The Norman Clare Collection at Thurston (formerly E.A. Clare and Son), St Anne Street, Liverpool, is probably the largest collection of billiards and snooker memorabilia in the world. Only the Heinrich Weingartner Museum in Vienna compares with it, and that is devoted to carom billiards (the European / American version of the game played on pocketless tables).
Anyone who visited the Snooker Heritage Room, which used to be set up each year at Sheffield during the World Snooker Championships, will have seen items from The Norman Clare collection, as Thurston not only supplied many of the items on display but also help set the room up each year.
Yet only the keenest collectors and snooker cognoscenti are aware of it and of the vast range of fascinating and historical pieces to be found there. It includes the weird and the wonderful – ancient cue tips, a variety of tables, ivory and early composite balls, Eralc chalk, maces and even pocket plates damaged during prison riots! So for those of you previously unaware of this collection, perhaps a little background information will be of interest.
Norman Clare, who died in 1990, was Chairman of E.A. Clare & Son Ltd having followed his father (Edward Arthur) into the business as a young school leaver in 1930. The company [whose interest in the billiards and snooker industry encompasses the historic Thurston name as well as those of Thos. Padmore & Sons, Ashcroft‘s, Peradon, Weilding, and many others] is the home of Norman’s collection (now called the Snooker Heritage Collection). His interest in setting up this collection stemmed from when E.A. Clare & Son bought Thurston & Co. and he found many interesting items at their old factory site at Waterloo Works, Cheyne Walk, Chelsea. For example, he recognised this original and rare wooden billiard table bed which was being used to board up a broken window at these premises and so he rescued it!
Some additional pictures of the collection of Billiard and Snooker memorabilia that Norman Clare founded and has been maintained in his memory.
These pictures of the Collection are pre 2023/4, taken before the building work that meant the Collection had to go into store. All the items are now on display again as the Collection re-opened in early 2026. Toe read more about the Collection follow this LINK.
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© E.A. Clare & Son Ltd. 2018. © Peter N. Clare 2026
Reproduction of this article allowed only with the permission from E.A. Clare & Son Ltd.
Please do not hesitate to ask should need any advice on snooker, billiards or pool or wish to make a purchase. Thurston has the most comprehensive range of Snooker, Pool & Billiard accessories available. Visit our e-shop – www.thurston.co.uk
email – thurston@eaclare.co.uk or Phone – 0151 482 2700
The Snooker Heritage Collection is free to enter BUT as the rooms are just part of a working office and factory a Guide is required. So please make an appointment giving at least 72 hours notice. The maximum number that can be shown round is limited to four. To access the Collection is up two flights of stairs To make an appointment phone 0151 482 2700
