A FORMER top snooker player hopes to raise his game in the Lake District hospitality industry after buying a second hotel and restaurant.

Tony Knowles has relaunched The White House, in Bowness-on-Windermere, and plans to turn around its fortunes after the business went into administration earlier this year.

The 56-year-old, of Bowness, aims to develop the venue along with his professional snooker career. He said he had ‘ambitious plans for them both’.

Mr Knowles, an entrepreneur and three-times semi-finalist of the World Snooker Championships, revealed his intentions to The Westmorland Gazette ahead of the World Seniors competition.

This Saturday the Bolton-born snooker player will take on ‘The Whirlwind’ Jimmy White at the Peterborough event.

Meanwhile, the pressure is on Mr Knowles to bring his new business venture to the standard of Churchills Wine Bar, in Bowness, which he has extended and developed over the past 20 years. “We’re looking at a way to develop it to complement the bar we’ve got next door,” he said. “We’ve extended that over the years to add bedrooms and we’ve put in a restaurant.

“We’ve taken on several new staff and we want to transfer our management structure and the things we’ve learned to our new project. It’s not a finished hotel by any means but as a snooker player I’ve learned to think ahead and I’m confident that we can make this venue a great place to stay in the coming year.

“There won’t be any pool tables there though – I’ve managed to keep my interests quite separate and I think that’s for the best.”

Architects are currently in discussion with Mr Knowles about potential expansion plans for the building and its surrounding gardens.

The premises’ website is www.whitehousebowness.co.uk