Grand Re-opening of Rileys Victoria

The nation's capital experienced another grand opening night on Thursday, however this time it wasn't anything as mundane as a West End musical or a Tom Cruise blockbuster. No, this event was far more important: the re-opening of London’s legendary Victoria pool hall.

In keeping with a growing trend, Victoria has received the full Rileys makeover. Gone are the tacky Americana on the walls, in its place are understated lights, pastel walls, and comfortable lounges. 4 snooker tables have been removed and replaced with 6 SAM tables, making a total of 9 SAM tables along with two sensational Brunswick Gold Crown III match tables (one with Simonis 860 championship cloth) and the remaining 4 snooker tables. A feature unique to Victoria is that one of the Gold Crowns has a video camera in place that allows matches or practice sessions to be recorded for a small fee.

Steve Davis was on hand to entertain the 50-strong crowd with his banter and constant stream of challengers wanting to take on the former 6-time world snooker champion. From giving ad-hoc lessons to his displays of tremendous cue power, Steve was the consummate professional and proved his mastery of snooker has translated extremely well to the 9 ball table.

The general consensus from all of the 50-strong invited guests at the VIP night on 20th May, was that the place looked sensational. Congratulations must be passed along to manager Joanne Billings, husband Chris and all the staff for all of the hard work they have put in to make Victoria one of the premier cuesport facilities in the country.

- Dave Quinlan