By Elliott West
Introduction
I must admit I have never met Dennis Taylor face to face, only on several occasions when he has been at tournaments and walked in the room. So it was fascinating to meet this true legend of snooker up close and get to speak to him about his long career in the sport and the memories he could share with me. I frankly wasn’t disappointed, this man has a very sharp wit that can drop a tirade of jokes into a conversation and leave you with laughter convulsions for hours. A human joke machine that if you put him in a room with Frank Carson, the bellow of laughter would be heard from another planet. A player who has been at the forefront of snooker, having played all the greats, dating back as far as Fred Davis and can calculate a shot choice at the blink of an eye.
The Night in Question
It is always a pleasure to travel to Faversham in Kent to attend one of the many snooker exhibitions organised by my good friend, Colin Phillips. Great snooker clubs are few and far between these days and so there is no better to spend an evening than at a snooker club steeped in history and lovingly maintained by the local members’ association, the Faversham Snooker Club.
Arriving at this historic, Elizabethan town with its winding cobbled streets on a Friday afternoon, it is only a short walk from the station to a charming and welcoming hotel, The Sun Inn. An establishment that has a cosy bar area and rooms that are great for relaxing amidst the maze of wooden beams that have held the building aloft for centuries.
Walking into the bar, I was greeted by the cheeky grin and twinkling eyes of Dennis Taylor. A man who put me instantly at ease and felt like you were just meeting up with an old friend. Over a coffee, the conversation flowed, sharing snooker stories and the odd joke before Dennis had to move his car due to parking restrictions in the hotel car park.
Meeting up again in the early evening, we made our way, a stone’s throw away to the local curry house for a much-needed repast. A restaurant where the staff tended to all your culinary needs amidst the plates of spicy curries, mountains of poppadoms and neatly piled naan bread. The service was efficient, friendly and even managed to deliver a highly sizzling curry to Dennis Taylor’s place at the table. A dish that reminded me of a volcanic eruption.
The Exhibition
The evening began with rapturous applause for this former world champion. Popular wherever he goes and a player who is highly regarded by snooker fans for his former glories and expert commentary technique. Beginning with an array of trick shots that the likes of Reardon, Spencer Pulman had rolled out in holiday camps of yesteryear. Mesmerising and full of laughs, trick shots are always a great starter to earn a crowd up before the main course, the exhibition itself. Armed with fibre tipped, John Parris cue, Taylor approached this beautifully maintained, antique table with a burning fire in his eyes and a spring in his step. An exhibition overseen by the superb snooker referee and dear friend, Richard Barnicoat.
Frame after frame, he picked his opponents off and as the night glided towards the midnight hour, the man from Coalisland, County Tyrone, just got better and better, producing snooker that oozed class as ball after the ball struck the back of the intended pocket. Although older and wiser, Dennis still remains a force to be reckoned with despite not picking up a cue very often these days.
Even in defeat, all those that lost to him, left with a smile because even a fleeting moment with Dennis Taylor is a pleasure. A man who brightens up your day and most importantly dedicated his time after the exhibition to sign autographs, have pictures taken with his fans and converse with his fans.
Afterthought
Saturday is another day and as I make my merry way to Stevenage, Dennis prepares to play another exhibition in Margate. I leave knowing that I finally got to spend quality time with this snooker great, someone who is fascinating, witty and most importantly entertaining. A formidable player during his professional career will always be one of the first names mentioned when someone is asked to name a snooker player. A firm favourite in snooker royalty and a name etched on the wall of the snooker hall of fame.