Please note that we are closed over the coming Bank Holiday weekend:

• May 1st to 4th - Open as usual, from 10am to 6pm
• May 5th (Saturday) - Closed
• May 6th (Sunday) - Closed
• May 7th (Bank Holiday Monday) - Closed
• May 8th onwards - Open again as usual

If you have any queries regarding our opening hours, or anything else, please give us a call on 0800 622 6464 or 01454 413636.

Have a great Bank Holiday Weekend...

Caine Monroy, a 9-year old boy from East LA spent his summer holidays building an elaborate arcade from empty cardboard boxes in his Dad's used auto parts store.

We stumbled accross this wonderful story and film by Nirvan and Interconnected.

"Caine dreamed of the day he would have lots of customers visit his arcade, and he spent months preparing everything, perfecting the game design, making displays for the prizes, designing elaborate security systems, and hand labeling paper-lunch-gift-bags."

"One day, by chance, I walked into Smart Parts Auto looking for a used door handle for my ’96 Corolla. What I found was an elaborate handmade cardboard arcade manned by a young boy who asked if I would like to play. I asked Caine how it worked and he told me that for $1 I could get two turns, or for $2 I could get a Fun Pass with 500 turns. I got the Fun Pass."

Caine's Arcade from Nirvan Mullick on Vimeo.

"This short film tells the story of Caine’s Arcade, and of our attempt to make Caine’s day.

A roughcut of the film premiered at DIY Days, where Caine set up his arcade for people to play. Caine was commissioned by an attendee to build a custom cardboard claw machine, which he did for $80.

After the flashmob, at the end of the day as Caine and his dad drove home, Caine turned to his dad and said, “Dad, this was the best day of my whole life.”

Please visit Caines Arcade page for further information or to make a donantion to the Caines Arcade Foundation  all proceeds help foster and fund creativity and entreprenuership in more kids like Caine.

Yippee..... Our jukebox has landed! 

We have taken delivery of a Sound Leisure 1015 Jukebox Slimline in the beautiful blonde oak with Diamond pack and iPod dock in our Bristol showroom.

These jukeboxes are handbuilt in the UK, by master craftsman and women and have been so for over 30 years. They are made to order using the finest materials with the care and attention to detail of the classic Golden and Silver era Jukeboxes. Sound Leisures belief is that a jukebox should not be a mass produced item, it should be hand built by people (not robots), using the best woods, chromes and glass and plastic work possible.

There are plenty of mass produced, plastic replica jukeboxes on the market - none of which you will find on our website we would like to add! Good quality Jukeboxes are investment pieces that will retain and sometimes even go up in price over the years. There are some silver age jukboxes from the late 1950's being exchanged for £15,000+ even in the current market. 

We are the only company in the UK that offer these Sound Leisure Jukeboxes on low monthly payments* from as little as £60 per month for a Starlight model to £95 for a New 1015 model. If you would like to know more about our finance options please click here. *19.5% APR subject to acceptance.

At Home Leisure Direct we pride ourselves in only selling product of a certain quality which is why you will not see cheaper models or as we call them, toy jukeboxes on our website. The price of a jukebox simply reflects the time, skill and attention to detail it takes to make an truly authentic jukebox. 

They are stunning peices of audio equipment too with a great authentic sound and personality. This wonderful Jukebox in now on display so come along and view the Sound Leisure 1015 in our Bristol Showroom, pick through our tunes or even bring your own iPod to listen to your favourite tracks!

They have officially landed, Adidas' new range of tables tennis tables and table tennis accessories now for sale through Home Leisure Direct.

We are really excited to finally have these tables for sale in time for the busy Spring table tennis season and boy they look awesome!

The Adidas range is German made, with precision engineering and reliability being it's key features, which in our opinion will make them an incredibly popular range this Spring.

They are more modern and sleek in design than any table tennis range we have ever sold, so their range will be a go-to collection for any style conscious home.

Prices start from just £249 for an indoor model and £399 for an outdoor model.

With the kids now off school for at least a couple of weeks, the Easter Holidays are here!

Please check on when our Showroom and Phonelines are open during the Easter break.

You can shop online on our website at all hours, drop us an email anytime, even give us a call whenever you like and leave a message on our answer service. If we are closed at the time we will respond on the next day we are open.

Please note that on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th April our phonelines will be open but the Showroom will be closed.

Have a great Easter Holiday!

Please note: if you are ordering a Butterfly table tennis table the next day delivery service is not available during the Easter weekend (6/4 to 9/4).

We have just taken delivery of one of the most luxurious pool tables in the country which is now exclusively on show in our Bristol Showroom. 

Le Blacklight Pool Table by Toulet is by far the most stylish pool table we have ever seen and we now have the privilege of finally having one in our on display.

This table already graces the home of a number of premiership footballers as well as a world famous talent show judge who likes to wear very high waist trousers! (You know who we are talking about).

At prices starting from £24,000 and a variety of finishes and colour combinations, this truly is a bespoke product for the discerning client.

UPDATE: we are now back online, as of 1pm Friday 23rd Match, following our outage at 9.30am on Thursday 22nd March.

Please accept our apologies for any delays in repsonse, we are working through the backlog now and hope to be back on track by close of business today.

Thanks for your understanding.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Unfortunately we currently have no email service available, due to an outage of the broadband connection to our Head Office.

BT are currently working to rectify the issue, and we are told we should be back on line before close of business Friday 23rd March.

In the mean time please contact us by phone, on either 0800 622 6464 or 01454 413636.

All orders placed via the website will be processed as normal.

Many thanks for your understanding.

You may have read in the news that Prime Minister, David Cameron gave Barack Obama a customised table tennis table as a gift this week as part of a memorable gift giving between the two nations.

We think it may have been a little joke between the friends as if anyone remembers the last time these two world leaders played table tennis together, Well; it was all quite embarrassing! 

Personally I think DC should have bought himself a table tennis table as he certianly needs to get some practice in before he heads to the White House on his next stateside visit!

A documentary by Seth Gordon, The King of Kong follows the antics of the Donkey Kong players in America the notorious Billy Mitchell who is seen of as a god-like Retro video game player and his likable nice-guy opponent Steve Wiebe.

Billy Mitchell seems to be the Brad Pitt of the Video Game world. He is full of cheesy one liners, horrifically patriotic ties and a haircut that wouldn’t look out of place in 1974. You just have to watch the movie to understand just how engrossing this guy is. He certainly has a way of controlling his minions and comes across almost as a cult leader. Kust get a glimpse of Billy in all his glory below.

His contender, Steve Weibe starts out on his quest to break into the cliquey world of Video Gaming and get this group of gamers to recognize him as a serious player. He is simply an school teacher, looking for recognition for his Donkey Kong score only to come fact to face with the politics and school yard mentality of a few of these grown men. 

It is a strange world filled with some wonderful characters, notably Walter Day who is a father-like figure for these teens, now men and the inspiration and forefather of Twin Galaxies, the worlds authority on video game world records, contests, statistics and championships tournaments. 

I won't spoil the whole spin of the documentary for you needless to say, I have watched this film no less that three times in the space of a couple of months. It’s outrageously compelling and utterly hilarious and almost unbelievable that such a sub culture exists even nowadays for Retro Gaming. 

The guy’s didn’t stop when the filming ended. This battle is still going strong, only for a newcomer, Dr Hank Chein to break onto the scene in 2011 and snatch that coveted world record only to beat his own world record again just a month later!

If you haven't watched it, you simply have to. It is available to buy on Play and Amazon or it is part of the Netflicks UK package. You can even watch the whole documentary on You Tube, albeit in 9 parts. With quotes likt e the one below, this cinimatic delight needs to be on your playlist. 

"Don't get chumpatized" - Mr Awesome AKA Ron Shildt

This is very geeky, amazingly awesome and the sound effects are just the best! Our retro arcade fans are going to love this.

This beautiful creation is by Guillaume Reymond, an extremely talented, eccentric Swiss/French Video Artist from the NOTsoNOISY Creative Agency. We would like to present to you, The Original Human Pac-Man Perfomance by Guillaume Reymond. Enjoy!

Check out this amazing gyroscopic Pool Table that was filmed on a cruise ship "Radiance of the Sea" during some particularly rough weather.

We had to share it with you..... even if it does make me feel us little bit queazy watching it!

When I think of classic arcade machines and games the first thing that comes to mind is Pac-Man. Who would have thought that this little yellow guy would have become such an important peice of arcade history and pop culture?

Thirty two years on people are still paying homage to this classic icon, but in all honesty we would rather they didn't, as we present to you a tasteless, absolutely horrible collection we like to call ....

10 Crimes Against Pac-Man

10) Pac-Man Plushy Hat

Well put it this way, wearing this is a sure fire way to make yourself look absolutely ridiculous. If this hat is supposed to be a joke, it's not funny trust me. Those laughs you are getting are at you, not with you my friend. You can salavge what little street cred you had if you just hide it away and we will pretend this whole thing never happened.

9) Pac-Man Poodle

I really feel for this dog, Look at the dead look in it's eyes. What little self respect this pooch ever had is long gone. All this dog wants is for someone to send him off to Dog Island so he can live out it's final years with a bit of respect. Pac-Man would have never agreed to this.

8) Pac-Man Boxer Shorts

There is no way on earth a grown man should be wearing pants like these. Unless you are 12 years old, There is no simply excuse for such a creepy pair of undercrackers in your underwear drawer. Game Over? With pants like these the game never started.

7) The 'Real' Pac-Man

Always wanted to know what Pac-Man looked like in real life? Now you wish you hadn't. Some things are just not mean't to be.

6) Pac-Man Birthday Cake

"Suprise!" Um, you shouldn't have. No really, you should't have.

5) Pac-Man Fancy Dress

There is a strong chance this dress creates it's own static charge. I wonder if she thought when she started her modelling career that she would be modeling a polyester pac-man dress for £24.99? If you are going to a fancy dress party, at least make the effort.

4) Hideous Pac-Man Tattoo

I'm pretty sure she is going to live ot regret this choice. Yes dear, we all love Pac-Man but shaving the front of my hair and tattooing it on your face is just taking it too far.

3) Pac-Man Fancy Dress Suit

This looks as like a costume that a creeper would wear to a kids party. There is something very unnerving about a grown man wearing a suit like this for fun. There is a strong possibility that this dude is related to the McDonalds Hamburglar.

2) Disgusting Japaense Pac-Man Cake

Well this looks revolting. This creation was to celebrate 30 years of Pac-Man and was sold through the Circle K stores in Japan. There is something nuclear about this lurid yellow sugarbomb. I thought the previous cake was bad but this doesn't even look like food all from the country that gave us 'shirako'. *shudders*

Last by by no means least..............

1) The Pimp My Ride...... Pac-Man Car

........ this monstrosity. It's bad enough when people take £400 cars and stick £300 spoilers and £1000 wheels on them, but this is taking it to a whole new level of stupid. This is so bad it's almost good. Not only is the exterior painful to look at, but the interior and the detail on the alloys is mind boggling. If Pimp My Ride did Pac-Man.......

This list of disgustingly brilliant Top 10 Crimes Against Pac-Man was compiled by Home Leisure Direct.

Want to win that fantastic Pool Table from this seasons Geordie Shore house? If you've been reading our blog you may have seen our Exclusive Omega Pool Table is in this seasons Geordie Shore and might I add, it looks flippin' awesome! :)

The prize is worth over £700 and is signed by the cast of the MTV series. We are currently offering this as a prize over on our Facebook Page. All you have to do is follow us there to be in the draw and we will be giving the prize away once we hit 5000 fans.

So share our page with your friends and GOOD LUCK!

The following Terms and Conditions apply. Home Leisure Direct Ltd Facebook Competition is restricted to Mainland UK Residents who are over 18. The table will be delivered and installed to a ground floor location with easy access. The prize cannot be redeemed for cash or any other merchandise. Once the prize is announced it but be claimed within 14 days in writing to sales@homeleisuredirect.com. If we do not hear from you within this time frame the prize will be reissued. All prize winners must provide us with phtoos of the table in situ for us to use for promotional purposes.

At just 18-Months old, the table tennis career of Jamie Myska-Buddell looks promising.

The infant has become one of the latest YouTube sensations to go viral as he practices his forehand with his Dad and coach Kevin Buddell, who is also the Vice President of Woolwell Table Tennis Club in Plymouth.

This young player has table tennis in his blood. His older brother is a very promising table tennis talent and his mother; Marketa Myskova, was former womens champion in the Chez Republic.

So if this little lad can play, you can too! Table tennis is a fun, growing, accessible sport for all ages and fitness levels. We have a huge range of table tennis tables on our website or you can visit the English Table Tennis Association website, type in your postcode, find your local club and get yourself involved!

When you want chalk up your virtual cue then this is the ultimate trick shot. The ten best Pool and Billiard app games for your smart phone.

The competition for top spot in the app game market is fierce. Everyone is getting in on app development and while this has widened the market, it has meant that consumers are faced with a dazzling array of choice when it comes to app games for pool and billiards. 

How to Sync Your Balls into the right pocket

1. Pool is a very popular pool app and is rated highly by users. A very simple game and for a free download this is certianly one of the best out there.

2. Anytime Pool is a slightly older pool game but it's a great place to learn the strategy of online pool and billiards. Developed by EA, the app offers 3D scenes, and the ability to customise your shooting style. 

