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Thursday, 26 February 2009

still holding back on VAT cuts

You would think that in a recession the government would be doing everything that they can to maintain the economy and keep people in work. However this still does not apply to the bingo industry who are still being unfairly taxed; with the ultimate result being club closures and job losses. Over 100 clubs have shut in the last couple of years; an average of around 1 a week!!!! It has been announced today that the double-taxation on the industry will continue with the exchequers secretary saying that the woes in the clubs are not to be blamed on the government alone.

Well.................Thanks very much.........

Posted by Brett at 15:47 | Add your comments [0] | Links |

Sunday, 22 February 2009

THE bingo industry magazine has been suspended

Another story that has sneaked up on me is the suspension of the bingo link magazine. For those of you who are not in the know the bingo link is THE industry quarterly magazine. For years it has informed the bingo world of all things 'numbery' (is that a word?.................it is now!) including providing all news on the bingo caller of the year competition. I have appeared in it numerous times and it was one of the first things that I would read when I was preparing for my competitons. The information found in there was a barometer for the bingo industry as a whole. I hope that it's suspension is not another barometer of where the industry is going.....................................................................

Posted by Brett at 03:13 | Add your comments [0] | Links |

Saturday, 21 February 2009

Are you feeling good?????!!!!!!!!

I must admit....with my windswept and interesting life I don't have the time to watch a lot of television. My priorities lie with my new fiancee whenever I get back from London working (Why am I working in London? I shall tell more soon) and my other girls Keely and Kelly (my computer and PS3 respectiviley!!)

However, apparently there is a TV show called the feel good factor which is all about losing weight or something, and some of the bingo world have decided to join in the 'weight-loss' fun!!!!!!

Good luck to them is all I can say. Looking at the article and watching the clip I wish all the 'bingo lovers' great success in getting to there target weight's.

It reminds me of the last great bingo weight loser a couple of years ago.

Charlie Walduck was a bingo caller who was around 40 stone and lost over 25 stone in just 20 months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately he has left the bingo in recent times, but you can catch up on his story here.

Posted by Brett at 02:59 | Add your comments [0] | Links |

Tuesday, 10 February 2009

even more tales of the president's step-mother!!!!

I know I have been harping on about this over my last few blogs but this is another story about the presidents bingo-playing step-mother. (The USA secret service must be getting really peeved looking at this blog again and again!!!)

Anyway, I was flicking through my most favourite of newspapers last Saturday and fell across yet another story about Kezia Obama. This time the journalist involved actually made the effort to go to a bingo club to conduct a section of the interview.

Although I liked the piece as a whole; the one thing that annoys me once again is the tired view of bingo through the eyes of the lazy journalist and I have come up with a theory: These journalists are 'dayworkers'. They get up at 6:30am, travel to there office and work until 5pm. Therefore any story has to be told within this time-frame; which generally means that they visit a bingo hall for a news's story on a midweek morning/afternoon where they experience only 'one side' of the bingo world. It is a valid side and one that is an essential part of the industry.

 However, the more 'vibrant' side of the business is generally the night-time trade where the prizes are bigger and the crowds are more diverse. Why don't the journalist's visit then when they could garner a 'different' opinion of the bingo world? 

I await the time when a journalist actually ventures out after dark and experiences another side of the bingo industry.....one that I have seen on a regular basis: and one that keeps me coming back to this great game!!!!!!!!!!


Posted by Brett at 02:28 | Add your comments [1] | Links |

Tuesday, 3 February 2009

....it's like four seasons in one day.....as crowded house once sang!!!!

Crikey! Have you looked out of the window recently! Its like the north pole out there. What I can't seem to fathom though is how come on Monday the transport system ground to a halt and increased my journey time from London to Bristol from just over 2and a half hours to just over 4 hours; and yet today when the weather is just as bad that they are running a fantastic service!? I suppose I'm just disgruntled as I could have done with a day off work to spend with the missus!

Anyway, the train journey has given me the opportunity to write this and I'm going to talk about the weather and bingo!

I'm going to start with a story about a tornado that ripped through the heart of Bognor Regis about ten years ago (yes seriously! Although when I say 'ripped through' it was really more like 'sauntered through') This was one of those rare occasions where the bingo club actually closed its doors because who in there right mind would risk torrential storms (and tornado's!) to have a game of bingo???........................................................................

....................................................................I think you can guess the answer to that......that's right, bingo bonkers players. The club had to turn away about 50 people that night who had driven, or even worse, walked the distance to the club to get there number fix. From the married couple who always argued throughout the whole session, to the 85 year old who walked the 25 minutes from her rest home to the bingo because the buses had all been canceled (due to the tornado 'ripping' sorry 'sauntering' through the town) This is endearing, if not a little potty, and perfectly defines my impression of the bingo bonkers players that visit every club across the land.

The floods a couple of years ago meant that a club in Gloucester had to shut there doors. But that didn't stop the players as they travelled around 40 miles just to play in my 'drier' club in Bristol!

Even the hot summers, where the clubs lacking air conditioning would reach desert-like temperatures, you would still get the regulars coming, fans in hand!

And now I'm sure that with snow affecting most of the land, players young and old alike will be trudging and slipping to there nearest bingo club to grab a win. Who knows they might even think that with the adverse weather conditions there would be more chance of winning, due to less people being able to make it! And hopefully they will be rewarded for there effort!!! Maybe with a nice hot mug of tea....that is, if the tea urn hasn't broken down again!!!!

Anyway take care guys and see you soon.

Posted by Brett at 13:07 | Add your comments [0] | Links |

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