147-638: The Victoria Arms (known locally as the Vicky Arms and formerly as the Ferry Inn) is a pub on the eastern bank of the River Cherwell at the end of Mill Lane close to Old Marston , northeast of Oxford , England . There was once a ford across the Cherwell here, in use since the 12th century. An inn was originally constructed during the 17th century and was then rebuilt in 1840. It was closed in 1958 and bought by
294-645: A drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises . The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private houses from those open to the public as alehouses, taverns and inns . Today, there is no strict definition, but the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) states a pub has four characteristics: The history of pubs can be traced to taverns in Roman Britain , and through Anglo-Saxon alehouses, but it
441-416: A jukebox or dartboard ). By the 1970s, divisions between saloons and public bars were being phased out, usually by the removal of the dividing wall or partition. While the names of saloon and public bar may still be seen on the doors of pubs, the prices (and often the standard of furnishings and decoration) are the same throughout the premises. Most present day pubs now comprise one large room, although with
588-421: A " re-spotted black ". The black ball is returned to its designated spot and the cue ball is played in-hand , meaning that it may be placed anywhere on or within the lines of the "D" to start the tiebreak. The player to take the first strike in the tiebreak is chosen at random, and the game continues until one of the players either wins the frame by potting the black ball or loses the frame by committing
735-512: A "cue"), not less than 3 ft (91.4 cm) in length, which is used to strike the cue ball. The tip of the cue must only make contact with the cue ball and is never used for striking any of the reds or colours directly. Snooker accessories include: chalk for the tip of the cue, to help apply spin on the cue ball; various different rests such as the swan or spider , for playing shots that are difficult to play by hand; extensions for lengthening
882-605: A "gentleman's sport" until the early 1960s before growing in popularity as a national pastime and eventually spreading overseas. The standard rules of the game were first established in 1919 when the Billiards Association and Control Club was formed. As a professional sport, snooker is now governed by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association . The World Snooker Championship first took place in 1927 , and Joe Davis —a key figure and pioneer in
1029-426: A 155 break, achieved by nominating the free ball as an extra red, then potting the black as the additional colour after potting the free-ball red, followed by the fifteen reds with blacks, and finally the colours. Jamie Cope was the first player to achieve a verified 155 break during a practice frame in 2005. One game of snooker is called a "frame", and a snooker match generally consists of
1176-567: A challenge basis in 1964. At the end of 1968, the World Snooker Championship reverted to a knockout tournament format, with eight competitors; the tournament concluded in 1969 with John Spencer winning the title. The BBC had first launched its colour television service in July 1967; in 1969, David Attenborough , then the controller of BBC2 , commissioned the snooker tournament television series Pot Black primarily to showcase
1323-538: A controlling interest in the World Snooker Tour , pledging to revitalise the "moribund" professional game. Over the following decade, the number of professional tournaments increased, with 44 events held in the 2019–20 season . Snooker tournaments were adapted to make them more suitable for television audiences, with some tournaments being played over a shortened duration, or the Snooker Shoot Out , which
1470-469: A day, was increasing and that 39,404 pubs in England and Wales remained open at the end of June. There was regulation of public drinking spaces in England from at least the 15th century. In 1496, under, Henry VII, an act was passed, "against vagabonds and beggers" (11 Hen. VII c2), that included a clause empowering two justices of the peace, "to rejecte and put awey comen ale-selling in tounes and places where they shall think convenyent, and to take suertie of
1617-461: A foul. Professional and competitive amateur matches are officiated by a referee who is charged with ensuring the proper conduct of players and making decisions "in the interests of fair play". The responsibilities of the referee include announcing the points scored during a break, determining when a foul has been committed and awarding penalty points and free balls accordingly, replacing colours onto their designated spots after being potted, restoring
SECTION 10
#17328590338921764-409: A foul. This can occur for various reasons, such as sending the cue ball into a pocket or failing to hit the object ball. The latter is a common foul committed when a player fails to escape from a "snooker", where the previous player has left the cue ball positioned such that no legal ball can be struck directly in a straight line without being wholly or partially obstructed by an illegal ball. Fouls incur
1911-645: A growth in popularity. Chamberlain was revealed to be the inventor, 63 years after the fact, in a letter to The Field magazine published on 19 March 1938. Snooker became increasingly popular across the Indian colonies of the British Raj and in the United Kingdom, but it remained a game played mostly by military officers and the gentry . Many gentlemen's clubs with a snooker table would refuse entry to non-members who wished to go in and play snooker; to cater for
2058-532: A historic interiors list in order that they can be preserved. The pub took the concept of the bar counter to serve the beer from gin palaces in the 18th century. Until that time beer establishments used to bring the beer out to the table or benches, as remains the practice in (for example) beer gardens and some other drinking establishments in Germany. A bar might be provided for the manager or publican to do paperwork while keeping an eye on his or her customers, and
2205-406: A minimum of four penalty points unless a higher-value object ball is involved in the foul, up to a maximum of seven penalty points where the black ball is concerned. When a foul is committed, the offending player's turn ends and the referee announces the penalty. All points scored in the break before the foul occurred are awarded to the striker, but no points are scored for any ball pocketed during
2352-412: A part of the original rules. Each ball has a diameter of 2 + 1 ⁄ 16 inches (52.5 mm). At the start of the game, the red balls are racked into a tightly packed equilateral triangle , and the colours are positioned at designated spots on the table. The cue ball is placed inside the "D" ready for the break-off shot. Each player has a snooker cue (or simply
2499-411: A particular kind of image, or in many cases simply as a pun on the word "in". The original services of an inn are now also available at other establishments. Hotels, lodges, and motels focus more on lodging customers than on other services but usually provide meals. Pubs are primarily alcohol-serving establishments. Restaurants and taverns serve food and drink. In North America, the lodging aspect of
2646-609: A patent in favour of John Lofting for a fire engine, but remarked upon and recommended another invention of his, for a beer pump: "Whereas their Majesties have been Graciously Pleased to grant Letters patent to John Lofting of London Merchant for a New Invented Engine for Extinguishing Fires which said Engine have found every great encouragement. The said Patentee hath also projected a Very Useful Engine for starting of beer and other liquors which will deliver from 20 to 30 barrels an hour which are completely fixed with Brass Joints and Screws at Reasonable Rates. Any Person that hath occasion for