3. Motion Pool is an interesting app that lets you turn your iPhone into your pool cue. Just lay it flat on a table and use it as you would a pool cue. Aim is controlled by angling your iPhone in different directions.

4. Adrenaline Pool Online 2 is one of the first apps using 3.0 chat feature with the ability to chat your yoru apponent and play live online. With great gameplay and graphics, this app tables pool playing on the iPhoen to another dimension.

5. Pool Bar Online Hustle offers superb graphics and the chance to play an opponent in real life. The controls of the game are smooth, and the programming provides for some of the best shots and accuracy. You’ll have the 8-ball exactly where you want it to win big with this app.

6. If you’re looking for the celebrity touch, Steve Davis Online Pool is a class act. With several pool games including 8-ball, 9-ball and even a very tricky trick shots mode, you can play against the greats of the billiard world in international competition simulations.

7. Midnight Pool. Proof that good app games will always hit the cue ball hardest and fastest. Midnight Pool gives users a realistic setting with multiple characters and brilliant graphics. Moreover, it has a rocking soundtrack.

8. Crazy Pool is a huge seller although it’s not a traditional pool game. The game has one big trench around the table and you have to sink all your red balls without the yellow balls to fall. It’s a fun app and gets your pool fingers moving at breakneck speed.

9. Arcade Pool Online gives the opportunity to play against people around the world and it’s a great training app if you’re looking for a way to improve your pool or billiard skills.

10. Killer Pool is considered one of the best pool app games for iPhone. It offers a multiplayer function for up to ten people and has a range of challenges and outstanding graphics and accurate in-game physics.

Of course, if you’re a hands-on type of pool player, nothing beats the smell of the chalk and the lights hanging low over the verdant green felt while you take aim and watch the cue ball fly. Unfortunately, you can’t carry your pool table on the train to work each day, but you can download a virtual pool table to your pocket.

We stumbled across this epic ping pong ball skills video on youtube today by user PeteInABox. No table tennis table required!

Who would have thought that a simple pink table tennis ball and geometry would be so entertaining?

The video was in response to ChronicleUK Join The Chronicle Challenge “What are you capable of” video? Check them out on Youtube for information on how to submit your own video.

We have just recieved some very cool photos of our *Exclusive* Silver Omega Pool Table in this years Geordie Shore house.

We are really excitied to be working with MTV on this project and think the pool table looks amazing in on set.

The Silver Omega Pool Table is *Exclusive* to Home Leisure Direct and only £599 including Free Delivery!

Geordie Shore, Series 2 starts the 31st January on MTV at 10pm.

Home Leisure Direct - SALE!

Welcome to the Home Leisure Direct SALE!

We have bargains galore on offer in this year's Winter SALE. Whether you are looking for a Pool Table, Football Table, Air Hockey Table, or something as exotic as a Concrete Table Tennis Table we are sure to have the right product at the right price to tempt you.

There has never been a better time to treat yourself. There are also a number of planned price rises as manufacturers are forced to pass on rising costs of raw materials and transportation. So act now to grab a bargain...

Shop for SALE bargains now >>>

All our SALE! offers are marked with either "Price Reduction" or "Special Offer":

All products marked with "Price Reduced" have been offered at the higher price for 28 consecutive days within the last 6 months.

We show the RRP, the "Was" price, our current SALE! Price, and the current "Saving" against the previously higher price.

These items are brand new and available for delivery, either from stock or will need to be manufactured. Each individual product listing will show whether the item is in stock or will need to be made. If in doubt just give us a call on 0800 622 6464.

Please be aware that many of these items will be available in very small quantities which our buyers have sourced from our suppliers. When these deals are gone, they are gone. So don't dither - grab yourself a bargain!

All products marked with "Special Offer" will be supplied with either extra products or accessories as part of our SALE! offers. Each offer will detail the Terms and Conditions for each item, and whether additional items will need to be purchased for that offer to be made available.

For example, one of our most popular offers is where we give an additional Accessory Pack worth £60 when certain Pool Tables are bought along with Installation, which costs an additional £99.

Summary:

We carry some of the most desirable products for you to enjoy in the comfort of your own home. Our Winter SALE gives you a great opportunity to grab either a bargain where we have we have either a "Price Reduction" or a "Special Offer".

If you need any help selecting the right product, or need some details on availability please give our friendly Sales Team a call on 0800 622 6464.

Happy bargain hunting!

UPDATE:

Just to make sure everyone knows our opening hours we have posted this blog again, so it sits proudly at the top during the Christmas period.

Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

With the Phone Lines and Showroom busier than ever we thought it would be a good idea to let you know our opening hours for December, just in case you need to give us a call or pay us a visit. Find the full list below, going all the way into January 2012.

Saturday 3rd December will be the last Saturday that we will be open this year.

Of course you can still place an order through our website whilst our sales lines or Showroom are closed.

 We would like to wish all our customers old and new a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Home Leisure Direct are pleased to announce we have donated one of our awesome G-500 Garlando Foosball Table to the ITV's Text Santa Appeal show.

Our donation will be aired on Christmas Eve and will be recieved by a very worthy cause.

We are all really excited to watch on Saturday and hope you will all tune in too.

If you would like to make a small donation to the Text Santa appeal please donate by text. Choose to donate £1, £5 or £10 and text SANTA1, SANTA5 or SANTA10 to 70070.

Text Santa is on ITV on Christmas Eve at 7:30pm.

With Christmas only 10 days away we are getting lots of calls from customers desperate for last minute gifts to be delivered before Christmas. So, here is a quick guide to what's available and what's not.

Our advice is though, if in doubt, give us a call on 0800 622 6464 and we will happily double check availability for you.

Pool Tables:

Only the Zodiac American Pool Table is still available, for orders placed up until Tuesday 20th December, while stocks last.

We don't have any slots left for slate bed pool tables. We have plenty of orders coming in for January delivery, so if you definitely want a pool table we suggest ordering as soon as you have made your choice to receive it as soon as possible. We still have lots of pool tables in stock, so it's worth calling in to discuss your requirements.

Table Tennis Tables:

Butterfly Table Tennis Tables: for full size tables the normal two day delivery service is now no longer available, but we can still offer the next day delivery option, which is £12.99. This is available up until 11am 20th December. Please note that this is a one man service so the driver will need to be helped by an able bodied person to carry the item.

The Butterfly Junior Table Tennis table is still available up until 11am 20th December. This is a 3 day delivery service, which is not pre-booked with you. If you are out when they try to deliver they will leave a card for you to call up and arrange another date. Unfortunately we cannot pre-book any dates for delivery on these.

Cornilleau Table Tennis Tables: no more pre-Christmas deliveries available.

Football Tables:

Garlando Football Tables: no more pre-Christmas deliveries available.

FAS Football Tables: available until Tuesday 20th December.

Bonzini Football Tables: we have a couple of Bonzini Classic B90s available, but please call us to check as these are liable to sell quickly.

Pool Accessories:

We can take orders up to Friday 16th, but after this it may be possible but cannot be guaranteed.

Neon Signs:

No more availability now.

Jukeboxes:

We have a couple of Sound Leisure Jukeboxes models available, but they are likely to sell quickly, so give us a call to discuss your requirements.

Arcade Machines:

We still have Pac-Man machines available. Arcade Mania and Arcade Baby machines are still in stock too. We can also deliver most models from the Bespoke Arcade ranges. Please call us to discuss which model you would like and we will do all we can to get it to you before Christmas.

Air Hockey:

The Vortex and Scorpio models are both available to order before Tuesday 20th December, as long as stock lasts. The Sam Air Hockey models may also be available, depending upon what model you require and where you live, so give us a call with your requirements.

Have a very Merry Christmas from us all at Home Leisure Direct!

Just when you need it, we manage to secure an awesome deal on Garlando football tables!

That's right, you can save up to £60 off all the Garlando range of football tables priced under £700 in our Christmas Sale.

These tables available for guaranteed pre-Christmas delivery, as long as you place your order before 11am on Friday 15th December. But, bear in mind that at these great prices they are sure to sell fast, and when this batch of stock is gone, it's gone!

Click the link below to view our range of Garlando football tables and make your choice. If you need any help of advice please give our festively friendly team of advisors a call on 0800 622 6464.

Shop for Garlando Football Tables >>>

We are "serving up" a couple of Christmas treats for you, with some fantastic savings on selected Butterfly and Cornilleau table tennis tables. These great deals represent excellent savings against the usual prices of these tables. 

Every table comes with 4 bats and 6 balls, plus the outdoor models also supplied with a waterproof cover. They are selling like hot cakes, so be quick...

Indoor Tables:

Butterfly Easifold Indoor Rollaway Table Tennis Table - 16mm

Our Price: £194.97, usually £228.99. You save: £34.02

The standard Easifold Indoor comes with a 16mm playing surface, but this special edition has a 16mm playing surface. This still offers great playability, and incredible value for money for a table of this type. This table only comes in green.

The table is designed to split into two halves, each with four wheels, to enable easy movement and storage. The table comes reasy assembled, so just unpack and play on Christmas day.

It has a 3 year guarantee on the table, plus it comes supplied 2 bats and 3 balls as standard in the box, plus we give you an extra 2 Schildkrot Applegren Bats and 3 Schildkrot Deaton Balls.

Cornilleau Sport ONE Indoor Table Tennis Table

Our Price: £224.97, usually £248.97. You save: £25.00

The Cornilleau Sport ONE Indoor Table Tennis Table has a compact folding mechanism that's been specially designed to fold and unfold the table safely and with ease: you can even open it with one hand. This table only comes in blue.

It has ABS net posts and polyethylene net included which are fixed and integrated into the carriage. There are also handy balls holders built into the middle part of the table body.

It has a 3 year guarantee on the table, plus it comes supplied 2 bats and 3 balls as standard in the box, plus we give you an extra 2 Cornilleau Tecto Bats and 3 Cornilleau Tecto Balls.

Outdoor Tables:

Butterfly Compact Outdoor Table Tennis Table - Green (or Blue)

Our Price: £294.93, usually £344.97. You save: £50.04

The Butterfly Compact Outdoor table tennis table can be folded away to just a 3 inch depth and stored in the average garden shed or summerhouse so doesn't have to become a permanent feature of the garden unless you want it to. This table comes in either green or blue.

Add to that an extra strong melamine playing surface, wheels to make it easier to move and a table cover included in the price, and it's a lot of table for the money.

It has a 3 year guarantee on the table, plus it comes supplied 2 bats and 3 balls as standard in the box, along with an outdoor cover. Plus we give you an extra 2 Schildkrot Applegren Bats and 3 Schildkrot Deaton Balls.

Cornilleau Sport ONE Outdoor Table Tennis Table

Our Price: £299.97, usually £338.97. You save: £40.00

The Cornilleau Sport ONE Outdoor Table Tennis Table is another great recreational table from Cornilleau. Being weatherproof, it can be used just as well outdoors as well as indoors, and is designed to be wheeled in and out safely and easily. What's more, the playing surface is made from 4mm thick Weatherproof Resin Laminate, which is resistant to bat blows - perfect for when games get a little over-enthusiastic!

It has a compact folding mechanism that's been specially designed to fold and unfold the table safely and with ease: you can even open it with one hand.  It has ABS net posts and polyethylene net included which are fixed and integrated into the carriage. There are also handy balls holders built into the middle part of the table body.

It has a 3 year guarantee on all parts, and a 10 year guarantee on the playing surface for deformation, delamination and obliteration of white lines. Plus it comes supplied with 4 bats, 6 balls and a waterprood outdoor cover.

If you need any help or advice picking the right table for your family then just give our friendly expert sales team a call on 0800 622 6464 or 01454 413636 and we'll be happy to help.

And... Don't forget if you would like your table delivered before Christmas you need to order by 11am on 15th December. These offers continue until 21st December.

With Christmas fast approaching we are getting lots of customers calling to ask when they should order their Pool Table to be able to receive it before Christmas. Our advice is to order as soon as possible, and we can hold your table in our warehouse until December when we will deliver it for you.

Also a word of warning regarding the weather. Last year you will recall we had lots of snow in the weeks before Christmas which caused huge disruptions for our normally impeccable delivery service. We only failed to deliver one pool table before last Christmas due to the weather, which was a remarkable achievement from our delivery team, but you wouldn't want to be the one who missed out! So we advise ordering and taking delivery as soon as possible to avoid this potential issue.

The best thing to do is to give us a call on 0800 622 6464 or 01454 413636 and we can let you know the cut off dates for whichever pool table you are considering purchasing.

So, read on for a guide as to what we think the cut off dates will be for each of the manufacturers for this Christmas...

English Manuacturers:

• Supreme - we hold large stocks of these and so does the manufacturer, so supply of these will go on well into December. But, any special finishes or 8ft models will need to be ordered by 18th November.
• DPT - again we hold large stocks of these tables, so we can go into December for most models. Delivery slots do fill up fast though, so we wouldn't recommend leaving it to the last minute.
• Simply Pool - again out warehouse is chocca with stock tables, so ordering into December is possible, but not advisable if you are particular about the model and finish you require.

Important: Please bear in mind that some sizes and some finishes will sell quicker than expected, so order now to avoid disappointment. Please call us with your requirements and we will be able to let you know when is likely to be the last date to order. Also delivery slots are filling up fast, so don't leave your decision too late.

