Camelford Racing
shop bucks trend by Chris Pitt
It’s a mixture of Betfreds and William Hills.
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situated in the valley of the River Camel, northwest of Bodmin Moor, and its name conveys everything – a ford over the river. Camelford was one of the fording places for the stage coaches, with local hostelries the Darlington Inn and the Masons Arms providing accommodation for passengers and stabling for the horses. It’s still on the main road, with the A39 - dubbed the “Atlantic Highway” - running directly through its town centre: The nearby village of Tintagel and its castle are associated with the legends surrounding King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, making it a popular tourist venue with visitors from all parts of the world.
The King Arthur of Arthurian legend is supposedly just that – legend – with the tales of his crusades being purely mythological. But there’s no doubting the crusade undertaken by Camelford Racing, which opened for business in March this year, ending the town’s 15-year hiatus without a betting shop.
the business aim for Richard Boundy, one of Camelford Racing’s four directors, the others comprising his nephew Stuart Boundy plus long-time friends Tim Burnett and John Juleff. “We’ve all known each other for the best part of 20 years,” says Richard. “Tim’s a local builder, John is an accountant, and Stuart runs a gas fitting supply company in Bodmin.
punters, mostly horse racing and football, and we had been on about opening a betting shop. With Tim being able to fit out the shop and ‘JJ’ doing the accounts side, as a team we’ve hopefully got all bases covered. “There hadn’t been a shop in Camelford for about 15 years. A bloke from Bristol opened one about 20-odd years ago and I occasionally used to help him – mainly putting up the newspapers – and that’s where I had a small insight into what it was about. That shop was next door to this one and is now a pet store. “The nearest shops are in the bigger towns around the area – Bude, Launceston, Bodmin and Wadebridge, which are between 11 and 18 miles away.
visit
www.bosmag.co.uk “Me and Stuart were all-round sports Opening in time for Cheltenham was
here’s a camel on the weathervane atop the library building in Camel- ford. The north Cornwall town is
“This shop was formerly occupied by accountants – chartered not turf – but that firm closed down. Tim was doing a shop refit on it for a few months and then, around last October, we decided to fit it out as a betting shop ready for opening in the early part of this year. “We had help and advice from a lady
named Trudy Rickard, who used to run the Sports of the West independent betting shop in Wadebridge. That’s no longer going – Betfred moved into Wadebridge and the independent closed a year ago. “To be honest, we’re still learning the
trade, but the way I understand it from being on this side of the counter is that it all comes down to customer care. If you can look after your punters, treat them right and make them want to come back, then the rest you can learn. “You’ve got to make people want to come down, have a cup of tea or coffee with you, have a punt and a bit of crack in the shop, as opposed to sitting at home in front of the internet. Yes, we know that you can sometimes get a point better on Betfair but that’s not what the industry is about. It’s about the social interaction and the crack with each other.” Richard had previously spent 24 years in the dairy industry, working for a local processor, and he notices distinct similarities between the two professions. “I’ve come from an industry that had a fine balance between the advantages and disadvantages of protectionism in the market,” he says. “Historically it was a very protected industry, and this one seems to be the same. There are advantages and disadvantages with some of the protectionism that goes on in the betting industry. We’ll see whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages in time, no doubt. “In my previous job I worked
throughout the UK at various times, but I’m originally a Camelford boy. All four of us are. Without that basis I feel it would have been very difficult to start up successfully, because over 20 to 30 years I’ve built up hundreds of people that I know through football, cricket, pool and darts, and it’s those people who now come here and have a bet. “There are a core of regulars and some people on holiday for the week. We’re getting to be known in the likes of Tintagel and Boscastle, where it’s a bit more touristy than Camelford. “But North Cornwall isn’t a six-week summer tourist destination. It is much more year-round, mainly due to its
Camelford Library’s clock tower Picture: Mary Pitt
attractions such as walks on the moors and the cliffs.” Tourism is an important source of local
revenue as there is little in the way of major local industries. Dairy Crest is one of the bigger employers in the vicinity, along with the slate quarry at Delabole. Richard spends most of his time behind the counter, where opening hours are 10.00am Monday to Friday until 10 minutes after the last UK race. Saturdays have a 9.00am opening, Sundays are 11.00am. Nephew Stuart stands in when Richard takes the occasional day off, and they are currently training a local lady in order to provide additional cover. Camelford Racing can be regarded
as bucking the trend, with far more independents closing than opening in the wake of vastly increased costs. But while Richard describes the local authority costs as “off-putting”, along with the length of time taken for the process, he has nothing but praise for the people concerned “The service from the individuals I had to deal with was absolutely superb. They were very helpful with everything associated with the application. They warned us how long it would be from the start and they came in virtually on the day, so they weren’t longer than expected, but with private industry you try and push
BOS Magazine July/August 2010 5
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