John Parris Media W hore ;)

[Watford]

I'm sorry if I've missed a thread on this but......
Was anybody else getting fed up of seeing John's mug on Sunday.

The "how to make a cue" film is border line advertising and is dodgy on the beeb but the "look at me I'm Ronnie's friend; buy my cues" was doing my head in.

I'm I just biased?

[totlxtc]

No I agree with you. And if I heard "Ronnie has only had a cue for a week" one more time id scream!! SO!! He has had a cue a week! I got mine last friday and played better than I ever have done!! Besides we all know he can play with a broom handle, so stop going on about it!

[Robert602]

Ronnie did say a couple of times (paraphrasing) "I'm using this new cue, I'm not that happy with it but it's the best of a bunch that John Parris made up for me", which to me doesn't come across as a ringing endorsement .

JP is by a long way the most well known top cuemaker, and does cater for quite a few of the pros including Ronnie so in that respect it's pretty natural that the BBC's cuemaking film should focus on him. I know what you mean though, it'd be nice to have a bit of balance.

[ferret]

Well we will never know especially as other cue makers don't go to the events, maybe if they did and made themselves know they would get approached by the BBC for an article.

[noel]

I'm sorry if I've missed a thread on this but......
Was anybody else getting fed up of seeing John's mug on Sunday.

The "how to make a cue" film is border line advertising and is dodgy on the beeb but the "look at me I'm Ronnie's friend; buy my cues" was doing my head in.

I'm I just biased?

Yes.
But that's ok Watford... envy/jealousy comes in many shades of green.
Your go at him is dressed in Hunter's green, but Parris does set himself up as fair game.

Parris cannot be faulted for taking advantage of a "news" item to polish his image as not only the pre-eminent cue-maker, but as the "savior" of the world's brightest (sic) snooker star.
Congratulations, John, but be careful of what you wish (advertise) for because you may get it.

For those with scant knowledge of snooker, his infomercial was clear and well-done and hopefully encouraging to potential new players.
For many of us on TSF, knowing there are other "go to" guys, at least as deserving as JP, it seems unfair and opportunistic.

It's clear that the more demand for Parris cues, the more demand on his shop production and the more diluted the handmade quality of his cues. Pretty soon he will walk in at the end of the day, bless "his" creations with the Master's quick buff handjob and then trot off to the bank (I mean no disrespect to JP, this is a natural evolution in successful craft-based businesses).

That being said, in my books, it makes the work of Trevor White, Mike Wooldridge, Will Hunt, et al far more desireable and ultimately valuable.

(Trev... I smashed my cue last night. I have to play in a non-Masters tournament on Saturday. SEND CUES!)



=o)

Noel

[totlxtc]

Well we will never know especially as other cue makers don't go to the events, maybe if they did and made themselves know they would get approached by the BBC for an article.

Maybe they don't want to. If they produce a quality product it should speak for itself.

And think about it.....could anyone here see Mike running around for Ronnie?

Phone call:

Ronnie: Hi Mike, Ive broken my cue and need a replacement.

Mike Wooldridge: Why what f**king happened this time? You know this one will cost you more than the last.

Ronnie: I got fed up with it so i broke it.

Mike Wooldridge: WHAT!

Ronnie: Well i had a little bit of a sissy fit and broke the cue. Was really fun and i enjoyed it. Went to town on it!

Mike Wooldridge: Ronnie......F**K OFF!

[Jlaix]

lol Ralmao

[ferret]

My point is, JP is where he is today because he does go to snooker events, he has made his name well knows, hence the pros do go to him for their cues.

You don't get your name as well known as JP's if you sit at home watching Eastenders then turning over for the snooker and chatting about it on TSF, you record Eastenders while you are at the competition making contacts.

[Oldgit]

Dennis Taylor was talking about Ronnies cue on Sunday and told the story that he (Dennis) was talking to one of Ronnies friends some time ago and he told Dennis that Ronnie came to his house and in the snooker room was a rack of ordinary cues and apparantly Ronnie just picked up one of the rack cues and knocked in a 136 break with it first frame!!

