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break. Davis was presented with a certificate to commemorate the event. From 17 to 22 January Joe Davis played Willie Smith at both billiards and snooker. In the snooker match Smith received 28 points in each frame but, despite this handicap, Davis won the match by 23 frames to 13. The final match was a snooker contest, played on level terms, between Joe and
187:, the Leicester Square premises were destroyed by a parachute mine which demolished the south-western corner of the square. Only two minor injuries were reported. The building was housing an "exhibition of billiards antiquities" at the time and many of the items were destroyed. The last major event at the hall was the
261:
initially refused to accept the break since the match was not played under their rules. At the time the professionals played using a rule (now standard) whereby after a foul a player could compel the offender to play the next stroke. It was only at a meeting on 20 March 1957 that they recognised the
223:. The match was over 145 frames and was played from 13 to 25 October. Donaldson won the match 82–63, having taken a winning lead of 73–49 on the previous afternoon. Fred Davis made a 135 clearance in frame 86, just one short of the championship record.
163:
and built new premises there, including a "match room" which became known as "Thurston's Hall". The first important event hosted at the new venue was the
Billiards Association
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from 24 to 29 January. The contents were auctioned off on 2 February with the match table on which Davis had made his maximum break being sold for 270 guineas.
253:
compiled the first officially recognised maximum break at
Leicester Square Hall on Saturday 22 January 1955 in a match against 68-year-old fellow Englishman
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In 1900 Thurston & Co. Ltd. were forced to relocate from their premises at 16 Catherine Street because it was in the way of a new street from
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match in
November 1926. The hall was sometimes referred to as "Thurston's Grand Hall". There was also a "Minor Hall" in the same building.
167:. This was a round-robin handicap event featuring 8 professionals and ran from 7 to 12 October 1901. The event resulted in a tie between
211:
played an exhibition match from 6 to 11 October. Davis, conceding 10 points per frame, won 38–33. This was followed by the final of the
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257:. The match between Davis and Smith was played as part of a series of events marking the closure of Leicester Square Hall. The
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for the fourth successive time. A "summer" professional snooker tournament was started on 15 April but was abandoned in May.
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116:, and new management in 1947. The venue closed in 1955 and the building was demolished to make way for an extension to
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175:, with 6 wins out of 7. There was a play-off on the Monday. Peall received 100 start but Stevenson won 500–395.
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which relocated to
Leicester Square in 1901. The building was bombed in 1940 and reopened under a new name,
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The last competitive match at the hall was played from 13 to 15 January 1955 between
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The hall reopened under new management as the
Leicester Square Hall in October 1947.
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120:. The Hall was used for many important billiards and snooker matches, including 12
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247:, Joe finishing in second place. Joe made a 137 clearance on the final day.
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285:"Farewell Leicester Square – Hall of Memories lost to Billiards".
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304:"Billiard and Snooker Heritage Collection - Thurston & Co"
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finals between 1930 and 1953. It was also the venue of the
373:"Amateur Billiards – Kennerley retains the Championship".
243:. Joe won the match 19–18 but the tournament was won by
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465:"Professional Snooker – Big break by F Davis".
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1157:World Professional Match-play Championship
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332:"Billiards – The Association Tournament".
317:"Billiards – The Association Tournament".
108:, London. The hall was in the premises of
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259:Billiards Association and Control Council
547:"Davis record table sold off for 270gns"
135:
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552:Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer
189:English Amateur Billiards Championship
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241:1954/55 News of the World Tournament
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13:
450:"Donaldson the Snooker Champion".
239:. This was the final match of the
14:
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482:"Joe beats Fred for second place"
25:Leicester Square Hall (from 1947)
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126:first World Snooker Championship
1211:Sports venues completed in 1901
538:
530:"J Davis's Record Recognized".
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424:. 18 September 1947. p. 6.
213:1947 World Snooker Championship
104:venue between 1901 and 1955 in
519:. 24 January 1955. p. 12.
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321:. 14 October 1901. p. 11.
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191:which was won, on 5 April, by
1:
469:. 22 October 1947. p. 2.
454:. 25 October 1947. p. 2.
439:. 13 October 1947. p. 2.
