MEMBERS of the Maria Catalano Appreciation Society (South Hampshire Branch) and the Katie Henrick (South Coast) Fan Club made an early start last Sunday to see the stars in action in Derbyshire.

It was five minutes short of 7am as happy-snapper Kevin Legg led the one-car convoy from the Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club car park on the first leg of a 400-mile round trip.

Arriving just after 10am at the North East Derbyshire Snooker Centre in Clay Cross, just south of Chesterfield, the star-struck fans were met by World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association chairman, and mother of the ladies game, Mandy Fisher.

Maria and Katie, recently voted joint-second most beautiful women in the world by the WLBSA press pack, were already in action in the first round of the UK Championships.

Former England international Katie beat Hong Kong’s Jaique Ip-Wan In 3-2 on a re-spotted black in a “lengthy” match, which Mandy told me I had to describe as an “epic”.

Ronnie O’Sullivan’s cousin Maria saw off Jenny Poulter 3-1 to earn a quarter-final date with Katie in the afternoon session.

Dinner was courtesy of Mark Jones, from sponsors Wytech. The MCAS(SHB) tucked into smoked salmon sandwiches with a side salad and some kind of dippy stuff while the KH(SC)FC polished off a Sunday roast.

While taking the air in the garden of the converted country house, the ladies, chaperoned by enormous boyfriends, were approached and asked if they would mind spending a few minutes talking to their fan base.

They both flashed smiles that washed away the troubles of the world and agreed. The early start was beginning to take its toil but, suddenly, getting up before 6am seemed a small price to pay.

Maria took a 2-1 lead in the last-eight with the weekend’s highest break of 102 but Katie ground out a 3-2 win. Maria was cruelly robbed of victory by Katie who fully deserved her fine win.

In the last-four, Katie ended page three girl Suzie Opacic’s chance of a first final but was denied the UK title by the almost unbeatable three-time world champion Reanne Evans.

But, by then, the MCAS(SHB) was tucking into a Burger King with diet coke while the KH(SC)FC was making short work of a KFC at Leicester Forest East.