European Manufacturers:

• Sam - we have stocks of certain models available, so check what we have available. If a table needs to be made it will take 4 to 5 weeks to be made and shipped to us from Spain. To allow time for delivery all orders for these should be made by 15th November.
• Buffalo - we have stocks of most models available, but they are hugely popular at this time of year and are selling fast. There is a three week wait on anything not in stock, so we can take orders as late as the first week in December for most models.
• Longoni - these take between 4 weeks for the more common models to be made, and up to 6 weeks for the more exotic ones to be finished and shipped to us from Italy. We would therefore advise 15th November as the date to aim to get decided by to be on the safe side.
• Billard Montfort, Billard Chevillotte and Billard Plaisance - these three French manufacturers take from 4 to 7 weeks to make a table to your order, so we recommend a call to us to discuss your requirements. Some of the top-end high gloss lacquered tables can't be made in time now, due to the number of coats of paint needed to achieve the high gloss shine. However, if this is what you really want it is well worth the wait until January. Of course we will get your table installed for you as soon as possible. There's nothing better to banish the January blues than a beautiful new pool table!
• Aramith Fusion - many of these tables are in stock or can be assembled fairly quickly. We are receiving deliveries within 3 weeks of ordering from Belgium at present, but certain models are now running out. We also need to allow two weeks following receipt for installation of these tables due to their specialist nature. Therefore we would advise ordering before the last week in November.

American Manufacturer:

• Brunswick - we have plenty of stock available, so give us a call with your requirements. There is also another container on it's way from the States, so even if the model you want isn't here now, it may well be on the water right now.

As mentioned above we would heartily recommend making your decision as soon as possible, as the weather, manufacturing delays, and sheer quantity of orders can cause delays in getting your prized new pool table to you in time for the big day. Give our team of Fun Experts a call on 0800 622 6464 or 01454 413636 to discuss your requirements and we can give you all the advice you need to get the right table for you.

You can always pop into our showroom and we can guide you through the options. We are also offering a free games room design service, where we can take the dimensions of your room, add furniture, windows and doors, and then your future gleaming new pool table. This enables you to check the space you need to fit in the size of table you would like. We are getting pretty busy right now, so if you would like to take advantage of this service give us a call and we can book you an appointment.

So, whatever you need in terms of pool tables this Christmas Home Leisure Direct is definitely the place to come. We have the largest range available, the keenest prices, a showroom for you to visit and check your purchase out in person, plus the best team of expert staff in the business to help you make the right choice.

We look forward to being of service...

We are so excited to announce the Launch of the Official Pac-Man Arcade Party Machine in the UK!

We are the UK's Only Official Retailer of this fantastic machine and cannot wait for our new showroom model to arrive shortly.

We have been waiting patiently since initially contacting Namco back in 2007 for this machine to get it's official CE badge; showing that it conforms to all the necessary safety standards for sale within the EU. We are now proud to say, we are the only retailer in the UK selling the Official Pac-Mac Arcade Party Machine. If you have seen these models anywhere else they will not have this CE Mark and are not Official Products so buyer beware

This machine comes in two models being the upright arcade machine and the sit down cocktail acade machine model both of which have all those Namco Classics you will remember from your misspent youth but the best part is, you won't need to raid your piggy bank or save your lunch money to pump it full of those 20 pence pieces!

The Games List Includes:

Our showroom model will be arriving very shortly so if you would like to come and view the machine or pop in to have a game you are more than welcome to take on our Resident Pac Mac Champion Andy who will be happy to show you the ropes.

The last bit of great news on this launch is we can make your dream of owning your very own arcade machine that little bit more affordable by offering you the flexibility of Intrest Free Credit on all models or low monthly payments from as little as £55 per month over a longer repayment period. If you have any questions then please feel free to give one of our Fun Experts a call who will be more than happy to help.

It has to be said we are HUGE video game fans here in the Home Leisure Direct office. The addition of the Grandfathers of Video Games (Space Invaders and Pac Man) to our showroom caused us to take a mental journey back in time and debate where it all began.

After much discussion over a beer or three we decided we should develop an infographic to chart everything from the Magnavox Odyssey right up to the Xbox 360, Wii and PS3 of today, and even beyond.

You may spot the odd error or ommission, but we reckon that just adds to the debate. Add your thoughts, favourites and other comments at the bottom.

Add this Infographic:

The moment you send the cue into the cue ball and the cue ball into the newly racked balls, real world physics enter into the myriad equations that play out upon the table. A good pool player must size up the challenges posed to them by the changing positions of the balls and find answers to them with their cue. Here are some basic pool physics.

Newton’s Laws of Motion

Apple-butting physicist Sir Isaac Newton devised laws of motion which can be applied to the range of shots and choices a pool player makes during a game. 

Newton’s First Law

Newton’s first law of motion states that, unless acted upon by an exterior force, a body will stay at rest or in motion at a constant speed in a straight trajectory. This means a cue ball struck by a cue should stay at a constant speed in a straight trajectory until it strikes a cushion or ball. However, friction from the table surface, air resistance and cue chalk means energy is lost, causing the ball to slow. The cue ball will follow a straight trajectory until striking a ball or being cushioned by a bumper.

Newton’s Second Law

How hard should a pool player strike a shot? Newton’s second law of motion states that the total force on an object is equal to its mass times its acceleration (F=ma). Acceleration and force are vector quantities. The direction of the applied force and acceleration are the same. A higher rate of acceleration may cause a shot to play well off a rail, but can also cause chaos if it collides with balls setting them into motion around the table!

Newton’s Third Law

Ever shot a cue ball straight at an object ball and it’s stopped completely dead? This is Newton’s third law of motion in a nutshell. This law states that when an object exerts a force on another object, the other object exerts an equal force back on the object. Therefore, without angle or spin, the cue ball will stop dead upon collision. 

Kinetic Energy

Kinetic energy can be calculated by taking half of the mass times by the velocity squared. An understanding of kinetic energy can put a pool player in good stead, as they control the energy of the ball by the strength of their cue stroke. The harder the cue stroke, the higher the velocity and therefore the more kinetic energy. However, too much velocity and kinetic energy can cause chaos through unplanned collisions.

Rotational Velocity

The total force applied to the balls results in the rotational velocity. Each ball rotates around the centre of its mass. Only an external interaction on the ball can change its rotational velocity. After a collision with an object ball, the cue ball rotates with the same rotational momentum and angular velocity it had before the collision and continues to roll. The use of spin with the cue ball will make a difference as will the friction of the surface.

Friction

Friction is constantly in play during a game of pool, as the cloth surface of a pool table creates a great amount of friction. Cloth friction always places forward roll on a ball. The cue’s leather tip also provides friction complemented by the chalk. It is the cue tip that is supposed to help a player control friction with the cue ball. For the ultimate control over the cue ball use top spin, this actually works in conjunction with the surface cloth friction. Top players turn their cue into a wand by using the conflicting forces of the laws of physics when ruling the table.

We had a fantastic time playing Retro Arcade Machines at The Eurogamer Expo on Sunday.

The show was very well organised with all the soon to be released titles such as Batman - Arkham City, Assassins Creed - Revelations and Guild Wars 2. The energy of the show was brilliant and a great day out for any level of gamer.

We throughly enjoyed meeting up with our friends Phil and Ben at Bespoke Arcades, makers of the market leading Apex Arcade Machine, Synergy Cocktail Arcade Machines and The Evo Elite Arcade Machine. They we're located in the Replay Zone that was hosted by Replay Events who had some of the finest Retro Gaming you could hope for with everything from the more recent Dreamcast Consoles right back to the Commodore Amiga, It really was a trip down memory lane and in our opinion it was the most enjoyable part of the event - that and the free candy and tootsie pops from Cybercandy!

We would like to thank all the people that made the show possible and will certainly be back next year. It was a great chance to play some of the up and coming titles as well as reminisce the old classics that stared your life long love affair with gaming.

We are now offering 0% Interest Free Credit and Classic Credit on loads of Pool Tables, Snookers Tables, Air Hockey and Arcade Machines in our range!

With payments on our popular Oxford Pool Dining Table from as little as £12.99 a month with a 50% deposit over 3 years; Or just £23.38 with a 10% deposit...... Making fun that little bit more affordable.

We have a number of Pool Tables, Snookers Tables, Air Hockey and Arcade Machines on Classic Credit with a low APR of 19.5% repayable over 12, 24 or 36 Months with deposits as small as 10%. See our range of products here..... 

We are also excited to be able to offer you a wide range of our Luxury Pool Tables, Snookers Tables and Air Hockey with on Interest Free Credit with an APR of 0% repayable over 10 months with just a 20% deposit to pay See our range here.....  

It is a quick and easy paperless process that takes less than 5 minutes to fill in online and you typically get a decision back in 10 seconds. It couldn't be more easy!

If you have any questions about our finance or would like to know more about the monthly payments please feel free to give one of our Fun Experts a call on 0800 622 6464 or 01454 413636 and we will be more than happy to assist.

We are excited to announce that we are the Offical Exclusive Retailer of The BAPTO 35th Anniversary Edition SAM Atlantic Pool Table.

The 35th Annual BAPTO Amateur Blackball Pool Challenge Weekend 2011 kicked off just just last weekend with over 550 players and guests attending the event in Rhyl. It's a huge event on the amateur circuit generating over £11,000 in prize money!

We have the gorgeous Sam Atlantic Pool Table in our Bristol Showroom and it has already proved to be a huge hit. The SAM Pool Tables are the very best in the business which is why you will find them in heavy use commercial environments such as Rileys, Hollywood Bowl, Suzie Q's and AMF Bowling.

We have found the Atlantic Pool table to be very popular for the home market too becuase of it's quality and our customers want to buy tables that will last for a lifetime. They are also sold through Harrods which tells you a little bit more about the outstanding quality of these fantastic tables.

If you would like to come and take a look at this table in our showroom please feel free to give us a call or take a look at it on our website as we have some fantastic photos of this exciting new product.

We have been running a great competition on Facebook to Win a Pool Table.

Our lucky prize winner was Del Sim who received his pool table just the other day and kindly sent us some photos. We think it looks awesome in his swanky new apartment don't you? Cheers Del!

If you like this look of this table it is the Supreme Winner Pool Table in a White Pearl Finish with Black Cloth and it is one of the most popular colour ways we offer in this model due to it looking so clean and modern and was recently featured in OK! Magazine.

We are always running fantastic competitions over on Facebook so if you aren't already over there liking us, get to it! 

We've just had some fantastic photos of a Game Time Arcade Machine with Custom Artwork sent through from our happy customer.

Rob at The Finchley Dental Lounge  requested a custom arcade machine to be made with logo of his dental practice down the side and across the marquee. Nothing was to much trouble for us. Because our Classic Arcade Machines are made to order in the UK, we can accommodate pretty much any request.

The machine was delivered yesterday to what is possibly the coolest dental surgery we've ever seen. They have movie glasses, free wifi and games consoles for their patients to enjoy. Who would have thought a root canal would be so much fun?

If you are interested in our Bespoke Arcade Machines or any others we have on our website, then please call one our our Fun Experts on 0800 622 6464.

What's this? Yes thats right, yet another totally awesome prize from Home Leisure Direct!

We are giving away an amazing Air Hockey Table worth over £500 signed by last years X Factor finalists.

As one of ITV's, Offical XFactor Suppliers; we kindly equipped the house with this fantastic Air Hockey Table for the lucky housemates to play during their stay in the House. We are told the One Direction guys loved it but whats not to love? Air Hockey rocks!

The prize has been signed by:

X Factor Winner 2010, Matt Cardell

Rebecca Ferguson

One Direction

Cher Lloyd

and Katie Waissel

We will be giving away this prize to one of our lucky Facebook followers on Finals Night of XFactor 2011 which will be early December so we are told, date TBC. Therefore your super-cool prize will be with you just in time for Christmas.

So shoot us a 'likey' over at Facebook to be in with a chance and give your Christmas a little bit of that Xtra Factor!

We are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for Best Small Online Retailer Category in the 2011 ecommerce Awards for Excellence

The 14 judges met at Google's UK Headquarters just last week and have selected us as one of the final four candidates for this prestigious national award. These are the Oscars of the Internet Retail Industry so as you can imagine, we are over the moon to be through to the final stage.

The winner will be announced on October 11th at a big awards ceremony in London.

If you are from the press and would like to contact us regarding this please email michelle@homeleisuredirect.com or call on 0800 622 6464.

Wow, this is an amazing special offer we having running while stocks last *Exclusive* to Home Leisure Direct.

We have a limited number of Omega Pool Tables - 7ft in an *Exclusive* SIlver Finish for just £599 with FREE DELIVERY TO MAINLAND UK! This is a genuine bargain not to be missed. One of the only pool tables in a premium silver finish available for under £600. Any other table in this exact finish are in excess of £800! These fatastic tables are especially made for us for our lovely customers by the UK's largest pool table manufacturer.

Take a look at the really awesome finish below with just a hint of sparkle:

This first batch will sell out fast at this special one time only price, so if you would like to place an order please call the office on 0800 622 6464. The lead time on these tables is 10-14 days from date of order so you could have your pool table in no time at all.

This is a great offer with a fantastic saving of over £180.00 on it's normal retail price.

Let us know if you have any questions or would like any further advice.

Feast your eyes on our new Made in England Collection, exclusive to Home Leisure Direct.

