TV & Radio Visits
Although the Collection has had quite a few visits from T.V.
Companies and also provided items for T.V. Programmes over the
years we didn't keep a record of them. However since 2013 we have
had more visits and have kept a photographic record of
them. Also radio presenters.
The first was from the production company making the information
series about the 'History of Snooker' for the BBC. This series of
bits of the history of the sport was broadcast during the 2013
World Snooker Championships. It is to be hoped that the BBC will
re-broadcast the series and some future date or even put them on to
the internet as they were very well put together and had some
fascinating historic clips such as making Billiard balls at the
Composition Billiard Ball Supply Co. factory in Congleton.
The visit to Liverpool to film part of the
series had a shot of Steve Davis walking up At. Anne Street to
the THURSTON shop and then looking at the cue section on display
before meeting Peter Clare to talk about tables and balls.
The picture below was taken by Peter when the camera man and
producer were taking one of their shots.
Steve Davis admiring the cues in
Thurston showroom.
On the left the producer Mr.
Chris Littleford - on the right the camera man Mr. Mark Pert -
picture © Peter
Clare
Steve Davis in the Table showroom -
picture ©
Peter Clare
During the 2013 World Snooker Championships the WSA got in touch
and asked could they arrange a visit for a Chinese T.V. production
company. Jason Ferguson drove the group over from Sheffield one
Saturday morning and a tour of the Collection was made.
A group picture after the visit -
Left to Right
Mr. Wang Yian (camera man); Ms
Narissa Wang(my147.com), Jason Ferguson (WSA), Salina Li (WSL), Mr.
Liu Wei (CCTV 5 China) - picture © Peter Clare
L- R
Ms Narrisa Wang (My147.com), Mike
Atherton (Thurston), Salina Li (WSL) , Jason Ferguson (WSA), Peter
Clare (Thurston) - picture © Peter Clare
The T.V. Production company for the Antiques Road Trip also
visited the Collection in 2103. The 'expert' Christina Trevanion
arrived on a cold spring day in a soft top Morris Minor. She was a
delight to meet and had a good look round the collection.
Christina Trevanion playing a shot on the Octagonal Billiard
Table
picture © Peter
Clare
In early 2015 we were contacted by
'definitionmedia' (www.definititonmedia.co.uk) to see if we could
help with part of series they were filming about inventions and
could we explain the history of British Billiards & Snooker
Tables. The series they were filming was to be called 'WICKED
INVENTIONS' and would be broadcast to Northern Europe and
Scandinavia.
In August 2015 Billiards T.V. from Seoul,
South Korea visited the Heritage Collection to interview Peter
Clare about items in the collection for a Series about Billiards
& Snooker in Europe. The spent a full day filming and even used
a drone to get shots of the outside of the Thurston
building.
L - R
Sang-Young Sim; David Kim; Peter Clare;
Ji-Young Shin; Jae-Sang Lee
The group are in the THURSTON table
showroom Liverpool -picture©Peter Clare
2014
In June 2015 Stuart
Gardiner of WSP ,the West of England Snooker/Billiard cloth
manufacturers from Stroud, known in the trade as Strachan,
contacted Thurston to see if we could help with any information on
Billiards in the Victorian period. The reason for the request was
they were to have a visit from the production company who
make the "Great British Railway Journeys" which Michael
Portillo uses the Bradshaw Guide to discover interesting
places mentioned in the guide. So it was natural that the 'West of
England Billiard/Snooker cloth manufacturer should contact their
oldest and long established customer Thurston, established in 1799,
to help.
The request from Stuart was basically can you supply any items to
help with the history of Billiards/Snooker that can be used at the
Mill in Stroud when they film at the Mill.
Thurston (www.snookerheritage.co.uk) were able to provide early
examples of cues (called maces), ivory
billiard and snooker balls as well as one of the the early Thurston
Sales Ledgers recording the sale of a Billiard Table to H.M. Queen
Victoria. The entry also recorded that the cloth supplied with the
table was 'West of England'.