2793-458: A player wins a predetermined number of frames. In 1875, army officer Neville Chamberlain , stationed in India, devised a set of rules that combined black pool and pyramids . The word snooker was a well-established derogatory term used to describe inexperienced or first-year military personnel. In the early 20th century, snooker was predominantly played in the United Kingdom, where it was considered
2940-447: A predetermined number of frames. Most matches in current professional tournaments are played as the best of 7, 9, or 11 frames, with finals usually the best of 17 or 19 frames. The World Championship uses a longer format, with matches ranging from the best of 19 frames in the first round to best of 35 for the final, which is played over four sessions of play held over two days. Some early world finals had much longer matches, such as
3087-527: A professional English billiards and snooker player, raised the game from a recreational pastime to a professional sporting activity. He retired from the world championships in 1946, having won all fifteen tournaments held up to that date. Snooker declined in popularity in the post-war era; the 1952 World Snooker Championship was contested by only two players and was replaced by the World Professional Match-play Championship , which
SECTION 20
#17328590338923234-403: A rectangular playing surface measuring 11 ft 8.5 in × 5 ft 10.0 in (356.9 cm × 177.8 cm). The playing surface is surrounded by small cushions along each side of the table. The height of the table from the floor to the top of the cushions is 2 ft 10.0 in (86.4 cm). The table has six pockets : one at each corner and one at
3381-456: A red ball constitutes a foul , which results in penalty points being awarded to the opponent. At the end of each shot, the cue ball remains in the position where it has come to rest, unless it has entered a pocket (from where it is returned to the "D"), ready for the next shot. If the cue ball finishes in contact with an object ball, a touching ball is called; the player must then play away from that ball without moving it, otherwise
3528-594: A separate qualification stage. Players can qualify for the tour by virtue of their position in the world rankings from prior seasons, by winning continental championships, or through the Challenge Tour or Q School events. Players on the World Snooker Tour generally gain a two-year "tour card" for participation in the events. Beginning in the 2014–15 season , some players have also received invitational tour cards in recognition of their outstanding contributions to
3675-641: A series of small rooms served drinks and food by waiting staff. By the early 1970s there was a tendency to change to one large drinking room as breweries were eager to invest in interior design and theming. Isambard Kingdom Brunel , the British engineer and railway builder, introduced the idea of a circular bar into the Swindon station pub in order that customers were served quickly and did not delay his trains. These island bars became popular as they also allowed staff to serve customers in several different rooms surrounding
3822-421: A series of timed tournaments: the shot-timed Premier League Snooker , held between 1987 and 2012, featured seven players invited to compete at regular United Kingdom venues and was televised on Sky Sports . The players had twenty-five seconds to take each shot, with each player allowed five time-outs per match. The format did achieve some success but was not afforded the same amount of press attention or status as
3969-566: A significant public funding opportunity for the sport and boost its global exposure. A trial of the format for cue sports to be played at the 2024 Games was conducted at the 2019 World Team Trophy , which also featured nine-ball and carom billiards . Snooker has been contested at the World Games since 2001 and was included as an event at the 2019 African Games . Several players, including Ronnie O'Sullivan , Mark Allen and Steve Davis, have claimed that there are too many tournaments in
4116-415: A snooker table is usually a form of tightly woven woollen green baize , with a directional nap that runs lengthwise from the baulk end of the table to the far end near the black ball spot . The nap affects the speed and trajectory of the balls, depending on the direction of the shot and whether any side spin is placed on the ball. Even if the cue ball is struck in precisely
4263-541: A table built by Burroughes & Watts that had been sent to India by sea. At the time, the word snooker was a slang term used in the British Army to describe new recruits and inexperienced military personnel; Chamberlain used the word to deride the inferior performance of a young fellow officer at the table. The new game of snooker featured in an 1887 issue of the Sporting Life newspaper in England, which led to
4410-568: A tiebreaker. These early rules are similar to those used in the modern game, although rules for a minimal point penalty were imposed later. Played in 1926 and 1927, the first World Snooker Championship —then known as the Professional Championship of Snooker —was won by Joe Davis . The Women's Professional Snooker Championship (now the World Women's Snooker Championship ) was created in 1934 for top female players. Davis, himself
4557-415: A two-year rolling points system, where points are allocated to the players according to the prize money earned at designated tournaments. This "rolling" list is maintained and updated throughout the season, with points from tournaments played in the current season replacing points earned from the corresponding tournaments of two seasons ago. Additionally, "one-year" and "two-year" ranking lists are compiled at
Victoria Arms, Marston - Misplaced Pages Continue
4704-425: A wider selection of better quality drinks that cost a penny or two more than those served in the public bar. By the mid-20th century, the standard of the public bar had generally improved. Many were built between the world wars as part of the "improved" pub movement and as "roadhouse" inns—with large car parks to attract passing trade. Pub patrons only had to choose between economy and exclusivity (or youth and age:
4851-451: Is a cue sport played on a rectangular billiards table covered with a green cloth called baize , with six pockets : one at each corner and one in the middle of each long side. First played by British Army officers stationed in India in the second half of the 19th century, the game is played with 22 balls, comprising a white cue ball , 15 red balls and 6 other balls—a yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black—collectively called '
4998-494: Is a timed, one- frame competition. The prize money for professional events increased, with the top players earning several million pounds over the course of their careers. During the COVID-19 pandemic , the professional tour was confined to events played within the United Kingdom and Ireland. In the 2022–23 season , only two professional ranking tournaments were played outside the UK,
5145-528: Is considered to be the second most important ranking tournament after the World Championship. These two events, and the annual non-ranking Masters tournament, make up snooker's Triple Crown Series; among the oldest competitions on the professional circuit, the Triple Crown events are valued by many players as the most prestigious. As of April 2024 , only eleven players have won all three events,
5292-474: Is disappointing and unacceptable that in 2019 that [ sic ] players such as Rebecca Kenna have been the victim of antiquated discriminatory practices." The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Snooker said, "The group believes that being prevented from playing in a club because of gender is archaic." After the creation of the World Snooker Championship, snooker overtook billiards as
5439-606: Is dying right in front of our eyes", and stating that some players ranked within the world's top 30 were seeking jobs outside the sport due to lack of earning potential from tournaments. Non-professional snooker (including youth competition) is governed by the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF). The highest level competition in the amateur sport is the IBSF World Snooker Championship. Events held specifically for seniors are handled by
