Will2win - William Hill Home

The magazine for William Hill people
What will you do?
Global Ideas Challenge | Stepping Up | Grand National gallery
April/May 2015
In this issue:
3 News
Global Ideas Challenge winners/Priority
Access launches/Record entries for HOME
Awards/Passports for Italy and Spain
4 News
Successful Cheltenham Festival/
EastEnders storyline draws in punters/
Customer service award for Darwin
team
5 News
Stepping Up programme delivered in Tel
Aviv, Gibraltar and UK Group/WH Tipping
Challenge raises funds for NSPCC
6 Make it Happen
Colleagues who’ve invested in our
Sharesave Plan tell us how they spent their
savings
7 Shop talk
Unsung Heroes/Customer places bet
on the likelihood of alien life/Colleague
creates a gambling-themed tattoo for
a customer
8 Cover feature
As our Feelgood at HOME programme
launches across the company, we
encourage colleagues to take up a new
activity to make a positive change to their
lifestyles
10 Grand National gallery
Photo highlights from the busiest day in
the William Hill calendar
11 Our People
Ever wondered what really happens
in our tech hub in Shoreditch?
Crispin Nieboer, our Director of
Corporate Development and
Innovation, reveals some of the
exciting developments the team are
getting stuck into
12 Long service
anniversaries
Key dates for colleagues celebrating
special anniversaries in April and May
14 All about you
Better equipped
to give your best
On the front cover, you’ll see photos of colleagues who
have all conquered personal challenges. With inactivity cited as the biggest health
problem of the 21st century, getting up, getting out and getting busy not only boosts
our physical wellbeing but it makes us feel better mentally too.
Feelgood at HOME, our new health and wellbeing programme, has been launched for
that very reason. We want our colleagues to be happy and healthy and we know that
healthy people are better equipped to give their best. Feelgood at HOME has something
for everyone and it’s all about Tiny Little Changes you can make to bring about a positive
difference. Walk instead of taking the lift, team up with colleagues for a healthy lunch or
share tips on how to cope with a stressful day. Turn to pages 8 and 9 to find out more about
how you can get involved.
Elsewhere, find out some of the exciting things our Shoreditch tech team are up to in our
interview with Crispin Nieboer, Director of Corporate Development and Innovation, on page
11, and on page 15, discover who won the prize for our first ever Star Letter!
Karen May, Editor, Will2win
Find anyone you
want – on the
HOME website
For the first time, all colleagues can now
find contact details of everyone across the
company on the HOME website. We’ve
responded to your feedback that you
h
wanted a simple access point to get in touch
with colleagues and here it is!
Our global directory is located in the secure
My Account section and includes details of all
colleagues across Online, Retail, Group, the US
and Australia. It also has a UK Shop and US
Sportsbook locator. You can access My Account
by going to williamhillhome.com and clicking on
the My Account circle.
To keep our information for colleagues’ eyes
only, we’ve now secured HOME with a generic
user name and password, sent out via ALBOS
and email.
Our HOME website is packed with information
and easy to navigate via its circular icons
such as global news, My Choices and People
Development. We’ve already had some helpful
feedback about the new site and welcome
further suggestions and ideas. Email us at
[email protected]
Wh
Where
do
d
you read
Will2win?
Thanks to Angelo Carlo Cativo
from Manila who sent us this great
photo. Senior Finance Analyst
Angelo was transferred to Tel Aviv
last year for a couple of weeks
when we had problems in Manila
and, wisely, took along Will2win.
Says Angelo: “I read a couple
of articles while floating in the
pristine water of the Dead Sea on
a weekend trip away.”
*UK colleagues receive £50 via My
Choices and overseas colleagues the
equivalent of £50 in Amazon vouchers.
16 World of sport
By phone/text: 07718 697119 (Will2win)
Will2win is produced by the Internal
Communications Department in London – Heather
Hamilton, Head of Internal Communications;
Karen May, Will2win Editor; and Dominika White,
Internal Communications Assistant – and designed
by Spiral Communications in Leeds. It is managed
by an editorial committee and published bimonthly. It is distributed to shops in the UK and to
offices at all our locations. Please recycle where
facilities are available.
Sharpe Angle/Prize crossword/
sponsorship diary
Via Twitter: @will2winmag
To read back issues from the past year, go to
http:bitly.com/will2win
Marketing material from 40 years
ago uncovered/Tribute to our
brave colleague Steven Ellwood/
Thrilling match for Golden Ticket
winners/Sudoku/Separated at
Birth/Letters/Well done…
02 | April/May 2015
How to contact Will2win
By post: Will2win, 4th Floor, Greenside
House, London N22 7TP
By email: [email protected] or
[email protected]
News
SOCIAL GAMING
PRODUCT WINS
FIRST GLOBAL
IDEAS CHALLENGE
The lucky
winners will
soon be
off on an
all-expenses
trip to Las
Vegas
At the end of February, Jamie Hart, Director
of Innovation and Customer Experience, set
colleagues a challenge which stated: “We
want ideas. Your ideas. Ideas that enhance,
excite and develop what a bet or a game is
for our customers. Whichever team, country
and function you’re in, if you have an Online
idea that our customers would love, you now
have a chance to see it brought to market.”
delighted to win. She said: “It was amazing,
scary, surreal and exciting all at once. After
four days of non-stop work, we were all tired
and excited for the finale, and on top of that
I had been very nervous before delivering
my presentation. When James Henderson
announced that we had won, it all culminated in
happy tears for me and a huge group hug with
the team.
The competition sparked interest from all
over William Hill and a total of 76 entries were
submitted. A shortlist of five teams – from the
US, Gibraltar, the UK and Australia – was then
drawn up and the relevant teams put together
for a four-day ‘hackathon’ in Shoreditch, which
would transform these ideas into live demos.
Colleagues from Tel Aviv also came along to
help with the builds.
“It felt so great to have our efforts recognised
and for the idea to be singled out as one of
the things that could set us apart from our
competitors. When a huge global company
like William Hill listens to its colleagues like this,
it really does cement the Everyone Matters
message.”
The challenge was judged by Jamie Hart and
James Curwen from Innovation, and CEO
James Henderson at the end of March.
Steena Madsen, who works as a Project
Co-ordinator in Gibraltar, came up with the
winning idea – a social gaming product – which
was brought to life with the help of her tech
team – Thomas Hutchinson and Srdan Srepfler,
both Software Developers in Mobile, and
Egidijus Gegeckas, Product Developer in the
Customer Services Project Channel.
Steena Madsen and the team were absolutely
Crispin Nieboer*, Director of Innovation and
Corporate Development, added: “The winning
concept from Steena Madsen and her team has
demonstrated how we could enter a new highgrowth business category – social gaming – by
leveraging our existing real money products and
customer base.”
Steena and her three team members have each
won an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas.
Congratulations to them all for their brilliant
efforts.
*For more on Crispin Nieboer and our tech
hub in Shoreditch, turn to our special feature
on page 11.
RECORD
ENTRIES FOR
More t han 2 ,0 0 0 colllea
ague
es have
e be
een no
omina
ate
ed for th
his year ’s
s HOME
Awards and all nomine
ees have been
n conttacte
ed witt h t he go
o o d n ew s .
A full lis
st of nomin
nee
es can be found on t he HO
OME websitte at
w w w.w
willia
amhilllh
home
e.c
com /m
myaccount /lib
brar
a y/
We have already selected four finalists for the Community Champion category
and you’ll find full details of who’s been chosen and how to vote on the HOME
website. The judges are currently drawing up a shortlist for the remaining
awards, which will be on the HOME website at the end of April.
