Hello there. My name’s Harry and I write things about video games, football, gambling, shit job listings, Bullseye and occasionally scribble short stories and slightly longer short stories, or “novels”. I’m an award-winning film director, although that was approximately 43 years ago. I’m currently working on a few short stories, running a private online film club and I also work in the insurance industry as a hobby.
If you would like me to write something for you, either for cash, goods, or services, please fill out this form. Or tweet me.
Harry Vale 
Am intrigued ’bout thon AwardWinnin’ Flim! ~
PaulJo $
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Hi Harry,
Thank you for your very well written article “A day in the life of a bookies”. I have worked in a betting shop for 8 and a half years now and have seen every single thing you mentioned! All of the player protection stuff is bollox, all of the staff protection is minimalistic. I worked my way up to being a manager of a betting shop a role which I kept for four years before realising my life was going no-where. Recently married and desperate for a career that would not get me beaten up or killed (yes, I was the victim of a robbery in the bookies once) and one which would allow me to provide for my family I decided to take the plunge and resign, with a view to returning to education – psychology to be exact.
I enrolled in college as I didn’t have the required grades for university this year. I also stayed on 15hrs a week at the bookies as I felt that I would be able to stomach it for that amount of time – after all I am just a glorified cleaner with zero responsibilities now. My area manger has said if education doesn’t work out then I can be fast tracked back to shop manager. Sitting down today with a mountain of college work to do I came to the conclusion that I made a mistake in resigning and I should have just been happy with my lot and made the most of it.
At that point I thought about jacking in education and phoning the boss to ask for a return to betting shop management. I didn’t.
I googled – “What is it like to work in a betting shop” and found your wonderful article which I have bookmarked into my favourites, to look at anytime I am feeling like I made the wrong decision. Thank you for reminding me that I made the RIGHT decision and that is not a place I want to go back to!
Many Thanks
Lee
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