Snooker at Head Office
The Images reproduced below illustrate a visit to Birmingham in October 1935 by the famous snooker player
Joe Davis (1901-1978).
The captions to the drawings refer to a snooker match that was probably held in the Bank's Head Office Assembly
Hall, and the cartoons include portraits of two members of staff: H G Wright and J P Hilton
World snooker ace, Joe Davis, playing the first of a series of games in Birmingham on behalf of the Lord Mayor’s War Relief Fund,
at the Recreation Room of the Municipal Bank, Broad-street, Birmingham, last night, proved too good for Kingsley Kennerley, of Birmingham,
the English amateur champion, at billiards, but he lost one of the two frames played at snooker.
Top of the table play by the champion
in a session extending over 40 minutes was the feature of an entertaining billiards game.
Davis monopolised the play, putting
45 on the board from his opponent’s opening safety shot, adding a neat 90, and ending the session with an attractively compiled and
unfinished break of 300.
The score was: Davis 439; Kennerley (rec. 250), 270.
Kennerley hit back in the first of the two
snooker frames, in each of which he received 21.
Potting with effect the Midland player made breaks of 23, 18 (twice) and 16
to win 112-18.
In the second frame Kennerley was beaten 46-93. Davis made the running throughout and compiled a break of 54.
His next best was a 19.
At the close Davis gave an exhibition of trick shots.
The event was reported in the local press, with an accompanying photograph
(Davis at the table)
Davis’s visit was the outcome of the initiative of Mr F H Normansell, the Aston Villa Chairman, who was backed up by members of the
Birmingham Wholesale Fishmongers’ Association, who were responsible for bringing the champion to the city.
The Lord Mayor (Councillor
T B Pritchett) extended a welcome to Davis and his opponent, Kennerley, and thanked the promoters for the efforts they are making
on behalf of the War Relief Fund.
The Lord Mayor also announced that the directors of Dare’s Brewery had offered to give to the
fund ten guineas for every 100 snooker break made by Davis during his series of games in Birmingham this week.
Davis did not
bring ten guineas to the fund last night, but he autographed four cues, which he auctioned himself and they realised a total of £18
6s 6d. This with a collection produced more than £35 for the fund.