PRIORITY
ACCESS
CARD PUTS
CUSTOMERS
IN CONTROL
A card to
delight
customers
In a first for our industry, we have
launched a Priority Access Prepaid
MasterCard® that will enable our
customers to receive their winnings
instantly. The card can be used in the
same way as other prepaid/debit cards
so customers can use it anywhere they
see the MasterCard logo. This will also
include our betting shops very soon.
The card is currently available to a small,
select group of customers and will be
rolled out further over time.
More information is available at
www.williamhill.com/priorityaccess.
POCKET
GUIDES TO
ITALY AND
N
SPAIN
Want to know a
n
good place to eat in
e
Madrid or what the
ur
dress code is in our
Milan office? Then
head to the HOME
website where you
can download the
latest editions in
our William Hill
Passport series.
They’re packed
with information
and are the best
travel accessory
around – of
course.
Print them out or
store as an e-version
April/May 2015 | 03
News
LLucy Beale
storyline
draws in
the
th punters
FESTIVAL FEVER
AND PEDICAB RIDES!
The Cheltenham Festival continues to grow
in popularity, with customers staking record
levels this year. We reported an increase in
average turnover across all races, with the
Gold Cup – the third-biggest race of the year
– exceeding £5m for the first time.
Thanks to all our teams from around the business
who made the Festival such a great success. For
the first time, a competition took place before
Cheltenham inviting colleagues from our Retail
Estate to become part of the promotional team.
Video auditions were scrutinised and a team was
put together. One of those selected, Michael
Stewart from Malone LBO in Northern Ireland,
was chosen for his video that even attracted a
mention in the Racing Post. In recognition of his
How did our
Cheltenham
tipsters fare?
In the last issue, we asked four horseracing enthusiasts to share their tips for
the Festival. Here’s how they got on…
excitement, energy and enthusiasm, the paper
presented him with its annual Cheltenham prize
of a bottle of Laurent Perrier Rose champagne.
Our teams worked hard to make sure customers
had a great experience with us and customer
interaction points were developed along the route
e
from the train station to the racecourse. These
included refreshment stands at the station,
musical entertainment on the high street and a
photowall near the racecourse. Customers could
even catch a free pedicab (a bike taxi) ride to the
William Hill shop.
To see Michael’s video and a short video with
highlights of Cheltenham, go to the HOME
website.
Both Jon Ivan-Duke, from Racing PR, and Mike
Bellamy, Odds Compilation Manager, opted for
Douvan to win the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle,
which it duly did. So well done to them. The
Cheltenham Gold Cup was more of an open field,
with none of our experts predicting a winner,
though Jon Ivan-Duke had been impressed with
Road To Riches, which took third place. Thanks
to Jon, Mike, James Henderson and Terry
Pattinson for being great sports and taking part.
“Who Killed Lucy Beale?” was
“Wh
the s
storyline that grabbed fans
of th
the UK soap EastEnders for
the best part of a year after
Lucy
Lucy’s body was discovered on
Walf
Walford Common. On February
19, viewers found out it was
young Bobby Beale who had
killed his own sister Lucy.
The story was a big draw for the
viewing public, with the final live
shows, in which the killer was
exposed, attracting more than
10 million viewers. Betting-wise,
it was a huge success too. Bobby
was the 3/1 favourite in that
final week (from 7/1 earlier on).
However, he was just the latest in a
long list of 11 characters who had
topped the betting.
Of the £800,000 that was wagered
on the market – the most ever on
a market of this nature – 11% was
on Abi Branning, highlighting just
how well the secret was kept by
the BBC.
We produced special slips for
Retail and took more than 50,000
across the estate.
Some fantastic PR coverage was
generated by our in-house team
who carried out interviews on
national and regional radio and
gained coverage in almost 1,000
p
print and online articles.
C
Customer
service award
ffor Darwin team
C
Congratulations
to our Customer Service team in Australia,
w
who walked away with the prestigious Outstanding
C
Customer Service Operator award at the EGR Australia
aw
awards. Tom Waterhouse, CEO of William Hill Australia,
sa
said: “It was fantastic for William Hill to be recognised as an
in
industry-leading
company two years in a row. Well done all
a a special thank you to Shannon Millar and Haylie Mair
and
w have done an outstanding job leading the customer
who
s
service
team in Darwin.”
ding job
The team did an outstan
04 | April/May 2015
W
William
Hill Australia was also shortlisted for a further five awards
i
including
Operator of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year,
A liate Programme of the Year, Mobile Sports Product of the
Affi
Y
Year
and Socially Responsible Operator of the Year.
We took
more than
50,000
bets via
our EastEnders
Special slips
News
UNLOCKING THE
POTENTIAL OF
FUTURE MANAGERS
Our Stepping Up programme, aimed
at aspiring or newly appointed
front-line managers, was delivered
in Tel Aviv, Gibraltar and UK Group
over a six-month period in 2014. A
total of 51 colleagues completed
the programme, which focuses on
developing participants’ personal and
management skills.
Stepping Up also presents a great opportunity
for colleagues to extend their network
throughout the business and to gain a greater
insight into how other departments work.
The People Development team is passionate
about developing home-grown talent and the
Stepping Up programme 2014 has been very
successful in helping our future managers to
maximise their potential.
The Stepping Up programme is one of the core
stages in the William Hill Group and Online
Academy, which provides a flexible development
pathway to support colleagues at every stage of
their William Hill career.
Our Stepping Up graduates attended award ceremonies in January with their line
managers and senior management – the teams from Gibraltar (left) and Tel Aviv (right)
WILL2WIN ASKED COLLEAGUES WHAT THEY
FOUND BENEFICIAL ABOUT STEPPING UP…
“It was a thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile
experience. It helped me to understand the
wider workings of the company through
networking and interpersonal skills and I believe
it will support my professional and personal
progression within William Hill.”
David Farmer, Trading Customer Services,
Leeds
“It has given me the tools to enable me to
improve in my current role and I now have more
confidence to apply for roles at a higher level.”
Bryn Evans, Technology – Test,
William Hill Online, Gibraltar
“The programme was not only excellent in
terms of the subjects covered being relevant to
my working life now, but it was also a fantastic
opportunity to work with colleagues from other
areas of the business.”
Laura Lovell Cotton, Security, Leeds
TIPPING
CHALLENGE
HELPS
NSPCC
Some of the biggest names
in British sport, including
boxers Carl Froch and Ricky
‘The Hitman’ Hatton, joined
forces with children’s charity
NSPCC and William Hill for The
Tipping Challenge 2015. Their
aim was to raise money for the
charity, which campaigns to
keep children safe, by picking
winners at the Cheltenham
Festival.
The Tipping Challenge ran
across the four days of the
Cheltenham Festival and each of
the participants had £1,000 per
day, courtesy of William Hill, to
bet with. On the final day – Gold
Cup Day – they bet with £2,000
instead of £1,000.
Former England, Liverpool and
Real Madrid footballer Steve
McManaman was the dramatic
winner of the Tipping Challenge
after his £1,000 Each-Way
selection Next Sensation won
the very last race of the Festival
at 16/1.
McManaman’s inspired selection
meant the total donation from
the William Hill Foundation was
£52,975.
