Snooker legends meet seaside care home residents

Ken Doherty and Dennis Taylor said they were excited to be playing at the home

Residents at a seaside care home have been treated to a visit from two former snooker world champions.

Dennis Taylor and Ken Doherty visited Eversley Lodge Nursing Home in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, to play snooker and share memories with residents.

Their visit came 40 years after Taylor's big win in a memorable black-ball final at the 1985 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.

"Here we are still loving every minute of it... It's a great bit of fun," Taylor said.

Both players said they were not sure what they were in for when they headed to the home.

"We didn't know what we were coming to, really. When we turned up we were so surprised... What a beautiful place," Taylor said.

Doherty, who won the championship in 1997, said he last visited Great Yarmouth more than 40 years ago

Doherty said: "It's brilliant... We haven't done many exhibitions in care homes before.

"A lot of people here would have watched snooker over the years and really enjoyed it, so it's great to see them in such a wonderful environment."

The 1997 world champion reminisced about the last time he visited Norfolk's coastline.

"It's been over 40 years since I was last here playing in the Home Junior International in Hemsby... I've always really enjoyed it here," he said.

Taylor hopes people keep remembering his championship win from 40 years ago

The care home's manager, Danielle Bullent, said a lot of work went into setting up the home for the exhibition.

She said it took staff four hours to get the snooker table ready.

Speaking about the anniversary of his championship win, Taylor, famous for his unique "upside-down" glasses, said he was glad people still talked about it.

"Forty years on and people still turn their glasses upside down, raise an imaginary cue above their head and wag their finger at me," he said.

"I hope they keep doing it for many more years to come."