Latest UK Bingo News And Site Additions
Welcome! You've found your way to Brett Hyrjak's corner of Playing Bingo. Get yourself comfy and pull up a web page - share a few minutes with the Bingo Caller Of The Year 2006 and GalaTV caller.
Brett will be dropping by monthly with his own personal column, exclusive to Playing Bingo. Brett will be writing about his experiences as a Bingo caller and an ambassador for the game. Funny experiences, calling tips and lots of Bingo related anecdotes are expected!
If you'd like to find out more about Brett and his background and how he prepared for the 2006 Bingo Caller Of The Year competition, you can read a full interview with him in the Playing Bingo Articles And Interviews section. Subscribe (Atom) to Brett's Corner.
Wednesday, 27 August 2008Hypocrisy...part 2
I have to chuckle.......I am predominantly a Daily Mail reader and I love the comment about there new online bingo site!!!! The main reason I read this paper is that it is the only paper where I actually verbally shout at it whilst reading it!!!! No other paper elicits that response from me.....and I would rather read something that makes me question my beliefs than one that comforts it!!!!!!It will be interesting to see if the Daily mail continues to knock the gambling industry in future publications, whilst promoting there own gaming sites in the next days edition. I mean, whatever next.........They comment on cheap alcohol being sold in supermarkets and the next minute they are running there own offers on cheap cases of wine?............oh wait a minute.......they are doing that too!!!!!!!! AAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!
Posted by Brett at 19:50 |
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Stereotypes in the press again!!!!
Just check out this recent article courtesy of broadsheet paper the Telegraph. Is it just me or is this another article highlighting the stereotypes of bingo clubs?!?!? Apparently the middle classes (female of course-----because we all know that men don't play bingo!!!!) are playing bingo online because they are embarrassed to visit a real club!!!! Also land based bingo is all about 'elderly people, smoking and aggressive slot machines' according to one online operator!Wowsers, now I know the article is ultimately a positive piece on the explosion of bingo in the online world, but the editorial content and headline used smacks of laziness and cheap shots at the expense of the real bingo players and the halls they frequent.
Posted by Brett at 22:07 |
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Presidential bingo?
Scouring the web for bingo news and gossip I came across this charming article about a bingo player from Berkshire, who's step-son could very well be the next president of the United States!!!!! Apparently, bingo regular Kezia Obama is still in close contact with her Step-son Barack Obama. What a coup that would be for the bingo industry if, in 12 months time, the most powerful man on the planet was to visit his Step-mum in good old England and maybe pop off down to the bingo for a quick game and a bite to eat?! If a game of bingo is good enough for a world leader then it's good enough for me!!!!Posted by Brett at 14:13 |
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hot weather......cold weather......you can never win in bingo!!!!!
If you have ever worked in a bingo club then I am sure that at some point you have heard that age old question from the punters: "It's too HOT/COLD in here. Could you turn the HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING UP/DOWN/OFF/ON???????????!!!!!!" And if you have heard this question then you must have heard this next question from another player in a different part of the hall about ten minutes later: "Have you just turned the HEATING/AIR-CON ON/OFF/UP/DOWN? Could you put it back to the way it was please as I am now HOT/COLD" I can't be the only person to have dealt with this in a bingo hall! Isn't it just the slightest bit annoying!!!
I was cursed in my first couple of clubs that I worked for in the fact that they were old converted buildings which had little or no temperature control.In the summer the heat and humidity would be unbearable in the hall, with customers wafting there bingo books infront of them inbetween claims. (although I must say that our prize bingo did a storming trade in portable fans.......we made a mint on them!!!!!) And in the Winter the heating system would take so long to heat up that by the time the hall reached a comfortable temperature, the session had ended and the players would have left the building!
There was even a situation in my first club in Bognor one Winter when the heating system actually broke down.......and not just for a couple of days......for about 2 and a half weeks! In the end the cafeteria had to give out free hot drinks and the staff had to wear there coats to do the job: But event though we had loads of complaints during that time, the players kept on coming in! you just can't knock a good bingo player down!
Now if you have never worked in an old bingo hall and have only had the experience of a lush purpose built hall of bingo brilliance then you are not left out of this HOT/COLD conundrum. Oh NONONONONONONO!!!!!!
My most recent club is a big purpose built affair with the best air con that money can buy.....If it sweltering outside you can be assured that the first thing you experience as you enter the building is a nice cool breeze washing over you. However you can be guaranteed that some customers will come up to you during the session and say "can you turn the air-con off.......it's cold in here!!!!" and you can be also guaranteed that these customers will be sitting directly underneath one of the vents chucking out that lovely cool air!! "Why don't you move seats? Put a cardie on! Jump up and down a bit" these are some of the things I wish I could say to them.......but I don't!!!!
There was even one session when it was a packed evening in the middle of July, the air-con was keeping the room nice and cool.........until some customers (the ones sitting right underneath the vents) decided they wanted the air-con turned off. Normally I ignore these request but this time I thought "sod it" and turned all the fans off.............15 minutes later during the first half main session the bingo books began wafting during claim checks as the temperature gradually rose and rose to uncomfortable levels. After a couple of more pages I couldn't resist anymore and stopped the bingo to say "excuse me, is it just me or is it a bit warm in here?" In a beat the whole hall yelled "YES!" Straight away I replied "Well I had to turn the fans off because some of you were saying that it was too cold.........would you like me to turn them on again?" 700 people shouted "YES" Funnily enough those 'cold' customers from earlier didn't seem to mind the cool air blowing at them for the rest of that session!
