W A Camkin?

[LWB]

I finally got round to having a look at the cues my grandad is always telling me are so great, and supposedly quite old. Wondered if anyone knows anything about them.

The first is a W. A Camkin cue?

The other is a Burroughs and Watt, which I've heard of. It also has 19 soho square on the disc.

Both are 1 piece hand spliced ebony.

[cocked hat]

Camkin cues

Hi LWB

http://www.thesnookerforum.com/board...ad.php?t=12223
I recently posted a question about Camkin cues and had a couple of really good replies.I've tried to attach a link to the thread but I'm not sure about it,if not go to cues on 26th March

[LWB]

Good stuff, thanks mate.

[100-uper]

I would just say that Camkin Ltd seem to have been making cues a little earlier than my earliest reference in 1925. There is a cue on eBay which pushes this date back to 1922 (at least).

[LWB]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Camkin

No mention of snooker but has to be the same guy! Will get a few decent pictures asap.

[100-uper]

I didn't know about his football connection but I'm sure it is the same person (same middle initial) It was also mentioned in The Billiard Player of June 1956 that he died in April of that year, although not at home, as it says in Wikipedia, but in a "Birmingham hotel."

[LWB]

The guy certainly seems to have had a very interesting life that's for sure. Quite busy today but hopefully get pictures up soon.

[Cyril]

Interesting stuff. Camkin was certainly the Barry Earn of the 20's and 30's. I believe he promoted the inaugural World Snooker Championships and refereed the final between Davis and Dennis.

I love the British Movietone clip of him presenting a billiard match for the Daily Mail Gold Cup between Walter Lindrum and Tom Newman. He introduces the latter as - "This, is Tom Newman, with his famous chin!"

[100-uper]

He was certainly a businessman which Barry Hearn could have related to, had the two been contemporary. This is an extract from Camkin's own writings which describe how Walter Lindrum was taken under his management for the 1930-31 billiards season:

"I remember he [Lindrum] was playing a match in Manchester, in the February of the year 1930, but, in order that we should not be seen together, I wired him to travel by the midnight train to Crewe, where I met him after leaving Birmingham at the same time as he left Manchester. The terms for Lindrum's full season's engagement at a record fee were then straight away signed and settled. Lindrum returned to Manchester, and I to Birmingham, fully congratulating myself that the utmost secrecy had prevailed. You can imagine my surprise when, before I had returned to Birmingham an hour the next day, I had a telegram from a close friend of mine in the billiard table trade, congratulating me on what he was pleased to call my 'scoop for next season.'"

[Cyril]

Brilliant! The late night porter at Crewe Station must have been a billiards fan!

[LWB]

Just a wee update, I found out that my grandad got the cue from my great uncle who ran a snooker hall in walsall. Going to see if I can get more info, and I swear I'll try get photo's as it's a very very nice cue for it's age, the plate is in very good condition.

[LWB]

Anyone interested in buying the cue in question please email or PM me please. I know I keep saying it nut images to come, certainly before we talk price of course.