More than just interesting
Date of news/blog: 18th February 2026Apart from fellow professionals, there are very few people who can claim to have played several former winners of the World Snooker World Championships – but throw in actually beating six-time winner Steve Davis and it’s safe to say that Peter Davies is more than just ‘interesting’.
Davis, Terry Griffiths and Ray Reardon are among those who Peter has played and he was that good at the game, his daughter Helen says there was a time when he nearly went professional himself.
But that was in an era before snooker became the lucrative profession it was and Peter already had a well-paid job he enjoyed as an Electrical Power Engineer, so the game remained an enjoyable pastime for him.
Helen said: “Terry Griffiths mentioned my dad in one of his autobiographies as he was a few years younger than him and my dad helped to get him into a local club when he was still working a postman before he turned professional.
“Being a well respected and quite well-known amateur, Dad was invited to a play a frame against Steve Davis in an exhibition match in Cardiff in 1995. Steve was at the top of his game and we were proud and a little shocked that Dad beat him 82-27. He won a signed cue and 365 cans of beer from the sponsor!”
Peter grew up in Bury Port, near Llanelli and was the youngest of three brothers. He started working in a power station after leaving school and did this his entire working life, going to become shift supervisor in charge of 40-50 people.
“Dad was super intelligent, great at maths and has more letters after his name than you can fit on an envelope,” jokes Helen.
Peter met his future wife Margaret, a school teacher, in a local pub and they were married for 57 years, making the most of their time together by indulging their shared love of sport (Peter was also a keen golfer), including being members at Chepstow and Taunton Racecourses.
They had one child, Helen, and she gave them one grandchild who they doted on.
Peter was unfortunately diagnosed with dementia in 2022 and Margaret also became ill so despite receiving homecare support, Helen was advised that her mum and dad would benefit from living in a home which provided general residential, nursing and dementia care.
Wanting her parents to be closer to her in Dorset, Helen began looking at homes in the local area and she was told about Pine Martin Grange.
Helen says: “Distance wise it was perfect, so I went to see it was a friend of mine whose parents had been in care homes before and when we walked in and we were like, ‘wow, this looks like a hotel.’
“What struck me was that everyone seemed really happy and content, it was clean with no smell and the activities programme was very impressive.
“And when I saw the bar, I definitely knew my dad would like it there!”
Unfortunately, Peter and Margaret only got to experience living together at Pine Martin Grange for seven weeks before she sadly passed away.
“The staff at Pine Martin Grange were amazing,” recounts Helen.
“The way they wrapped themselves around us all was very special and suddenly, instead of me being on my own, I felt like I had a lot of support.
“They were wonderful to dad which meant that I could support my son who was grieving having just lost his grandma.”
Peter now lives in our Forget-Me-Not Floor for our ladies and gentlemen living with dementia and Helen says she can relax knowing he is safe and well cared for there.
“I still take him out a couple of times a week, including to his old golf club and whilst he now often can’t recall where his room is or where is staying, he always finds his way to and from the toilet at the club without a problem,” muses Helen.
“I definitely made the right decision moving him to Pine Martin Grange; it’s not only helped him but helped my health and well-being as well.
“My experience of Pine Martin Grange has been nothing but positive.”