Each pool table features a 19mm slate bed, 100% wool Hainsworth cloth, and commercial grade cushions, all of which result in excellent playing characteristics. Hainsworth & Sons are renowned for supplying the cloth for the Royal Guards, Tunics Scarlet uniforms and have been awarded the Royal Warrant to supply Her Majesty The Queen with interior fabrics. This pool cloth is some of the finest cloth in the world so we are really pleased to be able to offer this on our new Made in England Collection.

Cambridge Pool Table:

The Cambridge is a pub style table, but designed for the home, available in 6ft or 7ft sizes. You can choose from a range of 6 different finishes: Black, White, Light Oak, Light Walnut, Dark Walnut or Mahogany - all of which are available at no extra charge. You can select from 4 different cloth colours: Red, Blue, Green or Burgundy. Cloth upgrades to the entire Hainsworth Smart cloth range are available at a very reasonable price.

Oxford Pool Dining Table:

The Oxford pool dining table has the same high specification playing surface as our commercial grade tables, providing you with a superb game of pool. But you can make effective use of the space you have available by using the two piece dining top to convert the table into a dining table.

You can specify either 6ft or 7ft sizes, you can pick from a range of 5 different finishes: Black, White, Light Oak, Light Walnut, or Dark Walnut - all of which are available at no extra charge. You can choose from 4 different cloth colours: Red, Blue, Green or Burgundy. Cloth upgrades to the entire Hainsworth Smart cloth range are available at a very reasonable price.

Harvard American Pool Table:

American Pool, played with the larger 2 1/4" balls, is becoming increasingly popular in the UK, with the majority of pool halls now having more American tables than either English Pool or Snooker tables. Now you can get the American pool experience in your home at an incredibly low price, and at a size which most UK homes can accommodate.

The Harvard is available in either 6ft or 7ft sizes, It is available in a range of 6 different finishes: Black, White, Light Oak, Light Walnut, Dark Walnut or Mahogany - all of which are available at no extra charge. You can choose from 4 different cloth colours: Red, Blue, Green or Burgundy. Cloth upgrades to the entire Hainsworth Elite Pro cloth range are available at a very reasonable price.

Only available for a week so far these incredible new pool tables have already proven extremely popular. Offering excellent build quality combined with the playability of a commercial table at an amazingly competitive price. We heartily recommend a serious look at any of these three tables. Please call any of our friendly team of experts on 0800 622 6464 if yo would like any more details or would like as to send samples of the finishes and cloth.

We are in the process of designing a new pool table to be launching in time for Christmas and need your help! It is very exciting to be the first company to have an Offically endorsed table so we want to make sure we get it right and who better to ask than our lovely customers?

It will be an IPA Competition Standard English Pool Table, made by a leading pool table manufacturer in the UK and will be endorsed by 3 times Pool World Champion, Gareth Potts.

We have been racking our brains with styles and colour choices and asking you all to participate on Facebook and let us know what colours you like the most and at the moment, Silver seems to be top of the charts.

Here are a selection of these unique finishes below with a few jazzy ones in there just to mix it up a little. What do you think guys all think? Should we pick silver, bronze, tarnished or un-tarnished? Decisions, decisions!

We are hoping to launch this super-sexy, *Exclusive* pool table by the beginning of October and will be looking at giving one of the first tables away as a prize to one of our lucky Facebook fans so if you are not already on there, then head on over and like us to be in with a chance.

We like these colours above at the moment, but if you have something else in mind that you think would look sweet, let us know either below in the comment box or through our Facebook page. One of our fans who comments or likes on their favourite finish will bag themselves a £50.00 Home Leisure Direct voucher to spend. Awesome huh?!

The DPT range of pool tables are incredibly popular, due to their great design and stunning value for money. Having managed to withstand a price increase for the last couple of years, the added costs of fuel and raw materials have finally taken their toll.

We will be putting our prices up from close of business on Friday 19th August 2011.

So, if you are seriously thinking about buying any of our range of DPT pool tables it is worth making that final decision within the next 24 hours before the price rise takes place.

You can see our full range of tables here - DPT Pool Tables

Most 6ft and 7ft pool tables will be going up by £50 on average. The 8ft tables are going up by as much as £300, as will the hugely popular solid oak tables, the Unique I and II models (Unique II with the square leg shown below).

If you have any questions on the DPT range of pool tables why not give our super friendly sales team a call on 0800 622 6464 and they will be happy to answer any questions you have. They are also able to complete your order over the phone, should you decide to beat the price rise deadline.

Virgin passengers now have further reason to be happy when flying out of Manchester with the introduction of the V-Room lounge. The holiday company have kitted out a 400 metre space overlooking the passenger concourse with luxury goodies, contemporary design and specially commissioned artwork to create an environment to start your holiday in style.

Naturally when creating the best surroundings for passing time Virgin decided that a Table Football Table would be a great idea and opted for the fine Bonzini Classic B90 Table. A refined choice.  You can see below Virgin Holidays MD, Amanda Wills enjoying a game at the launch with some people off the telly.

Table football, a pastime enjoyed worldwide in bars, pool halls, gardens, games rooms and pretty much any corner of any room. So it isn’t really remarkable that the game has cropped up in various motion pictures over time.

German film Absolute Giganten, instantly became a cult favourite as it told the story of a group of friends bracing themselves for the departure of one of their number. The climax of the film comes from an epic foosball battle where there are some silky skills on show (and some powerful, powerful mullets). Have a look at the clip below.

The game has even been central to the plot of the 1981 film Longshot (we all remember that don’t we?!) where a spritely Leif Garrett combines competing for the $50,000 prize in the foosball national championship with serenading the aptly named female lead, Maxine Gripp. (there are clips on youtube both of the foosball skills and Leif breaking into song if you really want to find them)

A classic scene comes from legendary coming of age high school tale Dazed And Confused. The camera follows Mitch, Pink and Wooderson arriving at the Pool Emporium, strutting to the sounds of Bob Dylan’s ‘Hurricane’ they make their entrance and gather round the foosball table. 

For fans of a good old documentary, Foos - History of American Foosball offers up an insight into the emergence of the game in the USA and the passion of the players and promoters in today’s foosball community. You can find out more at the official website of the film.

Firstly, good news; our phone lines and emails are back up and running so full steam ahead at our new office! *yay!*

All the staff are very excited in the office this morning. We have just taken delivery of our very first showroom pool table for our new showroom!

The delivery and installation guys arrived around 9:30am this morning with our Classic Pool Dining Table and had it installed within half an hour.

Boy, what a table! This is a new finish called Driftwood and we chose a premium cloth made by Hainsworth in Taupe which really makes the colour and beautiful grain of the pool table stand out!

Check out our team trying out this cracking new model, Not a bad work if you can get it!

*** IMPORTANT UPDATE***

21/06/11

Thank you for your patience thus far, please bear with us. Things will get better..... Promise!

Unfortunately we are still experiencing issues our IT and internet at our new offices and showroom.

At present we have absolutely no email access or telephony at our new location. We we're hoping to have it online by now but this is not the case. If you have emailed in after Sunday, we will not have been able to respond to your request as we have had no emails since then.

We will be unable to respond to any emails until further notice. We are extremely sorry for the delay and inconvenience caused by this. 

You can however leave messages for us with reception at our old offices on the 0800 622 6464 but it may take 48 hours for a response.

If you need to contact our delivery team regarding a slate bed pool table you have been waiting for for LONGER than 3 weeks you can contact our delivery and installation team on 07825 993600. They will be unable to assist you if you have been wating less than 3 weeks at this moment in time.

Our IT Guru's; Ryan and Dan are working day and night to have our emails and phone system back up and running as soon as we possibly can.

Thank you all for your continued patience and we will let you know as soon as normal service resumes.

Sorry! 

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We have some exciting news. We are moving to our new office and showroom on Monday 20th June.

However, there may be some slight disruption to our service over the next 72 hours as we are migrating all our our IT and phone systems.

We apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused. Our receptionists at our old offices will be able to answer our calls as will Dave one of our customer service advisors, but service will be extremely limited during this time

It may take up to 48 hours for a email responses so please be patient, our normal service will resume as quickly as possible and we will notify you on here, Facebook and Twitter once it does so.

Thank you for your cooperation during this transition, it's appreciated.

Another update from the Chairman of the Home Leisure Direct Bristol Pool League, Chris Whitehead.

The Home Leisure Direct Bristol Pool League has hit the home run and it’s time to fight for top spot in those divisions….

Wednesday

In division one, The George and Dragon have taken the number one spot but nothing is a given yet as The Three Crowns A are hot on their heels and fighting every step of the way. Both teams have only 3 more matches to play so the top spot is very much for the taking. Division two sees The Brunel  and maintain top spot. In division three, The Clyde Arms are still at the top but The Yeoman are hot on their heels with a game in hand – Division 3 is anyone’s game at the moment.. Division four sees The Concorde in front, closely followed by The Cartwheel Lumberjacks. Division five has the Golden Oldies still fairly clear in front.

Sunday

The Three Crowns Cannibals are 4 points clear of second place team The Sportsman A but anything can happen at the end of the season! Division two still has Snooker City in the lead. There will definitely be a few interesting games over the last few weeks of the season – well worth watching!

This Sunday (17th April) at the Three Crowns in St George sees Bristol’s top Home Leisure Direct league players playing to win the coveted Home Leisure Direct Bristol Singles Title. English pool Association Professional players (and previous title holders) Ben Flack and Derek Murphy battle it out amongst some of Bristol’s top players. Matches start at 12 noon and it promises to be a great afternoon of pool.

April and May promise to be entertaining months as the ladies singles, singles plate, over 40’s, mixed doubles along with the divisional cups and league cup all continue to be played over the next few weeks. The usual top teams and players are still in the running but there are sure to be a few upsets along the way. 

We will be joining in with all the festivities for the Royal Wedding, starting tomorrow.

Our Opening Hours will be:

We hope you have a wonderful time over the weekend, and that the weather stays as fine as it has been.

Our answer service will be in place if you would like to leave a phone message and we will call you back on Tuesday.

We will be monitoring emails throughout the weekend, so if you have an urgent enquiry please drop us an email: sales@homeleisuredirect.com

Of course the website is open 24/7 as usual if you would like to place an order. Everything will be processed automatically, so if you are in hurry for an item you can be assured that it will arrive as soon as possible.

Many thanks.

Our favourite Pool Player, Gareth Potts has started the season with a spectacular display at the Strachan International Tour 1 at The Imperial Hotel, Blackpool.

Cuesports News says; Gareth Potts, twice former WEPF World 8-ball Pool Champion, has started the 2011 Strachan International Tour season in the best possible fashion.

Potts, based in Stoke-on-Trent, beat good friend Lee Kendall, also from the potteries, 8-5 in the final of Tour 1 at the Barcelo Imperial Hotel, Blackpool on Sunday.

‘The Golden Boy’ started his campaign as number 2 seed with a 7-1 win over Alex Lewis, he followed this up with a 6-0 drubbing of Fred Tandy and 7-4 win over Russell Burgess in the Last 32.

Then his weekend just got better as he beat three formidable opponents in a row starting with Jordan Church (7-4), Lee Clough in the Quarter-Final (7-4) and then his toughest match of the weekend, a 7-6 victory over reigning World Champion Mick Hill to book his spot against Kendall.

This is great news for our sponsored Pool Player Gareth and we are looking forward to a great season from him.

Good luck Gareth!

In case any of you didn't know Home Leisure Direct actually sponsor our local Pool League, aptly named The Home Leisure Direct Bristol Pool League.

Over the course of this year we will be publishing the  Home Leisure Direct Bristol Pool Leagues monthly newsletter in a PDF format available for you to download and read at your leisure.

There will be a message from the Chairman along with any rule changes, fixtures and results from the previous month.

For all members of the league we will be offering unique special offers on a wide range of our Pool Tables, Pool Cues, Snooker Cues, American Pool Cues, Pool Table Accessories and more. Simply ring the sales team on 0800 622 6464 with your name and club and we will let you know what deals we have.

We are looking forward to a very successful year supporting our local Pool League and will support the individual players in any way we can.

Just click on the link below for January's newsletter.

Bristol Pool League - January 2011.pdf

We would like to wish all of our customers a very Happy New Year and thank you for all of your business during 2010!

We have lots of exciting things planned for the coming year along with many new Pool Tables, Table Tennis Tables, Football Tables being launched in the coming months so watch this space.

To get up to date information follow us on Facebook or Twitter for special offers, competitions and news. 

We look forward to serving you during 2011!

We have had a record breaking winter season this year and would like to thank all of our customers for purchasing through Home Leisure Direct during 2010.

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Christmas Opening Hours:

Our office and phone lines will be open the following hours:

We will also be responding to emails during these opening hours.

If you wish to place an order our website will continue to be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

To all of our lovely customers,

I am sure you are all very worried about having your orders delivered before Christmas and are a little bit concerned especially now that we seem to have what looks like a blizzard affecting most counties across the UK. Please know that we are doing absolutely everything in our power to fulfil all Christmas orders. Please take a look below for updates of the delivery process for our products as of 13:00 on 20/12/10.

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For all Football Table Orders:

• Garlando Football Tables
• FAS Football Tables
• Bonzini Football Tables
• All other Football Table brands

 
The deliveries will be handled from an outside courier company who will be in contact directly to organise delivery dates. Please note that you may only get 24 hours notice for your delivery so your co-operation is appreciated. We are unable to give times for orders due to the adverse weather conditions at this stage.
 