So which type of bingo hall have you got? HOT or COLD? I'm sure loads of you have stories about your temperature tantrums you've experienced in bingo.....let us know!
Anyway gotta go back to work now: at least the TV studio is air-conditioned!!!!
Posted by Brett at 18:48 |
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in response to the recent mugging article
just reading up on recent events on this website and I couldn't help but feel for the 86 year old pensioner who got mugged after winning £1,000 at the bingo in Manchester.I am pleased to say that nothing like that has ever happened in the clubs that I have worked for, but we did have security measures in place, including free escort and taxi home for any big cash winners.
Especially working in Gala Bognor Butlins we used to operate a scheme where we would hold any customers big cash win for them to pick up as they left the complex on the last day of there holiday. That way if a player was to win £1,000 on the first day of there break, they would feel a lot more happy that there money was safe in our hands rather than being left in a chalet which has brittle locks and paper thin walls!!!!
I remember when my girlfriend won £1,000 on a link game a couple of years ago and I actually picked her up to make sure that she (and her winnings) were safe!!!
Basically I agree with this websites article......... if you win a big cash prize at the bingo, don't be shy: the club have a social and public responsibility to make sure that you and your winnings are not parted...................until you visit the travel agents that is!!!!!!!!
Posted by Brett at 22:30 |
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giggedy giggedy.........more incentive for playing bingo!!!!
A recent survey this week found that bingo players were more amorous when they had had a win at the bingo!I for one am encouraging my girlfriend to visit the bingo halls more often now and I'm sure lots of other partners of bingo players will be doing the same!!
(Although I'm not too sure about the statement in the same survey that a quarter of players would leave there other halves if they won £25,000 or more..............Don't win too much Maxine!!!!)
Posted by Brett at 12:26 |
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Adult Gaming Centres?
(the suncoast in Vegas.....they run hour on, hour off sessions of bingo)
I'm a strong believer in that and I say that as long as the bingo is not impaired by these gaming extensions then go for it!
Posted by Brett at 15:01 |
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Gala Bingo Caller of the Year 2008 Grand Final
ITS SUNDAY 29TH JUNE TODAY AND THIS IS WHAT I GOT UP TO:10am: Me and the missus are on the motorway travelling to Birmingham to watch the gala caller of the year grand final. It's going to be a weird one for me as this will be my first competition where i will be just a spectator instead of a contestant or a judge! strangely I'm beginning to get nervous for the finalists, I wonder how they're feeling right now!
11:35am: An argument ensues as we take a wrong turn in the car (of course its 'my fault' it could never be the missus!!!!!)
1145am: Get to the club and the place is buzzing already. Goody bags of sweets and dabbers are given to you as soon as you come in. The hall is decked out in balloons and bunting! Nibbles and bubbly are on the tables with flags and poppers. The place is packed already with supporters and players singing and dancing away with the cabaret acts. There is a real party atmosphere in the club and everyone is enjoying it!
11:50am: I find some familiar faces in the form of some customers and ex-staff from my old club in Bognor Regis. They are here to root for Andrew, one of the finalists and a caller that I trained so I sit with the crowd and catch up on all the bingo gossip. I've missed this since moving to Bristol!!!!!
12:15pm: The callers enter the club and are greeted with huge cheers from all there fans, before the second cabaret kicks off with a huge tribute act belting out tunes from Queen, Madonna, Cher and even a bit of Robbie Williams!!!!!
Roger Hartley-Sheffield
Michael Edwards-Stratford
Andrew Moore-Woking
Chris Lamb-Nottingham
Paul G-Clements-Plymouth
Brett (hang on......that's my name too!!! lol) Stainer-Fenton
Paul Currie-Clydebank
all of them held themselves well, even the ones who were in the competition for the first time, and after the last caller had come off the stage I knew I didn't want to be a judge because it was looking tight!
One of the best things as a customer though was that in the goody bag you got a caller of the year final booklet where each caller had written a few paragraphs about themselves, which meant that as every caller came up, you felt like you knew them a bit anyway. It was a very nice touch.
2:05pm: The bread and butter of the competition begins and the callers finally get to do what they do best (that's call bingo by the way!) They come up in the same order and each gets the chance to call a page to the best of there ability. Once again the standard is very high and the only criticism I can give on the callers is that none of them gave me a win!!!!!!! The professionalism of the calling from everyone highlights the intensive training that is on offer for any caller wanting to progress in the company.
3:20pm: the judges set off to tot up the marks for the winner, whilst the players argue amongst themselves who they think was the best caller. Honestly at this point I think it could be one from about 5 or 6. Most of the callers look relieved however as they can finally relax, knowing now that it is all out of there hands!
3:50pm The judges return and the callers are all brought back to the stage to announce the verdict. The crowd starts chanting there callers names as one of the judges Chris Drake, comes onto to the stage to announce the winner.......................................................
............................and the winner is.............................................
4:05pm: With the session ended the exodus begins and the customers start commiserating/celebrating with there callers. For the winning caller's customers they are pleased as punch and for the 7 other coach load of supporters they are consoling there finalist, saying that he or she was robbed!!!! That's one of the great things about being a bingo caller. No matter whether you win or lose, in your own club, your customers think that you are the best caller in the world (As long as you give them a win of course!!!) And I am sure that the losing finalists wouldn't have been feeling disappointed for long with all that positive support coming from there friends and loved ones. I know I didn't when I was in there shoes not so long ago.
