Kennerley cues
Kingsley Kennerley was probably most famous as an amateur immediately before the war, when he was just about unbeatable, at least in England, winning the billiards championship for four years in succession and making a world record break of 549. He also won the snooker championship twice. He would have turned professional in 1940 had the war not intervened.
During the war Kennerley played a lot of charity matches with Joe Davis who became a great pal, and probably with encouragement from the champion, he turned professional in August 1945.
Within days of being released from his wartime munition work. Kennerley subsequently advertised a top break of 1,168 at billiards, which I reckon must have been made in a practice game.
He was not so good at snooker and with this being the mainstay of the professional circuit after the war, he didn’t fare too well, although he stayed in the thick of it right through the 1950s. After this there was a big dip in interest in the 1960s, but he did pick up again with the revival of the 1970s.
I would imagine that all the cues have been made after he turned professional in 1945, although in which order they were made and for how long, is for someone else to speculate.
Wonderful to see three different styles of plate. They must have been producing this cue over a relatively long period of time.
Kingsley Kennerley was still playing up to his death in 1982, so they could possibly have been made over the best part of a forty year period.
Barrie v Kennerley 1950
I don’t have any good photos of Kennerley. This is about the best, from 1950, when he lost to John Barrie in the final of the UK Professional Billiards Championship.
Peter Ainsworth
Originally posted to the Cues n Views facebook page 15th February 2018
