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I have had a few days off of work recently and I must admit that I am loving this glorious weather (although just as I write this the heavens have opened and it's absolutely chucking it down!!) Thinking of the heat though reminds me of that age old question in bingo halls..............is it too hot or cold in there??

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!!!!