About the Club

19 Wargrave Rd, Twyford, Berks, RG10 9NY
For enquiries, contact the Secretary, Malcolm George :
twyfordsnookerhall@gmail.com  07938 735045

We are currently at the membership limit and don't expect to accept any new members before October 2023. Visitors are welcome with members as always, and there is a waiting list if they wish to join.

News for Members

Vaping is prohibited

(After a unaminous vote of the Management Committee.)

Housekeeping

We employ a cleaner once a fortnight to keep the place swept, but otherwise it is up to members to keep the place tidy. So please ensure that you always clear up properly at the end of your session:
  — Drink cans should be emptied, and the empties placed in the bins provided, along with any other rubbish.
  — Glass bottles must not be left in the club. They must be taken away with you.
  — Any tea, coffer, sugar, biscuits etc left in the club must be in sealed containers. Unsealed foodstuffs will be disposed of.

If you are playing on a Sunday evening after 6pm, could you please ensure that any full blue binbags are placed outside the front gate. (Thanks.)

Care of equipment

Please always roll balls onto spots (like on the telly!), i.e. do not drop them vertically onto the spot.

Also, we have separate sets of balls for billiards. Please do not use a coloured snooker ball for the Spot Ball.

Coaching available

Professional coaching can be arranged on a personal basis with one of our ace players, Phil Benton. If you are interested please contact Phil, by phone, text or email:
07540 844794 / philip@philipbenton.com

Membership

Note: we are currently at the membership limit and don't expect to accept any new members before October 2023.

The club has developed a system of operation whereby members have a personal access key which allows players to book and use the club at any time day or night, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

This arrangement is possibly unique as most snooker clubs operate with fixed daily opening times.

Twyford, being a commuter village, attracts new members all year round as some members do naturally move away.

We have members with all levels of skill, from absolute beginners to Henley League standard. Wherever you are yourself, you'd be welcome to join. (Despite its historic name of “Twyford Men's Club”, as in “Histories” below, the Club is of course open to everyone.)

Members can also bring a guest player along for a pound. (Many a guest has found themselves becoming a member later!)

We also hold regular but very informal coaching sessions, where any member can come and talk to the more experienced members about technique and so on.

Covid allowing, we have teams in the Henley District Billiards League in the winter months, and in the Summer Snooker League.

Booking

League

The Henley Billiards League began again in November 2022.

Click here to see the Club's results and progress.

History

The Club, and the Hall

Twyford Snooker Club was originally known as Twyford Men's Club, and moved to its current location on the Wargrave Road in 1909 although the history of the club dates back to before 1880. The Twyford Guide & Directory dated 1898 records a working men's club with over 100 members. From inception the local church had involvement in the running of the club and in 1898 the founder and President of the club was the Rev. E.G. Wikinson of St. Mary's Church, Twyford. The management committee consisted of local people who had involvement in many parish activities including H.W. Verey, L. Treacher, H. Franklin and E.S. Davis.

It is not known where the club was located prior to 1880 but it provided a mixture of recreational facilities such as cards, bagatelle, draughts, dominoes, horizontal bar and boxing. In 1880 “The Beeches”, a complex of a restaurant, known as “The Café” with living quarters, a Hall and a lodging house was built on the Waltham Road (now a Cycle shop&cafe) with another entrance in Station Road). However the commercial venture was not a success and shortly after opening, Twyford Men's Club moved to the new Hall there. The Hall accommodated a full-sized billiards table and a reading room was also provided with several daily newspapers and periodicals as well as refreshments of tea, coffee and other non-alcoholic drinks for a small charge. It opened between 7pm and 10pm six days a week and on three evening per week gymnastic exercises were held between 9pm and 10pm. According to the local schoolmaster, Mr. T.J. Hewlett, “rather a lot of boxing was indulged in”, possibly suggesting Twyford young men were very physical!

The club operated from The Beeches for about 25 years but at some point (date unknown) it transferred to the Assembly Rooms (on the site of the small communal garden belonging to the residents of The Grove, in present day Twyford). A photograph of the Assembly Rooms is displayed at The Waggon & Horses pub and it seems that the building was the focus for many voluntary activities. The lantern above the main entrance had the name “Twyford Men’s Club” painted on the glass surround. The arrival of the Rev. R.W.H. Acworth as parish priest in 1903 had a considerable impact on the future of the club and as Club President, the vicar was instrumental in moving the club to the Wesleyan Chapel on Wargrave Road in 1909.