“I have learnt that sometimes taking a step back
and thinking things through can be an effective
way of examining the tools at my disposal.”
David Drory, Media Buy Team Leader,
William Hill Online, Tel Aviv
“I found the course to be extremely engaging.
To be working alongside colleagues from
different areas of the business with similar career
views and ambitions was a fantastic experience.”
Dan Turner, Client Management, Leeds
“The programme helped me to better understand
how to deal with situations that I find myself in on
an almost daily basis, with colleagues I manage
and also my managers. It also helped me to look
at things from a different perspective.”
Neil Zeff, Team Leader UK Affiliates,
William Hill Online, Tel Aviv
Steve McManaman: “It’s brilliant to
be crowned William Hill Champion
Tipster, but more important are the
vital funds that we have raised for
the NSPCC.”
April/May 2015 | 05
Make it happen
WHAT’S
NOT TO
LIKE?
Saving on a monthly basis through
ugh
h
e.
Sharesave makes perfect sense.
y
At the end of your plan you may
u
end up with a windfall, but if you
vings
don’t you’ll still have a pot of savings
agues in the
put aside. Will2win asked colleagues
scheme how they spent their extra cash…
I splashed
spla
sp
lash
shed
d out on a 5-star holiday for the
family to Turkey.
I’ve been with William Hill for 10 years
now and I’ve always tried to make
sure I take part in the Sharesave
scheme. Because it comes straight
out of your salary, you don’t tend to
miss the monthly payments so it’s
easy. I’ve been paying into this one for
three years now and my family gets a
nice tax-free yearly pot. From the last
maturity, I was able to pay off some
boring bills but it also enabled me to
treat the kids to a weekend away at
Legoland and my wife to a 5-star night
out at the Feversham Arms Hotel in
Helmsley, North Yorkshire. Everyone
was happy!
Phil Nixon,
Head of UK Design (Marketing), Leeds
Anne Cleary,
Shop Manager, Dunmurry LBO,
Belfast, Northern Ireland
I paid off some of my mortgage and am
putting the rest towards a holiday to
Disneyland with my family.
Nicola Wilson, HR System Administrator,
St John’s, Leeds
I used mine to cover the deposit on my
daughter’s first home.
Star Wars struck: Phil meets
Chewbacca at Legoland
I went to Hawaii for the holiday of a lifetime
two years ago. I loved it so much that I’m
going to use some of my savings to go back
this year.
I spent the money renovating my new home.
I had a new staircase installed so I can now
go from the ground floor to the cellar without
using a ladder!
Joanne Marien Carter,
District Operations Manager, West London
Natalie Charlton,
Head of Events, Leeds
I love holidays so that’s where my money
goes. I’m using my savings to go to Costa
Rica and on a skiing trip. I also hope to
do something special for my 25-year
anniversary next year.
I spent my Sharesave savings on a week
in sunny Devon with family and friends and
also treated myself to a new golf putter. It
was a Scotty Cameron for any keen golfers
out there!
Mike Beveridge,
District Operations Manager, West London
David Mills,
Group and Online Development Manager
06 | April/May 2015
Susan Hunter, Deputy Manager,
Renfrew LBO, Renfrewshire, Scotland
WHY NOT JOIN
SHARESAVE?
Sharesave is a simple way to
save each month through payroll
deductions. At the end of the
savings period, you can buy your
shares at a discounted price or have
your money returned so you’ll never
lose out. Our Sharesave schemes
now operate right across William
Hill in all nine countries. Be part of
the Sharesave success story by
joining the scheme by April 28.
Shop talk
Jon Triming, Manager, Strutton Ground
J
LBO,
Westminster, London
L
Jon: “Success w
ith
We know that
we have lots
of dedicated
colleagues working
in the Retail estate.
Colleagues who do
their jobs quietly,
efficiently and away
from the spotlight
– unrecognised but
not unnoticed. We
decided it was time
to celebrate some
of these unsung
heroes. For this
edition, DOM Iain
Trimble, District 011,
London, contacted
us to praise two of
his dedicated Shop
Managers.
staffing”
“Jon has been doing the staffing for District 011 for a time.
“J
In the last year, the staffing has been a particular challenge
wit
with the introduction of lone working and an establishment
sho
shortfall. He is always calm and deals with everyone in the
righ
right way. On top of this, Strutton Ground LBO is one of the
bus
busiest shops in the district and he also has an incredibly long
jour
journey into work, having to leave his house at 4.30am to get
to w
work!” Iain comments.
When we spoke to Jon, he said: “It isn’t down to just me – my Deputy and shop team are a huge help,
as is Iain. The whole area is well structured thanks to AOM Richard Walsh and we have regular area
meetings where we can share ideas and help each other out.”
Speaking of his early starts, Jon explained: “I live by the sea so I have to get the 4:30am train. It’s OK
though – I have a nap on the way!”
Jim Porter, Shop Manager, Penywern
LBO, Earl’s Court, London
“Jim has really bought into our ‘Get Fit’ strategy and has
m.
made fantastic improvements in his shop and with his team.
“He is always on hand to offer any help and has recently taken
responsibility for helping with Relief team colleagues. He has
arranged meetings and went to a lot of effort putting together
content and handouts for the Relief team.”
Jim: “Valua
ble suppor
When asked about his extracurricular work with Relief
Relief colleague t for
colleagues, Jim said: “I know that sometimes Relief
s”
colleagues may miss communications and we can’t assume
ke to h
elp
l them
h
a
nd
d
that they know everything about every shop. For that reason, I like
help
and
keep them in the loop.”
Jim added: “It’s great working with Iain too. He’s very open, takes feedback on board and is always
happy to help.”
Congratulations to our Unsung Heroes, who were both presented with a gift. Look out for more
unsung heroes in the next issue of Will2win. Nominations can be sent to [email protected].
Thanks to Christian Cassidy from Grange LBO Teesside in the North of England for putting this piece together.
ALIEN
LIFE IN
NORTH
WALES?
Sometimes, when a customer places
an unusual bet, it’s tempting to
think ‘Do they know more than we
know?’ Thanks to Stephen Poynor,
a North Wales DOM, for sharing this
bet, which was placed recently in
Holywell LBO. A customer staked
£100 at 100/1 that alien life would
be confirmed in the next 12 months
by either the US President or the UK
Prime Minister. As Stephen said: “It
certainly made a difference from all the
usual bets during Cheltenham!”
A TATTOO GRANDAD
WOULD BE PROUD OF
When Chrissie Macgregor isn’t working
g as a Relief Deputy
p y in District 195,,
West Scotland, you’ll find her honing her
er skills
as a tattoo artist. Chrissie is now in
her first year as a professional tattoo
artist and got in touch with Will2win
to tell us about a very special tattoo
she did for a customer. The customer
found Chrissie on Instagram and
asked her to create a special tattoo in
memory of her late grandad who loved
blackjack and horse-racing and spent
most of his time at William Hill.
Chrissie’s colourful design incorporates
all the elements that had a special
meaning for her customer, Amy. It’s
certainly an impressive work of body art!
The tattoo
features a
William Hill
betting slip
with the
words: Know
when to
hold ’em,
know when
to fold ’em
April/May 20
2015 | 07
Everyone Matters
There’s
something for
everyone in
our new Health
and Wellbeing
programme. So,
go on, pledge
to try a new
activity – we
have plenty to
choose from
– and make a
positive change
to your lifestyle
Commit
yourself and
win a Fitbit!
