It is strange really!
How Bingo has become fashionable!
Apparently it is how hard working savers spend their time when they're not working or saving.
Unless they're in the pub saving even more money.
Good evening? Great evening!
I saved fourpence, how did you manage that? I had four pints and that lovely George Osborne gave me a penny off each pint.
Whose George Osborne?
He's the one who went to Eton and makes a habit of parking in disabled spaces to eat his lunch.
Oh! That one?
My father died recently.
He was a hard working bus driver for Manchester Corporation, bought his own house, did his best for his children, saved and, after my mother died, he remarried and moved to Australia with his second wife.
When we were young we used to go to Scarborough for a family holiday and stayed in a B&B run by a distant relative of my Grandmother.
Years later my father told me that after paying the fare for the Ribble Coach from Manchester and the reduced family rate for the B&B, he had £5 for a family of four to have a holiday, worth more than it would be today but still not a fortune and there were very few ice creams just plenty of long walks.
On one occasion my Grandfather joined us, I remember that he and I had to share a bed in the attic.
But I remember that holiday because my Grandfather took me to play bingo and to my great excitement we won, suddenly he shouted House, and an attendant came along and asked what prize he wanted.
Bingo!
In my first parish on a large Salford Council Estate I once suggested a Bingo Night to raise funds, the idea was rejected, Bingo was not for the upwardly mobile members of the parish, in those days attending church was how the aspirant working classes demonstrated their aspirations and they wanted to put Bingo behind them along with the Devil and all rebellion against God.
But the Bingo Hall in the nearby Town prospered and plenty of the parishioners who largely didn't attend Church, did attend Bingo faithfully and the caller called out the numbers like hymn tunes and sometimes people even won.
Of course Bingo is like life, and like life the faithful will rehearse the Bingo Prayer at the end of each day.
As I lay me down to slumber
All I need is one more number
When to the big game in the sky I go
I pray the Lord I can yell BINGO!
In fact I had to wait quite a few years before I could persuade a congregation to play Bingo.
My last parish was pretty upper middle class, and in parts distinctly nouveau riche, so after they had exhausted wine tastings and cheese and wine and bring and buy and garden fetes and garden parties and murder mysteries and antiques roadshows they asked had I any ideas?
I suggested Bingo to which someone added fish and chips so the date was set, the hall was hired and hard working savers set to and after some effort located a Bingo Kit and I was appointed caller.
Bingo!
The evening was a great success, funds were raised, fish and chips were consumed the Sancerre was chilled to perfection, it was a class act, if a tad middle to upper class.
Well after this weeks budget it must be said that Burlington Bertie (30) encouraged those approaching the time to retire (65) hoping in time to enter Cameron's Den (10) himself, meanwhile encouraging workers and savers to strive and strive (75) whilst making it clear that the shirkers will continue to find it unlucky for some (13) because they can no longer rely on the state (8), because he has removed it.
How Bingo has become fashionable!
Apparently it is how hard working savers spend their time when they're not working or saving.
Unless they're in the pub saving even more money.
Good evening? Great evening!
I saved fourpence, how did you manage that? I had four pints and that lovely George Osborne gave me a penny off each pint.
Whose George Osborne?
He's the one who went to Eton and makes a habit of parking in disabled spaces to eat his lunch.
Oh! That one?
My father died recently.
He was a hard working bus driver for Manchester Corporation, bought his own house, did his best for his children, saved and, after my mother died, he remarried and moved to Australia with his second wife.
When we were young we used to go to Scarborough for a family holiday and stayed in a B&B run by a distant relative of my Grandmother.
Years later my father told me that after paying the fare for the Ribble Coach from Manchester and the reduced family rate for the B&B, he had £5 for a family of four to have a holiday, worth more than it would be today but still not a fortune and there were very few ice creams just plenty of long walks.
On one occasion my Grandfather joined us, I remember that he and I had to share a bed in the attic.
But I remember that holiday because my Grandfather took me to play bingo and to my great excitement we won, suddenly he shouted House, and an attendant came along and asked what prize he wanted.
Bingo!
In my first parish on a large Salford Council Estate I once suggested a Bingo Night to raise funds, the idea was rejected, Bingo was not for the upwardly mobile members of the parish, in those days attending church was how the aspirant working classes demonstrated their aspirations and they wanted to put Bingo behind them along with the Devil and all rebellion against God.
But the Bingo Hall in the nearby Town prospered and plenty of the parishioners who largely didn't attend Church, did attend Bingo faithfully and the caller called out the numbers like hymn tunes and sometimes people even won.
Of course Bingo is like life, and like life the faithful will rehearse the Bingo Prayer at the end of each day.
As I lay me down to slumber
All I need is one more number
When to the big game in the sky I go
I pray the Lord I can yell BINGO!
In fact I had to wait quite a few years before I could persuade a congregation to play Bingo.
My last parish was pretty upper middle class, and in parts distinctly nouveau riche, so after they had exhausted wine tastings and cheese and wine and bring and buy and garden fetes and garden parties and murder mysteries and antiques roadshows they asked had I any ideas?
I suggested Bingo to which someone added fish and chips so the date was set, the hall was hired and hard working savers set to and after some effort located a Bingo Kit and I was appointed caller.
Bingo!
The evening was a great success, funds were raised, fish and chips were consumed the Sancerre was chilled to perfection, it was a class act, if a tad middle to upper class.
Well after this weeks budget it must be said that Burlington Bertie (30) encouraged those approaching the time to retire (65) hoping in time to enter Cameron's Den (10) himself, meanwhile encouraging workers and savers to strive and strive (75) whilst making it clear that the shirkers will continue to find it unlucky for some (13) because they can no longer rely on the state (8), because he has removed it.
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