The Wesleyan Chapel, Wargrave Road, had become vacant with the death of the Minister, Jabez Peaceful, in 1904 and the congregation moved to Reading. The Minister lived in the lean-to extension of the building with the domestic kitchen added to the rear. The chapel appears to have been empty for a few years following the departure of the congregation. However, when the Men's Club moved to Wargrave Road the records show that the club was paying the vicar a rent of £1 per month. The vicar bought the chapel with the proceeds of an inheritance from his deceased mother's estate. The vicar was known to be a very energetic and personable character with a reputation for getting things done (today we'd probably call him a “Mover & Shaker”) with involvement in disparate parish matters which are well recorded. He was to have quite an impact on the club in the immediate aftermath of The First World War.

With the outbreak of war in August 1914 the men of Twyford were quick to respond to the call to arms. By December 1914 there were 90 serving old boys of the school and by January 1915 that figure had increased to 100. By the end of the war in November 1918, 276 men had enlisted and it is said that the Rev. Acworth wrote to every serviceman from Twyford. No doubt the war had a devastating effect on the citizens of Twyford as it did in most communities. No less than 34 Twyford men perished during the four years and the first fatality occurred on 18th September 1914 when Corporal Albert Evans, 1st Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment was killed. Sadly the last casualty, Lieutenant George Jarvis, 5th Cavalry Reserve, was killed on 28th September 1918 just six weeks before the Armistice on 11th November 1918. Several local families lost one or more sons and the death toll must have affected the inhabitants of almost every street and road in Twyford. The sound of muffled church bells must have sounded many times during the long years of conflict.

With the conclusion of the war the Rev. Acworth was once again active in supporting the men of Twyford who had survived and returned home. In February 1919 a meeting was held to wind up the funds of the Twyford and Ruscombe War Committee and the cash balances were apportioned between the Working Men's club and the Berkshire Prisoners War Fund. Rather curiously, as part of the War Committee winding up process a number of captured German Army rifles were gifted to the club for storage (possibly for display) and nothing is known about what happened to them. Perhaps they were issued to The Home Guard during the Second World War?

In May 1919 Rev. Acworth retired to Margate, Kent, but was soon to return to Twyford for the unveiling and dedication of a commemorative tablet to the men of Twyford who served their country. The tablet is unusual in that it includes the names of every man who served during four years of dreadful conflict. Two hundred and seventy six names appear on the tablet recording 34 killed and the remainder as survivors returning home.

The men of Twyford and Ruscombe made a great contribution to the war effort and bearing in mind the population at the time of the national census in 1911 recorded less than 1,200 residents (49% males, 51% females), those men who enlisted over four terrible years of conflict accounted for 47% of the entire male population of the village. We will probably never know how many of these young men returning from France and Belgium became members from 1919 onwards but those who did must have shared their wartime experiences and perhaps membership was a “mental release valve” for many who were scarred by the horrors of trench warfare.

A grateful vicar showed concern for his fellow men by “gifting” the Wesleyan Chapel to the men of Twyford for their selfless contribution to the war effort and so from 1919 onwards members had a club dedicated to the playing of billiards and snooker although other social activities continued as before. There is a story that a second full-sized billiards table was donated to the club by the owner of The Hermitage, a large house long demolished on what is now Hermitage Drive. The table is still used and estimated to be at least 130 years old.

Alan Jones, October 2014

Note on restoration: The Hall, which is also open for hire, has in recent times been in great need of repair. Thanks to the generous donations received throughout the centennial celebrations, we have now replaced the roof, and with generous assistance from Ruscombe Construction have repaired and repainted the exterior – other issues from plumbing to plastering are now in progress. We have closed donations for the moment on our GoFundMe page.

The Memorial

There is a well-known stone memorial in Twyford Churchyard to those who fell in the war. Few know there is a second memorial, inside this very Hall, which is unusual in that it lists the names not just of the Men of Twyford who lost their lives, but also of those who returned.

The Names of those who served

Much effort has been rightly expended, in centenary celebrations, to honour those who gave their lives for their country in the Great War 1914-1918.

Equally deserving of our praise are those who fought, and returned, to help build the community that we know today. We now better understand the physical and mental injuries that these men carried; some for the rest of their lives.

Among the 240 who returned are men like Jack Baldwin DFC, the “Ace of Twyford”, who downed 16 enemy aircraft, and Jack Giles MM, the well-known basket-maker of London Road. They were both trustees of the Club.

Was your grandfather or great-grandfather one of these heroes? You can check below — and do take the opportunity to see the memorial at the club Open Day, held every December.

The Names on the TMC Memorial, as you read across, are repeated below.