5586-539: Is frequented by people out punting during the summer. It is possible to moor punts in the grounds of the pub. There was a line-ferry across the river here until 1971, when the Marston Ferry Road was built just to the south. The Victoria Arms featured in the Inspector Morse television series a number of times. Most notably, Morse recited part of the A. E. Housman poem How Clear, How Lovely Bright here in
5733-517: Is the oldest snooker competition still being played in the world. Snooker is a mixed gender sport that affords men and women the same opportunities to progress at all levels of the game. While the main professional tour is open to male and female players alike, there is also a separate women's tour organised by World Women's Snooker (formerly the World Ladies Billiards and Snooker Association) which encourages female players to participate in
5880-479: Is the only player to have made 1,000 career century breaks , and he holds the record for the most maximum breaks compiled in professional competition, having achieved his 15th in October 2018. O'Sullivan also holds the record for the most ranking titles (41) and most Triple Crown titles (23) achieved in the sport. Some versions of snooker, such as six-red or ten-red snooker , are played with almost identical rules to
6027-420: Is when a pub owner allows patrons to continue drinking in the pub after the legal closing time, on the theory that once the doors are locked, it becomes a private party rather than a pub. Patrons may put money behind the bar before official closing time, and redeem their drinks during the lock-in so no drinks are technically sold after closing time. The origin of the British lock-in was a reaction to 1915 changes in
Victoria Arms, Marston - Misplaced Pages Continue
6174-465: The object balls are positioned on the table as shown in illustration A. Starting with the cue ball in the "D", the first player executes a break-off shot by striking the cue ball with the tip of their cue, aiming to hit any of the red balls in the triangular pack . The players then take alternating turns at playing shots, with the aim of potting a red ball into a pocket and thereby scoring one point. Failure to make contact with
6321-399: The 1947 World Snooker Championship , which was played over the best of 145 frames. Professional snooker players compete on the World Snooker Tour, which is a circuit of world ranking tournaments and invitational events held throughout the snooker season. All competitions are open to professional players who have qualified for the tour, and selected amateur players, but most events include
6468-471: The 1959 News of the World Snooker Plus Tournament , this variant failed to gain popularity and is no longer played. Power Snooker was a short-lived cue sport based on aspects of snooker and pool; this was first played competitively in 2010 and again in 2011 , but the format was discontinued after it failed to gain widespread appeal. Using nine red balls racked in a diamond-shaped pack at
6615-463: The Covid pandemic , followed by the wave of inflation that increased prices. By June 2022, pub numbers in England and Wales had fallen to a record low of 39,970, a loss of 7,000 in 10 years. Pubs also found it difficult to hire enough staff, with 142,000 jobs unfilled in the accommodation and food services sector by 2023. Figures published in 2023 showed that the rate of pub loss, equivalent to two closures
6762-621: The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield , where it has been staged ever since, and the 1978 World Snooker Championship was the first to receive daily television coverage. Snooker quickly became a mainstream sport in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and much of the Commonwealth , and has remained consistently popular since the late 1970s, with most of the major tournaments being televised. In 1985 , an estimated 18.5 million viewers stayed up until
6909-734: The European Masters in Fürth and the German Masters in Berlin, while lucrative Chinese events remained off the calendar. Snooker referees are an integral part of the sport, and some have become well-known personalities in their own right. Len Ganley , John Street and John Williams officiated at seventeen of the first twenty World Snooker finals held at the Crucible Theatre. Since 2000, non-British and female referees have become more prominent in
7056-478: The Oxford Preservation Trust in 1961. Publicans Fred and Ruby Elkins took over the buildings and operated the pub as a free house . During this time they added extensions to the old buildings. They also operated the small wooden line-ferry across the Cherwell for many years before the opening of the link road. It was later leased to the brewery Wadworth's , refurbished, and reopened in 1986. The pub
7203-457: The Players Series , use the one-year ranking list to qualify; these use the results of the current season to denote participants. There are approximately 128 places available on the World Snooker Tour each season. As of the 2024–25 season , players in the top 64 on the official ranking list are guaranteed a tour place for the next season, as well as a maximum of 31 players who are currently on
7350-526: The smoking ban of 2007 , intense competition from gastro-pubs, the availability of cheap alcohol in supermarkets or the general economic climate are either to blame, or are factors in the decline. Changes in demographics may be an additional factor. In 2015 the rate of pub closures came under the scrutiny of Parliament in the UK, with a promise of legislation to improve relations between owners and tenants. The Lost Pubs Project listed 42,519 closed English pubs on 6 August 2023, with photographs of over 29,000. In
7497-459: The "weasel" is unclear but the two most likely definitions are: a flat iron used for finishing clothing; or rhyming slang for a coat ( weasel and stoat ). A few pubs have stage performances such as serious drama, stand-up comedy, musical bands, cabaret or striptease ; however, juke boxes , karaoke and other forms of pre-recorded music have otherwise replaced the musical tradition of a piano or guitar and singing. The public bar, or tap room,
SECTION 50
#17328590338927644-470: The 11th Devonshire Regiment in 1875, combined the rules of two pool games: pyramids , played with 15 red balls positioned in a triangle, and black pool , which involved potting designated balls. Snooker was further developed in 1882 when its first set of rules was finalised by British Army officer Neville Chamberlain , who helped devise and popularise the game at Stone House in Ootacamund on
7791-414: The 11th World Snooker Champion since 1927. He won six world titles altogether (in 1981, 1983, 1984 and 1987–1989) and competed in the most-watched snooker match, the 1985 World Snooker Championship final, which he lost to Dennis Taylor. Stephen Hendry became the 14th World Snooker Champion in 1990, aged 21 years and 106 days, the youngest player ever to have lifted the world title. He dominated
7938-471: The 17th century, this represented a fundamental shift in the way that many pubs were operated and the period is now widely regarded as the birth of the tied house system. Decreasing numbers of free houses and difficulties in obtaining new licences meant a continual expansion of their tied estates was the only feasible way for breweries to generate new trade. By the end of the century more than 90 per cent of public houses in England were owned by breweries, and
8085-498: The 1980s). In the Manchester area, the public bar was known as the "vault", other rooms being the lounge and snug as usual elsewhere. The vault was a men-only bar, meant for working men in their dirty working clothes. This style was in marked contrast to the adjacent saloon or lounge bar which, by the early 20th century, was where male or accompanied female middle-class drinkers would drink. It had carpeted floors, upholstered seats, and