4:15pm: I say goodbye to the Bognor crowd and get back on the road to Bristol with the love of my life in the drivers seat!
4:35pm: I am in a gloating mood as my navigation skills have put us on course for getting back in record time (and without even having to refer to the map!!)
7:00pm: get back in time to order a 'special treat' takeaway curry and watch the Euro final between Spain and Germany.
9:30pm: Laugh as the Germans get beaten by a very classy Spanish team (with a brilliant goal from Liverpool's Torres...........up the 'pool)
and now: Am about to sit back with my favourite new thing that I bought just 7 days ago.......................My shiny new PS3 and GTA4..........................AAAAHHHHHH YEAH!!!!
Posted by Brett at 20:16 |
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Gala Tv soft launch on the internet!
Well that's no excuse now because you can now watch and play with us live on the Web!!!!!!!
(look mum, I'm on the internet!!!!)It's a completely different way of playing bingo online as it is down to you to 'manually' dab your tickets whilst the game is in progress (don't worry if you miss some numbers though, auto claim ensures you never miss out on your win). You can also watch the show on a live web stream as the games are being played and you can even chat to us via the numerous chat rooms! At the moment this is a soft launch of the channel online; so expect some glitches here and there. The main launch begins next week in earnest.
So, for all those people who don't have Sky (and that includes the web master of this very bingo site!!!!!) give it a try and see what you think!! (oh and if you fancy a laugh you can see me getting a cream pie in the face in the comedy bingo hour from 9-10pm tonight!!! I can't wait!!!!!!)
Posted by Brett at 04:24 |
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NBGA CALLER OF THE YEAR IS CANCELLED FOR 2008!
SUSPENDED FOR THIS YEAR!!!!!
Due to the considerable challenges and issues facing the bingo industry at present, it has been decided to suspend the National bingo caller of the year competition for 2008.
It is fully anticipated that the competition will be reinstated in an even more exciting and further reaching format next year and we look forward to re-launching our search for Britain's premier bingo callers at that time.
What?????..................Why?????!!!!!!! We shall talk more about this very soon............
Posted by Brett at 03:33 |
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Funny vids
I know i have been all doom and gloom over the last few posts, so I am going to be more cheery this time around! Posted here are a couple of recent videos of me 'working' on Gala TV. The first one was when we had an all male team on and we decided that we would do a 'boyband' introduction to the show!The other is celebrating the recent Eurovision song contest, where we dedicated a whole session of bingo to that great event (that we can no longer win!) check out my moves!!!!!!!
And I work there! Speaking of which I've got to get ready now to start 'work' again so take care and see you soon!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Brett at 14:21 |
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Bingo on the TV: where have I seen this before?!
What's that I hear? I think it could be the sound of another live interactive bingo channel (finally) getting into the scene!'Bingo night live' appeared on our screens on ITV tonight and, although with a few glitches and a couple of presenters not so experienced with the 'live' aspect of it apart; the show went rather well. I might do a fuller review on this in the coming weeks; but one thing is apparent: Bingo on the telly is here to stay!!!!!!!
Try it out on Gala Tv for all year play around non-stop bingo fun,and not just for 1 hour a night on ITV! (The only reason I sound bitter is that I didn't win! I'm gonna try again though...........if you see a player called Brett from Bristol then that is me!)
Posted by Brett at 01:10 |
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Gala pull out of national bingo game this september
Well as promised this month is all about the national game. As you may have read, Gala have recently announced that they will be withdrawing from the National bingo game on the 31st of August and replacing this huge game with a new and improved in house link game (the Hi Five).In a statement Gala felt that: 'With 2 national jackpot games now in place alongside each other, it clearly made sense to review our position. Our customers consistently tell us that they love our High 5 game since it gives them more chances to win great prize money. We now want to focus exclusively on High 5' I can understand where this is coming from and I sort of agree. The Hi five game gives you a chance not only to win a huge prize, but it also gives the chance for everyone playing that game in that specific club to all share in that jackpot prize! If your club wins the jackpot of £1million lets say; the winning ticket holder receives half of that and the rest of the ticket holders in the club share the other half. This could mean that on any session, ANY player in a bingo club could walk away with literally thousands of pounds and in today's climate that is a very attractive incentive for a punter to prefer one bingo club over another.
Now there's the big Gala plug over, now for the nitty gritty of it all! We all know that bingo is in an unhappy place at the moment. Gaming restrictions and taxes and the smoking ban have all meant that the bingo industry is trying even harder to recoup the lost revenue and customers. I think we are getting to the stage where the bingo clubs are deciding to think about there own interests and making sure that they are going to be OK above everything else. Self preservation seems to be the key word here from the big boys in the bingo world. The people that may suffer from this in the long run though are the smaller bingo companies and independents. With Mecca and Gala dominating the marketplace with their huge jackpot prizes on offer the smaller bingo clubs may go the same way that the corner shops and retailers did when huge multi-purpose supermarkets appeared outside every town and city! Especially if come September the National game prize money suffers from Gala's absence.
I have heard from managerial figures in Gala clubs that the National game was not making any profit for the clubs. Most of the money went back on the prize board (and the jackpot prize) and any remaining would go to the national game and the government. I have even heard reports that some customers are opting out of the national game so that they can have an extra 5minutes of smoking time outside before the second half begins! (this does not surprise me from the 'professional smokers' that frequent the bingo!)
