A small arcade in Sheringham

[jimmy55]

I can across these two pictures on a local chaps Facebook pics. I can just about remember the place from my early holidays here in Sheringham

[bryans fan]

Great find! Well done, keep looking, love old photos of machines.

[slotalot]

Hi bryans fan at the risk of diverting Mr Pennymachines viewers have you seen page 5 on my website I am laways adding more photos as they come to light
but dont forget to return to the Pennymachines website after looking
http://www.slotmachines.bravehost.com/page8.html

[badpenny]

It's Jimmy's .... it says in the window.

What's the wall machine between the two girls in the first one ? It has a red top flash and a blue cash bag on the front?

Stuart, I often visit your sight, the atmospheric colour photos from the 50/60s take me back and don't do me legs much good either.
I think I've spotted a mis-caption though.
Instead of "Playing the machines" I think Acker Bilk is "Debuting his perspex clarinet"

[jimmy55]

I tried to enlarge said machine in Photoshop BP but I'm afraid its just not clear enough to say! ...all I can say is the second word is ( not surprisingly ) ******* Money

[badpenny]

I guess if you can't make it out jimmy55 we'll have to hope someone comes along who actually recognises it.

[pennymachines]

I know I've seen this machine before (possibly at auction within the last 10 years) but can't find any pics at the moment.

First pic: AMECO Duchess, Jamieson Autofruit, ? , Jamieson Autofruit, AMECO Duchess, Golding Rouletto.
Second pic: Jubilee Riviera, Sega Berkeley, Sega Berkeley, two fat ladies, sweet vendor, ? , Cromptons Tooty Fruity, Brenco Royal Strike, Brenco Royal Strike, Sega Continental Grand Prix, Sega Berkeley, Sega Mad Money.

[jimmy55]

Impressed

[coppinpr]

Isn't it strange that in the austere '50s there was no law against children playing machines (or if there was, no one took any notice) and machines that are clearly gambling machines could be placed outside in the open (some of these actually seem to have be placed at a height to suit kids), and yet today we can't sell a machine that is too old to be a gambling machine, and if we want to own one, the evil tool of the devil must be kept behind closed doors. If you haven't signed the petition do so now

[treefrog]

Just to correct you PM, the Riviera on the left is in fact a Aristocrat Fiesta and the machine next to the Tooty Fruity is a Ace Monte Carlo... No idea what the mystery machine is...

[pennymachines]

Ha Ha - you're too quick Treefrog! I realized it was an International seconds after posting and started Googling to check.
I'm impressed by your identifying the Ace though!
That other one's bugging me. Seen it before, but never found anything about it.

Edit - Ah, first one's an Aristocrat is it?
Should have gone to Specsavers...

[treefrog]

Now here is a question, arcades in the UK have had signs on the outside stating "Free Admission" for the last 100 years, even looking at some of the older ones on Slotalot's site.....did arcades ever charge to use their machines? I am sure some arcades even state this today

[badpenny]

I shouldn't have thought so, it's very much like tradesmen today saying "Free quotes - No obligation"

Also with arcades it's an attempt to align the gambling element along side more honest entertainment which you would expect to pay for.

When I see "Free Admission" anywhere I always think ....
That's all very well, but how much does it cost to get out?

[pennymachines]

Isn't it strange that in the austere '50s there was no law against children playing machines (or if there was, no one took any notice) and machines that are clearly gambling machines could be placed outside in the open...

And Health and Safety would have something to say about unearthed mains death-traps sat outside in the wind and rain.

[arrgee]

did arcades ever charge to use their machines

Jerry wrote an interesting article in MMM (issue 17) a few years ago about kinetoscopes and talked about kinetoscope parlours whereby he states that 'Patrons were charged twenty five dollars to view all the machines in one row'
Not exectly an arcade but there was at least a precedent set during the end of the 19th centry for charging.

[JC]

Are you sure that was 25 dollars Arrgee? I don't have issue 17 to hand at the moment, but shouldn't that have been 25c? 25 dollars would have come close to buying the entire shop!
(Or was it just another of my typos)?

[arrgee]

Are you sure that was 25 dollars Arrgee?

You are absolutely correct Jerry, 25 cents to view 10, half a dollar to view 20.

Duhhh, wot a plonker

By the way, it was October 2007 issue, bet it only seems like yesturday JC !!

[coppinpr]

The arcade I worked in the early '70s didn't give replays on the row of 20 pinballs, but paid out 3 fags for 3 replays, 6 for 6 and 10 for 9. There was a sign that said 'Paid to over 16s only', which had absolutely no effect.

I have never smoked, and when I was 15 I supplemented my £5 wage by winning cigs in the same arcade and selling them to guys at work who did.

It's still an arcade, but a shadow of its former self with the usual crap machines. Quite a history though - started life as a shooting gallery with a tea bar in the 1930s; progressed through being a true pinball parlor in the '60s and '70s, to become the sad gambling trap it is today. No longer the spivs loitering near the jukebox and Lenny, with a permanent roll up stitched to his bottom lip, in his white (I say this in the broadest sense) coat, dispensing change and paying out the cigs. No door in those days, just a wide open front, even though it was in a South London street. I remember it being freezing in there in the winter.

[treefrog]

It's Jimmy's .... it says in the window.

What's the wall machine between the two girls in the first one ? It has a red top flash and a blue cash bag on the front?

Stuart, I often visit your site, the atmospheric colour photos from the 50/60s take me back and don't do me legs much good either.
I think I've spotted a mis-caption though.
Instead of "Playing the machines" I think Acker Bilk is "Debuting his perspex clarinet"

Well it's only taken 2 years and 4 months to identify, but the machine between the two girls is the same one I posted a few weeks back, the "Dial for Money" Nixie machine...... Did anyone here buy the machine?

[bryans fan]

Well done you TF! What took you so long