BEN KEITH’S BLOG: If any Star Sports or John Power owers could please report to the Pavilion Restaurant

It really was great fun to go to Romford last night. It felt so good. The ring there is compact, and with steep steps and the rain pouring all around the secluded small area, it still locks in a semblance of atmosphere.

From business long ago, I had £250 in with on-course layer; Steve Simmons. I thought I better behave myself, do the right and decent thing for the night, and be a good punter. So I spun that up, or down as the case may have been, along with about another £600. Simmo, dinner’s on you.

This ring could do with a bit of life though, Blog; a bit of fizz. I didn’t see any sudden and violent moves in the market, which would indicate that the racing is straight. It looked solid enough to me. There was no linch-pin Tony Morris style layer cramping everyone in-line. This could be a good little opportunity for a young and up-and-coming bookmaker to get going. I made so many wonderful contacts at the dogs that I’m still doing business with now (I also got rumped a few times, but I’ll leave the rose-tinted spectacles on a bit longer). Get a pitch there, a shop nearby with a phone out the back, sponsor a few races, put a decent suit on, and the staff too, sprinkle some hustle n bustle around the pitch and throw a bit of charisma at the punters, a little ad in the race-card, give a few muggy looking credit-punters a pull…You’re off and running! Come on, who’s out there? This is a chance. Step forward. Blog, I don’t know if I’m dreaming or reminiscing. But I suppose if that’s the case, it means I’ve had a great life.

In a moment of sage like genius, Tom Power said, when sitting down for dinner, “I wonder if there’s any chance they would put a message out over the tanoy asking ‘Could any Star Sports or John Power owers from Walthamstow please report to the Pavilion Restaurant.'”. Hahahaha!!

On a negative note, I’m afraid, Blog… The food in the Pavilion Restaurant was the worst I have eaten this year. I’m not saying that everything has to be flash and expensive, not at all, may I stress. The Fish n Chips at Rye House were excellent, Curry Night at Sittingbourne a sell-out, the former grill at Walthamstow very good indeed. This was no better than a fiver, all you can eat, Toby Carvery. Coral, this is a London dog-track holding quality open-racing every week. It represents you and your brand. It props up BAGS racing all over the country. Please have some self-respect and serve up some proper grub to your long-serving clientele.

In other news:

I read in the paper yesterday that the Royal Mail is to be privatised. Apart from the obvious liberties that will be taken by whoever buys it, what do you actually think of this as a deal? Like all government-owned companies, the IPO will be open for EVERYONE to buy into, not just the usual carve-up between the investment banks. I love hearing stories of years gone by, when people have put adverts in the paper, getting unknowns in their droves to sign up for shares for them, when the offering is hugely over-subscribed. Blog, if its the case – let’s do it!!!

The Government are valuing the Royal Mail at £3billion and are saying it would have paid a dividend of £200million in the last year. 15 years to get your money back is a long time, especially with more and more people using email, but the buyers will, like everything nowadays, strip out all the excellent levels of service the Post Office offer, and probably inject some new revenue-ideas too. I can’t make my mind up. I shall speak to some experts, Blog, and then report back to you.

Ben x