But what I am worried about more than anything from a callers point of view is that now Gala callers will be ineligible for the NBGA bingo caller of the year competition. To be an entrant for the COTY you need to be calling in a bingo club that calls the National game: so potentially every Gala caller that has entered this year will not be able to take part! This is a big hit to the competition. The one thing that I was proud of when I won the title in 2006 is that I was the 'best' caller in the whole industry: out of over 600 clubs (at the time!) I was top of the pile. Will this years champion feel the same way when over a third of the bingo callers cannot take part?
In conclusion I have a funny feeling that this is not the end of this story. Do you know all about chaos theory? Basically, a butterfly flaps its wings in Sidcup and a tornado blows through Florida (bizarre I know!) I think Gala have just flapped their wings! Keep watching this blog............
Posted by Brett at 12:30 |
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re. recent VAT news..........
congratulations to the clever lawyer-type people who spotted the loophole which could mean that the bingo industry could get millions back from the tax man!!!!The government have been routinely screwing the bingo industry (with other, more profit making, gambling areas being 'overlooked') for a number of years now.
It just goes to show that when bingo clubs are backed into a corner, we are willing to fight back by any means how!
Posted by Brett at 01:53 |
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gala pull out of national game!!!!!!!
BIG NEWS in the bingo world!!!! More of which I will mention in my main blog post next week.......Gala are pulling out of the national bingo game and it is in the national press!!!!! I'm sure lots of comment will be posted in the coming weeks but from this bingo caller: I can now say that I am the LAST Gala bingo caller to be the NATIONAL bingo caller of the year!!!! Put your bets on now for a Mecca caller to win the prize this November!Read my next post to find out some more of my opinion on this contentious issue!
Posted by Brett at 02:58 |
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NOT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!
here we go again. It looks like my recent couple of posts are still ringing true check this story out about the bingo employee who stole £16,000!!!!!!!!The manager was done as well!!!!!!!!!!
It reminds me of the time when I was first working in bingo and I put my pinny on to give out some change at the start of the session and found £5 in one of the pockets............"keep it" said the cashier that was with me at the time "the bosses will never know!"
"I can't do that" I said. I handed it in to the manager and carried on with my change-giving with a clear conscience. The cashier left not long afterwards after rumours of money going missing!!!!!!!
Even if its only a few quid, its not worth risking your job (not to mention your freedom) for.
(oh and by the way the picture is me visiting my local club in Bristol waiting for one number to win £10,000 on the link game...............DAMN the caller.............DAMN him to hell!!!!!!)
Posted by Brett at 01:11 |
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more tales of stealing.....in the press recently.
with regards to the recent post about illegal activities in the clubs, two contrasting stories caught my eye today. Firstly the tale of a lady who stole from her dead bingo partners account goes to show how low some people can go. And the award for 'serves you right!' goes to the robbers of a bingo club in sunderland recently who whilst making a getaway and torching there car managed to set fire to themselves in the process!!!!! shouldn't take long to catch them then.......there the ones smouldering in the police line up!!!!!!!!!Posted by Brett at 00:45 |
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Steal or no Steal!
The story about the bingo manager who got sent to jail for stealing £31,000 from her employers does not surprise me. Although I never saw anything on a huge scale like this, I have seen instances of money being 'borrowed' from the staff in clubs that I have worked at. When you are working in an industry where the majority of people are overworked, underpaid and living on a shoestring budget, any chance to keep yourself ticking over until the next pay packet is appreciated.When I first started out in bingo, I was working for a small independent company which paid there staff in cash every Thursday. Now I know what I am like with cash, so I had to make a concerted effort to go straight to the bank and put it into my account before I found the nearest pub (and subsequent fruit machine) otherwise come Friday I would be skint! However not all my work colleagues would be the same and Thursday/Friday/Saturday would be a popular time for socialising and spending, before the inevitable hangover on the Sunday and the realisation that they would have to borrow from the club to pay for the essentials (rent, bills etc) My first club were very good with this and after a chat with the manager you were usually given a few quid which would be taken straight out of your pay packet come the following wage day. The problem is for some of the staff this became a vicious circle of borrowing money/paying it back. I had one friend who, come pay day on the Thursday would come round to everyone he had borrowed money off; the club, staff and even in some instances the customers and pay them back what he owed, only to find out he didn't have enough left over to cover himself for the rest of the week. So the next day he would be back to borrow a tenner here and a tenner there until the next Thursday!!!! I don't think I ever saw him with a full pay packet in his hand in the 2 and a half years I worked there.
The other problem you have is when the staff decide to make up the difference in illegal ways. Stealing is an unfortunate truth in any job that involves cash and underpaid staff with the right opportunity, and bingo is no different. My first job in the club was as a change giver-we only dealt in 10ps but at the end of a busy night my pinny would have about £500 in notes in it!!!!! When I moved up to giving the prizes away on party bingo on busy nights i would start off with £2,500 in my hand. There was not a lot to stop me from just walking out of the building and getting on the first train out of town! And a couple of times other staff did just that!!!! Also I had to come face to face with a supervisor once when my float which was correct when I counted it at the end of the session, mysteriously was £15 down five minutes after I handed it to them to check. After a few 'careful words' the money was surprisingly found before senior management became involved!