8232-667: The UK, soft drinks and often food), but less commonly accommodation. Inns tend to be older and grander establishments: historically they provided not only food and lodging, but also stabling and fodder for travellers' horses, and on some roads fresh horses for the mail coach . Famous London inns include the George, Southwark and the Tabard . There is, however, no longer a formal distinction between an inn and other kinds of establishment. Many pubs use "Inn" in their name, either because they are long established former coaching inns , or to summon up
8379-477: The UK—the BBC dedicated 400 hours to snooker in 2007, compared to just 14 minutes 40 years earlier. However, the British public's interest in snooker had waned significantly by the late 2000s. Warning that the sport was "lurching into terminal crisis", The Guardian newspaper predicted in 2010 that snooker would cease to exist as a professional sport within ten years. In the same year, promoter Barry Hearn gained
8526-813: The Unready prescribes fines for breaching the peace at meetings held in alehouses. A traveller in the early Middle Ages could obtain overnight accommodation in monasteries, but later a demand for hostelries grew with the popularity of pilgrimages and travel. The Hostellers of London were granted guild status in 1446, and in 1514 the guild became the Worshipful Company of Innholders . A survey in 1577 of drinking establishment in England and Wales for taxation purposes recorded 14,202 alehouses, 1,631 inns, and 329 taverns, representing one pub for every 187 people. Inns are buildings where travellers can seek lodging and, usually, food and drink. They are typically located in
8673-657: The WPBSA submitted a bid for snooker to be included at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics , but without success. Since its launch in October 2017, the World Snooker Federation (WSF) has been advocating for snooker to be added to the Olympic and Paralympic programme. Their initial bid for the 2024 Paris Olympics was unsuccessful, but the WSF is campaigning for snooker to be included at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics . Olympic status would create
8820-601: The WPBSA under the World Seniors Tour , the highest level of the senior sport being the World Seniors Championship . World Disability Billiards and Snooker (WDBS) is a WPBSA subsidiary that organises events and playing aids in snooker and other cue sports for people with disabilities. The most prestigious amateur event in England is the English Amateur Championship ; first held in 1916, this
8967-516: The World Championship in 1953 (after the boycott of the 1952 event by British professionals), the World Professional Match-play Championship became the unofficial world championship. Fred Davis won the tournament every year from 1952 to 1956 but did not enter the 1957 event. John Pulman won in 1957 and was the most successful player of the 1960s, winning the world title seven times between April 1964 and March 1968 while
SECTION 60
#17328590338929114-594: The World Championship seven times, most recently in 2022. Top professional players compete in regular tournaments around the world, earning millions of pounds on the World Snooker Tour —a circuit of international events featuring competitors of many different nationalities. The World Championship, the UK Championship and the Masters together make up the Triple Crown Series and are considered by many players to be
9261-463: The World Championship was being contested at irregular intervals on a challenge basis. Pulman's winning streak ended when the tournament reverted to a knockout format in 1968. Ray Reardon was the dominant force of the 1970s, winning six world titles (in 1970, 1973–1976, and 1978), and John Spencer won the world title three times (in 1969, 1971 and 1977). Steve Davis (no relation to Joe or Fred) won his first World Championship in 1981, becoming
9408-573: The World Women's Snooker Championship in 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively. Some leagues have allowed clubs to exclude female players from tournaments. A committee member of the Keighley league defended allowing such teams in the league as necessity: "If we lose two of these clubs [with the men-only policies] we would lose four teams and we can't afford to lose four teams otherwise we would have no league." A World Women's Snooker spokesperson commented, "It
9555-421: The advent of gastropubs , some establishments have returned to maintaining distinct rooms or areas. The "snug" was a small private room or area, typically with access to the bar and a frosted glass window above head height. Customers in the snug paid a higher price for beer and nobody could look in and see the drinkers. Not only did wealthy visitors use these rooms, but also patrons who preferred not to be seen in
9702-414: The ascending order of their values, from lowest to highest, i.e. yellow first (worth 2 points), then green (3 points), brown (4 points), blue (5 points), pink (6 points), and finally black (7 points); at this stage of the game, each colour remains in the pocket after being potted. When the final ball is potted, the player who has accumulated the most points wins
9849-423: The balls to their previous positions after the " miss " rule has been invoked (see Scoring below), and cleaning the cue ball or any object ball upon request by the striker. Another duty of the referee is to recognise and declare a stalemate when neither player is able to make any progress in the frame. If both players agree, the balls are returned to their starting positions (known as a " re-rack ") and
9996-431: The bar. A "beer engine" is a device for pumping beer, originally manually operated and typically used to dispense beer from a cask or container in a pub's basement or cellar. The first beer pump known in England is believed to have been invented by John Lofting (born Netherlands 1659-d. Great Marlow Buckinghamshire 1742) an inventor, manufacturer and merchant of London. The London Gazette of 17 March 1691 published
10143-574: The big breweries to sell their tied houses, the Government introduced the Beer Orders in 1989. The result, however, was that the Big Six melted away into other sectors; selling their brewing assets and spinning off their tied houses, largely into the hands of branded pub chains, called pubcos. As these were not brewers, they were not governed by the Beer Orders and tens of thousands of pubs remain tied, much in
10290-491: The brewery). Another common arrangement was (and is) for the landlord to own the premises (whether freehold or leasehold ) independently of the brewer, but then to take a mortgage loan from a brewery, either to finance the purchase of the pub initially, or to refurbish it, and be required as a term of the loan to observe the solus tie. Snooker Snooker (pronounced UK : / ˈ s n uː k ər / SNOO -kər , US : / ˈ s n ʊ k ər / SNUUK -ər )
10437-411: The career of a professional player. A maximum break in snooker (often known as a "147" or a "maximum") is achieved by potting all reds with blacks, then potting all six colours in sequence, yielding 147 points. As of 15 April 2024, there have been 202 officially confirmed maximum breaks achieved in professional competition. Penalty points are awarded to a player when their opponent commits
10584-831: The centre of each of the two longer side cushions. One drawback of using a full-size table is the amount of space required to accommodate it, which limits the locations where the game can easily be played. The minimum room size that allows space on all sides for comfortable cueing is 22 ft × 16 ft (6.7 m × 4.9 m). While pool tables are common to many pubs , snooker tends to be played either in private settings or in public snooker halls . The game can also be played on smaller tables, with variant table sizes including 10 ft × 5 ft (305 cm × 152 cm), 9 ft × 4.5 ft (274 cm × 137 cm), 8 ft × 4 ft (244 cm × 122 cm), and 6 ft × 3 ft (183 cm × 91 cm). The cloth on
10731-478: The championship was sponsored by tobacco company Embassy from 1976 to 2005 and has since been sponsored by various betting companies after the introduction of an EU-wide ban on the advertising of tobacco products. The World Championship is the most highly valued title in professional snooker, in terms of financial reward (the tournament has carried a £500,000 winner's prize since 2019), ranking points and prestige. The UK Championship , held annually since 1977,
