If i am aiming for a red ball but hit the blue instead, which then rolls along and pots the black, is the penalty 5 or 7 ? I think its 5 as that is the first foul event but would welcome clarification / correction

From Wiki:
When a foul is made, the non-fouling player will receive penalty points equal to the value of the ball "on", or the value of any of the "foul" balls, or 4 points, whichever is highest. When multiple fouls are made in one shot, only the most highly valued foul is counted. Penalty points are therefore at least 4 points and at most 7.

I take that as meaning the foul would be a 7 pointer!!!

Correct, now sort this one out.

The highest possible break is 155, however the finishing score would be higher than that.

I think it might be acheived by taking a colour as a free ball as a red (following a foul snooker) and then potting a black making 8 points, then following on with the standard max 147

Ta for that. However, would it still be 7 if i hit the blue and, instead of the blue potting the black, the white simply carried on and made contact with the black ?

That´s an easy one Crookesey!
A foul before a break with a nominated red and colour! Not that my own personal best has ever got out of the 20´s!
Been a long time since I used to visit the snooker hall in Derby! I think I´d be lucky to pot one these days!

That I´m not too sure.
I believe I´m correct in saying it would be a 5 point foul as the black isn´t fouled?
Perhaps Crookesey will clarify?

I used to go to the snooker hall in Derby town centre in 1974/75 - it was free to get in but we had to put 2p pieces in the light meter. Happy days

I´d forgotten about the light meter. The bar would take a bit more than that though

Correct.

My highest break is only 34, I've not played for years. A retired Canadian Royal Air Force pilot had a great pool school in his bar in Calpe, it was always a midnight lock in.

Happy days.

Sounds like if we should ever play a frame, we´d they there for quite a while!!!

Although it may appear impossible and I always thought so myself, the highest break is actually higher than that.
I forgot how it could be done a long time ago, but it was once explained to me in detail by a guy who refereed in the World Championships back in the days of Reardon and Spencer.

I used to be well into Snooker myself at one time and had a full size table for many years.
Bought it for 18 quid when a lot of places were throwing them out just before the game took off with colour TV.
Eventually sold it on for 2000 quid, nice little earner and a great many hours of pleasure to boot.
It was a Thurston, supposedly the Rolls Royce of tables more than a century ago when it was built.
Had to re-cushion and re-cover it myself but the materials only cost me about sixty quid back then.

Black taken as a red followed with a black, followed by 147 is unbeatable, are you thinking of the foul score added to the 155?

No.

Well if you don't tell me I hope that your ferrets die.