Thelma Carpenter

Thelma Carpenter (4 December 1911 – 1998) was an English player of English billiards and snooker. She won the World Ladies' Amateur Billiards Championship, now recognised as editions of the World Women's Billiards Championship, each year from 1932 to 1934. After turning professional in 1934, she won the Women's Professional Billiards Championship four times and the Women's Professional Snooker Championship once, retiring as the reigning champion of both in 1950.

She opened a billiards academy for women in 1934 and, in 1936, she was the first woman to commentate on sports for the BBC when she provided radio commentary for a billiards match. She died in 1998.

Early life and playing career Thelma Carpenter was born on 4 December 1911. She was educated at home and never attended school. Carpenter's father, Brodie Carpenter, owned the Solent Cliffs Hotel in Bournemouth, which had two billiards rooms.

McConachy, who became the World Professional Billiards Champion from 1951 until 1968, and Claude Falkiner (twice runner-up in the World Billiards Championship) both provided coaching to Carpenter, McConachy gifted his cue to Carpenter, although he may have regretted this; multiple-time men's professional champion Davis later said that he felt McConachy never played to his full ability again. The journalist and author Donald Trelford speculated that McConachy was "too gallant (or too stubborn or too shy)" to request the cue's return. She felt that the extra weight of the cue helped with and shots.

Carpenter won the WBA World Ladies Amateur Billiards Championship in three consecutive years, from 1932 to 1934. Carpenter defeated Ethel Brown 1,000-730 in the final.

In December 1933, the council of the WBA announced that any players entering open events not organised or sanctioned by the WBA would be prohibited from entering WBA competitions. Carpenter resigned from the Association in February 1934, as she was not granted permission to play in the Junior Amateur Championship organised by The Billiard Player magazine. In August, Carpenter declared that she was turning professional. Lee conceded a start of 2,500 points to Carpenter, but won the three-day match 4,030–3,955. By January 1935, the WBA had formally associated with the Billiards and Snooker Control Council, and Carpenter accepted an invitation to play in the Women's Professional Billiards Championship.

From 1936 to 1939 she was runner up to Harrison three times in four years in the Women's Professional Snooker Championship, and once to Joyce Gardner in the Women's Professional Billiards Championship. In 1940, she won her first professional title by beating Ruth Harrison 2,184–1,641 in the Billiards final, The 1950 billiards final featured the same finalists as in 1949, and had the same victor, with Carpenter beating Gardner 1978–1374 to win for a third time. A few days later, Carpenter won the Snooker Championship too, this time beating Morris 20–10.

Non-playing career and personal life Carpenter wrote the "Billiards for Women" column in The Billiard Player magazine She was also the first woman to play trick shots on a full-size billiards table as part of exhibition matches. She appeared on BBC Television in 1947, giving a demonstration of billiards alongside Lee. The following year, a match between Carpenter and Harrison was broadcast on BBC Radio. Seeor died in 1989 and Carpenter died in 1998, aged 86. was "certainly the first in England, probably in the world".

Titles and achievements The 1948 Women's Billiards Association awards ceremony. Pictured, (left to right), are Ruth Harrison, Carpenter, Joyce Gardner, Agnes Morris, Valerie Hobson, Evelyn Morland-Smith, Beryl Stamper, Joan Adcock, E. Peters. Back row: Gladys Burton. Snooker

Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent Score Ref.Runner-up 1 1936 Women's Professional Snooker Championship Ruth Harrison 3–7 Runner-up 2 1938 Women's Professional Snooker Championship Ruth Harrison 2–11 Runner-up 3 1939 Women's Professional Snooker Championship Ruth Harrison 5–8 Runner-up 4 1949 Women's Professional Snooker Championship Agnes Davies 15–16 Winner 5 1950 Women's Professional Snooker Championship Agnes Davies 20–10 Winner 2 1933 Women's Amateur Billiards Championship Vera Seals 1,000-552 Winner 3 1934 Women's Amateur Billiards Championship Vera Seals 1,200–915 Runner-up 4 1938 Women's Professional Billiards Championship Joyce Gardner 1,824–2,313 Winner 5 1940 Women's Professional Billiards Championship Ruth Harrison 2,184–1,641 Winner 6 1948 Women's Professional Billiards Championship Joyce Gardner 2,659–1,670 Winner 7 1949 Women's Professional Billiards Championship Joyce Gardner 3,120–2,528 Winner 8 1950 Women's Professional Billiards Championship Joyce Gardner 1,978–1,374