For all Table Tennis Table Orders:

• Cornilleau Table Tennis Tables
• Butterfly Table Tennis Tables

 
The deliveries will be handled from an outside courier company who will be in contact directly to organise delivery dates. Please note that you may only get 24 hours notice for your delivery so your co-operation is appreciated. We are unable to give times for orders due to the adverse weather conditions at this stage.
 
For all Wood/MDF Bed Pool/Air Hockey Tables:

• All BCE Pool Tables
• Zodiac American Pool Tables
• Scorpio Air Hockey and Pool Tables
• Vortex Air Hockey Tables
• Foldaway Pool Tables
• Windsor Wood Bed Pool Tables

 
The deliveries will be handled from an outside courier company who will be in contact directly to organise delivery dates. Please note that you may only get 24 hours notice for your delivery so your co-operation is appreciated. We are unable to give times for orders due to the adverse weather conditions at this stage.
 
For all Slate Bed Pool Tables (+£500):

• This applies for ALL Pool Tables over £500.

Deliveries for all of these tables is dealt with by our own specialist 2 man delivery team. You will be called directly by our warehouse & delivery and installation manager to organise a delivery date by phone and we will be unable to provide you with the delivery dates from our 0800 622 6464 number.

If you would like to contact our delivery and installation manager, please call the office and provide your order number and/or surname and we will give you the direct number to the warehouse. We are planning our deliveries on a day to day basis, based upon the weather by location. Please bear in mind that we are finding untreated roads and customers drives sometimes very difficult to use.

PLEASE NOTE: We provide a specialist delivery for our slate bed pool tables. You may have had deliveries from Amazon, or companies who deliver using HGVs and Royal Mail but we deliver using Mercades Sprinter Vans or similar which are not as adept at getting through the snow as a postman on foot or a huge lorry. Even if your street is clear of snow, the route to your home may not be.

This photo below is one of our vans stuck in Wales on Friday afternoon! We are trying to deliver all of our tables, but some roads are making this impossible and unsafe to do so. You'll be glad to hear that no installers we're harmed in delivering this pool table and they got home safely at around 2am on Saturday morning. Thanks for the photo Steve!

For all Accessory only orders:

• Pool Table Accessories
• Table Tennis Accessories

All of our accessories are delivered by either Royal Mail, Citylink or DHL. These are our main concern at present as Royal Mail seems to be experiencing delays on post all across the UK. Please bear this in mind if you have ordered accessories through our site. We have had reports of items taking 10 days to get to our customers in some regions. For smaller accessories we have no tracking facility so we are simply asking customers to be patient. Everything is being sent, it's just a case of waiting for it to arrive unfortunately.

For larger items such a light canopies and cues, these are sent via courier and at present both tracking services from DHL and Citylink are proving difficult due to the weather and sheer volume of deliveries they have to fulfil. We are continuing to send items out on the day that you order them to ensure you recieve them as quickly as possible.

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I would like to stress to all of our customers, we are doing everything in our power to get all of our items to our customers before Christmas day and are delivering right up until Christmas Eve where we will have ten vans out on the road working a full day for our Slate Bed Pool table deliveries.

We have delivered over the entire weekend (yes, including Sunday!) to try to make sure all of our customers get their much needed Christmas presents in time for the big day, so we are trying.

Nevertheless, there will no doubt be some customers who are in particularly snowy regions that we are just unable to access due to the poor weather. We will also be delivering between Christmas and New Year to mop up any deliveries that don't get to customers by the 25th. If your region is severely affected, we may not be delivering until the snow has thawed which may mean an early January delivery date.

Please accept our sincere apologies for any delays in deliveries, we are doing absolutely everything we can to make sure all of our customers get the items they ordered in the timescales they requested.

I would also like to thank all of the customers that have already been in contact with us regarding delivery who have been incredibly understanding and co-operative and appreciating. You guys are great so I would like to extend a big thank you from our Customer Service Team who were briefed first thing this morning about the huge influx of calls that we were expecting and that it may get a little stressful.

Thank you for your understanding and continued cooperation in these unexpectedly snowy conditions, if you would like to speak to me personally then you are more than welcome to by calling the office on 0800 622 6464.

Best regards,

Michelle Beresford

Co-Founder of Home Leisure Direct

So you have decided to install your own Pool Table from Home Leisure Direct? Don't be daunted. Simply follow our super easy step by step guide and you should have your table up and ready to play in no time.

1. Once your pool table is delivered make sure there are 2 strong people there to carry the table into the location it is to be installed. Make sure you are fully decided on the tables location before it arrives as once a table is installed it can be very difficult to move again unless you take it apart or have something called a pool table trolley. Make sure it's in a good location with plenty of space around the table that will not hinder the players shot.

2. Most English Pool Tables that are sold in the UK are 1 piece slate and the cushions and slate are pre-covered in the felt/cloth so there will be no need to do this when it arrives on delivery day. Make sure you check with the retailer if the table you are purchasing is a single slate or a pieced slate. A single slate is better for the home as it does not require the specialist installation that a sectional slate table would.

3. The table will come in three main parts being; The Legs, The Body or Carcass and the Slate. What you need to do first is attach the legs with the bolts provided. Turn the body on it's side and bolt the legs on. There will be brackets under the table for you to secure the legs to. Make sure the bolts are on tight on all four corners before flipping the table back onto it's legs.

4. Your next step will be to place the slate onto the brackets inside the table. Be sure you have clean and grease free hands when doing this and be very careful not to mark, tear or blemish the cloth in any way.

5. Now you will need to attach the top frame. The top frame will be separate from the table and is attached by small hooks around it's perimeter. You will need 2 people to guide the top frame into the hooks taking great care not to bash or knock it. Once attached there will be 2 small guide ropes to attach the table to the top frame so secure these in place then close the top frame down onto the table.

6. Once the slate is placed in securely and the top frame closed you will need to secure the top frame in place by reaching under the table through the holes located around the perimeter and locking it into place using the clasps. Be sure to lock down each clasp securely and be careful not to catch your hand or fingers.

7. Your table will now be put together and you can start to work out the level of the table and beginning the levelling process.

Should you get stuck or need any assistance one of our team will happily assist you with your new pool table over the phone on 0800 622 6464.

Home Leisure Direct once again is at the forefront of Internet Shopping security being the first retailer in our industry to be part of the Verisign program. We are proud to say that Home Leisure Direct now have the same high level True 128-Bit Extended Validation SSL Certificate of internet security that you get when shopping through sites such as Ebay, PC World, Dixons and banking with the likes of Paypal and HSBC. We now know our customers can have real peace of mind when shopping with us knowing that there information will be kept 100% secure.

Verisign is the worlds #1 in website security for a reason. There are others out there, but are simply cheap, corner-cutting alternatives which do not offer that same level of security you get through a worldwide recognised brand such as verisign.

Verisign is a company that specialises in SSL Certificates. SSL certificates are the ultimate in website security ensuring that when our customers enter their credit card details on our website that their details are unable to be compromised.

Versign is the leading SSL company in the world and offer the very best in encryption and site security which is why we have opted as a company to go for the very best SSL certificate on the market today the Secure Site Pro with Extended Validation.

We have invested a great deal of time and money into ensuring that all of our customers have the maximum security possible when purchasing through our website. We have the highest level of security that is available through Verisign and in the world today and this has never been compromised to date. You will not find a safer way to shop online which is why retailers and banks such as eBay, HSBC, Dixons and Paypal use the Verisign Extended Validation SSL which is exactly the same level of security our customers will get now when shopping with us.

When going through the purchasing process and checkout you will see that the address bar will turn green with a padlock confirming that we are fully secure and we 100% guarantee that your information will be kept safe.

Michelle Beresford our Co-Founder and Director mentions “As an avid online shopper myself I am always looking for ways to ensure our customers have the very best and safest online shopping experience with us, which is why we choose to constantly reinvest in our business and website as customer trust and service is paramount. Online safety is the most important thing we can offer our customers and should be at the very top of any internet retailers list. I want our customers to be completely confident and comfortable when shopping online with us and the only way in which we can do this is to be at the forefront of internet security and to constantly invest in this side of the business!”

We are really excited to be another step forward in offering our customers the very best online shopping experience and will continue to develop and grow to better ourselves and make our offering to our customers even better.

If you have any questions about Verisign and SSL certificates please take a look at their website.

We are excited to announce that Home Leisure Direct are now the official sponsor of Gareth Potts; The 3 times world champion and world number 1 pool player. The UK's Number 1 Pool Table Retailer sponsors the World and UK's Number 1 Pool Player, what a fantastic partnership!

Gareth has had an unprecedented career since becoming the youngest ever professional in 2000. He has won a record four world 8 ball Pool tittles, the first as a junior in 2000 then the main senior world championships in 2005, 2007 and 2008.Gareth is the only player to have won the world title 3 times but Potts also holds another exclusive record when in 2008 in became the first person in the history of the sport to successfully defend his world title. A record said by many experts that will never be broken.

He also holds the record for the most major ranking events ever won in 1 season which was no less than 7.

Gareth started playing pool in his mum and dads pub ‘The Winchester’ standing on a beer crate to reach the table at the age of 7. Gareth’s life off the table has been far from easy, in 1997 aged just 13, lost his mum ‘Sandra’ to a long term illness. This in turn brought him and Dad ‘Dave’ even closer by this time all the hours of practise in the pub were starting to show and it became obvious that Potts had a unique talent on the baize. At such a difficult time he began to dedicate his life to his chosen sport and travel to tournaments with his dad. Three years later by the age of 16 Gareth was the most successful junior player in the world winning all 4 major titles in the year 2000? The world, European, British and English championships, as well as numerous team titles with the England team where he was captain for 3 years.

In March 2005 Gareth farther passed away suddenly which turned Gareth’s world upside down. Dave’s wish was for his son to win the world title, ironically and a credit to Gareth mental strength, he went on to win the first of his 3 world titles 3 months later in which he dedicated to his father and will always remain the most special tournament win of them all… “His father is his motivation and idol.”

Gareth’s number 1 fans, as quoted when he won his second world title, are his grandparents. He lived with 'Beaty and Arthur' for a while as a teenager and his grandma is like a mother figure in his life and have both seen him win all of his world titles. Gareth now lives with girlfriend Angie Layton and have been together for 7 years who he describes as his inspiration.

Gareth is talented at most sports he plays, he had trials for Crewe Alexandra at football as a teenager and plays golf to a good standard. From an early age he as liked to keep fit so even now going to the gym is never a chore. Gareth sticks to a strict regime and often trains 3-4 times a week which he believes improves mental fitness as well as physical fitness.

We are proud to have such a positive ambassador for Home Leisure Direct and are looking forward to a long relationship with Gareth and supporting him towards his next World Title.

When speaking with Gareth about his new lead sponsor he says

“I am very excited to be supported  and sponsored by the UK’s Number 1 Pool Table Retailer. They have an excellent range of products and I would always recommend that pool players go to Home Leisure Direct for their tables as they are great guys and know what they are talking about!”

We will be have some very exciting news shortly that is top secret at the moment but will be announced next year so watch this space!

We have recently installed a fantastic Majestic Pool Dining Table with a Celtic Football Club Logo cloth for our customer Mr. Webster who was over the moon with his table.

 We think the finished table looks fantastic, what do you think?

We are able to recreate any logo on your pool table cloth wether it be a football embalm or your own corporate logo.

If you wish to use a Football Clubs logo you must get permission from the club first. Generally all you will need to do is to phone the football club in question explaining you would like permission to use the logo for your pool table as a one off for personal use. We have never had a club refuse a client permission before and they are more than happy to have a fan use the badge for their pool table and quite often ask for photos of the finished article as they love to see them in print! We then need them to send you and email for you to forward on to us here in the office so we can go ahead and recreate it.

 Our graphic designers are able to mock up the logo on the cloth free of charge with no obligation to buy so you can see what the finished article will look like.

 If you would like any advice on these pool table logo cloths please call the office and we will be more than happy to assist on 0800 622 6464.

We have another fantastic offer from Garlando and only have 2 of these left in stock so please call the office should you wish to place an order as stock is almost gone!

This is such a special offer we do not even have it listed on the site! These table retail for over £700 and we are selling these last 2 tables off at just £350 which is an absolute bargain for a Garlando Foosball Table of this calibre.

The Garlando Familiare is an Italian made traditional table and was the very first Football Table model that Garlando introduced into the home market. It has a classic design with very strong contruction and excellent stability for outstanding gameplay. It has a very desireable briar wood finish and heavy duty 30mm cabinet and washable melamine coating making it idea for home use and wipes clean easily.

There is a 3 year manufacturing warranty on all parts and comes with 10 white balls included in the price.

The measurements are as follows: Length: 137cm Width: 76cm Height: 88cm.

If you have any questions about this special offer please call the office on 0800 622 6464

SPECIAL OFFER! Very Limited Stock: Save £450 vs RRP! The Garlando World Champion Football Table - The Official ITFS Football Table

We have secured a small quantity of this stunning football table at a stunning price.

This is the official Foosball Table that is used in the International Foosball World Championships. It is ideal for a commercial environment, office recreation room, bar, club, youth clubs or even for the home for someone who is looking for the very best in table football game play.

The price is just £747, our usual price is £997, saving you £250! But, as ever, it is stock dependant. So when they are gone that's it. Grab yourself a bargain, but be quick at this price as there are only a handful available.

