049 - Martin Hewitt

So after meeting 048, I was knocking around Silverdale and Martin messaged me asking if I could pop round for a picture, and that's just what I did. I know Martin from going out in Silverdale and Newcastle. Made me a brew. Thanks for meeting up with me

048 - Daniel Jones

047 did what every true facebook friend should do, and he contacted another facebook friend for me to go and have my picture taken with. It's as easy as that. Only problem was, we had no photographer, so we waited around until the solar panel engineer man turned up to give Daniel a quote and got him to take it :)
Dan is another Keele Hall mate, who, like his brother (047) I got to know really well and pretty much did the same stuff as I did with 047. Great lads the pair of them

 

047 - Simon Jones

Really don't know where to start with this one. Simon is one of the Keele Hall massive who I worked with for 3 or 4 years. We used to have some great laughs, and this extended to going out on a week-end (the rare ones we had off) and painting silverdale and park site red.
We moved on in life and drifted apart, he now does something that he doesn't want me to share with you, or talk about in any way, shape or form. He runs his own business but doesn't even have a sign. Look out for Simon not winning anything at the next Sentinel Business Awards ;)

046 - Sarah Haden

Well, this certainly was one of those random meetings with someone I thought I would never see again. Ex-TEC/LSC colleague that, we worked out, I hadn't seen for 6 or so years. Sponsored me even before meeting me, just the kind of friend I like. Many Thanks Sarah

 

045 - Damian Lythgoe

The one thing that doesn't help me with this quest is when stokies leave to new pastures, like what Damian did, but what does help is when they come back for a stoke game, and it's then easy to nab them at your house for a photo.
I know Damian from others and we had a great night out watching the darts in Manchester. Great lad, and he'd kill me for not mentioning his £500 tattoo on his arm that 001 managed to spectacularly cut off the picture, maybe that's why he looks so shocked

044 - Peter Lewis

Another friend gained from Poker - Peter (Pudd), is a cracking lad who used to play at the grosvenor many moons ago with me, and many others.
Did learn one fundemental lesson from meeting Pudd, I always need a camera operator. Just meeting up with pudd on a carpark on a sunday morning with no camera operative, just looked dodgy.
I bet you can't guess from the photo who we got to take the picture

 

 

That's right, Keith Gibbs. How did you guess????

043 - Tom Pilato

When I started this quest I wasn't expecting to fulfil any ambitions, or any childhood dreams, but I did today. My ex-college colleague Tom owns several ice-cream vans and I got to go in one. Got to go in an actual ice-cream van, with an ice-cream making machine and everything. It's what you dream of as a kid. When I used to queue up to get an ice-cream off one of the three choices in our street growing up. The 4 o'clocker (came at 4pm), the 6 o'clocker (came at 6pm) or Sav the rip-off (his ice-cream was slightly more expensive than the other two). I always wanted to be the one selling the ice-cream, and ok, I didn't get to sell any, but I got to stand in it, and for that, I will always be grateful. Thanks Tom

Turns out it's quite warm inside

042 - Sean Perry

Another bloke that I only met through poker, but now I consider to be a good friend. I've been on many a road trip with Sean and played in poker teams with him (some of which we took 1st prize despite a re-count making us 2nd). Had some really fun times with Sean and, whatever has been happening in his life, he always finds time for you, and he's always cheerful. A lot more people should have Sean's attitude to life

041 - Vince Biddle

As I am having my picture taken with 040, I hear a voice coming from the end of the poker table 'hey, have you got me as a friend on facebook?' I turned to see Vince, and I knew I had him as a friend, but hadn't realised he was sat there. Brilliant news, he is the sort of potentially difficult friend I will struggle to get a picture with, because I don't see him too often. Really appreciate him shouting up and becoming number 042

040 - Craig Sidley

Another great guy who I've know for a few years now. He has promised me that I can have a picture taken with the grosvenor mascot at some point as I do have The Grosvenor Casino as a friend on facebook

039 - Todd Harrison

For me the thing that makes a good casino is the staff. I have always had a good relationship with the staff in both casino's. None more so than the next two facebook friends. Although I only know them through seeing them at the casino, I'm happy to call them friends.

038 - Chris Keyworth

Once in a lifetime you will meet someone who will go down in history as a living legend, someone who is so individual and unique that it makes you sit up and take notice of what they are doing and saying. Someone so unpredictable you are always wondering what they will do next. Someone with such an aura that it makes you want to get close to them, like a moth has to get close to the light. I am yet to meet that person, but I have met this donk

037 - Kim Jagger

Another great poker player (it helps when you pop into the casino). Kim didn't really know what I was doing or why she was having her picture talken but she still agreed to have it done, and that is very much appreciated :)

036 - Emma Fryer

12 months ago this picture would have had to been taken a little further away from Emma and I because collectively we weighed 8 stone heavier than we do now. A collective pat on our backs if I do say so myself. Emma is one of my poker playing friends, a lovely girl and a great poker player :)

035 - Ali Malik

So, it was finally a year since I married 001, so to celebrate we went out for a curry. Luckily, we went to a curry house that one of my facebook friends owns. We have been to this curry house a few times and each time have been treated like a king and queen, the customer service is second to none, and the food is fantastic too.
Mr Malik really does get 5 stars from me. Also does the hottest curry I have ever tasted. The chicken Lava, was so hot, even I couldn't finish it
Great sport and a top guy, thanks for the pic!!!!

034 - Lindsay-Ann Pedder

So I put a request out on facebook for someone to meet me after work, and Lindsay answered my prayers. I drove from work up to hanley to meet her at her place of work Salon VIP - www.salonvip.co.uk

What a lovely bunch of people, not only did they make me feel really welcome but all of them donated to the cause, really is appreciated, and as an added bonus I got one of the girls in the salon to add me as a friend, so Jess Lovatt will be getting a visit from me in the near future.

Thanks Lindsay :)

033 - Julie Mills

So after only 3 people being at the dinner that potentially could have had 8 facebook friends attending, there was only one thing for it, go across the road and get a picture with their neighbour. Obviously the neighbour was a facebook friend otherwise this would be mental.

Julie is the mother of two of my friends who now, are no longer on facebook (very selfish), I've never really met Julie before but we have had a bit of facebook football banter, and as the picture was being taken I was saying 'city city' because manure had just lost to them 4-1

Apologies for the poor quality blurred picture, that's what happens when you get 031 to take the picture