Bingo Caller of the Year Championships

Описание: When it comes to intellectual stimulation, bingo isn't the first game that leaps to mind. Chess or bridge, perhaps, but how much brainpower can it take to match up the numbers being called with those on your card?

A lot, according to new research, which shows there's more to bingo than cash prizes and some small talk between games.

When it comes to staying mentally agile, the UK's three million bingo players - many of them elderly - often have the edge.

A recent study found bingo players were faster and more accurate than non-bingo players on a range of tests measuring mental speed, the ability to scan one's environment for information, and memory for previously seen items.

In this rather quirky British competition, each contestant had three (3) minutes on stage in which to entertain and create rapport with the audience before calling their game. Many sang songs and the others told humorous stories.

Then it was down to business. The callers are given points for style, reeling off the numbers in a game, delivery, and clarity of calling. They were also interviewed by the five judges before proceeding with the competition.

Aside from bragging rights and a gold trophy, the winner receives £500 plus a trip to America and the chance to call a bingo game in a Las Vegas casino.

On the night, Welshman Peter Lewis from Castle Bingo Club in Cardiff was declared Britain’s best Bingo caller. The 59-year-old​ scooped the award, in front of a large audience many of whom were his supporters who had travelled to the final from Wales.

Peter, who has only been calling for the past eight months used to be a singer and was involved in cruise ship entertainment.