The staff that used to disgust me though were the ones that actually took money from the customers, especially the vunerable ones: things like giving £9 in change to a customer who gave them £10, short-changing people at the diner and bar a few pence here and there. This sort of staff were the lowest of the low and they made me sick. It's one thing to steal from the club; but to steal from a poor old-age pensioner who can't remember whether they gave you a £10 or £20 pound note is despicable!
Fortunately this sort of crime is becoming rarer and rarer as bigger clubs use CCTV to not only protect the staff and customers, but also the huge amount of money on the premises as well.
In my experience at these modern clubs any sort of illegal activity is dealt with swiftly and efficiently, and in the case of money being legitimately borrowed it is all strictly monitored and policied so both parties are protected.
7 years ago when i started in bingo i was on £2.75 an hour as a 25 year old!!!!!!!!!!! No wonder all this sort of borrowing was going on, especially in the small clubs. But one good thing the goverment has done for the industry in the last few years is to introduce the minimum wage scheme (currently £5.52 an hour). Small compensation I know for the rest of the burdens they have given the industry, but it does mean that IOU's in bingo safes are slowly becoming a thing of the past.
And to end with something my dad used to say to me 'if you can't afford to buy it then you can't have it' Wise words Dad!
Posted by Brett at 01:03 |
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Regional finals: well done Andrew
Well Gala's (thats Gala's.......not the NBGA!!!!!) caller of the year regional finals have been completed and a big well done to one of my former relief callers, Andrew who scooped the prize for the south-east region. There are 11 regions in the Gala company so Andrew will be faced with 10 other regional finalists in the grand final at the end of June in Birmingham.It would be arrogant of me to say that I taught him everything he knows.....................
.........................but seriously! I always knew that the guy had something to offer the bingo world. He has a friendly and welcoming personality on stage which the customers seem to adore: the only thing he has lacked in the past is the confidence to take the next step..............Well, Andrew you took that step and you blasted the rest of the competition out of the water!!!!!!!! Good luck with the final and I will do my upmost to be there. Just remember everything you learnt off me!!!
If anyone knows the results in the other regional finals then please let me know. I do know that my part-time Gala TV colleague Peter Carlisle from Liverpool did not make it through to the final but any other information will be appreciated. As soon as I know, you guys will know!!!!!!
Posted by Brett at 04:24 |
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Big Wins.........Keep or Share?
I never share with family and friends when I play bingo. Now you may say that is a selfish and 'scrooge-like' attitude but I do not want to get into the situation that some people do when they win big! The recent news this week of Sisters going to court to get a share of a £50,000 jackpot cements my belief. The whole story was in the national press today (mirror) and it is just a sorry state of affairs that a whole family is torn apart due to a big win at the bingo. For every story you hear about close friends sharing a million, you hear other tales of friends and loved ones taking each other to court over a few grand.The national lottery had the same sort of press when it began; before it created contracts and the suchlike to counteract any such disputes over big wins.
So follow the example of this website and print off the prize share agreement form, get your bingo pals to sign it and save yourself the lawyers fees the next time you win big at bingo!!!!!!
Posted by Brett at 20:44 |
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Back to Bingo!!!!
Didn't win on the national the other day: all of my bets fell or pulled up.........damn it!!!!!!!! but I have had a few days off and managed to go back home to Bognor Regis and had a Sunday night session at the local club there. It's the first time I've been in a hall this year and it was nostalgic to be back!!! Spoke to couple of old friends and told them what I was up to. Most of them haven't got Sky so they think I have left the industry! The caller was rubbish though and I only had one sweat on all night! the fruit machine was a lot friendlier though and after a couple of quid in I was £40 up so all in all excellent!!!Back in Bristol now working again, I haven't gotten around to visiting any clubs here yet (apart from Gala Fishponds which I am still employed with) but I'm going to make an effort in the near future...........any suggestions would be appreciated
Labels: Bingo club nostalgia
Posted by Brett at 20:01 |
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Grand national day!!!
The Grand national today reminds me of my early days working in an independent bingo club. We would always do a sweep stake with the staff and some of our regulars-it was always good because the race would be between the afternoon and evening sessions so we would all crowd round the TV during our break to watch it!!!!I never managed to pick the winner in the sweepstake but I do remember dashing off round the corner from the bingo to the local bookies to put £1 each-way on Red Marauder a few years ago and it romped home at 66-1. I had to wait until after the evening calling session shift before I could go off to the pub to enjoy the winnings!!!!!!
If you have had a flutter today then good luck!!!!!!
Posted by Brett at 16:03 |
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NBGA or GALA:which caller of the year comp to enter?
For the last couple of weeks I have been on facebook having a right conflab about the bingo caller of the year comp. This all stems from my disappointment that there were hardly any Gala entrants in the NBGA version of caller of the year last year.
The consensus seems to be that my calling companions at Gala would rather enter the internal Gala caller of the year competition; the regional finals of which are being held at the end of April, than to even consider the NBGA version (which starts its preliminary rounds this month)
'Why is this??I hear you cry!'
Well, if you become NBGA caller of the year you have technically beaten over 600 other callers in clubs up and down the land whereas the Gala comp proves your the top caller out of 160ish clubs!
The gala comp offers £200 for the regional title and £500 as the national prize. The NBGA gives £250 to the regional winner and £500 plus an all expenses trip to America for you and your partner for being the ultimate champ! Looking at in black and white and it seems to me like the NBGA one rocks in terms of prizes and prestige!
