Here and There Notes

• Mr. Farrow's billiard table and accessories sold for £86
• A second-class billiard professional championship is suggested
• A Sheffield and Hallamshire Billiards Association is projected
• Mr. J. R. Hooper used an eye-shade when playing his heats in the amateur championship.
• W. W. Escrick, the well-known National Liberal Club marker, is publishing "Trifles" in verse.
• The number of breaks above 500 made this season by some of the leading players has been remarkable.
• W. Cook thinks that an easily-removable platform, two inches high, for ladies playing billiards would be a good thing.
• Last year 41 breaks of 100 and upward were made in the amateur championship. This year there have not been so many.
• Newman is said to be following Smith's lead in playing with a brass-ferruled cue. Of course, there are horn ferrules that are fairly common.
• A Morning Post correspondent referred to Stevenson and Reece as the great "artists" in billiards, and to Inman as the great "artisan."
• The Licensed Victuallers' Billiard Handicap profits go to the Licensed Victuallers' School and the Licensed Victuallers' Benevolent Institution.
• The Midlands Amateur Championship, which includes seven counties, will be commenced on March 7. Lawrence is the holder and Breed the ex-holder
• Annual eliminating competitions, both amateur and professional, in preparation for the two great billiard events of the year, have been much spoken of during the month.
• Mrs. H. Webster, of Surbiton, has issued a challenge to play any woman amateur player for the championship, the whole of the proceeds to go to St. Dunstan's.
• Objection is sometimes raised to the "pace" of modern cloths and cushions, but it has to be remembered in this connexion that on only a really fast table can a ball be kept out of baulk after a forcing half-ball loser into a bottom pocket.
• Mr. J. R. Hooper's biggest break in Australia was 408. Meanwhile in the tournament open to members of clubs in this country, announced in this issue, there is an amateur who claims a 411 break. By the way, Mr. Hooper states (sportingly) that he greatly admires the play of both Mr. Fry and Mr. Graham Symes.
• Leeds, Bradford, and Scarborough are amongst the Yorkshire towns that have their local amateur championship matches. Of Kettering Mr. H. Patrick is again the amateur champion.
• The Amateur Snooker Championship contest, in which Mr. A. R. Wisdom is defending his title, commences on Monday, February 21, at Messrs. Burroughes & Watts's Soho Saloon. Mr. S. H. Fry plays.
• In the Amman Valley Division of Wales persons under sixteen may not enter billiard halls, which have, furthermore, to close at ten. At Manchester the licensing magistrates drew the line at public billiard tables in kitchens.
• Smith preferred not to play in London during championship matches. Meanwhile Reece says that if he wins the championship he will be after Smith and Inman with £1,000 in one hand and his cue-case in the other.
• "William," of Cardiff, who has called scores for 55 years, has been presented by Cardiff citizens with a Treasury note-case containing £35. Half a century ago W. T. Dugdale marked in a Roberts v. Cook championship match.
• Mr. H. C. Virr, six times amateur champion, is now engaged in the billiard-table manufacturing business.—Mr. W. J. Peall, the old spot end professional champion generously takes part from time to time in exhibition matches for deserving charitable objects, and his kindness in this respect is greatly appreciated.
• Early competitors in the amateur championship were said to complain of the balls provided, which, without being either "tomato-coloured" or "square"—both of which features Inman objects to—may possibly have erred in some intermediate direction. Or could it, by any chance, have been the players who were themselves at fault?
• Inman and Smith, who are not taking part in the professional championship because (they say) of its conditions, and who forfeit their £100 deposit (although Inman asserts that he will resist this), play a level match of 16,000 points up for £250 a side at the Albert Hall, Leeds, beginning on February 21. A second match, on the same conditions, will be begun by them on March 7, at Messrs. Orme's Rooms, Manchester.
• There have been 39 amateur billiard championships, but only 15 different winners, as follow:— Mr. S. H. Fry (seven times), Mr. A. P. Gaskell and Mr. H. C. Virr (six times each), Mr. A. E. Wisdom, Mr. S. S. Christey, and Mr. A. W. T. Good (three times each), Mr. H". A. O. Lonsdale, Mr. W. D. Courtney, and Mr. J. Graham Symes (twice each), and Mr. A. H. Vahid, Mr. H. Mitchell, Mr. T. Maugham, Mr. W. A. Lovejoy, Mr. E. C. Breed, and Major A. H. Fleming (once each). Mr. Courtney, W. A. Lovejoy, and possibly others have since passed away.