Still waiting for the call from ITV

Well, where did that week go? Another two hundred competitions entered - only to vanish into the ether, never to be heard of again! I don't know why I'm being so sceptical, I suppose it's because old habits die hard. I dread to think how many hours I've wasted over the last twelve months entering competitions.

So why do I - and millions of others - do it?  I can only speak for myself of course but being an optimist definitely helps. I've spent all my life (yes, all twenty one years) saying things like: 'I'm not lucky, I never win anything, I have to work for everything I get' and  tutting at slogans like 'You've got to be in it to win it' and 'Winners never quit, Quitters never win.'

I used to enter the odd competition here and there but never won anything, hence the above statements. It wasn't until I discovered the competition site 'Loquax' that I became a true 'comper'. Yes Loquax it's YOUR fault! Apart from lots of  new competitions which are added daily, the site has forums bursting at the seams with enthusiastic winners shouting about their latest wins. They used to get on my nerves - until I joined them.....

There are hints and tips about entering and winning competitions and the main concensus amongst seasoned professionals seems to be, the more you enter, the more likely you are to win. Even though I'm generally an optimistic sort of soul I've never expected to actually win a competition but I decided to test the theory.

Many of the winners on Loquax admit to entering hundreds of competitions a week - which sounds a lot but in practice is easily achieved with the abundance of competition sites online that just require a few clicks of the mouse in order to get your 'name in the hat.'

It's an interesting hobby with the added incentive of  never knowing what tomorrow might bring.

I spent at least an hour every day for the next six months entering competitions. My favourite type being tie breakers. As a writer I think I'm pretty darned good at tie breakers, unfortunately the competition judges don't appear to agree.....(sigh)

My first win came just a week after I announced to my husband that I was going to 'give up wasting my time on these competitions' adding 'I'm not lucky, I never win anything.' A week later I opened my emails up to see one that started with the words: Congratulations you are a winner...... It was only a runner-up prize, a DVD, the first prize was a state of the art DVD recorder. I wasn't too disappointed though, it gave me a push to continue entering with renewed energy because it convinced me that 'Your name can come out'

Little did I realise that this was the start of a winning roll.........

Just two days after the initial winning email I received another one. This time it was a first prize - and there was only one first prize! A digital camera and  photobox vouchers to the value of £100. Oooooh, the excitement, anybody would have thought I'd won the lottery! About a week later I got another email telling me that I'd won a spa break (value £250) Spa products and bars of chocolate - another first prize! By now I was opening my emails almost expecting to have won another prize but the next two weeks went by quietly with no prizes. I started to think the wins had been a fluke, then Voila! another win. It was another runner up prize of a DVD but it fuelled my hope and I entered more believing now that the 'law of averages' really does work. Another quiet couple of weeks then, BAM - another runner-up prize but this was one I was hoping for, A family pass to Pleasure Beach Blackpool. We had a wonderful day out with our daughter and granddaughter - all free of charge.

That was at the end of July and I haven't won a thing since - so surely it must be time for me to receive another batch of winner's emails! Or, maybe this time it will be a phone call from ITV......... I live in hope!
Many of the Loquax members have received a call from ITV.........They get on my nerves.........


I may not be the luckiest person when it comes to competitions but I am lucky in love! (Smooth link or what?!)

Dream Lover

I met him in Liverpool

Don’t know why I was there, alone

He was handsome and very cool

Said his name was Joe Malone

I fell for Joe most instantly

He also seemed to fall for me

Together we had a wonderful day

That’s when I decided to play away

Just couldn’t help myself you see

These sort of things don’t happen to me

He said he played for Liverpool

Don’t go for footballers as a rule

We agreed to meet again next day

But I realised with much dismay

That now I must return to Jim     

And break the news of Joe to him

I’ve got a boyfriend, I blurted out

His name is Joe. I had no doubt

That he’d be overjoyed for me

Jim’s a Liverpool fan you see

When will you meet again? he asked

As in my newfound love I basked

Tomorrow I dreamily replied

I’ll come as well, Alright I sighed.

Don’t know why I agreed to this

As I remembered Joe’s sweet kiss

We do the strangest things in dreams

Especially ones with football themes

So off we set for Liverpool

To meet the boyfriend, Joseph cool

At the station I nervously waited

For Joe to show, my breath was baited

But when Joe finally appeared

He’d changed and he looked really weird

His rugged face had been replaced

By an old and wrinkly woman’s face!

What do you want to do today?

He asked as I began to pray

This wasn’t real and I was dreaming

I glanced at Jim, his face was beaming

Joe, first let me introduce

My husband, Jim, his face went peuce

We’ll get together another day

He said as he turned and hurried away

As I left with Jim, my ego was battered

My dreams of being a wag were shattered

He was a strange looking bloke noted Jim

I couldn’t help but agree with him