That's right, you're not dreaming! We have an amazing special offer whilst stocks last on the Toledo 6ft Slate Bed Pool Table.

We have just 4 in stock and ready to be delivered and can be with you as soon as next week but this stock is limited and once sold this offer will not be continued.

The Toledo Pool Table is one of our most popular pool tables and are made in the UK. The recommended retail price for these are £899.00 but this special offer makes this pool table a snip at £599 saving you £300 off the retail price. This table is only available in our mahogany finish, in the 6ft version and as a freeplay pool table. You are able to choose the colour cloth you wish but bespoke and premium colours will increase the lead time.

We have just 4 tables in stock and once these have sold through the price will go back to the standard pricing.

Because this is an extremely limited offer please call our sales team if you wish to take advantage of it so we can be sure there are still some left in stock when you come to placing your order on 0800 6226464.

We reserve the right to remove this offer at any time as we may sell out by the time you place your order.

We are excited to annouce a brand new pool table for sale: The Magno Pro GB9 Tour Pool Table. It has been developed by Sam to design a new custom table specifically for the GB 9 Ball Tour. This features a custom 1 piece slate construction designed to enable quick installation at GB9 tour venues. It will also feature new Artemis ‘steel response’ cushions. Each table will be covered in brand new Simonis 860 Professional Cloth supplied by the new GB9 Tour cloth sponsor for 2010 & 2011. This table really is a beautiful peice of engineering and design in the typical Sam quality we have come to expect over the years of selling their high quality pool tables to both the home and commercial environments.

These gorgeous pool tables are constructed from a marine plywood frame for long term stability and durability. The top rails are made from solid oak for strength. It is built to 2010 EPBF match table specifications, with ‘professional’ spec pocket dimensions, and a new completely ‘flush’ corner and side pocket design. The design of the pockets is seamless as they are built into the tables rather than sitting pround which gives the table a really contemporary effect.

We anticipate the Magno Pro GB9 Pro Tour American Pool Table to be a big seller during the christmas season appealing to our customers who are looking for the very best in the market in terms of build quality and styling. If you have any questions about the Magno Pro GB9 Pro Tour Pool Table or would like any advice please do not hessitate in contacting a member of our team who will be more than happy to assist.

We are excited to announce a fantastic special offer on our Evo Play Arcade Machine saving you £200.00 on the recommended retail price!

The Evo Play Arcade Machine is available at this special reduced price until the end of September. Order now to get this fantastic machine at a bargain price! The price will return to £2995 from the start of October so be sure to place your order before then. 

The Evo Play Arcade Machine is one of the most popular arcade machines in our range and it's easy to see why. It has all the top of the range features you would expect in such an innovative product along with a catalogue of over 350 of the most popular retro games so you can be sure to find your favourite.

We list a huge range of classic arcade machines all at great prices and all with free delivery so be sure to check out other items in our Arcade Machine range.

We are excited to announce yet another fantastic special offer on our Synergy Play Cocktail Arcade Machine saving you £200.00 on the recommended retail price! We have some really fantastic offer at the moment on our best selling Arcade machines so order now in time for Christmas.

The Synergy Play Cocktail Arcade Machine is available at this special reduced price until the end of September. Order now to get this fantastic machine at a bargain price! The price will return to £2395 from the start of October so be sure to place your order before then. 

The Synergy Play Cocktail Arcade Machine is one of the most popular cocktail arcade machines in our range and it's easy to see why. It has all the top of the range features you would expect in such an innovative product along with a catalogue of over 350 of the most popular retro games so you can be sure to find your favourite.

We list a huge range of classic arcade machines all at great prices and all with free delivery so be sure to check out other items in our Arcade Machine range.

We would like to introduce you to our brand new member of the Home Leisure Direct team, Dave Morgan who will be heading up our Customer Online Experience for the company.

What that basically means is that he will be managing the website for us in terms of making the site easier to navigate and use for the customer creating a seemless shopping experience. He will be ensuring that you are able to get all the information you need from the site in terms of product information, finding your way around and taking customer feedback and implimenting those changes.

He has a solid industry background in this field and has worked for some big internet players so as you can imagine we are very excited to have him on board. Dave has a keen interest in gaming and all things online so you can now be sure that your experience when shopping with us, will be a  more enjoyable one!

If you have any feedback for Dave or any website suggestions please feel free to email him on customerservice@homeleisuredirect.com for the time being until he gets his own dedicated email address. He will handle each suggestion himself personally and impliment any popular requests in due course.

This is all part of Home Leisure Directs pledge to ensure our customers have the very best online shopping experience with us now and for years to come.

We are excited to announce yet another Pool Dining Table being launched this week, The Classic Pool Dining Table manufactured in the UK.

With it's unique styling and contemporary finish makes The Classic Pool Dining Table look like a high end dining table. It's tapered legs gives it a solid look and the unique ball return system using a drawer means the balls are hidden away when not in use making it look like a regular piece of furniture. There are no other tables on the market with this feature. Our customers wanted a pool table without the open ball return on show so one of our favourite manufacturers designed a table with that in mind. Thanks to this we can now offer you a pool dining table that can blend in seamlessly with the rest of your furniture.  The Classic Pool Dining Table also boast the most shallow cabinet out of all of our Pool Dining Tables coming in at only 5" which again adds to the image of it being a regular dining table.

The Classic Pool Dining Table has a 3/4" Italian slate bed which provide an optimum playing surface the same you would get on any commercial or competition table.  This particular model of Pool Diner comes in a whole range of finishes that will compliment your interior colour scheme. We can even offer this table with over 40 colour cloths as well as out entire range of logo cloths. You can even have a custom cloth designed which can be pretty much anything you like! If you want to know more about these cloth options please call our team on 0800 622 6464 for more information.

We anticipate that this table will be hugely popular in our Autumn/Winter season for customers who want a Pool Table that converts into a Pool Dining Table for the Christmas period to enjoy with friends and family visiting over the festive period. If you are looking to get your Pool Dining Table installed before Christmas I strongly suggest you order your table by the middle of November to guarantee you get it in time as these tables are bespoke and made to order. We may be able to have your Pool Dining Table commissioned after this but please call the office to ensure this is the case before placing your order as we would hate to disappoint you.

We have a huge range of Pool Dining Table for sale in our web shop so feel free to take a look around at the other options we have available.

We have had unprecedented demand for Black Pool Dining Tables and White Pool Dining Tables so much so one of our leading suppliers, a pool table manufacturer based in the UK has launched a new range of Modern Pool Dining Tables that are under £700.

In the past the only black or white pool dining tables we could offer customers we're part of our luxury pool table range that are made my Longoni in Italy that retail for over £2500. Thankfully, and just in time for christmas I might add; we are now launching a range of contemporary pool tables that are under £700. There is nothing else like it on the market in the UK at this time.

The new pool table is part of our Best Selling range called The Windsor Pool Dining Table. We already sell the entire old range of this table which comes in all the traditional wood finishes such as Oak, Walnut, Dark Walnut and Mahogany; now we are able to sell the modern and stylish White finish along with Black which will suit any modern interior.

Both tables come with Free delivery to most mainland UK destinations and are fully customisable and available with our entire range of cloth from the standard free of charge colours, to our premium Hainsworth colours and our premium range of logo cloths. All of the Windsor Pool Dining Table range are slate bed and are commercial grade playing serface and cushions but designed for the home.

If you would like any further advice on this table of any from our range please call our sales team who would be more than happy to assist.

We had a customer ring up today to ask us if we knew the best height for a pool table light canopy to hang over her pool table she has on order with us which has gifted us some great content for our blog today so thank you Mrs P!

When selecting a pool table light canopy there are literally hundreds to chose from. Some more ornate that others but all are geared up to do the same job and that is to provide sufficient lighting over your pool or snooker table when in use. Sometimes you may find that traditional spot lights may be enough lighting but quite often we find they just don't have enough direct light an wattage to fully light the playing surface.

Having spoken to our delivery and installation team about what they feel gives the best light and the optimum height for pool table lighting we have put together this list of tips outlined below.

When choosing a light canopy make sure you are buying something that gives sufficient light and isn't just stylish as quite often these do not offer any real benefit or additional lighting.

The optimum distance between pool table and the bottom of the canopy is approximately 36 inches but this also depends on a number of factors:

• If you have a bowl shaped canopy we normally recommend that the canopy is slightly higher than the standard 36" as the light is dispersed differently.

• If you have a conical or cone shaped light canopy the 36" is generally ideal.

• If you have a canopy style strip light this will need to be lower than 36" as the light is not as direct as it is with a pendant style.

When installing your light canopy always use a qualified electrician. Most styles need hard wiring into the ceiling so is a job for the professionals. When installing your light canopy it is generally better to install it before the pool table is fitted that way you can protect the cloth from masonry dust. If this is not possible be sure to cover the pool table before you attempt to fit the light fitting as masonry dust is almost impossible to remove from a pool table cloth. We sell some very reasonable pool table covers on all of our pool table listings such as the Supreme Winner Pool Table that retail for £11.97 which is considerably cheaper than having to recover a dusty table! Just select the option down the right hand side of customise and buy and we will deliver the cover with your new pool table.

All the advice given in this post is just a general rule of thumb. Different brands of light canopies, subtle shape differences and wattage of bulb will affect the saturation of light onto your pool table cloth. You may need to adjust these measurements slightly depending on your pool table light canopy purchased,

We have some exciting news about a brand spanking new product that has been launched called The Fusion Pool Dining Table. This table has been manufactured and designed in the UK by one of the leading pool and snooker table manufacturers DPT Snooker. Just like their other tables such as the Majestic Pool Dining Table and the Windsor Pool Dining Table, this table is hand built in Liverpool by a highly skilled team who have been producing some of the finest affordable pool dining tables in the UK for over 35 years.

The Fusion Pool Dining Table is an innovative new product that has just been released and has got everyone in the office talking. With it's clean lines and modern design which is a far cry from some of our more traditional style pool dining tables in the classic wood finishes and ornate turned legs. We had unprecedented demand from many of our clients and customers for an affordable, yet modern pool dining table, and up until now there was really top end Italian made and designed pool dining tables available that were really modern which start from around £3000 so although they are modern in the black and white finishes they we're budget busting for the majority of our customers.

Having realised this gap in the market, DPT decided to put together a really modern table that was accessible for the masses. With prices starting from £879.00 including Free Delivery; The Fusion Pool Diner is an extremely good value, modern, cutting edge pool table that would suit any contemporary home. It comes in a wide range of colours including 

• White
• Black
• Dark Walnut
• Walnut
• Oak

And all tables come with a solid two piece top as standard or you can chose to have the über trendy tempered two piece glass top for an additional cost of £179.97. All our Fusion Pool Dining Tables come with a number of different cloths as standard including

• Cherry Red
• Purple
• Blue
• Green
• Black (surcharge of £11.97)

We are also able to supply this table with any cloth from the entire range of both Milliken and Hainsworth cloth manufacturers who as you may already know, produce the finest pool table cloth available in the UK. These ranges can be found on our website under our Premium and Logo Cloths tab. The premium colours in either Smart or Elite-Pro are an additional £89.97 on this table and our range of logo cloths can vary so if you would like one of these designs please call the office for a quote on 0800 622 6464.

We are also able to print your own logo or design on the cloth as long as you have a print quality image above 2MB in size and you have the licensed right to reproduce it we are able to put together some designs for you completely free of charge with no obligation to buy. Simply call one of our friendly team in the office for more information or drop us an email at customerservices@homeleisuredirect.com 

If you have been keeping up to date with our blog you will know by now that Home Leisure Direct is at the forefront of our industry of ensuring our customers can buy with confidence and safely online. This is why we aim to achieve all the reputable, industry relevant accreditations available so that our customer know they will be in good hands when going through their entire buying process with us.

With the types of products we sell at Home Leisure Direct, they are high end and expensive goods which are almost impossible to buy offline so this is why we want to make sure that our customers feel compleltey safe and secure when shopping with us either online or over the telephone.

We have been accepted as an accredited retailer as part of the Safebuy program which we are all really excited about. Now we can proudly show the logo below on our homepage so our customers know they are in safe hands when shopping with us.

Basically The Safebuy accreditation means we adhere to the following regulations listen below which was taken from the Safebuy Website:

The Code, amongst other things, requires web retailers to:

1. Adhere to the terms of the Sale of Goods Act, the EU Distance Selling Regulations and the EU Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications
2. Conform to the Data Protection Act 1998
3. Provide security for the processing of credit card transactions
4. Include physical location and contact details for themselves on their website
5. Display the total price consumers must pay for goods including delivery costs and provide a clear explanation of the delivery procedures
6. Advise the consumer if 'cookies' are required for the processing of data
7. Not use 'spam' for marketing purposes
8. Avoid exploitation of children

With over 25 million domestic PCs in the UK, the vast majority on broadband, and web sales reaching around 12% of all retail sales at the start of 2010, the standards required in the SafeBuy Code are a springboard to retailers who wish to differentiate themselves from less reputable or secure operations.

Unlike other web retailer schemes, SafeBuy is not designed to be a shopping directory. SafeBuy vets all sites during accreditation and continuously carries out 'mystery shopper' exercises and standards checking to ensure that retailers are adhering to the Code.

