Skip to main content

Eyes Down!


It's been a while since I wrote one of these and this is quite a short one. 

*Revised note: it's longer than I thought it would be (no that's not what she said).

Anyone who knows me knows that I spent around 15 years bouncing between jobs. I was like a frog on a lilypad trying to leave the pond but always finding themselves back to the safety of their lilypad. Gala Bingo Aylesbury was mine.

I wasn't even meant to stay for too long, about a month as I recall, helping Essie on the bar. However they noticed I was pretty good on the mic so kept me on as a nember of the team and over the course of those years I went from Bar Assistant, to Team Member, Fruit Machine Engineer, Mainstage Caller and Assistant Manager - and in the dark times - with the fall of Palpatine (if you know, you know) - I shared an unofficial role as General Manager with my brother -  my number 2 - Ryan Adams.  (yeah I'm never going to let that joke die).

It was a strange place to have as my spiritual home - a bingo hall. It must have been all those years of history that made it feel so special to me. 

I can honestly say it was the first place I ever felt I truly belonged! I'll also admit that I do find myself missing it from time to time. Missing my extended family. Both colleagues and customers alike. 

I did my growing up there! I know some of you may not agree that that I ever grew up. And if that keeps me young, I'll take that :-)

I learned about life, death, love, how to treat people, how to win, how to fail, how to deal with disaster and all of the emotions a human can possibly experience in one place. 

I even learned how to be an entertainer and performed my first performance as a musician in that very hall. Ironically I was also the last to perform on that stage on its closing night. A stage I shared with many greats including The Rolling Stones - albeit decades apart!

l gained my humanity from Noreen, my comedy from Sean, my mental toughness from Joy, my passion for life from Essie - the list goes on.

I learned so many things from so many people before me and taught so many of those things to so many after me. Deep down I hope that they passed those things on to the people that came after them. 

That hall, that job, those people, brought out the worst in me, and more importantly the very best in me! I am proud and so very grateful to have been part of its history and it gives me so much to reflect on when I need some reflection. So many lifetimes in one place!

There are far too many people to mention here but know that I appreciate you all. 

Thank you to my Gala family, for everything. I hope you're all well and that life is treating you to all the good things that you deserve.

With freedom day fast approaching, there may even be a reunion on the cards, so to whoever is organising it, count me in!

Eyes Down.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Descartes got it wrong!

It is said that what you give out, you get back in the same form. Many of you will know this by its name. Karma.  Everything I say here is not new to me, but something I am remembering everyday. I am back on a journey that I began nearly 30 years ago. In fact, come to think of it, I don't think I ever left this journey, I just stopped a little longer at places en route. I've been working on re-knowing who I am, not the external me but the internal me. Not the ego but the essence of who I truly am.  Don't panic! I'm not about to sell you a religion! I'm merely telling you of my experience at this present time. What you do with the information is up to you, and quite frankly, none of my business.  I have been re-learning. Working on myself to be a person who does good things. A better person. The best person I can possibly be and a better person than who I was yesterday. To feel the fear and do it anyway. To lean in to my vulnerability, and to leave the wo...
Post a Comment
Read more

TSgt (Ret.) James M. Adams Jr

Today's post is dedicated to TSgt (Ret.) James M. Adams Jr.  My dad.  For many different reasons we didn't really spend as much time together as we should have or could have done, and even though he wasn't physically in my life for much of it, I learned a great deal from him.  He was a bit of a Marmite character - you either loved him or hated him, and he appeared not to care about that, but appearences can be deceptive! I never really heard many good things about him - I mean he was no angel - but when I went back to Texas in '99, I got to know him a little better.  To my surprise, so many people loved and respected him. All of them in fact, apart from my Mom's best friend from when when lived there. This was all new to me and I found it a little hard to believe. I mean I knew my Dad right? Apparently I didn't! It seemed that despite his quirks and shortcomings (and sometimes his cruelty), he was (like it says on his father's grave) a friend to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Better The Devil

Well it's a new day and a new appreciation post.  I can't tell you how much the one about David - the one I was reluctant to share - has affected so many people from my Facebook friends list they reached out to me about the post.  It reached people in ways I never expected, and in ways some of the people reaching out never expected.  So once again David's actions had a profoundly positive effect. Thanks again David and thanks to all those who reached out to me about it.  As promised though, here is something a little lighter than my previous two posts.  This coming Saturday is Eurovision. 28 years ago it was held on the 19th of May, the day after my birthday, and it gave me one of the best presents I have ever had.  Sonia Evans was our representative for the UK. For those of you that don't know, Sonia was signed to PWL records and was produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman.  Just like Kylie Minogue and Rick Astley. And if you don't know who they are th...
Post a Comment
Read more