I’ve tried to put these photos in chronological order, but Jack didn’t date them like he did the newspaper clippings. Some of them are easy because of the trophies that are on show – and some because I’ve got newspaper clippings that date them for me. The others I’ve just guessed, based on his appearance and who else is in the photo. If anyone can put names to faces please contact me.
1938
A young looking Jack, I would put him around 24 meaning it would be around 1938.
1947
Cueing on the left was Victor Muff and on the right was the New Zealand professional Clark McConachy, who was in Huddersfield for three days in March of 1947 to play the leading local players at Greenside WMC. Along with Jack standing, is Selwyn Bradley and a few other players who were to meet Clark: namely Gladney Hoyle, Clifford Percival and Ronnie Kershaw. Clark made numerous century breaks along with one of 200, one of 313 and his best of 398. During those exhibition matches he made what was thought to be the first century break at snooker in Huddersfield against Clifford Percival of 108.
1947
This must be the Oxenham Trophy which was played for in the Blackpool & Fylde District Billiards Association Inter-Town Snooker Tournament. In 1947, Huddersfield, Blackpool, Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool and Derby contested for the trophy, with Huddersfield winning it for the second consecutive year. The side was Jack, Percival and Bradley, though Muff and Kershaw were mentioned in the programme. In this picture, which I presume is all the competing teams and officials, we have Jack on the back row top left with Selwyn Bradley next to him and Ronnie Kershaw next to him, at the end on the left of the first row standing.
1953
Jack receiving, what I believe is the Halifax and District Amateur Billiards Championship Cup in April of 1953, after beating Billie Bolton by 500 – 431 at Kings Cross WMC. This was his first of three titles in the four years that he was allowed to play, before they brought in a residency rule to stop him playing – bad losers! Mr W Smithies the Halifax Charity Billiards Association President, is presenting the trophy with match referee and association secretary Albert Birkby.
1940
I think this photo would be 1940 looking at Jack and knowing that the trophy on the right is the Huddersfield Snooker Championship Cup. Jack was playing at Sisson’s Billiard Hall at the time, and beat his club mate Herman Foster in a close final, 226 – 217. The other trophy should be the Huddersfield Billiard League Championship, as according to the handbook, Sisson’s won it in 1940. Unfortunately I do not know the names of the other men in the photo.
1946
A professionally posed photo with text added showing Jack’s Snooker Titles.
1946
I think this photo was taken at the same time as the one above looking at the table and the chequered floor under the table. It all ties in with Jack’s 1946 Huddersfield Snooker Championship win against Arthur Mitchell of Moldgreen Con. 460 – 341.
1950
The Huddersfield billiards team that played Keighley in the Yorkshire Inter-District League match, at the end of the 1949-50 season. Jack had been playing in the snooker team for the previous seasons and for most of this season, but the selection committee decided that he was best in the billiards team now and for the rest of his career. The team is:- Jack, Harold Burkinshaw, Gladney Hoyle on the back row, Willie Wood (reserve) with a member of the selection committee (name not known) Eddie Armitage (member of the selection committee) on the front row.
1953
It would appear that along with the cup, Jack also received a cue and a carriage clock. I can remember the clock being on our mantle piece above the fire for many years – it came with a huge key that you used to wind up the spring once a week so it kept time.
PICTURES FROM THE EVENING THAT JACK WON THE HALIFAX AND DISTRICT BILLIARDS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 1953
1953
Looking at this photo that appeared in the Halifax Courier, it would seem that this trophy was presented on the same evening as Jack won the Billiards Championship, and can be seen in the photo to the right along with other trophies that his team mates won during that season.
1953
Jack and Harold Burkinshaw in the final of the Yorkshire Area English Billiards Championship played at Elland Liberal Club in December of 1953, as referee Leonard Oldham looks on. Jack won 1098 – 1004 to reach the finals proper in London during February of 1954 for the second consecutive year and the highlight of the match was Jack’s break of 171 on the second evening.
1958
The newspaper says it all: these team mates of Jack are ones I remember very well. For information, the Conservative Club was on Brow Road, Paddock, and on Raven Street, Paddock was the Institute Club. I presume that the Conservative closed due to lack of members, much like clubs of today. Those members that were left would appear to have joined the Institute Club and so become Paddock Institute and Conservative club. It’s funny though, because nowadays the club is often referred to as the Con Club and not the Institute which it was.
1953
Jack and his team mates – but which team is the question. I don’t recognise any of the three gentlemen to the right which makes me think it could be the Rastrick Constitutional side that he played for in the Parish League. The trophies are another matter, we know the shield on the right is the Halifax Inter-Town shield won by the Brighouse side as reported in the photo to the left. The cup in the middle is the one in the photo above, the Halifax Billiards Championship. In a newspaper report it says that Jack wouldn’t be at the presentation night to receive the “magnificent” shield that the winner of the billiards championship is entitled to hold, so is that the one on the left? The cup on the right is definitely the Huddersfield Billiards Championship as I’ve seen this in other photos. Harold Burkinshaw (front row on the left) won it this year, so what is the cup on the left? The only other trophy that any of them won was the Yorkshire Inter-District Billiards League title of which only Jack played in, so it’s a bit of a mystery.
1954
Again, apart from Harold Burkinshaw, I don’t recognise anyone in this picture, but the two to the right of Jack appear in the photo above so it must be Rastrick Constitutional Club.
1958
This is a rare photo and probably the only one in existence as it shows three trophies won by players of the same club, Paddock Conservative Club. Jack won the Huddersfield Billiards Championship on the left, Frank Stringer won the Huddersfield Snooker Championship in the centre and the right hand trophy is the Snooker League Trophy mentioned in the newspaper clip on the left.
Jack Mellor 