But look a bit deeper and you find out why the Gala comp is preferred by the majority of Gala callers.
Gala prides themselves on having a pool of professional callers. They even have a calling school and a rising scale of calling qualifications from green card (qualified) to specialist and then to training caller (the top level) The Gala caller of the year competiton is basically a celebration of this. You are judged purely on your calling abilities, your appearance and your professionalism. This is what attracts the Gala callers!
The NBGA in comparison is looking for more than just a caller. Its an ambassador for the bingo industry that they want. You are judged via a interview which assesses your bingo knowledge/and how you would deal with the media, and you have to 'entertain' the crowd for 3 minutes before you are also assessed on your calling abilities.
I can understand that in terms of difficulty the Gala one is the easiest comp to go for as all you have to do is do what you do every day in club whereas the NBGA one wants you to know your legislation and see you dance/sing/do magic (whatever!) This seems to be the major stumbling block for my Gala colleagues:
'i don't sing/dance/entertain at work so why should I for the NBGA comp? The gala one doesn't do that!'
is what I am hearing constantly.
The thing is this is a misinterpretation of the rules of the NBGA. You are required to 'entertain' the crowd for 3 minutes but there is absolutely no mention of singing/telling jokes or otherwise! All you have to do is to engage the players: and that is what you should be doing every time you go up on stage anyway! The entertainment section equates to less than 10% of the total marks (a paltry amount: you get marked more on your general appearance-around 20%) and I know from a judges perspective that all they are looking for is someone who can get a rapport with the crowd without going over the allotted time whether it be by singing or by telling a story; this guarantees you at least 7out of 10 marks in my opinion.
Out of the two competitions the NBGA contest is the more revered because of the media responsibilities you will endure. In my tenure as COTY I had to attend numerous radio interviews and local TV appearances not to mention perform at special events (see earlier posts for more on that, including eggheads and calling for celebrities)
After speaking to former Gala callers of the year you are very rarely used for anything PR related upon winning the Gala accolade! Actually the gala caller of the year title is nothing more than just that: a title. You might get the opportunity to call the big link games and you will get an audition for GTV but that is about it!
And if you think that the Gala caller is more professional than cast your minds back to the last 2 winners. Michael Farley did the splits on stage and the current champ Michael Edwards sang all the way up to the podium! Now is that something that happens every day in the club?! Even neutral watchers of last years final agreed that the winner won because he "stood out" from the other 10(?!?!?!?) finalists and showed some personality whereas the others were too similar. Maybe that is what is going wrong with the Gala competition: because of the success of the calling schools you are actually producing clones of what a caller should be at the detriment of why players love callers in the first place-there personality and individuality
What am i harping on about?! Why is this an issue? Am I just bitter because I never won the Gala competition?
Maybe! But the one thing that i can advise is why limit yourself? Enter as many competitions as you can if you think you are the best. I have been called arrogant on numerous occasions but I feel you need to have self-belief to do the job that you are doing! I am not an arrogant person in real life: I just know what I am capable of and I am competitive. I'm annoyed that because I now work predominantly on GTV that I am ineligible to enter either competition (and I could do with another trip to Las Vegas!)
If you are a hungry caller you would be thinking right now:
'great.......thats one less bingo caller to worry about! The title is mine!'
so what are you waiting for? DO IT!!
(Good luck to all the regional finalist's in this years Gala competition. Keep me posted on it all via this or any other media)
Posted by Brett at 00:40 |
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"Bring it Back Bingo" Celebrities coming to Gala TV!!!!
Free bingo, rising ladder prizes and comedy bingo are all in the schedule; but one thing you have got to watch out for is a promotion this Saturday called 'Bring it back bingo'
Over the next four Saturday's celebrities from the golden age of TV will be coming to the studio to participate in our live TV bingo fun starting with 'Hi-de-hi's' very own Ruth Madoc
(hello campers)
Then the following Saturday shows will feature.........
Timmy Mallett!!!!!!!!!
Keith Harris (and Orville!!)
and Sally James!!!!!!
So whether you are a member or not, if you are a bingo fanatic, tune into Gala Tv on Saturday from 6pm and reminisce about how good telly used to be!!!!
Posted by Brett at 12:13 |
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Bingo Budget Blues!!!
What is going on with this double taxation malarkey? it seems pretty obvious to me: Every other gaming establishment has only got one form of tax to pay, so why is this not the case with the bingo industry?
Once again the government are prioritising filling there coffers with our money before looking at the long term consequence's! How many more clubs have to close before this oversight is finally addressed.......10 clubs..........30 clubs?
And you can't really call it an 'oversight' as the treasury already acknowledge that bingo is the only gambling product to be double taxed in this way!!!!!
It reeks of greed.......maybe the government want another 100 bingo clubs to close.....they could then fill the vacant halls with 'state of the art Casino's' that prioritise departing you with your cash more than being a social outlet!
I could say more but I'm beginning to sound like a Daily Mail reader (which i am...funnily enough!)
Posted by Brett at 02:59 |
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Biggest ever winner on Gala TV!!!!!!!!
Hello,Just got back from a busy night of work (it is nearly 3am you know!) and i forgot to mention to you guys sooner (what with all the 'Eggs' hype!) that our little bingo channel (Sky 841 Gala TV.....plug,plug,plug) gave away our biggest ever win on Sunday 24th February!!!!
