Open Days

[alan57]

Hello everyone
I am a newbie to the world of allwin machines. I remember in the 60s playing on the machines in Blackpool in my youth. After visiting a museum in Cheshire on old slot machines I was hooked again.
I know I've just missed out on the Coventry auction this month, and before next year's event, I want to gain more information on theses great machines.
Do members have opens days to discuss their collection and, if so, are there any local to me in the North West of England?
I am a keen learner and I know Rome wasn't built in a day! I'm just looking for some guidance.
Kind regards,
Alan.

[badpenny]

Hi alan57 .......

Welcome to Pennymachines.co.uk. I expect the vintage arcade you visited in Cheshire was Darren Hesketh's at The Candle Factory? If so he told me at Coventry that he's moved from there now.
Where in The North West are you?

Have you any machines yet?
What in particular interests you or what leaves you cold? I for example have no interest in electro-mechanical bandits like Bally.

We're a friendly bunch and happy to share our ignorance, so ask away.

Badpenny

[slotalot]

Hi alan57 , Welcome to the forum. If you are new to vintage slots and want to learn more, but are not sure what questions to ask, then why not have a good look into every corner of this wonderfull site and by the time the next auction comes around you might have just finished reading it all. What type of machines do you like? Where did you play them as a child? Do you own any?

And before I forget......and I tend to ask all new members this..... Have you signed our vintage slot petition yet? just click on the link to learn more... http://www.pennypetition.co.uk/

[badpenny]

Slotalot .......

We both just asked him what kind of machines he is interested in ............. and he clearly mentions Allwins in his opening post ........ I think we ought to just quietly shuffle off, get our cocoa and leave the youngsters to it eh?

[jimmy55]

Hi Alan,

As a newish member I can tell you they aren't a bad bunch If you dig deep in the past posts, and other areas of this site, there is a mass of information.

A couple of interesting sites are also http://www.bryans.org.uk and Slotalots own page http://www.slotmachines.bravehost.com is a mine of information and great photos.

[slotalot]

I think we ought to just quietly shuffle off, get our cocoa and leave the youngsters to it eh?

Have you got any Ovaltine?..... What is an Allwin anyway???

[alan57]

Thanks for the replies. Yes it was Darren Hesketh I spoke to at the Candle Factory. It's sad that he has gone. I think he still has other slot machines on display at Botany Bay near to Chorley, Lancashire.
I live in Southport - until recently we had an old penny slot museum on the pier. The guy has moved to a smaller place on the north pier in Blackpool.
Btw Stuart, I'm the same Alan that contacted you the other day.
I will look back into past posts to increase my knowledge.

[pennymachines]

I live in Southport - until recently we had an old penny slot museum on the pier. The guy has moved to a smaller place on the north pier in Blackpool.

Welcome to the forum, Alan.
The Southport vintage arcade was Clive Baker's. As you say, he moved it to Blackpool in the Summer but, sadly, prohibitive rates forced him to move again a couple of weeks ago. I'm not sure if he's found a new venue yet. He and Darren were at the auction on Sunday. Slotalot gives us regular reports in the Mechanical Memories Magazine about the various vintage arcades around Britain that are still operating.

Hmmm... inviting the public to visit our collections, along the lines of the annual Open House event in London or, for example, as Brighton artists do for a few days each year, sounds appealing. Unfortunately, security concerns would deter most of us from doing it though. We've previously discussed the possibility of organising an open day at a public venue where collectors exhibit their machines. The Pinball Owners Conventions follow this format, but it looks like the last one was in 2000.

[arrgee]

Welcome Alan and as you may have already guessed, you have landed upon the most jovial bunch to be found, what you may not know is that you will not get any better information regarding old mechanical slot machines anywhere else on the planet, than on this website, there are members who have an extremely wide amount of knowledge. Just keep logging on and reading the many posts - past and present.

I would strongly recommend that you suscribe to the monthly (well 10 times a year) issue of Mechanical Memories Magazine run by one of our forum members Jerry. Just click on the Archive tab on the left and then the bottom right hand drawer - and sign up, you will not regret it.

Good luck in your new found venture

Arrgee

[pennymachines]

The Pinball Owners Conventions follow this format, but it looks like the last one was in 2000.

Delving a little deeper, I see the pinball scene is not quite as moribund as I suggested. A new event called Pinball Party sold out in August (its third year). I shall have to make sure it's on the Calendar next year. It was held at Barcelo Daventry Hotel, Sedgemoor Way, Daventry, Northamptonshire on Friday 17th to Sunday 19th of August. Maybe we could piggy back a vintage slot expo on this event? Pinballs, after all, have more in common with the slot machine scene than jukeboxes.

[johnnyo57]

Hi
The Pinball scene has gone from one show a year to three the UK Pinball Party as you state, also for the last three years The South Coast Slam
Worthing, which draws around 100 machines In March /April and the Northen Lignts Pinball show in Sept/Oct which has a similar amount of machines
though the majority are SS / DMD games, Alas at the moment the 2013 SC Slam will not be held due to the organizers prior commitments.

Plus all of the regional pinball league meets that are held all over the country which could be called an open day as anybody can come along and play
and are held at the hosts home usually. The upside is that pinball has had a bit of a shot in the arm so to say recently the down side is that the price of machines seems to have risen two to threefold and more over the last 3 years mainly due to more people showing an interest from attending shows.

Now even a UK/Ireland based manufacturer has announced that they are planning to build a run of new machines due to the upturn in interest (Heighway Pinball)

Regards Johnnyo