Machines made in Leeds

[longbobongo]

Does anyone have any information regarding any machines which were made or companies which built them in the Leeds / Yorkshire area.

I read some were a while ago naming a company in Leeds back in 1930's or 50's?

[slotalot]

Does anyone have any information regarding any machines which were made or companies which built them in the Leeds / Yorkshire area.

I read some were a while ago naming a company in Leeds back in 1930's or 50's?

Hi Longbobongo , I dont know of any makers from the Leeds area, but a chap called Tommy Styrin from Chapel Allerton was restoring vintage mechanical machines back in the 1980s, if you can get hold of a copy of the Yorkshire Post from Oct 2nd 1985 there was an article and photo of him with some of his machines, I hope this is of some help to you....Regards Stuart...

[JC]

One name comes to mind: John Dennison, the celebrated maker of working models, who produced his machines from the 1870s. After his death in 1924, the business was continued by two of his daughters until well into WWII.

[longbobongo]

Thanks for the replies guys,

I heard the story about Tommy in Leeds and his quality collection. Is he still a collector does anyone have a link to the newspaper article?

As well as working models JC did they produce any other machines i.e. allwins etc?

Also i read somewere that Bryans had a distributor in Leeds can any confirm this and would anyone know the address. Just out of intrest.....

Cheers

[slotalot]

Thanks for the replies guys,

I heard the story about Tommy in Leeds and his quality collection. Is he still a collector does anyone have a link to the newspaper article?

As well as working models JC did they produce any other machines i.e. allwins etc?

Also i read somewere that Bryans had a distributor in Leeds can any confirm this and would anyone know the address. Just out of intrest.....

Cheers

Hi Longbobongo , If you want to see the Yorkshire Post article you should be able to look at it at the Leeds main library, it is not on the net as far as I know, As for John Dennison I never knew that he came from Leeds, I always thought he was from Blackpool ... Thanks JC you learn something new every day!.. I have just Googled him and found this link http://www.underthepier.com/22_working%20models.htm ...I hope this helps. Regards Stuart.

[pennymachines]

John Dennison held an exclusve concession for exhibiting in Blackpool Tower, but unlike the other famous working model pioneer, Nelson Lee, he didn't work from Blackpool but was based at 26, Salop Street, Bank, Leeds. Later his business was at 102 Ascot Terrace, Leeds, then 19, Roundhay View.

Tom Boland (Tom Boland & Co.) operating from 56a Elland Road, Leeds, was a prolific revamper and converter - most famously Caille Commercials into Greyhounds and Mills bandits into single reel Black Beauties, Screen Stars and White Cities.

Paul Braithwaite (Arcades & Slot Machines) also mentions the Leeds Panopticon run by Walter Cerretta Jeans who operated from 22 New Market Street and held a joint patent with the Leeds Kinematograph Repairing Company.

Here's part of a profile of Leeds based J.S.K. Electronics from the The Coin Slot (World's Fair) of 20/03/82. It mentions that Tommy Styrin originally worked from smaller premises in Kirkstall Road. Can't help wondering if Tommy's wife was Polly.

J.S.K. Electronics, of Leeds, have been a household name in the amusement arcade industry for a number of years and some arcades prefer their automatic change machines to cash kiosks.
Since moving to new premises at Leodis Works, North West Road, off Woodhouse Street, Leeds, last autumn the firm has started a new lease of life by making reproduction models of some of the old mechanical puller fruit machines.
Don Foakes, a director of J.S.K., told Coin Slot "We are working in association with Tommy Styrin, of Leeds and most of our models are being exported to the American market".
Original models of the fruit machines are obtained and the arcade industry has been very helpful in this respect. Mr. Foakes said: "Henry Deeks, of the Fun Factory arcade in Scarborough, has loaned us a model from his own "museum". From this we have been able to reproduce castings and we have our own fettling and polishing shop".
All the machines are handpainted in the J.S.K. workshop. Mr. Foaks' co-director, Colin Thompson, is responsible for the mechanical side of the work and Mr. Styrin attends to the final assembly.
Mr. Foakes remains responsible for general administration and for the change machines, which are still made, as well as the general marketing of products.
J.S.K. exhibited at both the Birmingham A.T.E. and the Blackpool Show. Mr. Foakes said: "We were very happy with the results of both exhibitions. We took a number of firm orders for all our products including one from Bertie Cartmell for work on a Caille upright six players antique fruit machine which he wanted in time for the Irish exhibition".