The production company then wished to expand the
association with the cloth mill to include the invention of
Snooker. To that end Peter Clare the M.D. of Thurston and
editor of the snooker heritage web site was invited to meet
with Michael Portillo at the Top Q Snooker in Gloucester.
Peter took with him some additional examples of early cue as well
as some of Peradon's new models and also early billiard
balls.
Michael Portillo & Peter Clare in the Top Q
Snooker, Gloucester
picture ©Peter Clare 2015
The programme was
1st. broadcast on Wednesday 20th January 2016 on
BBC2.
In late 2015 the
Heritage Collection was approached by Liberty Media Productions to
see if they could visit the collection to film part of a sports
documentary for the Middle East. So in January 2016 Rory McLeod,
the Muslim professional Snooker player along with the producer and
camera man, came to Thurston's.
Rory McLeod was shown round the collection by Peter Clare
(Thurston Managing Director), and they discussed the history of the
games of Billiard & Snooker as they were filmed walking round
the items in the collection.
Rory is keen to promote the game to ethnic minority groups in the
U.K. To increase the diversity of players. He is the leading the
example of this aim, along with the local Thai and Chinese
players now participating in the professional game.
Peter Clare& Rory McLeod
in Thurston showrooms; Liverpool
picture © Keith McIndoe & E.A. Clare & Son
Ltd.2016
Shortly after Rory
McLeods visit the production company for the BBC coverage of the
World Snooker Championships contacted The Heritage Collection
because as the BBC was preparing for the World Snooker
Championships 2016 there was a need to carry out some filming
before the event. The production company IMG wanted
snooker/billiards related background scenery and thought that the
hertiage Collection at Thurston's in Liverpool provided the ideal
setting.
So for two days in early March 2016 the crew together with the
sports presenter now associated with Snooker, the delightful, Hazel
Irvine used the showroom and the heritage rooms. It was two days of
hard work being in at 8:30 am and not leaving until well after the
Thurston shop had closed.
It will be interesting to see how the piece filmed at Thurston's
fit into the programmes during the 2016 World Snooker
Championships.
Hazel Irvine - BBC
Sports
picture©2016Peter Clare & E.A.
Clare & Son Ltd.
The two pictures of
Hazel Irvine at work in the Thurston showroom in
Liverpool
picture©2016Peter Clare & E.A.
Clare & Son Ltd.
Visit from Flog It!
On Monday 10th October 2016 the antiques show 'Flog
it!' call to film a piece on the Snooker Heritage Collection. Paul
Martin the presenter of the programme is himself a keen snooker
player and has his own table which was previously owned by Ray
Reardon. So Paul was keen to see all the items that are on display
in the Collection and was impressed and very interested in the
range of billiard and snooker related items.
Some of the film crew
picture ©2016
Peter N.
Clare
Lights, camera, action
picture ©2016
Peter N.
Clare
The presenter of Flog It, Paul
Martin and his producer
picture ©2016
Peter N.
Clare
Paul Martin the 'Flog It'
presenter and Peter Clare M.D. of Thurston where the collection is
housed
picture ©2016
Peter N.
Clare
March 2022 an email to
"snookerheritage@eaclare.co.uk"was received from Radio Merseyside. They had only just
found about the collection and wanted to send one of their
presenters to talk about the Collection.
So on Tuesday 15th
March 2022 Tony Snell came to see the Collection after his morning
show had finished.
Picture ©2022 Peter N.
Clare
www.snookerheritage.co.uk
© E.A. Clare & Son Ltd.
2021. © Peter N. Clare 2021
Reproduction of this article allowed only with the permission from
E.A. Clare & Son Ltd.
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 make an appointment phone 0151 482
2700.
For all your Snooker, Billiard or Pool Table cues &
accesories contact - Thurston on 0151 482 2700 or visit
their e-shop and website - ww.thurston.co.uk -T
