[Brighton] A Shout-out to the Castle Snooker Club

[GJN1]

Been a member here for a good few years now and dropped in last night for a few frames of pool and to watch the Liverpool game. It's one of my favourite places; reasonably priced beer, great atmosphere (without any of the menace of some of the snooker clubs I used when I was younger) and, above all, the nicest, friendliest staff I think I've ever encountered.

Hats off to all involved.

 

[Weststander]

Went there once in the 80’s! Loved the vibe. But I’m rubbish at snooker.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Yeh, I go down there loads and echo the above.

There's a decent juniors club if anyone has kids who want to play

 

[Happy Exile]

Hear hear! I love it there. Trying to work out how long I've been a member - my membership number is low enough that the staff sometimes comment on it and I think I joined maybe late 90s after a few years of going as a guest.

It's changed a lot in that time and used to sometimes - not always but sometimes - have a little bit of the seedy menace you mention. From memory it was open 24 hours or not far off when I first went, heavy smoke everywhere, two floors of snooker tables (no pool - I think it was just "Castle Street Snooker" in those days), and zero women where now, especially upstairs, it's a lot more mixed. I don't know if it's true or not but a guy I know insists they didn't even have loos for women.

There was a bit of card playing that went on sometimes that we got the impression not to pay too much attention to and one of the things I loved about it was the mix - posties pre-shift, hospital staff post-shift, students, all sorts.

Despite going for probably 30+ years I'm still rubbish at snooker though!

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Oh, yeh the other thing about the Castle, is that compared to pretty much any other club you'll go to, the snooker tables are top quality. They re-cloth them pretty regularly

 

[Happy Exile]

Oh, yeh the other thing about the Castle, is that compared to pretty much any other club you'll go to, the snooker tables are top quality. They re-cloth them pretty regularly

I play at Portslade Leisure Centre sometimes and the tables there are interesting Played a few frames there earlier this week and snookered my mate via the yellow taking an inexplicable last minute slow-motion bend of the kind Beckham would have been proud of, to nestle nicely behind the green! Less enjoyable when it prevents a pot but more fun if it works to your advantage!

 

[GJN1]

Oh, yeh the other thing about the Castle, is that compared to pretty much any other club you'll go to, the snooker tables are top quality. They re-cloth them pretty regularly

Pool tables are decent too.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I play at Portslade Leisure Centre sometimes and the tables there are interesting Played a few frames there earlier this week and snookered my mate via the yellow taking an inexplicable last minute bend of the kind Beckham would have been proud of, to nestle nicely behind the green! Less enjoyable when it prevents a pot but more fun if it works to your advantage!

Yeh, i've played at Portslade.

Fun, because snooker is fun. But if you're a serious player (which I can't claim to be), those tables are not going to be good enough

I hope you claimed the snooker behind the green as played for!!!

 

[Happy Exile]

Yeh, i've played at Portslade.

Fun, because snooker is fun. But if you're a serious player (which I can't claim to be), those tables are not going to be good enough

I hope you claimed the snooker behind the green as played for!!!

Of course

 

[Alan Cundle]

Hear hear! I love it there. Trying to work out how long I've been a member - my membership number is low enough that the staff sometimes comment on it and I think I joined maybe late 90s after a few years of going as a guest.

It's changed a lot in that time and used to sometimes - not always but sometimes - have a little bit of the seedy menace you mention. From memory it was open 24 hours or not far off when I first went, heavy smoke everywhere, two floors of snooker tables (no pool - I think it was just "Castle Street Snooker" in those days), and zero women where now, especially upstairs, it's a lot more mixed. I don't know if it's true or not but a guy I know insists they didn't even have loos for women.

There was a bit of card playing that went on sometimes that we got the impression not to pay too much attention to and one of the things I loved about it was the mix - posties pre-shift, hospital staff post-shift, students, all sorts.

Despite going for probably 30+ years I'm still rubbish at snooker though!

What's your membership number? Mines 3386 from circa 1996

 

[Happy Exile]

What's your membership number? Mines 3386 from circa 1996

Oh wow - mines in the mid 600's. I must have gone as a guest for a much shorter time than I thought. Possibly joined in 1993 in that case. Wouldn't have been before then. The mate I still play with joined the same day and we have consecutive numbers.

 

[Smirko]

Sounds popular, is there always a cue to get in...?

 

[GJN1]

Sounds popular, is there always a cue to get in...?

You've been black-balled.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

And after you've finished you can always go down to Chalk

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

If I recall correctly a Turk called Zeki used to own it, he was a laugh!