08 | April/May 2015
Thanks to our colleagues from the
International Colleague Forum, and their
respective teams, for all their hard work
on our first ever Health and Wellbeing
programme. We’ve had fantastic input
from every country (see details opposite)
and we hope that in April, lots of you will
do something different – go along to a
workshop, take up a new challenge or
follow our weekly top tips to help you make
the most out of life.
Feelgood at HOME is for everyone,
everywhere, and it’s easy to get involved.
To start with, it’s about making Tiny
Little Changes (TLC) to your lifestyle that
will improve your physical and mental
wellbeing. For example, one of the easiest
ways to get active is to walk. A short walk
every day builds up to miles and miles
over time. Those of you who’ve taken
on our Walking Challenge to walk a mile
every day from April 1 will have completed
a marathon by April 26 (the date of the
London marathon) – and that’s a great
achievement.
Improving your health and wellbeing isn’t
about spending lots of money either. Using
the lift instead of the stairs costs nothing,
upping your daily intake of water is free,
and it goes without saying that giving up
smoking or cutting down on alcohol both
have obvious financial advantages!
anyy p
an
eople as po
poss
ssible to
We want as many
people
possible
elg
goo
ood
d at H
OME.
benefit from Feelgood
HOME.
o your
We’ve listened tto
feedback in ourr HOME
To
nd
Truths survey and
see an
on
we’re focused on
inspirational
making graduall
video on
improvements.
how Chris Carr,
We know that
Head of Group
healthy people
Procurement,
are better
completely turned his
equipped to
life around, go to the
give their best
Feelgood section of
the HOME website.
– in their work
And on page 11,
and personal
Crispin Nieboer
lives – and
reveals how he
our Health and
caught the
y
Wellbeing policy
meditation
kin
i g
is all about Making
bug.
o, wha
hatt
That Happen. So,
what
will you do?
Commit to a health and wellbeing challenge now and you could win
one of 10 Fitbit activity trackers that we’re giving away. Tell us what
you’re going to do and we’ll enter your name into our draw. We’ll follow
up on how everyone’s getting on in a few months’ time.
You can submit your plans via a form on the Health and Wellbeing page of
the HOME website.
Everyone Matters
Changing Lifestyles
From Manila to the
Marathon!
Running didn’t come easy to Senior HR Manager Heather
Kelly, but her determination paid off…
I worked in Manila in 2012 for most of the year when the team
there became integrated into William Hill. With all the travelling,
staying in hotels and eating late at night, I found I put on around
21lbs in weight. To get back in shape, I joined a gym. I decided
to take up running when I found it was such a good way to burn
calories.
It took me ages and ages to learn how to run. In the beginning, I
couldn’t walk five miles let alone run them! Someone said to me:
“I don’t think you’re ever going to get this.” That made me more
g
adually
determined. I started off gr
gradually
and I’ve now run
six half-marathons.
The last one I did in
2 hours 12 minutes.
Over time, I lost all the
weight and I’ve since
given up smoking too.
I’ll be running the
London Marathon in
y
April to support a charity
called GetKidsGoing,
which helps disabled
ed
children become involved
in sport. I never ever
s.
thought I’d be doing this.
an!
If I can get fit, anyone can!
in the Coventry
Heather took part March 1
half-marathon on
Weightt
loss
winnerr
Shedding weight
has encouraged
Gareth Dawson,
Service Support
Analyst, Retail, to
help others do the
same…
Before and after
I first went along
– Gar
motivates other to eth now
to Weightwatchers
be losers
three years ago
and when I joined
William Hill in 2013, I was almost at my target
weight. Since then I’ve stuck to my eating plan and losing weight,
a total of 2st 12lbs, has made a massive improvement to my
physical and mental health. I thought Will2win readers would
be interested in reading my story as it ties in with the launch of
Feelgood at HOME.
I’m currently training to be a Weightwatchers leader – alongside
my full-time job as a Service Support Analyst in Leeds – so I can
encourage others to make a change. I’m also featured in the May
issue of Weightwatchers magazine. If you’d like to read the full
article, you’ll find it under Will2win on the HOME website.
Do you have a personal Feelgood at HOME story you’d like to
share? Email [email protected] with your details and
we will get in touch.
Feel good wherever you are…
Here are just a few of the activities taking place in April around the William Hill world.
UK
Gibraltar
US
Tel Aviv
Australia
• A Mile a Day
Challenge (all)
• Tubby Club for
weight loss
• Healthy Eaters Club
• Walking
• Walking Club
• Healthy eating advice
• Yoga (Sydney and
Darwin)
• Swimathon to
support Marie
Curie (all)
• Walker Leader
Board – subsidised
Fitbit activity trackers
offered
• Water Drinking
Challenge
• Sharing Top Tips
• Walks (Sydney and
Darwin)
Manila
• Yammer cooking
group (Darwin)
• Healthy lunch club
• Walkathon
• Mental Health
Awareness training
(Greenside and
Leeds)
• Smoking cessation
sessions (Leeds)
• Making humour work
– exchanging jokes to
lighten up the day
• Healthy eating/
nutrition advice
(Greenside/Leeds)
• Entry fees for events
donated to local
charities
Sofia
• Sleep workshop
• Emotional
Intelligence session
• Biggest Loser
• Healthy eating
• Zumba Day
• Smoothie/exotic
fruit days (Sydney
and Darwin)
• Laughter therapy
• Energy management
April/May 2015 | 09
Sporting lives
It was a great result for Covingham
LBO in Swindon, Wiltshire, which took
a total of 4,000 slips. Congratulations
to Paul Rattue, Kim Moor, Wesley Mills,
Ashley Thorne, Nessie Alley and Dan
Woodman, who made up the team on
the day
Now, doesn’t that look just like Tony
McCoy! Colleagues and customers get
the chance to be champions with the
help of some artwork that the team at
Limehouse LBO, London, made for the
day. Deputy Manager Suzie (left) and
CSA Halima with a customer (centre).
AOM Richard Walsh also popped in for
a photo
Ever
E
veryt
ythi
hing was ‘on theme’ at Eskside
Everything
West LBO, Musselburgh, Scotland,
from posters around the shop to
Deputy Manager Tressa Cherrie’s
William Hill Grand National fingernails.
What a great conversation piece!
Thanks to everyone across William Hill
who made this year’s Grand National
w
ssuch an amazing event. It was all the
more amazing for the winning Irish jockey
y
Le
eighton Aspell, who triumphed for the
ssecond year in a row. He was the first
joc
ckey to secure a second consecutive
vic
ctory since Brian Fletcher on Red Rum
in 1
1973 and 1974. With the winning horse,,
Many Clouds, offering odds of 25/1,
M
itt proved to be a good day for lots of
ou
ur customers, with more than 200,000
people celebrating their Grand National
success.
Lo
ots of you had your cameras and phones at the
rea
ady on Saturday to capture a flavour of the day –
and took the trouble to send your photos to Will2win.
Here we share some of your memories…
A team selfie at Ipswich LBO in
Suffolk – Asa Austin and Patrick
Driver at the back and Carly Mecoy
and Jordan Dilieto at the front
National Ready: Nicola Browes from
Peaks LBO, Waterthorpe, Sheffield,
takes a customer through the Grand
National process
There was plenty of horsing around at Gorgie
LBO in Edinburgh, where Ryan Blackadder,
Dave Barker and Sorrell Wilson all dressed up
for the occasion
Scottish DOM John McAllister decided
to live out his fantasy of winning the
Grand National. Dream on, John… and
where did you get that horse?
