R.I.P. Vince, my mentor in the bookies and a good laugh

Ruler of The World · Post by **Ruler of The World** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 10:51 pm

Most people in the bookies are scum. I mean the ones who sit around all day, nothing better to do, etc.

Today I was in a bookies playing something when I was hearing this big fat black guy talking about this guy I know, Vince. He was Jamaican, no more than 50 and a proper good laugh. I was wondering why this guy was talking about him... I feared the worst... the last time I had seen him I had told him to look out of key bet pots for me and to call me if he found anything above a certain amount... but he never did... but that was nothing to do with this...

He had told me he wasn't having a great time of things physically, that he felt quite unwell... but this was months ago. He wasn't one of these people who stuffs their face with fat filled junk like me, he ate reasonably healthily - for what he could afford.

No, Vince was not rich. But the thing was, he was rich - in knowledge but not in a financial sense.

I know you guys don't know him but try to picture this...
He was of average build, Jamaican, worked in England for most of his life, he didn't have much money, wasn't really educated but would take on manual labour jobs. He would be very cheeky in the bookies but everyone knew he wouldn't mean anything nasty by his comments. He would always say I love 'flashing lights' and I couldn't resist the machines... I was "Machine Man Med" He would call me "Med" and I would call him Skintce as he was always after a cash injection for one of his perm patents or goliaths. He would always say I knew nothing about racing, I was not in his class... but as I said, he wouldn't be that nasty about it, it was all tongue in cheek.

Highlights were how he would cheer on his horses (or mine when I told him how much I had on), "Go on you good ting!" If he or I had a win worth over £100 we would call it a 'hot ticket' and throw it in the air as if it was too hot to hold.

We joked together about "Machine Gun John" who would only come in on Saturdays and always think he knew the horses better than anyone... he'd sit at the main table, grab hold of it with increasing grip and hold his breath when races were reaching their climax points... he would then make noises like "Mmmmm mm mmmm mmmmm mmmm MMMMMMM MMMMMMMMM!" whilst shaking the table as though he was the jockey and the table was the horse... You had to see it to believe it.

We went out once to what used to be Yates's in Ealing Broadway, Ken was with us (his old pal, also a bookies mad guy but from Grenada) and witnessed a 'gangsta girl' get glassed in the face by a guy.

As time passed, we kind of saw each other less. I spent less time in bookies and he wasn't really local to me. He didn't really believe ni the fruits.

OK so he was a bit of a scoundrel but I think his heart was in the right place. I am guessing he would have sorted everything out.

I honestly felt awful today. Reasons?
1) he has several kids
2) he was always chasing big wins but tried in vain. He did once pick 8 out of 8 but the prices were so crap that £25 stake only paid £1400.
3) he was a hard worker and a grinder, not well off...

Ruler of The World · Post by **Ruler of The World** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 10:01 am

I was so distraught and sleepy that I did not complete the post, but having thought about it, he didn't complete his life. The sad thing is, people rarely die with the chance to do all they wanted or say their goodbyes...they sign off a bit like that message, so I will leave it as it is.

I always had a soft spot for that guy, I always helped him out when I could. He was the sort of person you always knew where you stood with him. I knew he would always chase his dream to win big, I knew he enjoyed the buzz of having very little and trying to win big. He worked, I think he was working on some kind of council roadworks thing or something like that. Its just sad.

stekebabman · Post by **stekebabman** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 4:17 pm

He sounded like the kinda guy,of which there just are not enough of nowadays left in this hellhole we call home.
If the youngsters of today,(and by youngsters I'm meaning 25-35 y.o),just took 5 minutes out of their busy,hectic lifestyles,just to see,sometimes half a dozen or so kind words would have meant so much to this unfortunate chap,probably more so than if you offered him something monetary.
Obviously,I didn't know the chap,but someone,somewhere will be missing him.
R.I.P Vince.

Ruler of The World · Post by **Ruler of The World** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 5:46 pm

I am gonna try to find his mate Ken and go to his funeral. I'm sure he would have wanted me there!!! I didn't meet his kids before, I think he has 4, 2 are pretty young and 2 are adults as far as I know... different mums for each pair. It just seems such a shame, he was just the sort of guy you took for granted as one who would be around 'forever' so to speak.

Yesterday in the betting shop I heard the news in some idiots came in trying to start fights with the staff, telling adults they had to respect them, swearing away - barely 18 pricks. I know Vince would have just shook his head in disgust. I don't know why everyone kid off the street thinks they're a 'gangsta' now - its all the same "You don't know who you're talking to bruv!" and "Don't talk to me like dat,you don't know who you're dealin wiv!" Why people like this aren't just put down with some sort of manufactured disease I don't know.

I'm sure quite a few people will be missing him, me included. We'd always have a bit of banter, always greeted each other with a smile, I honestly can't think of another person I'd be pleased to see next time I go into a betting shop to do anything.

Ruler of The World · Post by **Ruler of The World** » Sun Mar 31, 2013 8:46 pm

I found out his funeral is at 11am on Tuesday. I will be attending, nothing is keeping me away from that. Never been to a funeral of anyone I really knew well and would call a friend before so it will be an experience, that's for sure. Coincidentally, it is the same day I am due to make a £4K payment. I will make a proposal to the loan company and depending on the answer, I might well be joining my old pal! That's not actually funny or meant to be but it is crossing my mind quite a lot.

rehab · Post by **rehab** » Wed May 21, 2014 11:58 am

heheeh

Ruler of The World · Post by **Ruler of The World** » Wed May 21, 2014 7:48 pm

Hilarious.

Prick.

JG · Post by JG » Thu May 22, 2014 1:15 am

Ruler, whilst most of your recent posts have just been noise, I can't believe I never commented on this thread you started. It was a heartfelt topic that painted a vivid picture. We could all do with a Vince character at points in our lives, wether in or out the bookies. RIP.

rehab · Post by **rehab** » Thu May 22, 2014 2:24 pm

Yes - its almost as if you an extra special valium curry that day

Ruler of The World · Post by **Ruler of The World** » Wed May 28, 2014 11:31 pm

Its almost as if its too difficult for you to write 1 line that makes sense!

Ruler of The World · Post by **Ruler of The World** » Wed May 28, 2014 11:34 pm

And to JG, noise seems to be the only thing that works on here! Can't really write heartfelt, vivid posts every day... but I did have a good old row up I'm gonna write about! Surely you'll love it!

fatbloke · Post by **fatbloke** » Mon Apr 11, 2016 4:31 pm

aniversery time

Ruler of The World · Post by **Ruler of The World** » Tue Apr 26, 2016 11:20 am

I saw that you had some comments censored for being disrespectful to the dead so it is with great skeptiscism that I read your comment. I still find it incredible how people can post 2 words and still not have the spelling 100% correct for the post.

I saw someone who looked remarkably like Vince the other day and I just wanted to hear the guy speak to put any doubts I had that he had actually died (I was coming up with theories like he may have owed a lot of money and told a few people to say he was dead). Anyway, he spoke and it wasn't Vince! Short lived conspiracy theory firmly closed!

Keep resting in peace, old friend!