10878-462: The characteristics that make pubs instantly recognisable today. In particular, and contrary to the intentions of the Beerhouse Act, many drew inspiration from the gin houses and palaces. Bar counters had been an early adoption, but ornate mirrors, etched glass, polished brass fittings and lavishly tiled surfaces were all features that had first made their appearance in gin houses. Innovations such as
11025-400: The colours '. Using a snooker cue , the individual players or teams take turns to strike the cue ball to pot other balls in a predefined sequence, accumulating points for each successful pot and for each foul committed by the opposing player or team. An individual frame of snooker is won by the player who has scored the most points, and a snooker match ends when
11172-565: The country or along a highway. In Europe, they possibly first sprang up when the Romans built a system of roads two millennia ago. Some inns in Europe are several centuries old. In addition to providing for the needs of travellers, inns traditionally acted as community gathering places. In Europe, it is the provision of accommodation, if anything, that now distinguishes inns from taverns , alehouses and pubs. The latter tend to provide alcohol (and, in
11319-414: The cue; a triangle for racking the reds; and a scoreboard , typically attached to a wall near the snooker table. A traditional snooker scoreboard resembles an abacus and records the points scored by each player for the current frame in units and twenties, as well as the frame scores. A simple scoring bead is sometimes used, called a "scoring string" or "scoring wire". Each segment of
11466-410: The development of the large London Porter breweries, a trend grew for pubs to become tied houses that only sold beer from a single brewery. (A pub not 'tied' in this way was called a free house .) The usual arrangement for a tied house was that the brewery owned the pub but rented it out to a private individual (landlord) who ran it as a separate business (even though contracted to buy the beer from
11613-533: The drinks traditionally served include draught beer and cider , most also sell wine , spirits , tea , coffee , and soft drinks . Many pubs offer meals and snacks, and those considered to be gastro-pubs serve food in a manner akin to a restaurant. A licence is required to operate a pub; the licensee is known as the landlord or landlady, or the publican. Often colloquially referred to as their "local" by regular customers, pubs are typically chosen for their proximity to home or work, good food, social atmosphere,
11760-510: The early growth of the sport—won fifteen successive world championships between 1927 and 1946. The "modern era" of snooker began in 1969 after the broadcaster BBC commissioned the television series Pot Black , later airing daily coverage of the World Championship which was first televised in 1978 . The most prominent players of the modern era are Ray Reardon (1970s), Steve Davis (1980s) and Stephen Hendry (1990s), each winning at least six world titles. Since 2000, Ronnie O'Sullivan has won
11907-520: The early hours of the morning to watch the conclusion of the World Championship final between Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis , a record viewership in the UK for any broadcast on BBC Two and for any broadcast after midnight. As professional snooker grew as a mainstream sport, it became heavily dependent on tobacco advertising . Cigarette brand Embassy sponsored the World Snooker Championship for thirty consecutive years from 1976 to 2005, one of
12054-521: The end of every season, after the World Championship; these year-end lists are used for pre-qualification at certain tournaments and for tour-card guarantees. The top 16 players in the world ranking list, generally regarded as the "elite" of the professional snooker circuit, are not required to pre-qualify for some of the tournaments, such as the Shanghai Masters , the Masters and the World Snooker Championship. Certain other events, such as those in
12201-483: The fifteen years to 2017 a quarter of London's pubs had closed. The closures have been ascribed to factors such as changing tastes and a rise in the cost of beer due to tax increases. Some London boroughs where there has been an increase in British Muslim population— Islam forbids alcohol to its adherents—have seen a high amount of closures. The industry suffered a major decline from 2020, due to reduced trade during
12348-416: The final episode of the series. A line from the poem was used for the title of the episode " The Remorseful Day ". 51°46′37″N 1°14′51″W / 51.7770°N 1.2474°W / 51.7770; -1.2474 This article about an Oxfordshire building or structure is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Pub A pub (short for public house ) is in several countries
12495-472: The first country in the world to ban smoking in all enclosed public areas. Scotland was the first UK nation to introduce a ban on indoor smoking in March 2006, followed by the rest of the UK in 2007. Australia introduced a similar ban in 2006 and now has some of the world's toughest anti-smoking laws, with some territories having also banned smoking in outside public areas. Some publicans raised concerns, prior to
12642-617: The first pubs, called tabernae (the origin of modern English " tavern "), began to appear. After the departure of Roman authority in the fifth century and the fall of the Romano-British kingdoms , the Anglo-Saxons established alehouses that may have grown out of domestic dwellings, first attested in the 10th century. These alehouses quickly evolved into meeting houses for folk to socially congregate, gossip and arrange mutual help within their communities. The Wantage law code of Æthelred
12789-453: The first year of a two-year tour card, and the top four prize money earners during the most recent season who are not already qualified; this being assessed after the World Championship. The oldest current professional snooker tournament is the World Snooker Championship , which has taken place as an annual event most years since 1927. Hosted at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield since 1977,
12936-472: The foul shot. If dissatisfied with the position left after a foul, the next player may nominate the opponent who committed the foul to continue playing from where the balls have come to rest. If the referee has also called a "miss"—meaning that the offending player is deemed not to have made their best possible attempt to hit the object ball—the next player has the option of having the balls replaced to their original positions and forcing their opponent to replay
13083-413: The frame is restarted, with the same player taking the break-off shot as in the abandoned frame. Professional players usually play the game in a sporting manner, declaring fouls they have committed that the referee has not noticed, acknowledging good shots from their opponent, and holding up a hand to apologise for a fortunate shot (known as a " fluke "). Points in snooker are gained from potting
13230-406: The frame. If there are not enough points remaining on the table for a player to potentially win the frame, that player may offer to concede the frame while at the table (but not while their opponent is still at the table); a frame concession is a common occurrence in professional snooker. However, players will often play on even when there are not enough points available for them to win, in
13377-471: The growing interest, smaller and more open snooker clubs were formed. The Billiards Association (formed in 1885) and the Billiards Control Club (formed in 1908) merged to form the Billiards Association and Control Club (BA&CC) and a new, standardised set of rules for snooker was first established in 1919. The possibility of a drawn game was abolished by the use of a re-spotted black as
13524-533: The growth from 1869 by introducing magisterial control and new licensing laws. These aimed to make it harder to obtain a licence, and control drunkenness, prostitution, and other undesirable conduct on licensed premises. In the United Kingdom, restrictions were tightened considerably following the advent of the First World War. The Defence of the Realm Act , along with introducing rationing and censorship of
