Is there anyone old enough here to remember...

[wb]

when bookie shops were illegal in the UK?

A few years back, I was amazed to read that betting shops were only legalised in the UK in the 60s! :yikes:

I presume there were loads of illegal sp offices around?

Betting shops in Ireland have been legal since the 1920s, so I presume big time British people were using our offices too.

Anyone have any good stories about pre bookie gambles?

[Win2Win]

We had loads of illegal bookies until Labour abolished betting tax.

As for the moaning Christians about today, I do wish they'd make the folk who work in churches on a Sunday be forced not to work on a religious day :rolleyes:

[jackster109]

The problem today is that the small minority of moaners make the headlines. I'm not religious but do they hear me complain when "Songs of Prayers" is on?

No. I just change the channel.

As one of bookmakers said "Let the people do the talking with thier feet". Nobody's forcing people into the betting shops today.

Perhaps Horseracing should become a religion and we can build new racecourses as quick as mosques and nobody would batter an eyelid:thumbs

The UK's gone bonkers. The best moan was with Eastenders when around 67 people complained that a scene was too violent. Around 8 million people watched that and 67 complained. Thats not even 1% and it made the headlines!!

[jonahjones]

Too young for that unfortunately Wayne!

However, I do remember not being able to get a drink on a Sunday afternoon because of the licensing hours which were in existence in the early nineties.

It wasn't so much the lack of drink that annoyed me it was more that Sky had just acquired the rights for Premiership matches and (like they still do) showed a weekly game at 4.00pm on Sunday. If you didn't have Sky at the time (which not many people did), the only place to watch these games was in the pub which was closed. :mad:

[mathare]

I remember pubs having two sessions too - lunchtime and evening. Something like 11am to 2pm and then 5pm to 11pm. In fact a few years back I was out on a stag do in a pub after paintballing or whatever we did and the landlord came out to see us at the table we had occupied in the garden to see if we wanted anything else. That's nice of him, we all thought. Until he said "Only I'm closing in a few minutes as it's nearly 2 o'clock." Needless to say the best man took a lot of stick for taking a stag party to a pub that wasn't open all day!

Going back to bookies, I'm not old enough to remember them being illegal but I do remember not that long back when they had to have all their doors and windows covered up so people couldn't accidentally see in and be tempted to gamble.

[Win2Win]

....so people couldn't accidentally see in and be tempted to gamble.

All related to the Devil :ermmm

[MattR]

The UK's gone bonkers. Eastenders Around 8 million people watched that

Totally agree :D


Not old enough to remember that either. I do remember watching Big Deal and the bookmakers in that was a dingy place with the windows covered as Mat mentioned.

[wb]

Bookies only opened on Sundays here around five or six years ago. In fact, they're closed tomorrow for Easter, and Fairyhouse is on. It's always good fun in the local, watching guys who aren't aware, frantically fill in betting slips before a race, run around the corner, only to find the place shut!

[Win2Win]

Ye Olde helpful Irish....ensuring fellow countrymen don't end up looking stupid :rolleyes:

[susanwells]

I certainly remember Bookies being illegal and then their legalisation. But I think that is because I am the oldest one here :yikes:

[Win2Win]

But I think that is because I am the oldest one here :yikes:
I heard you attended the Last Supper :ooo