10 | April/May 2015
Laura, David and Nikki from
Dingwall LBO, Scotland, were a
bit camera shy but were happy to
share some of the work they put
in to make Grand National Day
special – from decorating the shop
to novel ways to choose a winner.
Their cuddly horse guide (outside)
attracted lots of customers
Our People
TRANSFORMING
OUR CUSTOMER
EXPERIENCE
Our tech hub in Shoreditch is making a name for itself by launching new products
and tapping into some of the latest technology around. Will2win talked to the man
at the helm, Crispin Nieboer, Director of Corporate Development and Innovation.
The opportunity for technical innovation at
William Hill is great. Our industry has been
drastically altered many times by innovations
such as betting exchanges, online poker, in-play
betting, mobile and social gaming, and there will
be more to come. Our presence in the Shoreditch
technical community is helping us differentiate our
product, and reduce dependence on one-size-fitsall suppliers. This means that we can respond more
rapidly to market opportunities as they arise and
lead change ourselves.
The Product Development Team in Shoreditch
has just completed build of a new bonus and
loyalty system for our Vegas product. The Online
Casino market is highly competitive, and large
operators compete for customers predominantly
by offering a myriad of bonuses linked to their play.
Our new Bonus Wallet technology will allow us to
offer our Vegas customers the most attractive and
personalised deals, linked to the widest range of
behaviours, and let them track their earnings with
clear real-time updates online.
The Innovation Team has delivered two
successful projects so far. The team developed
a new prototype for our Self-Service Betting
Terminals, which will offer a much improved
customer experience, based on modern lowmaintenance hardware, and which will be rolled
out across our estate in due course. They also
developed a Responsible Gaming feature –
Customer Controls – which allows customers to
personalise their limits by product, day of the week
and time of day. This is live on the Games tab of
williamhill.com and will be introduced across a
wider range of products soon.
The Shoreditch office is a great base where
we can collaborate with interesting technology
companies, to help us build innovative apps
or products. We worked with a third-party
development house, Red7Mobile, to develop a
darts app that we launched during the World Darts
Championship. This enabled customers to bet on
WORK
HISTORY
Corporate
Finance –
the City
darts In-Play using a casino-style interface (sliding
chips on to a green baize) and follow the action in
real time on their smartphones, with darts flying
through the air. The next phase of the app will
enable customers to bet on where the next dart will
land by simply touching the appropriate area of a
dartboard graphic.
The next stage in mobile is wearables and we’re
already looking at these future technologies.
We’re working on a betting solution for the
forthcoming Apple Watch, which has received
lots of press coverage. We’re also working with a
local development house in Shoreditch on a new
horse-racing prototype called Get In The Race for
“Google Cardboard” (a pair of cardboard and plastic
goggles costing around £8, which provide a full 3-D
experience when you slot in your smartphone). This
will allow customers to effectively sit on the horse
they have bet on, and experience the race from the
jockey’s point of view. We plan to demo this product
at the Digital Shoreditch conference in May.
The Innovation team is passionate about
encouraging and nurturing the growth of new
ideas. Our Global Ideas Challenge was about
tapping into the expertise and knowledge that exists
within the company. We also want to attract more
start-up technology businesses and entrepreneurial
talent. To do this we are looking at potentially
setting up an “incubator”. In business terms, this
would mean offering a small number of start-ups a
range of services each year, including office space,
mentoring, access to certain skills and investment –
a bit like William Hill meets Dragon’s Den.
We work on all kinds of projects at Shoreditch
– across Retail and Online – on both the front
end (what our customers see) and back end
(what they don’t). We exist to create an enjoyable
and memorable experience our customers love
and trust. Everything we do feeds into that, and the
growing tech talent we are nurturing here is available
to support the global business wherever it’s needed.
Corporate
Strategy
roles –
ITV and Sky
In 2005, he launched a
TV channel called
The Poker Channel and
an online gaming site
called pokerheaven.com
PERSONALLY
SPEAKING
Tell us something your
colleagues wouldn’t know.
When I was launching my
start-up, I had difficulty
sleeping as it was a relatively
stressful experience in the
beginning. To cope with this,
I took up meditation and
attended classes at a Buddhist
monastery in west London
for two years. I still meditate
occasionally now – it can help
with lots of things.
What was the
last book you
read? Travels
y
With Charley by
John Steinbeck..
It’s about his
travels around
America in
a camper
van with his
poodle Charley. Whenever I
go on holiday, I email my three
brothers for recommendations
and this was one.
How do you unwind?
Cooking with the kids, who
are aged five and two, and
watching cricket and rugby.
I love going to some of the
local race meetings too; my
wife and I usually get a day
away from the kids for Glorious
Goodwood. For the Grand
National we always have a
party at my house and I do a
barbecue if the weather holds.
Sold the business in
2013 and joined William
Hill in August 2013,
working in the Corporate
Development Office
Moved to
Shoreditch in
September
2014
April/May 2015 | 11
Long service anniversaries
LONG SERVICE
ANNIVERSARIES
Congratulations to those hitting milestones in April and May
45 YEARS
Barry Wetherall, DOM 067
Scotland Region
Catherine Boyle, Shop Manager, Dunluce Street
30 YEARS
Tracy Hunter, District Operations Manager 198
Ian Macdonald, District Operations Manager 185
East Region
Shirley Knight, Shop Manager, Stills
Mark Lesser, Shop Manager, Nightingal
Chris Richardson, Shop Manager, Market Square
North Region
Evelyn McClelland, Shop Manager, Croxteth
Sheila Murphy, Shop Manager, Royton
Scotland Region
Aileen Campbell, CSA, Inverurie
West Region
William Makin-Isherwood, Shop Manager, Camborne
25 YEARS
Douglas Bellinfantie, Area 04 Training Officer
Diane Carr, Director’s PA
Eamonn Halloran, Head of Construction &
Development
Anthony Oliver, Finance Asst Accountant
Richard Perry, District Operations Manager 072
David Steele, Corporate Affairs Director
East Region
John Ballard, Shop Manager, Luxborough
Michael Dalley, Shop Manager, Powerscroft Rd
Terri Davis, Shop Manager, Downham Way
Michael Finn, Shop Manager, Duke St
Maria Gaffney, CSA Relief 054
Shirley Greenslade, Deputy Manager, Stranger
Sophie Harris, Shop Manager, Perry Vale
Lee Jacobson, Shop Manager, Martello
Stephen Leete, Shop Manager, Sandgate
Vivienne Poole, CSA, Farm Avenue
Peter Wilkes, Shop Manager, Watney Market
North Region
Sally Beer, CSA, Liverpool
Imelda Gillibrand, CSA, Blackburn
Angela Peers, Deputy Manager, Trials
Scotland Region
Susan Anderson, Deputy Manager, Centurion
Linda Gardner, Deputy Manager, Criterion
Carol Ragan, Shop Manager, Cramlington
West Region
Lanvy Clarke, CSA, Golders Green
Mark Downs, Shop Manager, Crossways
Jean Farndon, Shop Manager, The Crescent
Andrew Fitzpatrick, Shop Manager, Sailor
Tracy Gilmore, Shop Manager, Ringlands
Joseph Hickey, Shop Manager, Rickmansworth
Margaret O’Donnell, CSA, Netherwood
Keith Willson, Shop Manager, Atherstone
20 YEARS
Richard Berry, Trading Services
Adam Jenkins, Trading Customer Services
Stephen St-Louis, Field Services Engineer
East Region
Keith Fuller, Shop Manager, Stranger
North Region
Linda Eccles, Deputy Manager, Main
Jacqueline Fisher, Shop Manager, Racecommon
Margaret Powell, Deputy Manager, Featherstone
Tracey Robinson, Shop Manager, Morris
David Roworth, Shop Manager, Newland
Scotland Region
Mary Boyle, Deputy Manager, Sauchiehall
James Hannigan, Shop Manager, Meadowpark
Hazel Hobson, Asst Manager, Ravenhill Road
Gary Raiker, Shop Manager, Haymarket
Joanne Scullion, CSA, Newtownards Road
Kim Simpson, CSA, Langstracht
West Region
Shauna Campbell, Shop Manager, Avonmouth
Alan Chard, Shop Manager, Brecon
Geraldine Date, Shop Manager, Netherwood
Paul Jackson, Deputy Manager, Frankley
Mark King, Shop Manager, Bettws
US
Lonna White, Software Test Engineer
John Russell, Shop Manager, Bromley, East Region
John started his bookmaking career at the tender age of
15, working for Ladbrokes in Ganton St, off Carnaby St (a
street famous for fashion in the 1960s and early 70s). There
was a great buzz about the area then and John was a board
boy at the company’s head office. Says John: “It was a lively
place and there was always something interesting happening.
