Saturday, November 28, 2009

Use Your Snooker Table For Family Fun In Unusual Special Ways

By Matthew Kerridge

Many people buy a snooker table with the express intention of using it for snooker match-ups. This is to be expected. But keep an open mind. A book case can be used for storing books, but if you do some informal research you will notice that many bookcases are being used to store a wide variety of non-book material. After looking at the usual uses of snooker tables, let us explore some possible alternative uses.

When Queen Victoria sent Colonel Chamberlain to the mess halls of India, she did not expect him to invent a game. But that is just what he did in eighteen seventy five. There were several pool-type games in current use, but the Colonel put together a basic set of guidelines which became the basis for today's snooker game. The word, snooker, was a military word meaning, newbie. Then it became attached to the snooker game and stuck. The twelve by six foot table is now the standard sized snooker table.

The original billiard table design was modified to accommodate the new game of Snooker. Originally, games using balls and sticks were played outdoors. Along with the desire to bring such games indoors came the need for huge modifications to the ball and stick game concept. First, as a method of limiting the field of play for indoor use, the concept of using a big table gained acceptance. For safety and convenience, the cushion was developed. This prevented the constant chasing of stray balls.

Craftsmen wrestled with the production of an efficient cushion for the new tables for many years. Several methods were tried, including strips of wood glued onto the sides of the table. But this was unsatisfactory at best, as the repeated vibrations would eventually compromise stability. But John Thurston of England was convinced that the answer to the cushion problem would lie in the innovations in the field of rubber processing. He was able to bring the tables up to a new level of construction when he developed England's first fully rubberized cushions.

The familiar green wool covering of the snooker table is a reminder of the origins of pool games in the outdoor setting. The green wool covering is made with a nap running in one direction. Consequently, this makes a difference to how the ball performs, depending on how it approaches the nap. This is not an issue when playing on a table topped with slate. There are different grades of the green wool for use on different types of tables. Those destined for heavy duty public use are outfitted with a stronger grade of wool cloth than those destined for homeowners' dens.

An old, steady table can have many domestic uses. If you are the lucky parent of multiple birth children, use an old snooker table as a change table. It is spacious, safe and can accommodate as many babies as you may produce. Put all the babies up there at once if you are alone. The ones not needing attention will be in view as you process those who do. If you are old when your child is learning two wheeled bicycling, find a friend and have him help you. Put the child up on the table and gently push. You won't have to run or bend over. Make sure your friend likes children and is willing to catch the young cyclist. Also, a snooker table makes a commodious tent, playhouse or secret hideout. Just cover the sides with sheets and the construction is over. With in utero fertilization so popular now, the multiple birth is a fairly common fact of life. People are waiting longer to reproduce. Dealing with toddlers while dealing with disc problems is no joke. Maybe these ideas are not so off the wall as I once thought. Also, a snooker table makes a commodious tent, playhouse or secret hideout. Just cover the sides with sheets nd the construction is done.

Get a sturdy snooker table so that it will survive many years of family use. The investment you make will pay off over the years. This will be especially true if your great grandchildren take their first unaided bike rides upon its surface.

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