy a drink. (I think we should). Your Sports Officer thought he had some    success at last in arranging a   competition which started and   finished in the same Rotary year. That was in July, but now,        November, Messrs Geggus, Needham, Ellenby and Haines have still not got their act together to play the final so there is no picture in "The Bull" of the winners.

Personally I think Snooker is not an activity for summer afternoons and I will do the draw for the current year shortly and hope the competition will be complete by next April. It should not be difficult. As members, four of us can arrange to play a game at any time and I would like to see more fellows entering the competition this year. Generally the standard is not very high and most of us have not played for a long time if at all. This is why a frame normally takes about an hour. It is however excellent club fellowship which is really the reason for which we join Rotary.

Rotarian John Kent

Sports organisor fot The Rotary Club of Hornchurch & Upminster