336:. 15 October 1901. p. 5.
289:. 17 January 1955. p. 3.
269:
198:
7:
534:. 21 March 1957. p. 4.
183:On 16 October 1940, during
10:
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604:World Snooker Championship
515:"Maximum Snooker Record".
377:. 6 April 1940. p. 3.
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122:World Snooker Championship
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564:British Newspaper Archive
499:British Newspaper Archive
420:"Billiards and Snooker".
407:British Newspaper Archive
83:
75:
67:
57:
42:
30:
23:
435:"Professional Snooker".
1162:Black ball final (1985)
37:Thurston's Hall in 1903
159:. They moved to 45-46
148:
110:Thurston & Co. Ltd
1181:Cue sports portal
395:Birmingham Daily Post
390:"Miscellaneous Sport"
139:
114:Leicester Square Hall
87:1901–1940, 1947–1955
165:American tournament
20:
1201:Snooker in England
349:"Leicester Square"
193:Kingsley Kennerley
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554:. 3 February 1955
489:. 17 January 1955
235:and his brother,
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1147:Crucible Theatre
1125:Related articles
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217:Walter Donaldson
161:Leicester Square
106:Leicester Square
48:Leicester Square
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1137:List of players
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397:. 18 May 1940
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169:William Peall
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1142:Triple Crown
869:Crucible era
611:Early events
562:– via
556:. Retrieved
551:
540:
531:
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516:
497:– via
491:. Retrieved
486:
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460:
451:
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436:
430:
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405:– via
399:. Retrieved
394:
383:
374:
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356:. Retrieved
353:westendatwar
352:
342:
333:
327:
318:
312:
286:
255:Willie Smith
249:
230:
209:Sidney Smith
202:
182:
150:
140:Billiards -
113:
96:was a major
93:
92:
84:Years active
15:
558:30 November
493:30 November
401:30 November
358:30 November
118:Fanum House
62:Fanum House
58:Current use
1195:Categories
818:Knock-outs
771:Challenges
728:Match-play
270:References
264:Fred Davis
245:Jackie Rea
221:Fred Davis
146:Tom Newman
532:The Times
517:The Times
467:The Times
452:The Times
437:The Times
422:The Times
375:The Times
334:The Times
319:The Times
287:The Times
251:Joe Davis
233:Joe Davis
205:Joe Davis
199:Reopening
185:The Blitz
98:billiards
809:Mar 1968
804:Apr 1966
799:Dec 1965
794:Nov 1965
789:Mar 1965
784:Oct 1964
779:Apr 1964
215:between
227:Closure
179:Bombing
155:to the
153:Holborn
132:Opening
102:snooker
53:England
43:Address
157:Strand
76:Closed
68:Opened
51:London
46:45–46
1116:2025
1111:2024
1106:2023
1101:2022
1096:2021
1091:2020
1086:2019
1081:2018
1076:2017
1071:2016
1066:2015
1061:2014
1056:2013
1051:2012
1046:2011
1041:2010
1036:2009
1031:2008
1026:2007
1021:2006
1016:2005
1011:2004
1006:2003
1001:2002
996:2001
991:2000
986:1999
981:1998
976:1997
971:1996
966:1995
961:1994
956:1993
951:1992
946:1991
941:1990
936:1989
931:1988
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921:1986
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911:1984
906:1983
901:1982
896:1981
891:1980
886:1979
881:1978
876:1977
860:1976
855:1975
850:1974
845:1973
840:1972
835:1971
830:1970
825:1969
761:1957
756:1956
751:1955
746:1954
741:1953
736:1952
718:1952
713:1951
708:1950
703:1949
698:1948
693:1947
688:1946
683:1940
678:1939
673:1938
668:1937
663:1936
658:1935
653:1934
648:1933
643:1932
638:1931
633:1930
628:1929
623:1928
618:1927
560:2015
495:2015
403:2015
360:2015
237:Fred
219:and
207:and
171:and
100:and
79:1955
71:1901
1197::
550:.
507:^
485:.
393:.
351:.
295:^
277:^
144:v
596:e
589:t
582:v
566:.
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409:.
362:.
306:.
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