13671-411: The hope of laying one or more " snookers " to force their opponent into playing foul shots. Snookers are shots designed to make it difficult for the opponent to play a legal shot on their next turn, such as leaving another ball between the cue ball and the object ball. If the scores are equal when all object balls have been potted, the black is used as a tiebreaker in a situation called
13818-489: The implementation of restrictions, that a smoking ban would have a negative impact on sales. The impact of the ban was mixed, with some pubs suffering declining sales, and others seeing an increase, particularly in food sales. By the end of the 18th century, a new room in the pub was established: the saloon. Beer establishments had always provided entertainment of some sort—singing, gaming or sport. Balls Pond Road in Islington
13965-416: The intended shot. If, after a foul, it is not possible to cleanly strike both sides of the object ball directly, the referee may call a free ball, allowing the next player to nominate any other ball in place of the object ball they might normally have played. If a player is awarded a free ball with all fifteen reds still in play, they can potentially make a break exceeding 147 , with the highest possible being
14112-566: The introduction of hand pumps (or beer engines ) allowed more people to be served, faster, while technological advances in the brewing industry and improved transportation links made it possible for breweries to deliver beer far from where it was brewed. The latter half of the 19th century saw increased competition within the brewing industry and, in an attempt to secure markets for their own products, breweries began rapidly buying local pubs and directly employing publicans to run them. Although some tied houses had existed in larger British towns since
14259-508: The keepers of ale-houses in their gode behavyng by the discrecion of the seid justices, and in the same to be avysed and aggreed at the tyme of their sessions." The Beerhouse Act of 1830 is widely considered to be a milestone in the history of public houses. Gin was popularised in England in the late 17th century, largely because it provided an alternative to French brandy at a time of political and religious conflict between Britain and France. Because of its cheapness, gin became popular with
14406-583: The licensing laws in England and Wales, which curtailed opening hours to stop factory workers from turning up drunk and harming the war effort. From then until the start of the 21st century, UK licensing laws changed very little, retaining these comparatively early closing times. The tradition of the lock-in therefore remained. Since the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003 , premises in England and Wales may apply to extend their opening hours beyond 11 pm, allowing round-the-clock drinking and removing much of
14553-452: The longest-running deals in British sports sponsorship. In the early 2000s, a ban on tobacco advertising led to a reduction in the number of professional tournaments, which decreased from twenty-two events in 1999 to fifteen in 2003. The sport had become more popular in Asia with the emergence of players such as Ding Junhui and Marco Fu , and still received significant television coverage in
14700-452: The most highly valued titles. The main professional tour is open to both male and female players, and there is a separate women's tour organised by World Women's Snooker . Competitive snooker is also available to non-professional players, including seniors and people with disabilities. The popularity of snooker has led to the creation of many variations based on the standard game but with different rules or equipment, including six-red snooker ,
14847-527: The most popular cue sport in the United Kingdom. Joe Davis was the World Champion for twenty years, retiring unbeaten in the event after claiming his fifteenth world title in 1946 when the tournament was reinstated after the Second World War. During his entire professional career, Davis remained undefeated when playing on equal terms, although he did lose some matches in handicapped tournaments. He
14994-554: The most recent being Judd Trump who completed the Triple Crown in May 2019. The Triple Crown events are televised in the UK by the BBC, while most other tournaments are broadcast across Europe on the Eurosport network, or ITV Sport , as well as numerous other broadcasters internationally. After facing some criticism for matches taking too long, Matchroom Sport chairman Barry Hearn introduced
15141-480: The need for lock-ins. Since the smoking ban , some establishments operated a lock-in during which the remaining patrons could smoke without repercussions but, unlike drinking lock-ins, allowing smoking in a pub was still a prosecutable offence. Concerns about the effects of cigarette smoke inhalation first surfaced in the 1950s and ultimately led many countries to ban or restrict smoking in specific settings, such as pubs and restaurants. Early in 2004, Ireland became
15288-440: The object balls in the correct sequence. The total number of consecutive points (excluding fouls) that a player amasses during one visit to the table is known as a "break". For example, a player could achieve a break of 15 by first potting a red followed by a black, then another red followed by a pink, before failing to pot the next red. A break of 100 points or more is referred to as a century break ; these are recorded over
15435-414: The only practical way brewers could now grow their tied estates was to turn on each other. Buy-outs and amalgamations became commonplace, and by the end of the 1980s there were only six large brewers left in the UK, collectively known as the Big Six; Allied , Bass , Courage , Grand Metropolitan , Scottish & Newcastle and Whitbread . In an attempt to increase the number of free houses, by forcing
15582-422: The player has been awarded a free ball , which allows them to nominate another object ball in place of a red. The cue ball can contact an object ball directly or it may be made to bounce off one or more cushions before hitting the required object ball. The game continues until all 15 red balls have been potted and only the 6 colours and the cue ball are left on the table. The colours must next be potted in
15729-446: The player will concede penalty points. When a red ball has entered a pocket, the striker must then choose a coloured ball (or "colour") and attempt to pot it. If successful, the value of the potted colour is added to the player's score, and the colour is returned to its designated spot on the table. The player must then pot another red ball followed by another colour. The process of alternately potting reds and colours continues until
15876-473: The poor standard of rural roads meant that, away from the larger towns, the only beer available was often brewed by the publican himself. With the arrival of the Industrial Revolution , many areas of the United Kingdom were transformed by a surge in industrial activity and rapid population growth. There was huge demand for beer and for venues where the public could engage in social interaction, but there
16023-571: The poor, eventually leading to a period of drunkenness and lawlessness, known as the Gin Craze . In the early 19th century, encouraged by a reduction of duties, gin consumption again began to rise and gin houses and gin palaces (an evolution of gin shops) began to spread from London to most towns and cities in Britain. Alarmed at the prospect of a return to the Gin Craze, the government attempted to counter
16170-624: The popular music hall form of entertainment—a show consisting of a variety of acts. A most famous London saloon was the Grecian Saloon in the Eagle, City Road , referenced by name in the 18th-century nursery rhyme : "Up and down the City Road / In and out the Eagle / That's the way the money goes / Pop goes the weasel ." This meant that the customer had spent all his money at the Eagle, and needed to pawn his "weasel" to get some more. The meaning of