In the event of a consumer purchasing problem, SafeBuy has a mediation service, at no cost to the consumer or retailer, which can be referenced via the contact tab. The consumer has a further right of redress through the SafeBuy arbitration scheme run by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators at www.idrs.ltd.uk/safebuy.

SafeBuy has no connection with any manufacturer or service provider and does not take any advertising or sponsorship. The SafeBuy operation is funded by charges on retailers.

(Source http://www.safebuy.org.uk 02/08/2010)

Be sure to look out for the Safebuy logo on a retailers website and also make sure you click it to ensure the certificate is still valid and genuine. To see our official accreditation please visit our homepage as the image in this blog posts is just used for reference. 

We are always being asked in the office about how easy it is to install one of our Pool Tables. We always provide a professional 2 man pool table fitting service with all of our tables that are being installed, something that is very rare in our industry. We take pride in the quality of our workmanship, the gentleman that come to the property to install your table have years of experience in this field and Delivering, Fitting, Reclothing Pool and Snooker Tables is ALL they do! We truly offer a specialist service which is what you should come to expect when purchasing such a specialist and bespoke product.

So, allow me to tell you a little bit about how the pool tables come. This is just a general rule of thumb, all tables will be slightly different but the same basic principals apply.

Most pool tables are supplied in three main parts being:

• The Legs (along with all the blots and leg levellers)  
• The frame or body of the table
• The slate (which is already covered with your chosen cloth)

The sheer size of the table is what proves the biggest problem when installing the pool table yourself. Dependant on the model of pool table you have chosen there are some table bodies that are far deeper than others making them tricky at times to take around corners and up or downstairs. The slate is also incredibly heavy as this is where the weight of the table comes from. The slate is generally anything from 3/4" upwards and weight in excess of 125kg so moving it will need two able bodied people to do it safely.

If you do chose to install your own pool table purchased from us be sure to lift correctly bending your legs as they can result in some damage should you not take precautions. There are lots of resources online showing you how to lift safely so if you are in any doubt please take the time to read through some of the fantastic resources available on the internet.

We have put together a video of our our qualified installers putting together a Supreme Winner Pool Table. Even if you have selected one of our other tables they are all installed in a similar fashion so it will accurately give you and idea of what it takes to fit your own Pool Table or Pool Dining Table. Our Luxury Pool Tables  all come with Installation as standard as these are far more complex to put together and generally have a slate that comes in more than one piece.

Please have a look at this video if you have any questions about how to put together your table. It is around six minutes long and we have tried to condense it as much as possible to give you and accurate idea of what is involved when it comes to a Pool Table installation.

By now you should have an idea of what is involved when it comes to installing your Pool Table. This installation took our fully qualified installers approximately 45 minutes so I would set aside a good hour and a half should you choose to install the table yourself. It is not impossible to do however what we do is provide you with a professional job.

The trickiest part when installing the table yourself is getting the level correct. In the video you will have seen our guys testing the level with a spirit measure, lifting the table at one end and adjusting the leg levellers. Getting this perfect is very important as playing with an uneven table will effect your game. Our installers will show you how to do this when then come as it is something you will need to do throughout the life of your table.

All of our pool tables come with free delivery and the tables will be delivered by the same 2 man delivery teams, they will not however be able to install your table on the day should you wish to upgrade this once they deliver it. If you think you may need the table installed we will need you to either select that option when ordering your table or calling us up at least 3 days before to book it in a pay for the additional cost.

Our installation service is £99.00 to ground floor only. This includes:

• 2 man professional installation
• Removal of all packaging
• The opportunity to ask any maintenance questions you might have
• They will show you how to level the table 
• AM or PM delivery slot once the table is made
• We are also able to call you on the day and let you know when we are on route to give you opportunity to get back home rather than wait in all day. (Our customers love this!) 

Upstairs, downstairs and other restricted installations are possible but you will need to call the office for an accurate quote. We are also able to uninstall tables to relocate, recover pool and snooker tables or uninstall and put your table into storage (short term) if you are decorating or moving home. Just call our team in the office who will be more than happy to help on 0800 622 6464.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past two months you will know by now that our Home Leisure Direct Facebook Page is the place to be to be in with a chance of winning some amazing competitions. If you have been living under a rock, get yourself over to Facebook and "like" us to be in with a chance of winning our next prize of a Lunar Football Table.

We have already given away a Cornilleau Tectonic 50 Outdoor Tables Tennis Table and a Lunar Football Table already to our fans on our Facebook Page. There is absolutely no purchase necessary all you have to do is follow us on Facebook. It really is THAT simple. All we ask is that you are over 16 and we can only give prizes to people who reside in Mainland UK. 

Our first winner was Karen Colebeck who won the Outdoor Table tennis Table which she then kindly donated to her Kingsley Sea Cadets Group in Yorkshire. How nice is she?! Karen was also kind enough to send us some cracking photos in of the group with their brand new table tennis table.

So if you want to be in with a chance of winning some of our really awesome prizes head on over to Facebook and hit us up and that Foosball Table might be yours!

This is one of the most popular questions from our customers, what really is the difference between the American and English pool tables?

Well there a a few differences which I will put in very simple terms for you to make it easy.

English Pool Tables are usually 7ft, which is the size used in Pool Leagues up and down the country. You can get them in 6ft which is ideal for a smaller room and popular in the home, or in the local pub where space is at a premium. We do offer 8ft English Pool tables but we would really only recomend this is you are an experienced pool player and definitely want a table of this size. Playing English pool on such a large table can be a challenging game and I wouldn't recommend this for beginners. An 8ft English Pool Table plays a great game and it is a touch more challenging than a standard 7ft, but you will find you have more space to move the cue ball around, although the potting distances will be greater.

American Pool Tables range from 8ft to 9ft, with 9ft being the official size for the table.  The playing surface is much larger and the balls used are 2 1/4" in diameter as opposed to the 2" balls used on an English Pool Table. We do also sell 6ft and 7ft tables with American style pockets and larger balls, so if space is at a premium but you want the American experience we have a selection of tables to fit the bill.

Traditionally, English pool was played with red and yellow balls and American pool played with the spots and stripes coloured balls. Nowadays you can get balls in all different colours and 2" American style spots and stripes balls. It's all really down to personal taste which is why we offer different options on all of our pool table listings.

The cloth used on English Pool Tables is a wool cloth, typically Hainsworth Smart Cloth or Strachan West of England cloth. This cloth is characterised by the nap which makes the playing surface slower than on an American Pool Table. American Pool is played on a napless Speed Cloth such as Hainsworth Elite Pro which has no nap and is woven.

Lastly there are the pockets. On an English Pool Table the pockets are smaller and the cushion curves into all the pockets creating no hard corners. On an American Pool Table the pockets are considerably larger and are sometimes called bucket pockets. The corner pockets are very forgiving however the pockets on the side rails have a right angled cushion which makes it harder to pot the balls from narrow angles.

Both games are fantastic and becoming more and more popular. We sell hundreds of pool tables every month to home customers, schools, pubs, staff recreation rooms and youth clubs. It's such an easy game to just pick up a cue and play, even for children. Then as your skill level grows the game becomes more and more rewarding as your position play improves and you are able to build impressive breaks.

We sell one of the largest ranges of Pool tables in the UK and can offer free knowledgable advice on any of our pool tables or help you find a pool table to suit your needs. Just give a member of our team a call on 0800 622 6464 and they will be more than happy to help.

Home Leisure Direct understands that gaining a customers trust is the biggest part of the battle when selling goods online and this is why we go to every length possible to attain relationships and accreditations with governing bodies so that our customers know they are in the safe hands when purchasing from us.

We have recently partnered with the IMRG who are the leading industry body for global e-retailing. They run a program for a select few internet retailers that pass their stringent criteria called the ISIS - Internet Shopping Is Safe. We are happy to announce we have been accepted and awarded our ISIS Badge which you can find on our website.

Consumers can shop online with confidence wherever they see the ISIS logo because it certifies that the retailer has:
• registered with the ISIS programme and undertaken to trade in a manner that is LEGAL, DECENT, HONEST, TRUTHFUL AND FAIR;
• had its web site and service reviewed and monitored by IMRG;
• had its Business, VAT and Data Protection registrations checked by IMRG.

One of the main reasons that consumers cite as the reason for not shopping online, is a lack of awareness of the retailer. Whilst the huge companies like Coca-Cola and alike have brand exposure to comfort the customers, the vast amount of reputable e-Retailer's do not and this is why the IMRG have put this program in place to separate the honest and reliable retailers from the ones who do not put a priority on the customers comfort, satisfaction and security.

The ISIS Mark has built up a great reputation over many years and this is why you can be sure an ISIS-accredited merchant will have the reputation for reliability, security and trustworthiness engendered by the ISIS Mark. Customers purchasing goods and services branded under the ISIS Mark can do so with confidence, knowing that they do so from ISIS-accredited merchants and this is why we proudly wear our badge on our homepage.

There are lots of retailers out there but here at Home Leisure Direct we want to do everything we can to show our customers we are always working hard to do everything we can in relation to our customers experience and building trust. Not all retailers can lay claim to that but I for one know we are doing everythng we can to make your online shopping experience as stress free and easy as possible since that's what shopping online is all about!

Even though England have now been knocked out of the World Cup we are still running our FREE BEER promotion with every Football Table purchased over £400.

Take a look at our entire range of Football Tables on our site and you will see we have a huge range. We deal with all the best manufacturers including Garlando, FAS and Bonzini.

Once you purchase your Football Table from us you will receive your £10 supermarket voucher in the post after you have received your table to buy beers, wine, BBQ food or whatever else you might like.

If you would like some advice on any of our Foosball Tables please drop us and email or call the office on 0800 622 6464.

Summer is well and truly here and what beautiful weather we have been having so far and July and August haven't even arrived yet! The wow factor of an outdoor pool table is far greater than you would get with a normal indoor table. Most people can't believe you can get a pool table that lives outside. It's a perfect compromise for a wife that doesn’t want a pool table in the house or a home with not enough space. They are perfectly fine to go on decking or patio as long as you take the time to level the table. If you opt for our delivery and installation our team will build, erect and level the table for you so you can be sure that the table is ready to play as soon as they leave.

We only sell the very best quality outdoor pool tables you can find in the UK so anything you choose on our site is going to be of an excellent build and manufacturing quality along with all the game play and responsiveness you would find on a competition indoor pool table.

Our ranges start from as little as £809 including Free Delivery which makes this a really affordable way to start playing pool in your back garden or holiday home. The great thing about these tables are you can keep them outside all year round with the weatherproof cover on and they will last you for years. The Outback Pool Table is our best selling one in the outdoor range and comes in a whole variety of colour cabinets and different colour cloths.

Outdoor tables will need recovering more regularly than indoor pool tables as the cloth deteriorates quicker in the sunlight and wet weather. The cloth will need replacing on average about once every 2 years or so. It is perfectly okay if the cloth does get wet every now and again as it will dry out. One little tip we do have here at Home Leisure Direct is that the weatherproof cover does keep the water off the table but do not allow the water to sit on the cover in a pool for too long as it can cause damp underneath. Simply place some items or cushions under the cover on the cloth to create a tent and the water will just drain off automatically without you needing to constantly attend to it

If you would like any more information on our outdoor pool tables or availability please call the office on 0800 6226464

Join us on Facebook or Twitter and win a Football Table, it really is as simple as that! We are currently running a fantastic competition to win one of our best selling Football Tables worth over £150 and all you have to do is simply follow us on facebook or twitter to be in with a chance to win.

Our competition is running until the end of July and the winner will be picked at random. You must be over 16 to enter the competition and you must be a resident of mainland UK.

Our facebook page is a great way of keeping up to date with everything going on at Home Leisure Direct such as special offers, more fantastic competitions and news about what we have been up to.

Our Twitter page is again our general musings, interesting articles and news related to our industry along with updates on competitions and special offers.

Click here to join our Facebook Group or Here to join follow us on Twitter.

The winner will be announced on our Blog, Facebook Group page and Twitter at the end of July so watch this space!

Jermain Defoe kept England's World Cup hopes alive when he scored a desperately needed goal against Slovenia on Wednesday in what was a nail biting 90 minutes for all of us England fans out there pertched on the endge of our seats for the entire match.

Our boys played well and we're looking the best they have all competition so lets keep our fingers (and toes) crossed for this weekends epic match against Germany. May the best team win!

It wasn't that long ago when Jermain Defoe called us up to order one of our most sexy, gorgeous pool tables; The VL89 Pool Table by Longoni manufactured and hand finsihed in Italy.

Longoni use only the finest materials and fabrics on their tables and the VL89 is no exception. This is most definately the Porsche of the entire Longoni range. Jermain ordered the table up and we commissioned it to be made in Italy and within 4 weeks the table had been shipped into the country and we had installed by our dedicated 2 man installation team.

Jermain was over the moon with his new purchase and who can blame him, he has bought one of the finest pool tables on the market today.

If you want to know more about our Luxury Pool Tables or other bespoke pool tables please give our office a call and we will be more than happy to assist you on 0800 622 6464. We can customise 90% of pool tables if needed and can supply them in whatever colour cloth you desire so just have a look here at our huge range of Hainsworth Cloth options and logo cloths for more inspiration.

At Home Leisure Direct we are constantly striving to make the customer's online shopping experience a safer and therefore more enjoyable experience.