I remember one of the shops had a gold shirt in the window
that had to be security protected.”
When the company moved to Harrow, John joined a small
independent firm called J. Jill, which was taken over by
William Hill around 12 years later. He worked in Bromley LBO
for 30 years, moved to Eltham and has been back in Bromley
for the past three years.
John is proud to have always worked in shops that have
done well. “Both Bromley and Eltham have been great. We
have a lot of regulars – some I’ve known for 30 years. They
trust me and we have good relationships. Every day in a
12 | April/May 2015
betting shop is different – different racing results and sporting
results. That’s what I like about it.”
His most memorable day at work
ork was the Grand
National that never was. In 1993,
99
93, the race was
declared void after problems att the
t start meant
that 30 of the 39 riders failed to
o realise
r
a false
start had been called and set off
off.
f. John recalls:
“We had to pay everything back.
k. In those days,
we’d taken 2,000 slips or more and
a they all
had to be refiled and put into order.
rd
der. We were
there until 11pm. It was a bad da
day
ay for the bookies.”
It was a lucky year for John in
n other ways.
He met his wife Dawn 22 years
s ago
a when she
worked for William Hill in Sidcup.
p She no longer
p.
works for the company but his son
s Nathaniel
is continuing the family connection
ction
and now works in Dartford LBO.
O..
40
YEARS
Long service anniversaries
Alan Sullivan, Shop Manager, Leamington LBO, West Region
Attracted by figures, Alan spent three years training to be
an accountant but gave it up because he found it boring. He
applied to William Hill as the work appealed to him and received
a reply four months later! Says Alan: “It was really exciting.
It’s hard to explain now but in those days there weren’t many
places you could bet. We didn’t have the lottery and you didn’t
have casinos. The atmosphere in the shop was great. Lots of
good-natured shouting. Such a good place to work.”
The Leamington shop where he works has always been
competitive. Says Alan: “The location is not the best it could
be, but we’ve always had a loyal customer base. Despite
companies moving out of the area, we’ve still done well.”
Alan’s most memorable moments are both weather-related.
The first saw the town come to a standstill due to heavy snow
and the second, more serious, event was when the river Leam
burst its banks. “When it snowed, we were one of only two
shops that opened in the High Street. The atmosphere was
quite spooky,” says Alan.
10 YEARS
Kerry Asher, Regional HR Business Partner
Thomas Ball, Trading Services
Terry Black, Trader
Christopher Bower, Display Editor
Tracey Campbell, District Operations Manager 194
Christian Darnbrough, Trading Assistant
Nicos Demetriou, District Operations Manager 033
Jamie Firth, Senior Machine Fraud Checker
Paul Hamer, HelpDesk Operator
John Hanson, Trading Services
Andrew Hirst, Trading Services
Rebecca Morris, Trading Customer Service Support
Oya Mustafa, Administrator
Michael O’Boyle, Senior Security Checker
Michael Otter, Development Controller - South
Lynne Spencer, Receptionist
Michael Turner, Junior In Play Trader
East Region
Michelle Akeb, Deputy Manager, Pymmes Park
Yemisi Akinola, Deputy Manager, Plaistow
Jacqueline Allen, CSA, Brigstock
Jacqueline Armstrong, CSA, Sheerness
Mohammad Caunhye, Shop Manager, Whitstable
Gordon Champion, Deputy Manager, New Addington
Maxine Chapman, Shop Manager, Thurmaston
Claire Charles, CSA, Isle
Sue Davis, Deputy Manager, Lauriston
Lesley Dibley, Shop Manager, Clifton Road
Almaz Estefanos, Deputy Manager, Old Kent Road
Hayley Golder, Deputy Manager Relief 083
Michelle Green, CSA, Duke St
John Hobley, Shop Manager, Stansted
Marlene Innocent, CSA, Lofting
Peter Matthews, Shop Manager, Markfield
Jimisa Mbriwa, Shop Manager, Chequers
Janet Mead-Baker, CSA, Leysdown
Lakshmi Pasunuri, CSA Relief 016
Nikki Richardson, Shop Manager, Enterprise
Susan Smy, CSA, Basildon
Diana Stancheva, Deputy Manager, Ritz
Samantha Wright, Shop Manager, Birstall
The extensive flooding caused by the river bursting its
banks affected the shop – more than the team first realised,
as Alan explains: “We opened on the
e Saturday after Good
Friday and after a bit of a clear-up, carried
arried on. It was only
later that evening that we realised the
he lower level of the shop
was completely submerged – including
ding the fuse boxes.
I remember my DOM being put out that
t
we needed
a new vacuum cleaner. He said: ‘Plug
ug it in and see
what happens.’ Sensibly I didn’t!” laughs
au
ughs Alan.
40
YEARS
A keen horse-racing fan, Alan used
ed
d to read The
Sporting Life and still likes to follow the
t racing. As
a fitting closure to his time at William
m Hill, Alan is
taking early retirement this month and
n his last
nd
day will be Grand National Day.
Once he retires, he’s planning on spending
s
more
time with his wife. He’s already gott a few
activities lined up, from holidays in Italy
ta
aly and
Spain to “teaching her to cut the lawn”.
w
wn”.