 

These men of Twyford lost their lives:

L Attwell, A H Davis, L M Hawes, T L Munday W Bacon *, L Eaton, C Hawkins *, A L Piercy E Bennett, W Eaton, E T Holloway, S Reeves A Blackall, A A Evans, G F J Jarvis, G Robbins S T Blackall, E Excell *, J A Kidd *, E A Saunders S Burgess *, H G Franklin, H Knibbs, E J Scott W G Caller, A C Goffe, A W J Mariner, W J Stone G Clisby, H W Hawes, B F V Mariner, W Warwick *

A E Hunt, W G Mousley

Those names marked * do not appear on the Twyford War Memorial in the churchyard, although E T &  E A Excell are commemorated in Ruscombe.

 

These men returned:

Board 1

W N Alexander, P Bassett, G Bryant, S Collyer Alby. Andrews, E Backett, A J Burgess, A G Cook Art. Andrews, S J Backett, W J Burrows, A B Cox E Andrews, W Bedborough, Jn. Burton, A Cross F R Armsden, E Belcher, J J Burton, W H Curtis H F Attwell, E H Bell, J H Bushnell, W N Davenport H M Attwell, H D Bennett, F Butler, R Davies A A Austin, H W Bennett, A E Clarke, H F R Dentry E Austin, E J Blackall, C B Clarke, C H Dorey F A Ayres, A W Blyth, J G Caller, G Dorey H B Ayres, H Blyth, S J Caller, L H Dorey R C Ayres, T Blyth, W R Caller, C Drake S Baldwin, J Booth, H Chamberlain, D Drake H Bacon, W E Booth, J Chester, E Drake F Baldwin, C C Boshier, G F Chester, G Dungay O M Baldwin, Ed. Bosley, H Coke, J W Eaton A R Barnett, Ern. Bosley, W Coke, W G Eaton A Bassett, W Bosley, G S Coleridge, C J Edmunds C Bassett, O Boulton, J C Collins, E Evans

H S V Bassett, T Brown, F Collyer, F Evans

 

Board 2

S P Evans, H Goodchild, M Higgs, W J Insell W Evans, O Goodchild, D Hillier, M J Jarvis Alb. Excell, A Goodwin, H Hitchman, A F Kidd Art. Excell, E Goodwin, G Holdaway, F M Kidd J Excell, J Goodwin, T F Holdaway, J W Kidd W Farnham, H Gray, F W Hopkins, C Knibbs A Fawdry, T Gregory, E J Horwood, W L Knibbs W Foster, T N Gregory, A Huggins, C W Laney F Franklin, W J Grimshaw, S T Huggins, J J Laney V Franklin, P F Halfacre, A Hunt, G A Lever F Fraser, P B Hancock, Art. Hunt, A J Lewendon H Gamblin, H Hancock, H C Hunt, W Litten R T Gearing, A Harding, J Hunt, T C Lumley A Gilder, H C Harms, W Hunt, E Mariner J Giles, G Haslett, Wm. G Hunt, H Marshall L Godolphin, H V S Hawes, A T Hussey, T Marshall A E Goffe, A T Haydon, E E Hussey, A G Martin C Goffe, P J Hewlett, H Hyde, Art. Martin F E Goffe, V G Hewlett, W J Ings, J C W Methven

H J Goffe, W H Hewlett, W G R Ings, E J Mills

 

Board 3

R Mitchner, W Portsmouth, W H Smith, G F Webb W Moore, G Pounds, F J Spackman, J Webb C E Mousley, T C R Price, C Squires, O J Weedon P L Mousley, W J Prismall, G Squires, F J Wells R Mousley, A E Pullen, H Squires, S Wells W F G Mousley, F Redman, W Squires, S H West E F Munday, H Robertson, A E Stone, W E West J V Munday, A Rose, R Stone, W P S West A F Napper, F Searle, S Stone, A Westbrook R Napper, H W Seward, F L Thompson, E Westbrook W Napper, J Seymour, E J Thrumwood, C Wheeler A Palmer, A W Shale, R J Trollope, V Wheeler J Parsons, A J Sherwood, C H Turner, G White E W Pearce, P Silvey, S W Varndell, A J Wicks G Phillips, E Simmons, H E Verey, F Wigmore H Pibworth, E J Skidmore, A T Walter, H J Wigmore P W Pibworth, S A Smallcombe, W G Walter, A Williams S A Pibworth, A Smart, F T Walters, C Williams G F Piercey, J W Smith, W Ware, W A Williams H J Pointer, T Smith, A Warwick, R Young

T Smith, F Warwick

 

Total returned: 242