Oldgit

[trevs1]

My point is, JP is where he is today because he does go to snooker events, he has made his name well knows, hence the pros do go to him for their cues.

You don't get your name as well known as JP's if you sit at home watching Eastenders then turning over for the snooker and chatting about it on TSF, you record Eastenders while you are at the competition making contacts.

In my view JP is where he is today due to having a number of things or circumstances in his favour.

First... he is good at what he does and generally produces a top class product.

Second... he has geography on his side, being in London, where a good number of the games top level players were either living or based during the time he began making cues.

Third...the demise of Hunt and O'Byrne saw Parris inherit the position of THE only high level maker in London, and arguably, the UK at that time....very very fortunate that, he must have been rubbing his hands over it.

Fourth....He has made the most (or at least a sizeable something) of the opporunities presented to him over the years he has traded.

So, in truth, he probably deserves to be where he is now, credit to him for that.

What I found amusing about the Beeb thing was it showing him going to a rather damp looking timber yard, selecting and tucking under his arm a 'single' board, from a pile of stock which appeared as though it was partially lying in pools of water.

Ah, the magic of television.

[trevs1]

Dennis Taylor was talking about Ronnies cue on Sunday and told the story that he (Dennis) was talking to one of Ronnies friends some time ago and he told Dennis that Ronnie came to his house and in the snooker room was a rack of ordinary cues and apparantly Ronnie just picked up one of the rack cues and knocked in a 136 break with it first frame!!

Oldgit

I know a good number of people personally who have done just the same.

Example....

A guy called Gary Heycock, picked up a cue I'd partially built, which was only roughly sanded, had no ferrule and was more or less a unfinished piece of wood weighing about 14 oounces. Then, he went to table one in the snooker club you came to with me Mike, and made breaks of 88, 90, 104 and 99 in four consecutive frames.

I've never forgotten it, or the look on the face of my good mate John Griffiths. He weren't happy at all.

He actually did a similar thing with a cue he borrowed from a lad on the next table to him in the same club, saying ooh, nice old cue that, you mind if I have a frame with it. 130 break odd later, he gave it back and picked up his own cue again to carry on playing.

I have plenty more true stories just the same, so what Ronnie did is not entirely unique in that sense.

He's still an outstandingly amazing player though.

[trevs1]

Yes.
But that's ok Watford... envy/jealousy comes in many shades of green.
Your go at him is dressed in Hunter's green, but Parris does set himself up as fair game.

Parris cannot be faulted for taking advantage of a "news" item to polish his image as not only the pre-eminent cue-maker, but as the "savior" of the world's brightest (sic) snooker star.
Congratulations, John, but be careful of what you wish (advertise) for because you may get it.

For those with scant knowledge of snooker, his infomercial was clear and well-done and hopefully encouraging to potential new players.
For many of us on TSF, knowing there are other "go to" guys, at least as deserving as JP, it seems unfair and opportunistic.

It's clear that the more demand for Parris cues, the more demand on his shop production and the more diluted the handmade quality of his cues. Pretty soon he will walk in at the end of the day, bless "his" creations with the Master's quick buff handjob and then trot off to the bank (I mean no disrespect to JP, this is a natural evolution in successful craft-based businesses).

That being said, in my books, it makes the work of Trevor White, Mike Wooldridge, Will Hunt, et al far more desireable and ultimately valuable.

(Trev... I smashed my cue last night. I have to play in a non-Masters tournament on Saturday. SEND CUES!)



=o)

Noel

I'm on it Noel, packing em up as I type.

[robsonj]

What I found amusing about the Beeb thing was it showing him going to a rather damp looking timber yard, selecting and tucking under his arm a 'single' board, from a pile of stock which appeared as though it was partially lying in pools of water.

I thought he was going to repair a floorboard with that wood or something!

[adam_s_101]

I don't understand why people on this forum hate john parris so much.

So what if he was showing his face at the masters and got a few mentions, it's a great way for him to market his product and his business. I really don't understand why people are going on about it like its such a shameful act. He's out to make as much money as he can and good luck to him.

He makes great cues, ok some may not be quite as good as they used to be but all in all very good

[platt]

anyone know were i can see this film of parris making a cue ?