Signature Cue
An Unique Horace Lindrum Cue
Back in 2007 Peter Clare had an phone call from a Mr. T.
Lawrence concerning a Horace Lindrum Cue which had been hand down
through the family, originally belonging to his maternal
grandfather Mr. Robert Grice who worked for McDonald biscuits.
In subsequent emails further information was provided and based
on the family story the cue had been used by Horace Lindrum at the
re-opening of the Leicester Square Match rooms in 1947, and was
then signed by some of the celebrities present before being
auctioned off on the night to raise funds.
Mr. Lawrence very kindly brought the cue over to Liverpool for
Peter Clare to see and it was agreed that the Heritage Collection
would be able to display the cue for the duration of the Billiard
& Snooker Heritage Exhibition that was set up in the Thurston
showroom in Liverpool as part of the City's European Capital of
Culture Celebrations in 2008. (Mr. T. Lawrence had kindly left the
cue in the Hertitage Collection until he collected the cue on 9th
February 2017)
During this period research was undertaken to try and ascertain
if the family's understanding of the Cue's history was correct.
Peter Clare would like to acknowledge the help provided in this
research from the Lawrence family, Peter Ainsworth of English
Association for Snooker and Billiards and also Ted Lowe (The famous
BBC Snooker Commentator).
Peter Ainsworth was able to provide information as to whom
attended the reopening night of the Leicester Match Room and Ted
Lowe, who was involved with the Match Room, was able to confirm
some of the signatures on the cue and explain about the celebrity
events that were held there raising funds. In some ways theses
snooker matches hosted at Leicester Square Match Room and later at
the 'Cafe Royal' were the for runners of some of the modern day
celebrity fund raising events. Clive Everton the editor of 'Snooker
Scene' magazine also confirmed some of the signatures that appear
on the Cue. The Cue itself is a Horace Lindrum badged cue made by
Peradon
(click on name to go to the story of
Peradon)and does not look to have ever been used for a game of
billiards or snooker!
From the information received from both Peter Ainsworth and Ted
Lowe it does seem likely that some of the 'story' that the Lawrence
family had passed down could well be true, but, it also became
apparent that some of the signatures must have been added at other
times and events. For example at the reopening of the Leicester
Square Match Room both Horace Lindrum and his mother Violet
Lindrum, who was herself a snooker player of some repute, had
already left the U.K. It would also seem from the signatures that
different pens and ink were used which again might indicate that
the signatures were added a different time perhaps when the
original owner attended Billiard & Snooker celebrity
matches.
Two reports concerning the re-opening of the Match Room which
have been taken from 'The Billiard Player' magazine, the first of
which was in the October 1947.
From the list of 'Names' attending a few of
them are signatures of the 'Cue' which gives some credence to the
fact that the 'Cue' was signed at the event. The names that are on
the cue from the above list are - Joe Davis, Walter Donaldson,
Sidney Smith, John Barrie, Sydney Lee, Joyce Garner and Barbara
Meston. However a number of those named as being at the opening do
not appear as signatures on the 'Cue'.
L - R
-Valerie Hobson, Mary Newman (daughter of Tom Newman)
& Joe Davis
This picture
appeared in a 1947 issue of The Billiard Player and must have been
taken on the opening night, as the two articles mention the three
people in the picture.
The following month,
November 1947, another article was published
This report also list Lind Joyce,
another signature on the 'Cue' as being present. It also makes
reference to the fact that this new Match Room replaced the famous
'original' Thurston(click on name to read
history of Thurston) Leicester Square Match Room in the same
building.
Some of the signatures we are still not sure if they have been
recognised correctly and so if anyone does recognise the name and
what the person did the we ask that they contact us with the
information. Pictures of the signatures are shown below (Because of
the way the cue was signed some pictures will have shots of the
same signature showing as in other pictures). Were possible picture
of the person(s) who signed the Cue are also shown.
Joe Davis - The World famous Billiard &
Snooker Player
Ken Gethim - who
was a Jockey & Billiard Player
Raymond
Glendenning - One of the great BBC radio commentators of
his day he made several broadcast with Joe Davis on billiards
& snooker.
Dennis
Compton - The famous cricketer and footballer
Sydney
Lee - Professional Billiard Player
Barbara
Meston - Champion Lady Billiard Player
Barbara Meston is
on the right
Stanley
Newman - could be son of Tommy Newman?
John
Barrie - Professional Billiard Player
Stanley
Newman
John Barrie
- Professional Billiard Player
Freddie
Lawrence - Possibly Fred Lawrence a Midland Professional
Champion, who once played Joe Davis in a World Snooker final.
Claude
Falkiner - Professional Billiard Player
Note that the
card is signed by Claude Falkiner in 1924 and then it was hand over
to Norman Clare by Ted Acland, who had a billiard businss in
Canada.
Joyce
Gardner - Professional Lady Billiard Champion
Herbert
Holt - Professional Billiard Player
Herbert Holt and
his wife
Lind
Joyce - Radio Star during WWII in the famous "I T M A" BBC
radio programme and billiard player
Picture from 'The
Billiard Player' dated February 1947
Horace
Lindrum - Australian Professional Billiard Champion
The 'Signature Cue'
is a Horace Lindrum badge cue made by Peradon
Horace
Lindrum
Claude
Falkiner - Professional Billiard Player
Sidney Smith -
Professional Billiard Player
Picture from 'The
Billiard Player' February 1947. The article contains some
interesting bits of information about her such as - She train as a
pianist under the ever great Paderewski (himself an ardent cueman)
and she had given musical performances to vast Australian audiences
as well as being a professional dancer. She was the Australian
Women's Snooker Champion as well as being Horace Lindrum's
manager.
Violet
Lindrum - Professional pianist & Professional Snooker
Player
Dicky
Law - Professional Snooker Player who played in the
professional championships in 1950/51
Walter
Donaldson - Professional Billiard Player
Joe Davis
- Billiard & Snooker legend
L - R - Joe
Davis; June Davis; Walter Donaldson
Willie Smith -
Professional Billiard Player
Paul Kwin
("Emile") - Not known?
If anyone
recognises the name please contact the site so the information can
be up dated.
A.
Wragg - Jockey
The 'Cue' is now back
in the safe keeping of the Lawrence family and the Billiard &
Snooker Heritage Collection would like to thank them for the loan
of the 'Cue' for the 2008 exhibition. We would also like to thank
the family for enabling us to put together this article so that the
'Cue' and its association to the history of the games of Billiards
& Snooker could be recorded.
In 2012 the
Lawrence family very kindly allowed the Heritage Collection to have
cue on loan so it is again back in Liverpool
*******************
Acknowledgements -
Tony Lawrence for the
loan of the cue
Peter Ainsworth &
(wispering) Ted Lowe for their help in providing much
information.
© E.A. Clare & Son Ltd.
2018. © Peter N. Clare 2018
Reproduction of this article allowed only with the permission from
E.A. Clare & Son Ltd.
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