North Region
Margaret Adams, CSA, Walkergate
Janine Arthur, CSA, Grey Road
Beverly Atkins, CSA Relief 162
Julie Bannon, CSA, Marsh Lane
Mandy Betson, CSA, Gynn
Howard Carrington, Shop Manager, Fog Lane
Nigel Clifford, Shop Manager, Strangeways
Clare Constantine, Deputy Manager Relief 145
Catherine Field, Shop Manager, Hermitage
Lisa Flint, Shop Manager, Sutton
Michael Greenwood, Shop Manager, Gateacre
Samantha Hall, CSA, Eastway
Susan Hirst, Deputy Manager, Grenville
Joanne Hulse, CSA Relief 162
Stuart Jackson, CSA, St Joseph’s
Karen Jackson, Deputy Manager, Litherland
Leonard Koppel, Shop Manager, Weaste
Beverley Marley, Shop Manager, Leger
Margaret McGuiness, CSA, Bowring Park
Shahiema Mount, Shop Manager, Chapel-En-Le-Frit
Colin Parrett, CSA Marble Hall
Georgina Sherry, CSA, Armthorpe
Garry Tomlinson, CSA, Garforth
Nicola Vince, Deputy Manager, Freshney
Paul Watmough, Deputy Manager, Mackets Lane
Angela Williams, Shop Manager, Brownmoor
Frances Wyatt, Deputy Manager Relief 145
Scotland Region
Nicola Brownlie, Deputy Manager Relief 192
Christopher Cottrell, Dep Manager, Westbourne Grove
Sinead Crossett, Asst Manager, Molesworth Street
Mairead Devlin, CSA, Broad Street
Heather Dinsley, CSA Relief 173
Phyllis Dixon, Shop Manager, Wigton
Elizabeth Ferguson, Shop Manager, Paradise
Ruaraidh Forsyth, Deputy Manager, Dunfermline
Donna Gillan, Deputy Manager Relief 175
Steven Golder, Shop Manager, Blyth
Anita Hill, Deputy Manager, Coatbridge
Jennifer Johnston, CSA, Atherley
James Kane, CSA, Bonnybridge
Allie Kearney, Deputy Manager, Grangemouth
Andrea Mason, Deputy Manager Relief 194
Leeanne McCrone, CSA, Dennistoun
Alison McGhee, Deputy Manager, Odeon
Kaye McIsaac, Shop Manager, Rumford
Michael McKeever, CSA, Portstewart
Denise Murdock, CSA, Ballyclare
George Murray, CSA Relief 198
Laura Murray, CSA Relief 201
Robert Pyper, Shop Manager, Powderhall
Angela Scobie, Shop Manager, Dalmilling
Louise Stewart, CSA, Duncrue
Kay Taggart, Shop Manager, Saltcoats
Jennifer Thriepland, CSA, Broomlands
Audrey Yeates, CSA, Castlereagh St
West Region
Bethan-Jo Brooks, Shop Manager, Moorlands Walk
Tim Chung, Deputy Manager Relief 072
Norman Dick, Shop Manager, Northgate
Robert Fields, CSA, Lucius
Joshua Gooding, Shop Manager, Totnes
Martin Green, CSA, Old Walsall Road
Samantha Grist, CSA, Gurnos
Frank Hague, Deputy Manager, Babbacombe
Robert Heap, CSA, Monkspath
Daniel Hinkley, CSA, Paignton
Camilla Horsefield, Deputy Manager, Erdington
Trevor Keyes, CSA, Hersham
Peter Lewis, CSA, Peatmoor
Kimberley Meek, CSA, Coleford
Tarang Mehta, CSA Relief 075
Alison Mosley, CSA, Exmouth
Keith Osborne, CSA Relief 113
Helen Price, Deputy Manager, Longbridge
Kriti Shrestha, Deputy Manager Relief 068
Jodie Southerton, Shop Manager, Ditherington
Linda Stokes, Shop Manager, Cowbridge
US
John Larway, Ticket Writer
Charles Clark from Pasture Rd LBO in Merseyside celebrates
40 years in May and will be featured in the next issue of Will2win.
April/May 2015 | 13
It’s all about you
TRIBUTE TO OUR
BRAVE COLLEAGUE
STEVEN ELLWOOD
Will2win Sudoku
Steven Ellwood, a popular Shop Manager in our Whitehall Street shop in Dundee,
died recently after suffering complications following heart surgery.
Steven, 34, was a very keen Dundee United fan and, on the day of the William Hill
Scottish Cup quarter-final game between Celtic and Dundee United, his brother-in-law
Stuart Bell, a big Celtic fan, decided to honour Steven’s memory.
He attended the game wearing
a tangerine boiler suit [Dundee
United’s home colours], while the
club donated a number of items to
be auctioned to support British Heartt
Foundation.
A JustGiving page set up in Steven’s
memory has raised £2,070 so far –
n
and William Hill have also donated an
additional £2,000 to the British Heart
Foundation in Steven’s name.
Willie Black, his District Operations
Manager, said: “Steve was a great
guy and it’s very sad to lose such a
d
talented member of my team. He had
an unbelievable rapport with both
his team and customers, and he is a
big loss to the Scottish business. We
would like to pass on our condolences
to his family and friends.”
Fundraising launch: Front (from left to right): Willie
Black and Steven’s brother Jonathan. Back (from
left to right): Michał Szromnik, Dundee United;
brother in law Stuart Bell, British Heart Foundation
representative and Nadir Çiftçi, Dundee United
MARKETING BLAST
FROM THE PAST
Moortown LBO, just outside
Leeds, was recently re-sited
and when the old shop was
emptied, the team found an old
marketing poster – believed to
be around 40 years old – down
the back of one of the units.
The Sudoku is just for fun. Fill in the grid with
numbers so that each row, column and 3x3
section contains all of the digits from 1 to 9.
To see if you cracked it, go to the Will2win
tab on the HOME website to find the solution.
Or for a few clues to get you started, go to
the Sudoku Hints tab on the Will2win page.
SEPARATED
AT BIRTH
J
Joanne
Powell, who works at City Walk in Leeds, sent
W
Will2win this photo of her colleague Dan Bradley. She
(a
(and some of her colleagues) think he’s the spitting
im
image of the model on the Just For Men hair colourant
p
product – light to medium brown hair! Congratulations
to Joanne and to Gaming Project Manager Dan
B
Bradley, who was enough of a good sport to pose
n
next to the somewhat cheesy packaging. They will
e
each receive £25 to spend via My Choices. Keep
s
sending in your entries – we love receiving them.
“We don’t know exactly when it
dates from,” says Area Operationss
ced
Manager Ian Ruddock, “but I noticed
et,
that one of the horses was Baronet,
which won the Cambridgeshire in
bably
1978 as a six-year-old, so it’s probably
around 40 years old. Once it’s framed, I hope
it will be sitting on the wall of my office,
though my boss [Operations Controller
Steven White] is trying to pinch it off me.”
Ian also sent Will2win a photo taken last
year when the fascia at Moortown LBO was
replaced. It’s another example of how our
shops looked in the 70s. Does anyone else
out there have any retro marketing that
they’d like to share with Will2win?
14 | April/May 2015
“He
looks just
like the
hair dye
model!”
All a bit retro: 40-year-old marketi
marketing
ing
poster and (bottom) 70s shop fascia
Dan Bradley and Just
for Men model
Joanne Powell,
Software Test
Engineer, Gaming
*If you nominate a colleague, the prize is shared between you. Non-UK
colleagues will receive their prize in Amazon vouchers.
It’s all
a about you
YOUR
Liiz is a great role mod
L
e
el
Congr
g atulations to Liz
L Winder from
Dinnington LBO in Sheffi
eld (featured
in Long Service Annivers
aries in
February/March), who
recently
celebrated 40 years.
I was lucky enough to wo
rk for Liz ass a
Deputy quite a few yea
rs ago when she
h taught me so much.
However, I never graspe
d her level of ability to ma
nually settle bets!
She has become a role
model to many in the dis
tric
t and she is a
fabulous friend too.
Stuart cycles twice
around the world!
Graham Albrow’s interview about
e
how he got the cycling bug in the
d
February/March edition prompted
s
me to calculate how many mile
wheels
tes on two
u
m
m
o
c
I have commuted over the last
rt
Stua
(almost) 14 years to the same St..