Margaret1223 called a full house in 30 calls and claimed not only the full house prize; but also got the CashClimber jackpot of £67,700!!!!!!!
This is what 21st century bingo is all about......Margaret was sitting at home just having a little flutter on the telly and 30 numbers later she wins a life changing amount of wonga!!!!!! Well done to Margaret and if you are going on holiday soon then I'm available!!!!!!
Posted by Brett at 02:48 |
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EGGHEADS 1 BINGO CALLERS 0!!!
Well I'm sure you all know by now that the Eggheads trounced the bingo callers of the year last Friday!! It's strange because even though it is only a week ago in most peoples minds, to me the whole day began over four months ago in Shepherds Bush!!
The national bingo game had called me and asked if I would be interested in appearing on the BBC2 show 'Eggheads' For those of you that don't know what its about it's a general knowledge quiz show where you battle head to head with some of the best brains in Britain trying to win an accumulative prize which grows by £1000 a show until the 'Eggheads' are defeated. Now I consider myself of 'average' intelligence so I said ?why not!? The other members of the team would all be former bingo callers of the year and it seemed to me to be a great idea to take part and promote the game of bingo to a prime-time audience on the BBC!
The day of the shoot of our quiz was in early October and the first thing that struck me when I arrived at the television centre in Shepherds Bush was that this was going to be the first time that so many bingo callers of the year would be in the same place at the same time (a bit like the doctors all meeting up in 'doctor who' in the early 80's....remember?.......no?..........just me then!) up until that point there had been 12 bingo callers of the year and on this day half of them were going to be competing to beat the Eggs!(as I shall be calling them from now on!)
For the record the team consisted of(from most recent winner to oldest) myself, Mandy Gargan, Mike Vyse, Peter Lewis, Steve Linder, and the very first COTY Patrick Bowler. Six of us were required even though there are only 5 players in a team as they needed a reserve in case of illness etc. It was up to the producers to decide which one of us was to be omitted from the final team selection!!!! (Mike Vyse pulled the short straw on that one, but he wouldn't miss out if we won because he would get a share of the prize money as well!)
After costume approved our clothes (we had to wear neutral, unbranded shirts) we moved on to make up and then finally on to the eggheads set! After our microphones were put on we went to our seats and waited for our competition! They actually do 4 shows a day and we were the last team up for the day. Contrary to popular belief all of the 'Eggs' are really nice, even CJ: who appears really arrogant when watching the show, is really nice when you get to chat to him. After our introductions to our competitors the host Dermot came over and wished us all the best of luck. And with that the quiz was under way!!!!
The shoot is done ?as live? so there was no stopping and starting the cameras except for when we were doing the head to head sections (when we had to relocate to just off the main set). The first round was Entertainment and 1999 champ Steve Linder did a sterling job but one question let him down and the 'Eggs' drew first blood! Geography was next; which I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot bingo dabber, so 2003 winner Peter Lewis took the stage against Daphne (in my opinion the toughest 'Egg' to crack!) His timbre tones however were no match for the elder 'quiz-queen' and Peter bowed out in sudden death. Two of us down and Sport was up next...........MY SUBJECT. Now the weakest 'Egg' on sport is Judith Keppel (the first ever winner on 'who wants to be a millionaire') so she would be my choice on the head to head!!
WELL I would love to say that I trounced the millionairess but alas I got one question wrong (which was the easiest one, which I knew the answer to; but changed my mind when I got given the three options) whereas Judith GUESSED all three of hers correct!!!! Despondent, I was booted out of the final round and the last subject of Arts and Books ended in tears with the only female, 2004's Mandy Gargan losing out to CJ who never gave her a chance!
So the final General knowledge round was with the whole of the 'Eggs' versus the only Caller left: The very first bingo caller of the year Patrick Bowler!!!!!! He did a sterling job of keeping us in it but without anyone to bounce off he was eventually beaten by the five greatest brains in Britain. And with that it was all over. The 'Eggs' had beaten the callers and the jackpot would roll over to the next show. I hate to be clichéd but we had had a fantastic day even though we lost and after photos and a final chat with our competitors we went on our way out of BBC studios happy that we had taken part and hopefully spread the world of bingo to a mass audience!
The day ended with myself and Patrick sitting in a pub (both of us Gala callers who were on Gala TV) chewing the fat about the show and all things bingo! After a couple(?!!) of drinks I left Patrick to go to his hotel and I caught the last train back to Bristol.
So four months later and finally I can talk about this experience. I had a fantastic time; but if I had to give any prospective Quizzers any advice it would be the following: Stick with your instincts and NEVER change your mind on a multiple choice question!!! I don't think my mother is ever going to let it lie!!!!!!
Posted by Brett at 03:39 |
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Eggheads...........the result!!!!
Well if you don't know by now the bingo callers of the year could only finish second behind the eggheads!!!!! And i am still getting grief about not getting my question right on the show; not only from my colleagues at Gala TV but also from my mother and her friends!!!!Next week I will give you the FULL breakdown on the whole Eggheads occasion.......what it was like..........meeting the other callers.......and is CJ really that arrogant? Find out next week!!!!!!!
Posted by Brett at 02:17 |
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Bingo team take on the Eggheads on BBC2 this Friday!!!
Just to warn you guys that there is a team of former bingo callers of the year (including myself) taking on the 'greatest quiz team in Britain' the Eggheads this coming Friday (22nd) at 6pm on BBC2. If you don't know what the programme is all about then take a look at the link below where a team of students won over £70,000!!!!
