Surrey Racing. Were they taken over by Bowmans? I know Bowmans owed me money when they went bust.

I thought I was Glimmer earlier than that.

Anyone mention Hector Macdonalds

They still have a dozen or so shops in the Zummerzet area, Judge, which is why I didn't mention them. They are the Kings of the Blackmore Vale.

There are half a dozen other shops scattered around the W Midlands and Berkshire too.

Used to have excellent concessions in the 1990s (eg paying 4 places when 16-runner h'caps had a non-runner), so I used to channel as many mug and compulsive bets through them as possible to keep the account open. Sod's law came into play, of course, and Jack Berry 2yos always seemed to land the odds when I rang up Backhouse to punt them, so the account got closed as swiftly as the ones with all the other plucky little independents.

Yes, very generous indeed, like Stan James. Trouble is with Stan, take them and they sack you.

alun2005

you mention best of the rest.

my favourite was when it was a photo finish.

out came the board

short head 1/2

head 4/6

neck evens

dead heat 6/4

1/2 length 5/2





he could lay the lot

and he could lay all 5

Amazed nobody has mentioned Jonny Humphreys as of yet.Surely I'm not the only bod from Sarfff of the river.He still makes the odd appearance down at Sunny Crayford(remember him more for pulling in at Catford in his Royce on a Thursday night)
Would always stand a decent bet(but then he could afford to)

Yes T&F bought the number 1 pitch at Newmarket July course when the pitches were allowed to be sold. They always looked like they were crapping themselves. They must have been in far too deep than was comfortable.

Great thread.

Not sure if I'm up to speed on the West Country scene but, to my knowledge Will Rosseff is a director of 365 but devotes three days a week to his sideline - Backhouse bookmakers. Formerly Backhouse of Baker Street. The original shop had a franking machine rather than a regular till. One manager of Mecca Edgware Rd had ten successive winners of 3/4 runner races in the early 1990's - did not get restricted.

There was a bookmaking firm called Wilkins Macawber who had a cluster of shops in the West Country until c 1975, when they sold out to Heathorn, who sold out to Coral. So, if you're in the West Country and see a Coral, quite likely it has that lineage, just as a William Hill shop could have been an old Dave Pipe shop, and a meeting spot for bettors pre legalization. It's a different world now, but Dave Pipe used to take fields in lieu of payment from farmers who would rather lose a leg than be described as a welsher. If you are ever in the centre of Taunton, which is County Stores and Ladbrokes round the corner, the Pipe family own that real estate. Dave pipe senior passed the estate on to David pipe Jr., missing out martin, to avoid tax. Anyway, to meander to a close, Wilkins Macawber was owned by Doug Rosseff, Will's father I believe, and he was a nice avuncular guy, standing at Bristol dogs at Rovers' ground, back along.

I never threw a losing on course betting ticket away, I've got hundreds of them from many years racing up and down the country. You name a front line pitch from the late eighties to the turn of the century, I've  probably lost to them and kept the ticket.

Thanks for clearing up Roseff's relationship with Backhouse and Bet365, unitedbiscuits. I knew there was a connection, but wasn't sure what it was exactly.

I never knew those impressive buildings in North St, Taunton, which house the County Stores and Ladbrokes next door, had the Pipes as landlords. Fascinating. One day during the summer I was in that Ladbrokes shop when a chap started talking to me who I'm almost sure was Derek Button, who, with his brother, used to bet under the Fred Button sign in the West Country. The trouble is, I'd not seen Derek for years and I'm almost completely deaf now, so I'm not 100% sure who the nervous chap talking 19 to the dozen at me really was.

It never helped in identifying bookmakers that so few bet under their real name. One on-course character was a fellow known universally as Conky, who was also Yeovil Town Crier. I can't remember what his real name was, but it certainly wasn't Mike Loveless, which was the one above his joint. If you went to the Mansion House in Princes St, Yeovil, you'd be visiting the offices of Mike Loveless Commissioning Agent. You got the impression that this pillar of the community preferred not to be known as even a commission agent, never mind a bookmaker.

I don't know what Conky was like away from the punters, but on racecourse evidence I'd nominate him as West Country entrant for the title of Bookmaker Least Suited To A Career In Public Relations. From the South East you'd need an eliminator between Lulu Mendoza and his son Mickey. In the north the name Bryan Hazell springs to mind, but he could be most polite and sociable when, for instance, discussing the draw bias at Thirsk. On the other hand, when Eddie Fremantle used to turn up at places like Hexham, Hazell would put his bets down to "Cockney Koont".

screaming from beneath the waves - You have a knowledge far wider than mine. Entertaining stories too.
I often wonder what became of John Pegley. Anyone who went racing a few years ago would have heard him shouting the odds. he wouldn't even have to raise his voice now..

as a nipper in the 60s there was a dodgy looking chap (Arthur daley type ) hanging about on a nearby estate ,and as a kid I wondered why people were giving him bits of paper and money and once in a blue moon he would hand someone money ,when I asked a mate who he was and what does he do ,he replied its jim the bookie he collects money ! I should have taken the hint !

Conky Woods
Legend

The last I remember of Pegley was when he was working with an Australian art dealer called Wayne Heathcote, who used to turn up in the English rings at intervals over the years betting/laying very big sums.

Heathcote had also worked with a layer called Terry Barfoot back in the loadsamoney 1980s. It was an extraordinary time, when standing by the rails at Plumoton and laying a bet of £50,000 to £40,000 in an amateur riders' chase was routine.

The last I heard of Barfoot he was running a newsagent's.

ribero

re Mervin and surrey racing, one of their biggest golf punters won more on the open the year seve won it than seve did for winning it!

Jeremy Champman did an article about it in the old sporting life, he used to bet with your old gov, never seen him since the day Frankel won at York. Have you seen him about.

Nice one Foxy re: Gillibrand

^^^

Used to hedge with them a few years ago.

Ronnie,you will remember the Bob Kett firm well,i went to Arthur Ketts funeral last week,he was a good friend.Thinking back to the surrey-Sky deal it will have been a fair bit more than 30 odd million I mentioned.

unitedbiscuits

Great thread.

Not sure if I'm up to speed on the West Country scene but, to my knowledge Will Rosseff is a director of 365 but devotes three days a week to his sideline - Backhouse bookmakers. Formerly Backhouse of Baker Street. The original shop had a franking machine rather than a regular till. One manager of Mecca Edgware Rd had ten successive winners of 3/4 runner races in the early 1990's - did not get restricted.


That was Mecca's flagship shop and in those days the managers were on a real healthy commission as well as top wages.
It was paid every 6 months at first then yearly and whoever managed that shop copped for an extra year or twos wages every year.