A little more about the job
I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what to expect. I only ever stuck bets on the National before online, so it was a surprise to find it wasn’t like you see in gangster films; dark, dingy, a bit smelly. Instead, it was quite a fancy shop, especially following its recent refurbishment (apparently most of the shops have had these by now and look boss). I was amazed how secure all of our shops are too with protective screens and more in place at all the shops.
If I’m opening, I get in around 15 minutes before my shift, get the tills floated, and check all the machines are working which is easy enough. Machines handle quite a bit of the business for us (I just have to count money and handle payouts for lucky winners), but there is still quite a bit of business over the counter too. I enjoy this, as a lot of the customers are regulars, and despite what you may read in the papers, a lot of them are normal (sometimes eccentric) people, who often love a gab as if it were the local pub. Indeed, we have a couple of groups who will meet in our shop, get a brew, and play bingo for a bit. It’s a social thing for many!