With so many websites out there how does a consumer know that the company they are dealing with is legitimate and is going to protect their details when shopping online? It's a genuine concern and with identity theft on the rise it's important that you look to purchase from a company that is doing everything they can to keep your information secure and safe.

This is why at Home Leisure Direct we have decided to partner with TRUSTe . For over a decade, TRUSTe’s online privacy services and trustmarks have enabled businesses to strive for the highest standards in online privacy and customer satisfaction. What that means to our customers is that as a business we have to adhere to the strictest data protection and customer satisfaction standards, ensuring all the data we obtain from you is being stored correctly and your details will never be compromised.

In this day and age this is something that is of the upmost importance. Isn't it better to shop with a retailer at the forefront of their industry that actually care about customer information and details, rather than a website which is anonymous and untrustworthy?

The web is such a great place to shop and grab good deals but please make sure you are doing everything in your power to shop safely. If a deal is too good to be true the likelihood it is so just be very cautious, speak to the business (which is why we have a freephone number and actively encourange our customers to call in) and make sure you feel 100% happy before you commit to buy, as it could end up being a costly mistake should your details ever be compromised.

If you want to know more just drop us an email or visit the TRUSTe website, but you can rest assured that Home Leisure Direct takes all of our customers privacy and security very seriously so you can be sure that you are always safe when shopping with us online. Keep an eye out for the TRUSTe logo on other sites which you are shopping on.

We have a fantastic new product made by Bonzini hand built and manufactured in Paris; The groovy Woodstock Bonzini B90 Football Table. It's bang on trend for this time of year with Glastonbury and all the other major music festivals coming up. We have already sold two of these far out football tables to the VIP area at one of the major music festivals coming up in the summer so if it's good enough for the celebs, it's good enough for our lovely customers!

We totally dig this product in the office with it's psychedelic colours, rainbow stripped players and flower power design; make your pad the most happening place to be this summer with this gorgeous foosball table.

The great thing about it is that it has all the craftsmanship of the Classic B90 Football Table and the styling to boot but the crazy paint job and wacky colours make it a really individual fun table to add to your home, office or games room.

We have a fantastic offer running at the moment on a range of our English slate bed pool tables and pool dining tables. Not only will our customers recieve the standard accessory pack containing red and yellow balls, two cues, triangle and chalk but if they chose to have the table professionally installed by us they will get an extra bonus pack of accessories worth £60!

Incuded in this pack are a collection of our most popular accessories, being a brush, cover, one 36" cue, one 48" cue, and a 2 piece wooden cue rack to store all your cues safely.

The tables this offer is available with are the following:

The hugley popular and best selling Majestic Pool Dining Table

The classic Windsor Pool Dining Table

The brand new and contemporary Fusion Pool Dining Table

The robust Monarch Pool Table

The brand new and best selling Emirates Pool Table

The affordable and stylish Elite Pool Table

The pub quality contemporaty styles Omega Pool Table

It's a fantastic offer that has proven very popular so far. Having the table professionally installed is something we really recommend doing. Our delivery and installation teams are fully insured, have at least 10 years experience and can also teach you how to level the table and care for the table to make sure you get the very best out of your new purchase.

The great thing about all of the pool tables and pool dining tables we sell is that they are built to last. If taken care of there is no reason why these tables cannot last you for 20 years. You will of course need to recover it during this time but if you do, our team can also do that. They have a wealth of experience in fitting cloths of all types to English Pool Tables, American Pool tables and Snooker Tables so if you are looking to have your table recovered just give the office a call on 0800 622 6464 and we can give you a price.

We offer more cloth types than anyone else in the UK and if there is something special you want then give us a call and one of our designers can mock up an image of it whether is for a company logo or something more personal.

Have your own mini Wimbledon in your back garden this summer with one of our fantastic outdoor table tennis tables. With our World Cup hopes almost dashed, it's time to start getting into the Wimbledon mood and with all that champagne, strawberries and cream who are we to argue?

We have a table tennis table at home and one thing I can say is how much our friends love to have a go when they come over, especially in the summer months. The great thing about table tennis is that it's so simple to play. The kids love playing with friends and we love playing ping pong with ours.

This Saturday we are having a Wimbledon inspired get together for family and friends on our Cornilleau Sport 400M Outdoor Table Tennis Table. It's something we like to do every year and are just praying the weather holds out for it. We hold the tournament in our garden every summer with plenty of strawberries and champagne, quintessential Wimbledon fodder and of course a crowd of good friends and all the staff here in the office.

If you order your table tennis table now there is definately a chance you will get it in time for the weekend so give the office a call and speak to one of our advisors on 0800 6226464 and they will let you know if what we can do. A lot of our tables can be delivered within 72 hours so get in touch and let us know what you want.

We have also found a really handy download that you can use here which is an excel spreadsheet for a 16 player tournament that you can just print out and write the challengers names in which will certainly come in useful and we will be using it ourselves this weekend.

One other thing thing I simply must share with you a fantastic recipe for Eton Mess, the perfect desert for this event. It's very quick and easy yet always gets a thumbs up at out Wimbledon Bash event!

The only thing you need to do now it to head out to the supermarket and pick up some bubbly in time for your event. It's a tough life isn't it?

We have some really exciting news in today at Home Leisure Direct. Another new product courtesy of Sound Leisure; one of the finest bespoke jukebox manufacturers in the world.

Introducing the Sound Leisure 1015 Jukebox . Based on the original Wurlitzer 1015, Sound Leisure Jukeboxes have created this masterpiece with all of the care and attention to detail of the original, as well as some modern technological advances making this one of the most desirable jukeboxes available on the market today. Only 65,000 of the original Wurlitzer 1015's were ever made and only around 6,000 remain in the market and would now cost in excess of £10,000.

The Sound Leisure 1015 has a hand crafted, cabinet from just one piece of wood, adorned with chrome castings and lit by an ever changing light display, enhanced by dancing bubbles. Just one jukebox takes 45 man hours to produce by the team of dedicated craftsmen and women and the quality really is second to none. A beautiful work of art and craftsmanship and without a doubt and investment for the future.

The Nostalgia 1015 is a 'real' jukebox that now offers a vast choice of music from the 80 CD mechanism and fitted iPod dock, which is some improvement on the choice of 24 songs from the stack of 78 rpm vinyl available on the 1946 original! It can be controlled manually from the jukebox, or via the remote, and is powered by a 300-watt stereo amplifier, to provide a rich and powerful audio.

The team at Sound Leisure are rightly proud of their latest creation. “The new Nostalgia truly is a dream machine. It harks back to the glory years of the 1015, which some believe was the greatest jukebox of its time. We have brought the design into the 21st Century, without sacrificing any of the quality that made the 1015 justifiably famous,” says Alan Black.
 
“We realise that our latest Nostalgia is set to become a collector’s item, in the same way as many of our other Classic jukeboxes. We are initially aiming the box at the consumer/home market, but as the machine is available with a coin-mech – commercial use is also possible,” says Chris Black, Sound Leisure Managing Director.

We think you'll agree, it is a stunning jukebox and a fine addition to any home or games room. For more information call our office free on 0800 622 6464 or email us at customerservice@homeleisuredirect.com

Children and adults in East Bristol will have a greater opportunity to try their hand at table tennis this summer, thanks to a donation of equipment from a local business.  

Bristol-based Home Leisure Direct, which sells games equipment to homes, businesses and organisations across the UK and worldwide though its website (www.homeleisuredirect.com), has presented tennis bats and balls to the value of £300 to Bristol City Council for local residents to use on an outdoor table tennis table which the council has installed in St. Agnes Park in St Pauls.  The refurbished park will see a grand opening this Saturday, 19 June.

The company has also pledged to support the Council’s Active8 holiday programme, providing equipment for a further three outdoor table tennis tables in the Barton Hill area.

Table tennis or ‘ping pong’ has been enjoying renewed popularity in the UK’s capital since Mayor of London Boris Johnson teased the Chinese two years ago by questioning the birthright of table tennis, insisting that the game was actually a descendant of the Victorian game whiff whaff rather than of Chinese descent.  This summer London will host a ping pong festival with 100 outdoor tables set up at open air landmarks.

It’s a trend that Michelle Beresford, director of Home Leisure Direct, hopes will catch on here in Bristol.  “Table tennis is a fantastic game and all credit to Bristol City Council for making outdoor tables available to local people.” she said.

“Table tennis tables and equipment are always popular buys from our website and from talking to local residents and children there’s also real enthusiasm for the game here in Bristol. We hope that by providing equipment we can encourage more people to join in and enjoy fun outdoor sports time together.”

Nicola Ferris, Sports Development Officer for Bristol City Council added, “I became involved in ping pong a few years ago and have seen how much children and adults alike enjoy playing it.  I’d love to see more people playing outdoors in Bristol parks and this donation of bats and balls will certainly help.”

Anyone who would like to play table tennis in St. Agnes Park but doesn’t have their own equipment has a chance of winning their own bat at Saturday’s launch event.  Thereafter the adventure playground at the park will hold a supply of bats and balls for people to borrow.

St Agnes resident Tara Young, who has championed the cause of bringing table tennis to the local park is thrilled with the new table.  “I’ve long believed that table tennis will be very popular around here and it’s fantastic to see the new facilities and equipment in place.” she commented.

St. Agnes Park’s launch party will take place from 12.00 noon – 4.00 p.m. on Saturday 19 June and entertainment will include live African music, a talent show, a table tennis tournament, arts activities ranging from jewellery making to playground decorating and African art to mask making, dance, drumming, workshops, inflatable play, hula hooping and much more.

We have an exciting new product released today which is the Butterfly Park Polymer Concrete Outdoor Table Tennis Table. We are all really excited about this in the office at the moment as it is an extremely innovative product far better than the concrete only tables you see in parks up and down the country and let us tell you why.

These Butterfly table tennis tables are top of the range and you in our opinion you will not find a better quailty, longer lasting table available on the market in the UK today. The great thing about this table is, that becuase it is not just concrete table the playing surface lasts a lot longer. Concrete only tables are prone to chipping and weathering creating an uneven playing surface over time. The markings on the polymer surface are moulded on so they don't wear off and lastly they have aluminium nets that are virtually indestructable which all in all makes a pretty bomb proof table ideal for parks, schools, youth clubs, pubs and any outdoor space you have free!

Table Tennis is proving more and more popular and we have sold a record number of table this summer so far. There are so many table tennis community events going on this summer up and down the country so keep an eye out in your local press for more information. There is Ping London taking place at Kings Place over the summer and in various parks in and around London. Also other big cities in the UK such as Bristol are coming on board with similar initiatives.

We are working very closely with Bristol City Council on this and are really excited about this project. You can read more about Ping Bristol in this article or by giving our office a call, we will let you know what the closest parks are with a table tennis table to you in the Bristol area for you to freely enjoy. We all believe it is a worthwhile cause and that fitness and the outdoors is something important for all children nowadays, especially with the increase in computer games and the internet. This is why we have decided to work with the council on this so that the people of our city have access to tables and equipment.

Table tennis is such a fun game for old and young alike and the great thing about it is you don't have to be a professional to enjoy it! To pick up a paddle and hit the ball requires no real skill or technique to start off with, so is a great sport to play with young children without them becoming frustrated.

Give us a call to find out more about the tables that are available in the Bristol area for you to play on in your local community and we will be more than happy to help. There are a few dotted around at present that you are able to appreciate with friends and family in the wonderful green spaces we are so lucky to have in Bristol.

Check back tomorrow for some exciting news on this project where our directors Michelle & Andy will be out in the one of the parks playing table tennis with the local school children. Hopefully there will be a bit of sun so fingers (and toes) crossed!

With the run up to the world cup, lots of people have been purchasing pool tables and table football games for world cup parties and to entertain their friends over the summer. Hopefully we will be in the comeptition long enough to warrant the excitement!

Our installation team arrived in Bristol this afternoon to install a 7ft Supreme Winner Pool Table in a lovely modern white pearl finish and our customer has chosen one of our premium Hainsworth cloths in Silver which everyone here in the office thinks sets off the table beautifully - I think you'll agree! After getting some lovely shots of this table we are certainly expecting an popularity increase in white tables with the grey cloths.

The customer was limited on space indoors so opted for an outdoor table. Supreme Winner make a version of their popular table out of a special type of marine plywood to help protect it from the elements. Have a look at the plywood option on our Supreme Winner Pool Table listing on the site for more information on this.

The guys installed the table which was a little bit tricky as the customers decking wasn't very straight. Thankfully our guys have come across far more difficult josb than this one, so it was not a problem for them. After a few adjustments and some tinkering they managed to level off the table for a perfect playing surface.

Our customer Andrew was absolutely delighted with his pool table and can't wait for his World Cup party at the weekend with his mates. The guys left him with his pool table accessories and made sure everything was okay before they went on their way, leaving Andrew to play with his brand new pool table which he has been bought by his wife as a birthday present... lucky guy!

Welcome to our brand new blog! Isn't she lovely?

We have finally got around to starting this up with thanks to our super amazing web development team. (Thanks guys!) We are really looking forward to giving all of our customers some insight into the day to day running of home Home Leisure Direct and real time news on exciting new products, offers and competitions.

We will also be keeping you guys up to date with industry news and all sorts of interesting and useful buying guides, cue sports news and competition results as the year goes on. All of our press releases will be broadcast from our blog so you know what we've been up to; we get up to all sorts y'know so watch this space for our daily updates!