Ozzy Osbournes Billiard Table

Ozzy Osbourne

Rock musician, Ozzy Osbourne doesn’t appear to have been a serious cue sports collector, however, he did at one time own a Norval & Sons billiard table. There is also a reference in an episode of The Osbournes podcast that discussed Ozzy’s “pool table quest,” which suggests he had a pool table at one time.

The Norval & Sons billiard table is in hand carved Columbian Pine, c1870. It was purchased around 1987 from the estate of a country house In Aberdeen when Osbourne lived in Beel House, Amersham, Buckinghamshire.

Norval & Sons, Glasgow

Norval & Sons, Billiard Table Makers had well stocked showrooms at their various premises and produced full size and miniature billiard tables, bagatelle tables, folding bagatelle boards and some innovative table designs.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries many firms tried to meet the need for a convertible billiard table for those who desired a billiard table but didn’t have the space. Norval & Sons introduced two designs, both of which met with much success.

The first, known as the “Popular Billiard and Dining Table” has leaves that are simply placed over the billiard table, the table can be raised to the proper height for play or dining in less than a minute.

The “Janus” named after the Roman god with two faces is a reversible table. One side is the dining table, the other the billiard table. The table is simply flipped and bolted in to position, and is ready for either purpose in a few seconds.

Norval & Sons manufactured many designs of billiard tables, and were particularly noted for their patent improved india-rubber cushions, which were always soft and pliable.

The firm, traded both at home and export and apart from tables also made a variety of requisites for billiards and other similar games.

The Table

The Norval & Sons table owned by Osbourne is, as of this writing, with Academy Billiard Co, West Byfleet.
https://billiardsnookerpool.com.

So while Ozzy may not be publicly known as a serious cue sports collector, he has clearly had an interest in owning quality billiard and pool tables over the years, particularly during his time living in England in the late 1980s.

John A Smith
Cues n Views