Delighted to announce I have formed a partnership with my friend and fellow professional snooker player Hammad Miah
The club formerly named castle snooker club in Hertford Hertfordshire, we’ve renovated and renamed it Hertford snooker club…..
Really excited for this adventure we will do our utmost to make it a quality place to enjoy snooker pool and live sport in a friendly welcoming environment, where you will be able to socialise and sample some of my famous cooking 😂
My great friend Jimmy White will be doing the opening night for us. Details will follow.
We will be opening soon, and plenty will be in the club, so please pay us a visit.
Many thanks
Alfie Burden
Introduction
There has been too much news over the years of snooker clubs closing down, so I was excited to hear the news on social media that my friends Alfie Burden and Hammaf Miah have taken on a joint venture to take over and rebrand the formerly named Castle Snooker Club in Hertford, Hertfordshire. Situated in Honey Lane, this club is steeped in history. The building was originally the Hertford premises for Montague Burton’s, first opened on Friday, 28 April 1939 and was previously the site for ‘The Old Coffee House Inn’, which dated back to around 1620 but was demolished in 1938 to make way for Burton’s new premises. The original carved pilasters of the building, recognised for architectural significance, were salvaged and are now housed in the nearby Hertford Museum.
The History
The in-house Burton Architects Department then redesigned the building under Nathaniel Martin, Chief Architect. The three-storey building is typical of the chain’s new stores from the late 1930s with its prominent corner position. There are three foundation stones which all survive, laid by Montague Burton’s three sons – Stanley Howard Burton (1914-1991) and twins Raymond Montague Burton (1917-2011) and Arnold James Burton (1917-2013). Construction of the new building was carried out by local builder Ekins & Co. Ltd., who were appointed as general contractors. Based at Hertford’s Great Northern Works on Hartham Lane, the company’s name, displayed on decorative glazed tiles, can still be seen on their former premises today. The familiar ‘Art Deco’ geometric friezes between floors were only used once at Hertford, with the band between the first and second floors facing bricks rather than stone, the reason for which is unclear. The classic Burton emerald pearl polished granite facade remains in situ. Upon its opening, the building featured three large neon signs supplied by Franco Signs of Oxford Street, W.1., which would have been illuminated at night.
The former Castle Snooker Club was situated on the first-floor level. The entrance to which is located on Honey Lane. The former side entrance retains the original mosaic floor tiles; however, a new door has partly obscured these. Aside from the loss of the 1939 shopfront, the rest of the building is in excellent condition, with the original metal casement windows by Messrs. Henry Hope & Sons, Ltd., of Birmingham, still in situ. It is a shame, therefore, that the design was not one of Martin’s most potent for the chain.
Exciting Times
am so happy about this new venture between two professional snooker players. If any club will work, it needs the input of people who know the game inside out and understand what makes a club tick. It is so important to have the business acumen and contacts to bring in amateur players and professionals for all the different events that this new club will organise. This is a big task, but once this club is recognised, I know it will do a roaring trade due to the reputation of the Castle Snooker Club established over the years in the city. This club is close to my heart as it is only up the road from where I live in Stevenage. We only have Stevenage Snooker Club, A.B.C.Snooker Club in Letchworth and Franks in Hatfield in the local area with the once Rileys, now a bingo hall. Happy times, and I wish Alfie and Hammad all the best when the club opens.
