Who remembers the Bookies runner

[sweetdexter 10]

Does anyone remember the Bookies runner?

He was a common sight flitting across the new housing estates one step ahead of the cops.

It would seem workers on the new houses were chronic gamblers.

They would often get a sub on their wages to feed the booky

[hodkin 10]

my uncle was the bookie & his son the 'runner'.

both were big overweight guys & as a little kid i saw them running down a street near beeley st., with a cop in pursuit.

[devlin 10]

My Nan was a bookies runner in Darnall / Tinsley in the 40/50's

[CHAIRBOY 10]

Does anyone remember the Bookies runner?

He was a common sight flitting across the new housing estates one step ahead of the cops.

It would seem workers on the new houses were chronic gamblers.

They would often get a sub on their wages to feed the booky

 

I think they operated on the factory floor and then they took the bets to the bookie, the runner getting commission.

[depoix 11]

there was a little old lady near me as a kid that took the bets ,i used to pick them up as i was delivering the papers and drop them off for her,this was in the early 1960's

[bullerboY 10]

my dad was a bookies runner for years and he worked for jimmy thorpe he worked most pubs in the town centre but his main spot was the bull and mouth in waingate the coppers never bothered him,only to place a bet!He was well known his name was albert,and he was resident singer in the b&m when he'd had a few.

[mistyraven 10]

My dad was a bookies runner in attercliffe he is 82 and still running to the bookies bless him for himself xxx

[mylee 10]

My grandfather was a Bookmaker in the late 20s he had alot of runners working for him, my mum often mentioned the Mooney gang who were around at the time

[mistyraven 10]

I will ask dad see if he know them.

I can just imagine my dad as a kid with a snotty nose running round the back to back houses with bets.

[Kidorry 189]

I remember Tommy Tate on Fitzallan St. standing in the entry taking bets and as soon as one of his cronies saw the law Tommy was off down the entry and across the yard to flush his betting slips down the loo. No evidence.

[broncolives 10]

There was a guy in walkley called Wilson. On more than one occasion he hid his books under the coal in our cellar as the cops got close.

As a kid I asked him if I could have a bet which he let me. I had sixpence on a horse which I think is still running.

On his next visit he asked me how the horse had done after I told him he gave me the sixpence back on the promise that I would never bet on a horse again. App 50 years on and still not broken that promise.

A lesson for life!!!!

[willybite 10]

hiya i remember one not a runner more a lookout he was stationed at the end of our street, well one day he went in one of the local pubs for a glass of beer while he was in an oap stood up to go to the bookies, at the time they would accept any ammount of bets "i'll take it for you said the l/o at which the old man was having 3d ew bet said ok, he won his bet but didn't see his winnings

a mate of his found out and when he saw the l/o he gave him a bloody nosewhen he asked what that was for, the mate reminded him about the bet he took for the oap and said every time i see you expect the same till you pay him his winnings,

he paid, later his brother did the same to him. he had a goodish win at the bookies when he went to collect, the bookie said that his brother had picked up his winnings for him, at that he went around a dozen pubs till he found him he had spent most of the money when he found him, this was the way they lived, another day a punter for the bookie ran into our house when my dad asked him to explain in no unsertain terms what he thought he was doing the punter said when the police were round they could run in any house in the yard as the bookie paid all the rents which was not true,, the only money paid out was if the main bookie tommy fiddler (shanks) was standing the odd time would hand out threpny bits or tanners depending how old the kids were.

 

ps my wife's paternal grandfather was a bookie in the park district i never met him but would talk to my father.in law about their life when he was young in the early 1900,s he said there were 4 children and they needed for nothing,they were always well shod and didn't go hungry even in the hard times, i looked my wife granddad up on genes reunited and it came up that his occupation was listed as living by own means.

Edited November 21, 2010 by willybite