St. Dunstan's Week at Thurston's

Leading Amateurs and Professionals in Remarkable Handicap

Lovers of billiards have reason to feel proud of the part played by the pastime in the relief of affliction brought about by the war. A few years ago billiards raised over £10,000 for the British Sportsmen's Ambulance Fund; last year it raised over £40,000 for St. Dunstan's; and this year it is hoped to raise many thousands more for the excellent Institution that has done, and is doing, so much to smooth life's pathway for the blinded heroes who fought and helped to win their country's battle but lost so much themselves.

The most recent effort on behalf of St. Dunstan's was made at Thurston's during the week ending March 26, when thirty-two of England's leading amateur and professional players took part in one of the most interesting handicaps that has been presented to billiard lovers.

Unfortunately illness prevented my old friend and colleague Mr. Harry Young (who has made the St. Dunstan's billiards effort his own, so to speak) from conducting the tournament which he was at such pains to organize.

That duty devolved upon the writer, who deemed it a privilege to be of some little assistance on a memorable occasion. I was also responsible for the handicapping, and, to be quite frank, I did not altogether relish the task of trying to bring together amateurs and professionals in short games of 250 up.

However (and I hope I am not overstepping the bounds of modesty in saying so), the handicap worked out pretty successfully, and gave us a competition which for sheer interest has seldom been equalled in the billiards world.

Apart from gold plaques for the winner and runner-up, there was no incentive for the players other than a keen desire to win, and the result was a series of games which reflected the greatest credit on all concerned.

The amateurs did well in the first round, nine of them surviving for the next stage, which, however, proved fatal to the aspirations of eight of them. Only Sam Mayo, the well known comedian, of the amateur brigade, fought his way into the third round, when he, too, went under. The final was fought out by two of the best of the second division of the professional element, and one of the best match games that I have witnessed ended in the victory of Arthur Peall, after Lawrence had at one stage led by nearly 300 points.

The prizes were presented by Major Orr, of St. Dunstan's, who paid an eloquent tribute to the generosity of Messrs. Thurston, the players, and the officials, in coming forward so handsomely in a good cause.

Twenty-four of the Thirty-two Contestants

Amateurs

H. W. Bond			R. J. Bullett
S. S. Christey			S. H. Fry
A. W. T. Good			A. E. Graham
P. Harwitz			W. B. Marshall
L. Stroud			J. G. Symes
W. D. Waite			P. Wood

Professionals

T. Aiken			W. J. Ayres
W. Cook			J. Davis
E. Diggle			F. Lawrence
J. P. Mannock			A. F. Peall
W. J. Peall			A. Raynor
W. Smith			T. Tothill