John’s office. The result left me
iplying distances of between
gobsmacked as it comes out, mult
r 42,000!
unde
e
10 and 15 miles a day, as a shad
st twice around the world!
Crikey! That’s the best part of almo
wing a snowplough along
Highlights over the years include follo
of the A62 and catching the
an otherwise totally deserted stretch
d during my period on the road
Mersey Ferry to and from Birkenhea
s like all this cycling has done
during EPOS installation year. It seem
day since November 2001.
me good. I haven’t missed a single
, Leeds
Stuart Stanton, Field Services Help Desk
In line with our focus on health and wellbeing
ng
in April, Stuart’s letter has been chosen as
our star letter. He will receive a shirt signed
by darts champion Gary Anderson.
Liz (left) ha
s
inspiration been an
to Karen
STA
LET R
T
ER
Thrilling match for
Golden Ticket winners
With more than 250 entries received, our first Golden Ticket
giveaway of 2015 was a sought-after fixture between Scotland
and Gibraltar. Scotland triumphed 6-1, with its first hat-trick
for 46 years. Our lucky winners, who won a pair of tickets plus
accommodation and travel to the match, correctly predicted the
time of the first goal (45 minutes into the game) in the English
League Cup Final between Chelsea and Tottenham.
Our winners were Gemma Edward and Leon Eveleigh from Gibraltar,
Sean Herron from Leeds, Matthew Barrett from Greenside and Derek
Bodrell from Kittybrewster LBO in Aberdeen.
Gemma Edward describes the atmosphere: “Walking toward
Hampden Park itself was amazing, seeing the mass of colours and
happy faces and everyone singing together. It was also great to see
Gibraltar and Scotland supporters arm in arm and enjoying each
other’s banter.”
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be recognised this year
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Well done to…
Donna Charles and the team at Leger LBO in Doncaster
who really got behind the EastEnders storyline Who Killed
Lucy Beale? (see page 4) and pinned up photographs of all
the suspects in the shop. Said Donna: “Our customers love it
and we’ve taken so many bets. It’s a massive talking point and is
engaging us with customers who wouldn’t normally bet!”
April/May 2015 | 15
World of sport
sharpe
angle
Will2win prize
crossword
Graham Sharpe unearths another winning anecdote about our
founder William Hill and is dumbstruck when he receives an
outlandish bet request from a would-be centenarian…
The paperback edition of William Hill: The
Man & The Business will be published
in early summer. Since the hardback
appeared last year, a few additional pieces
of information have come my way, some of
which will appear in the revised book.
happened to me recently when I received
this: “I would like to place a bet that I will
live to 100 and die on my 100th birthday
so I am exactly 100 when I die. My date of
birth is 21.01.85 so I am 30 years old. I live
in North London.
One of them concerns an actor who
readers of a slightly more mature vintage
will remember well. Patrick Macnee
achieved great popularity starring as
John Steed alongside leather-clad Honor
Blackman in the original 1960s series,
The Avengers, and its successor The New
Avengers.
“I was thinking that when I make a will I
would leave the slip to someone in my
family – my children if I have some one day
or my sister’s child? Would that work so
they would be able to collect the winnings
should I be successful?
The actor, now 93, was always impeccably
turned out in traditional English gentlemanabout-town style, complete with trademark
bowler hat and rolled umbrella. He also
liked a bet.
In his 1988 autobiography, Blind In
One Ear, Macnee, the son of a shrewd
Lambourn-based racing trainer, ‘Shrimp’
Macnee, wrote: “One day I opened an
account with a new bookie named William
Hill. Having backed a stream of winners,
I was collecting my winnings when a
skeletal gentleman with broken nose
and cauliflower ears sidled up: ‘You,’ he
rasped, ‘The Guv wants yer.’
Macnee continued: “William Hill was
a gentleman. With great courtesy, he
explained that given my father’s reputation,
my patronage was no longer acceptable.”
The following exchange took place.
Macnee: “I do so enjoy doing business
with you, Mr Hill.” William Hill: “Yes, son,
but I can’t afford you.”
Sometimes, I’m so surprised by an email
that I am temporarily lost for words. It
“I don’t have any odds in mind – I don’t
really know too much about betting or how
odds on an unusual thing like this would
be calculated. I imagine the odds would be
pretty long but would take your advice.
“I like things to be tidy. I was always
disappointed as a child that I was born on
January 21 as I don’t like odd numbers
or the untidiness of being born halfway
through a month. I guess if I lived for
exactly 100 years it would be neat and tidy.
I wanted to put this idea into a bet as I am
interested in the idea of imagined control
over things that are largely out of our
control. It is a nice thought that through an
effort of will you could achieve something
like this that, aside from lifestyle, is purely
down to chances in life and the accident
of your genes. I hope all this makes sense
and doesn’t sound too strange!”
I’m definitely not going to be around in
2085 – and, to be fair, most of you won’t be
either. That means we won’t have to worry
about congratulating this lady with a card
and flowers on achieving her centenary on
the morning of January 21, before later that
day sending a wreath to her family offering
our condolences.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Forthcoming William Hill-sponsored events
APRIL
MAY
18/19th FA Cup Semi-Finals
29th William Hill Greyhound Derby
18/19th Scottish Cup Semi-Finals
30th FA Cup Final
30th Scottish Cup Final
16 | April/May 2015
Across
1. Brian ____, replaced Roy Hodgson as Blackburn
manager in 1998 (4)
3. Snooker theatre (8)
9. BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2010 (1,1,5)
10. _____ Romeu, Chelsea player who represented
Spain at the 2012 Olympics (5)
11. Home to the F1 Italian Grand Prix (5)
12. Mr Hewitt, 2002 Wimbledon winner (7)
13. ______ Garros, The French Open perhaps (6)
15. Olympic hosts in 1952 and 1994 (6)
19. FIFA World Player of the Year 1996, 1997 and
2002 (7)
21. Super League XVII winners (5)
23. Mr Cowdrey, the first cricketer to play 100 test
matches (5)
24. John _______, three-time Wimbledon
Champion (7)
25. ________ Reel, 2014 Vintage Stakes winner (8)
26. Danny ____, 2014 Championship Player of the
Year (4)
Down
1. Franz _______, Austrian downhill skiing legend (7)
2. Son of British racing driver Graham Hill (5)
4. Kansas City’s Major League Baseball team (6)
5. Brian _____, former England cricket captain (5)
6. You need two ribs to win five World
Championships (anag) (7)
7. Mr Hughes, former Liverpool and England
captain (5)
8. Surname of Red Rum’s trainer (6)
14. Cricket position (4,3)
16. Conor ______, 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup
winning jockey (6)
17. The Bronx baseball franchise (7)
18. Ronald ______, 1992 European Cup Final
goalscorer (6)
19. Current Coventry City arena (5)
20. Surname of Andy Murray’s former coach (5)
22. _____ Ivanisevic, 2001 Wimbledon Champion (5)
The winner of the prize crossword in the February/
March issue was Jeanette McAllister from
Stanmore LBO in West London. She correctly
identified the snooker player as Neil Robertson.
For a chance to win £50 in vouchers via My
Choices (or local equivalent), send the name
of the golfing legend in the crossword (by
rearranging the letters in the highlighted
squares) to [email protected] by June 1.
The draw will be made on June 2 and the crossword solution will
be published on the HOME website, under Will2win.