16317-514: The potential of the BBC 's new colour television service—the green table and multi-coloured balls provided an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the advantages of the new broadcasting technology. The series became a ratings success and was, for a time, the second-most popular show on BBC2 after Morecambe and Wise . Due to these developments, the year 1969 is taken to mark the beginning of snooker's modern era. The World Snooker Championship moved in 1977 to
16464-515: The presence of friends and acquaintances, and the availability of pub games such as darts , pool , or snooker . Pubs often screen sporting events, such as rugby , cricket and football . The pub quiz was established in the UK in the 1970s. Ale was a native British drink before the arrival of the Roman Empire in the first century, but it was with the construction of the Roman road network that
16611-520: The press, restricted pubs' opening hours to 12 noon–2:30 pm and 6:30 pm–9:30 pm. Opening for the full licensed hours was compulsory, and closing time was equally firmly enforced by the police. There was also a special case established under the State Management Scheme where the brewery and licensed premises were bought and run by the state, most notably in Carlisle . A "lock-in"
16758-451: The professional sport of snooker. World Snooker Ltd is responsible for the professional tour which is owned by both the WPBSA and Matchroom Sport . Every player on the World Snooker Tour is assigned a position on the WPBSA's official world ranking list, which is used to determine the seedings and the level of qualification each player requires for the tournaments on the professional circuit. The current world rankings are determined using
16905-442: The professional tour in the 2010–11 season and upgraded to a ranking event in 2017 . Other games have been designed with an increased number of object balls in play. One example is "snooker plus", which included two additional colours: an orange ball worth eight points positioned between pink and blue, and a purple ball worth ten points positioned between brown and blue, increasing the maximum possible break to 210. Introduced at
17052-410: The public bar. Ladies often enjoyed a private drink in the snug in a time when many frowned on women visiting a pub. The local police officer might nip in for a quiet pint, the parish priest for his evening whisky, or lovers for a rendezvous. The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has surveyed the 50,000 pubs in Britain and it believes that there are very few pubs that still have classic snugs. These are on
17199-493: The qualifying rounds of the main World Snooker Championship on five occasions, reaching the second round in 2017. Evans holds the record for the highest break made in WWS competition, having achieved a 140 break twice (in 2008 and 2010). Other successful female players are Kelly Fisher (with five women's world titles), Ng On-yee (with three), and most recently Nutcharut Wongharuthai , Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan and Bai Yulu , who won
17346-612: The regular ranking tournaments. The event was removed from the professional tour after the 2012–13 season, when the Champion of Champions was re-established; players qualify for this tournament by virtue of winning other events in the season, with sixteen champions competing. Classified as a "precision sport" by the International Olympic Committee , snooker has never been contested at the Summer Olympics . In 2015,
17493-739: The said Engines may apply themselves to the Patentee at his house near St Thomas Apostle London or to Mr. Nicholas Wall at the Workshoppe near Saddlers Wells at Islington or to Mr. William Tillcar, Turner, his agent at his house in Woodtree next door to the Sun Tavern London." "Their Majesties" referred to were William III of England and Mary II of England , who had recently arrived from the Netherlands and had been appointed joint monarchs. A further engine
17640-403: The same manner, the effect of the nap will differ according to whether the ball is directed towards the baulk line or towards the opposite end of the table. A snooker ball set consists of 22 unmarked balls: 15 reds , 6 coloured balls , and 1 white cue ball. The colours are one each of yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black, although the brown and blue balls were not
17787-441: The same way that they had been previously. In reality, government interference did very little to improve Britain's tied house system and all its large breweries are now in the hands of foreign or multi-national companies. The number of pubs in the UK has declined year on year at least since 1982. Various reasons are put forward for this, such as the failure of some establishments to keep up with customer requirements. Others claim
17934-410: The season, causing burnout of players. O'Sullivan played only a subset of tournaments in 2012, so he could spend more time with his children; as a result he ended the 2012–13 season ranked 19th in the world despite being the world champion. O'Sullivan played only one tournament in 2013, the World Championship , which he won. He suggested that a "breakaway tour" with fewer events would be beneficial to
18081-562: The short-lived " snooker plus " and the more recent Snooker Shoot Out version. Snooker originated in the second half of the 19th century in India during the British Raj . In the 1870s, billiards was popular among British Army officers stationed in Jubbulpore , India, and several variations of the game were devised during this time. A similar game, which originated at the Officers' Mess of
18228-721: The shortest possible time. The other, more private, rooms had no serving bar—they had the beer brought to them from the public bar. A number of pubs in the Midlands or the North still retain this set up, though now customers fetch the drinks themselves from the taproom or public bar. One of these is the Vine, known locally as the Bull and Bladder, in Brierley Hill near Birmingham, another the Cock at Broom, Bedfordshire
18375-434: The sport and take part in high-level amateur competitions. The leading tournament on the women's tour is the World Women's Snooker Championship , the winner of which receives a two-year tour card to the main professional tour. Reanne Evans won the women's world title a record twelve times, including ten consecutive victories from 2005 to 2014 . She has also participated on the World Snooker Tour and has taken part in
18522-478: The sport through the 1990s, winning the World Championship seven times (in 1990, 1992–1996, and 1999). Ronnie O'Sullivan has claimed the most world titles since 2000, having won the World Championship seven times (in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020 and 2022). John Higgins and Mark Selby have both won four world titles (Higgins in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011; Selby in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2021), and Mark Williams three (in 2000, 2003 and 2018). O'Sullivan
18669-437: The sport, but none was organised. Some players, including 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy , have asserted that a 128-player professional tour is financially unsustainable. Lower-ranked professional players can struggle to make a living from the sport, especially after paying tournament entry fees, travel costs and other expenses. In 2023, Stephen Maguire criticised the World Snooker Tour and WPBSA, claiming that "the game
18816-523: The sport; Dutch referee Jan Verhaas became the first non-Briton to referee a World Championship final in 2003 , while Michaela Tabb became the first woman to do so in 2009 . Tabb was the only woman refereeing on the professional tour when she joined it in 2002, but tournaments now routinely feature female referees such as Desislava Bozhilova , Maike Kesseler , and Tatiana Woollaston . A standard full-size snooker table measures 12 ft × 6 ft (365.8 cm × 182.9 cm), with
