1950s - '60s British arcade photos

[pennymachines]

Bonfire of the town's arcade machines.

Nice little piece in the Great Yarmouth Mercury, Nov. 2019


Money to burn: amusement arcade owners protesting against a tax celebrate in front of the flaming bonfire of gaming machines on November 5th 1969. Picture: Mercury Library

They look remarkably cheerful for protesters.


Slot machines being carried on to Great Yarmouth beach in 1969 to create a Guy Fawkes Night bonfire. Picture: Mercury Library


The irresistible bright lights of Barrons' Paradium amusement arcade on the Golden Mile in the 1960s. Picture: Colin Tooke Collection

[dickywink]

Hi Guys
Great article and photos in the Yarmouth Mercury ... I sent the link Pennymachines posted to Freddy Bailey in the USA and he came back with some info that was totally unexpected ... Firstly his late father organised the trade association making the protest at the time called The Seaside Operators Association, and the bonfire was a protest against taxes on player positions, not just the machines. In the photo below Freddy's father is second from the right ... And Freddy Bailey is 6th from the right, standing directly behind the German wall machine on the floor.

Freddy sent me some more photos of his father's arcade / café bar at Mundesley North Norfolk in the '50s to put in this thread.

Below is the arcade at the top of Mundesley Cliffs.

The next is a photo of the café bar on the left of the arcade.

And lastly, inside the café bar with Freddy sitting at the end.

Some amazing photos to add to this amazing thread ... keep them coming.

All the best ... Dicky