I can't tell you how we did until after the show is aired! But my next big post will be telling you all about my day at the BBC and meeting up with past bingo champions!
Make sure you watch it. I've already set my video to record!!!!!!!
Posted by Brett at 00:15 |
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reaction to missed claims post on wed feb 6
In my years as a bingo caller I have had tons of missed claims: but in 7 years I can safely say that about 3 or 4 of those were down to me, the rest were late/quiet or non-existent shouts at all. If I ever had an altercation with a customer afterwards I would always say "If you shouted as loud as you are complaining now then I would have never missed your claim!"
In the case of the lady getting £9000 after missing her win earlier on in the week, I just think that it is the same scenario as I have had countless of times-but now the money is so large in bingo customers are not only coming in with there dabbers and lucky charms: they are also coming in with lawyers and threats of negative publicity if they don't get winnings that they 'feel' is theres!
Come on, we all know the rules of the game, so take my advice and SHOUT the place down when you have a claim-even if its only for a fiver-and make the callers job a little bit easier!
Posted by Brett at 14:29 |
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Bingo's Great For Social Networking - Don't You Forget It!
Anybody fancy poking me?
No I'm not being rude. I am just one of the millions of people who are being sucked in to the world of social networking! I must admit its a great way of meeting up with old friends and finding out what's been going on in their lives.
"Why are you telling us all this-you should be talking about bingo you doofus" I hear you cry! Well bear with me and I shall get to the point of this blog:
One of the things you can do on these sites is join up to groups with like-minded people on a variety of subjects. For example, I am a member of the Kevin Smith (Clerks/Dogma/Chasing Amy director) fan club and have joined the groups 'unlike 99.99% of the Facebook population, I was born in the 70's' and also 'I secretly want to punch slow walking people in the back of the head group' to name but a few!
Bingo does not escape this group craze. There are countless bingo groups on these websites with players, callers and staff members all putting in there opinions on this game. Here are just some of the genuine things that have been posted on a selection of these pages:
"Won f*k all on Saturday! what a performance as well! I was late, missed the first 5 numbers, managed to catch up after running through the bingo hall in a baywatch like fashion and began dabbing like I've never dabbed before!" - (as a caller I always find it funny seeing people rushing back in and trying to catch up!)
"Bingo is great stuff! I go almost every Sunday with my boyfriend lol 10 chances to win £1,000 why bluddy not!" - (I totally agree, love!)
"I've lost my dobber-my very first dobber :( " - (altogether now....AHHHHHHH)
(And check this one out:)
"Lol, two fat ladies, yep its 88. lol.
(This is) My local bingo, but still havent been. I love bingo. but wont go coz I just have an image of me walking threw(?) the door and the rest of the people being over 60 peeing themselves... Is it like that?" (So the stereotype of bingo still lives on... when will it ever go!?)
All of this is great: people talking and chatting about there great experiences down there local club. But there is another side you can see on these pages, and it's not very rosy. If you read between the lines on a few of these groups; especially the ones that revolve around the staff at various clubs and companies, you will find an unhappy trend. One that ties in with some of the things that have been happening in bingo in the last few months. I'll let a variety of these statements explain my meaning:
"Is it me or with all the staffing cut backs, loss of hours, ever decreasing morale, GM's that look like they want to hang themselves and the changes all over the company are we... sailing on a sinking ship?"
"9 years service got me 4 weeks redundancy cos of my age, its magic"
"Towards the end of my time as part of the management team I felt like I was doing an extremely thankless task on behalf of the company, employing a dangerous vicious circle - cut back staff hours and p*ss staff off, they p*ss customers off because of their attitude, the good staff leave, customers don't come back, so you have to cut back some more..."
Now, I have purposefully left out the clubs and group names in question because I don't want to appear that I am victimising anybody or any one company. But the fact of the matter is it seems to me that there are a lot of unhappy bingo staff out there. Even discounting the 'bitter ex-employee' rants, the message is loud and clear: something is up in bingo clubs across the land.
If the industry is not careful the 'annus horribulus' of 2007 will bleed over into 2008. Double taxation, the smoking ban, club closures, dwindling players-things are bad I know! Staff are feeling low and feeling the pinch as bingo companies tighten the purse strings. But this ripple effect is apparent and it is beginning to impact at the most important level: the clubs, staff and the players themselves. I feel things are going to get worse before they get better if this is not realised and acted upon.
However we must ride out this storm. I am one of the strongest advocates of this great game and I say to all of you out there-bingo is one of the best pastimes there is: a friendly social atmosphere, cheap food and drink, and you could even win a million! I wouldn't want to work anywhere else (unless the 'oiling the ladies up' at the Playboy mansion job is up for grabs!)
In the words of that great pop group D:Ream "Things can only get better!" and I shall leave all of you out there with some words of advice to turn those frowns upside down!
If you are a bingo player: support your local club; even if it means going without a fag for a couple of hours!
If you are a staff member: If you are getting frustrated talk to your superiors. They know how you feel and are in the same boat too!
And to the big wigs, whether you own one club or one hundred clubs: Keep your eye on the ball! Forget about the figures and the profit margins and keeping the share holders happy. Concentrate on the bingo and the players and you can't go wrong in the long term!
Well that's another rant over. Feel free to comment and I'll see you next time in Brett's Corner!
Posted by Brett at 11:41 |
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