18963-595: The sport; these cards are issued at the discretion of the World Snooker Board, and have been awarded to players including Steve Davis , James Wattana , Jimmy White , and Stephen Hendry . Some additional secondary tours have been contested over the years. A two-tier structure was adopted for the 1997–98 snooker season ; comprising six tournaments known as the WPBSA Minor Tour was open to all professionals, but only ran for one season. A similar secondary UK Tour
19110-581: The standard game but with fewer object balls, reducing the time taken to play each frame. The Six-red World Championship , which is contested annually in Bangkok , Thailand, has been a regular fixture on the World Snooker Tour since 2012 . A World Women's 10-Red Championship was held annually in Leeds, England, from 2017 to 2019. Geographic variations exist in the United States and Brazil, while speed versions of
19257-510: The standard game have been developed in the United Kingdom. American snooker is an amateur version of the game played almost exclusively in the United States. With simplified rules and generally played on smaller tables, this variant dates back to 1925. Sinuca brasileira (or "Brazilian snooker") is a variant of snooker played exclusively in Brazil, with fully divergent rules from the standard game and using only one red ball instead of fifteen. At
19404-417: The start of the game, the matches were limited to a fixed game-play period of 30 minutes. Tenball was a snooker variant designed specifically for the television show of the same name, an LWT production that was broadcast for one series in 1995. An extra ball worth ten points (the yellow and black "tenball") was added between the blue and pink, and the game had a slightly revised set of rules compared to
19551-410: The start of the game, the single red is positioned halfway between the pink ball and the side cushion, and the break-off shot cannot be used to pot the red or place the opponent in a snooker. The Snooker Shoot Out is a variant snooker tournament consisting of single-frame matches for an accelerated format. First staged in 1990 , the idea was resurrected in 2011 with a modified version that was added to
19698-409: The striker fails to pot the desired object ball or commits a foul—at which point the opponent comes to the table to start the next turn—or when there are no red balls remaining in play. Points accumulated by potting successive object balls are called a " break " (see Scoring below). At the start of each player's turn, the objective is to first pot a red ball, unless all reds are off the table or
19845-404: The string (bead) represents one point as the players can move one or several beads along the string. Additional accessories include cue tips of varying hardness to suit player preferences, anti-slip cue grips for better control, and specialized table brushes and cloths to maintain optimal table conditions. A player wins a frame by scoring more points than their opponent. At the start of a frame,
19992-471: The term "bar" applied to the publican's office where one was built, but beer would be tapped directly from a cask or barrel on a table, or kept in a separate taproom and brought out in jugs. When purpose built Victorian pubs were built after the Beerhouse Act 1830 , the main room was the public room with a large serving bar copied from the gin houses, the idea being to serve the maximum number of people in
20139-518: The threat, and encourage the consumption of a more wholesome beverage, by introducing the Beerhouse Act of 1830. The Act introduced a new lower, and largely deregulated, tier of premises called "the beerhouse". Under the act any householder, upon payment of two guineas (roughly equal in value to £237 today), was permitted to brew and sell beer or cider in their own home. Beerhouses were not allowed to open on Sundays, or sell spirits and fortified wines; any beerhouse discovered to be breaking these rules
20286-573: The word "inn" lives on in hotel brand names like Holiday Inn , and in some state laws that refer to lodging operators as innkeepers. The Inns of Court and Inns of Chancery in London started as ordinary inns where barristers met to do business, but became institutions of the legal profession in England and Wales . Pubs as we know them today first appeared in the 19th century. Before this time alehouses were largely indistinguishable from private houses and
20433-472: Was also discontinued in 1957. In an effort to boost the game's popularity, Davis introduced a variation known as " snooker plus " in 1959, with the addition of two extra colours, but this version of the game was short-lived. A world championship for top amateur players, now known as the IBSF World Snooker Championship , was founded in 1963, and the official world championship was revived on
20580-494: Was also intense competition for customers. Gin houses and palaces became increasingly popular, while the Beerhouse Act of 1830 caused a proliferation of beerhouses. By the mid-19th century, pubs were widely purpose-built, and could incorporate architectural features that distinguished them from private houses to make them stand out from the competition. Many existing public houses were also redeveloped at this time, borrowing features from other building types and gradually developing
20727-443: Was closed down and the owner heavily fined. Within eight years 46,000 new beerhouses opened and, because operating costs were so low, huge profits were often made. The combination of increasing competition and high profits eventually led to what has been described as a golden age of pub building when many landlords extended or redeveloped their properties, adopting many features modern pubs still have. Authorities attempted to check
20874-608: Was first played from the 1997–98 season, which was renamed the Challenge Tour in 2000, Players Tour Championship in 2010 and returned as the Challenge Tour in 2018. The global governing body for professional snooker is the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), founded in 1968 as the Professional Billiards Players' Association. The WPBSA owns and publishes the official rules of snooker, and has overall responsibility for policy-making in
21021-407: Was invented in the late 18th century by the locksmith and hydraulic engineer Joseph Bramah (1748–1814). Strictly the term refers to the pump itself, which is normally manually operated, though electrically powered and gas powered pumps are occasionally used. When manually powered, the term "handpump" is often used to refer to both the pump and the associated handle. In the 18th century, after
21168-405: Was named after an establishment run by a Mr. Ball that had a duck pond at the rear, where drinkers could, for a fee, go out and take a potshot at the ducks. More common, however, was a card room or a billiards room. The saloon was a room where, for an admission fee or a higher price of drinks, singing, dancing, drama, or comedy was performed and drinks would be served at the table. From this came
21315-502: Was not until the early 19th century that pubs, as they are today, first began to appear. The model also became popular in countries and regions of British influence, where pubs are often still considered to be an important aspect of their culture . In many places, especially in villages, pubs are the focal point of local communities. In his 17th-century diary, Samuel Pepys described the pub as "the heart of England". Pubs have been established in other countries in modern times. Although
21462-401: Was only ever beaten on level terms by his younger brother Fred Davis , but not until after he had retired from professional play. By 1947, Fred Davis was deemed by his older brother ready to become World Champion, but he lost that year's world final to Walter Donaldson . Davis and Donaldson contested the next four world finals, with Davis winning three of the four. With the abandonment of
21609-454: Was where the working class were expected to congregate and drink. It had unfurnished floorboards, sometimes covered with sawdust to absorb the spitting and spillages (known as "spit and sawdust"), bare bench seats and stools. Drinks were generally lower-quality beers and liquors. Public bars were seen as exclusive areas for only men; strictly enforced social etiquettes barred women from entering public bars (some pubs did not lift this rule until
#891108