As a smoker my recent visit to our local Gala Bingo club in Poole was my first since the smoking ban came into force and I was a little worried as to how I would manage for 2 hours without a cigarette. All in all it wasn’t too bad, the club definitely smelt cleaner and I know as a non-smoker my husband enjoyed the whole evening a lot more.
Even with a non-smoking section available prior to the ban the club always had a distinct aroma but I didnt even feel the need to smoke whilst I was there.
Now how has it affected the club on the whole? Well as I don’t frequent it too often I spoke to a couple who attend regularly – Sue and Grahame Downes.
Grahame was very vocal in how he feels it has changed the club, he said “Everything is rushed now to get more games in. The cashline games are called quicker than before to recoop some of the losses and the hall is never as busy as it was before. The bar now closes immediately after the 2nd interval yet the slot machines still run until late. It’s all about getting more money from people”
So, do the club make provisions for smokers? Yes, they do by way of a covered area outside the club with heating and I also noticed when leaving the club that they also provide umbrellas!
