Barton McGill is a billiards store at 116 Wairau Road in Glenfield, Auckland, with a history that goes back to 1892, when the business was still packing pianos and supplying burial furniture for undertakers. It sells pool and snooker tables, cues, balls, chalk and accessories for games rooms, and it stocks Brunswick tables. The shop also restores, relocates, stores and appraises existing tables, and it hires and leases snooker, billiard and pool tables. Play packages are on offer for anyone starting out with a new table, and there is a blog with advice on keeping a table in good condition. Questions can be sent through the website or made by phone on (09) 444 3979.
The store's history shapes how it presents itself: its own account says that building billiard tables is a lesson in truth, accuracy and craftsmanship, and that the trade grew quickly in the new colonies because games were a central part of early communities. For someone planning a game room with a table at the centre, the shop's maintenance and appraisal services are a practical reason to buy and look after a table here. Our pick in Glenfield for a pool or snooker table that is meant to last.