Comments on: Harry Levenson, Bookmaker https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/01/27/harry-levenson-bookmaker/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Wed, 15 May 2013 15:40:15 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: sheila butt https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/01/27/harry-levenson-bookmaker/#comment-110257 Wed, 15 May 2013 15:40:15 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=79177#comment-110257 I went to Robert Montefiore in Deal st and so did my mum and her sister.

]]> By: Lesley https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/01/27/harry-levenson-bookmaker/#comment-85931 Sun, 27 Jan 2013 16:09:40 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=79177#comment-85931 I love the photos!

I have a photograph of my great grandmother sitting in the very same chair as Sarah Levenson.

Another lovely story.

]]> By: Adrianne LeMan https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/01/27/harry-levenson-bookmaker/#comment-85924 Sun, 27 Jan 2013 14:44:49 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=79177#comment-85924 Before 1961, there were no betting shops, but there were turf accountants (I worked for A. Lippy in Aldgate from 1958 to 1962) at which you had to have an account. There were a number of commission agents who had accounts with us – and I think they had offices and their punters had accounts with them – and who lived on the commission they made; the bookies runners were the guys who took illegal bets on street corners, etc, and who also lived on the commission they made. The runners used to come into the office with bets written on the back of cigarette packets, and other scruffy bits of paper that you tried hard not to touch!

The difference between the turf accountants and the commission agents was that the turf accountants made a book (they were bookmakers) and stood to lose money if heavily-backed horses or dogs came in, the commission agents couldn’t lose.

]]> By: Gary https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/01/27/harry-levenson-bookmaker/#comment-85904 Sun, 27 Jan 2013 11:43:22 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=79177#comment-85904 When you hear Harry talking about £1000, by todays values that does not sound much but to get an idea about the money on those bets, in 1956 I bought a brand new Austin A35 van at a cost of £460.
Gary

]]> By: Greg Tingey https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/01/27/harry-levenson-bookmaker/#comment-85885 Sun, 27 Jan 2013 08:12:43 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=79177#comment-85885 “Commission Agent”
Usually referred toas “Bookie’s Runner”

What actually happened was that each runner was usualy hauled before the magistrates, about once every 6-9 months, as a form of taxation, plus of course the usual bribes & backhanders to our wonderful police.

Rather the way the “war on drugs” is handled, now, in fact, but without the violence.

]]> By: Glenn https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/01/27/harry-levenson-bookmaker/#comment-85873 Sun, 27 Jan 2013 07:07:55 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=79177#comment-85873 Lovely story….thanks.

]]> By: Jeannette https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/01/27/harry-levenson-bookmaker/#comment-85854 Sun, 27 Jan 2013 04:41:14 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=79177#comment-85854 morris and sarah have such charming faces — to be seen again on harry and katy. but really, how charming are the old ones, my goodness.

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